More Candy

SUMMMARY Rona is still trying to give away her crate full of candy! She is joined by Walery, whom she assures unconvincingly the candy isn't poisoned, and Aya. Discussion covers licensing options, human fecundity, artifice, economics, and the differences, if any, between marriage and prison.

Yelrona is sitting cross-legged on a large crate sitting on the sidewalk. Next to her is a similar crate, open, tilted up to display its contents: small brightly colored packaging. A handlettered sign on top of the crate says "Free Candy: One Per Customer." From time to time, people approach and take one, sometimes politely, sometimes not.

Walery is walking along the area today under the hazy sky, looking over the shops curiously. As he passes Yelrona's stall, he smiles. "Free Candy? I'm surprised you have any left," he says with a smirk.

Yelrona laughs. "So am I! I've been trying to give this stuff away for two days now." She offers Walery a package. "I may have to relax the one-per-customer constraint if I still have any left by lunchtime."

Walery arches a brow, takes the candy thoughtfully, pops it into his mouth. "The one-per-customer is what's limiting you," he observes. "Otherwise the kids would clean you out." He nods gravely. "Are you a candymaker, then?" he wonders.

"Yeah, I know," Rona agrees. "They keep trying. But it seems wasteful," she continues, entirely straightfaced. "I mean, there's quite enough poison in each one to target a person, so why use two?" A beat, then: "That was a joke."

Walery begins coughing at the mention of poison, since he'd already eaten his, and it takes him a moment to calm down after being told it's a joke. Breathing heavily, he says, "Ah, you made me panic for a moment!" Pantpant. "It's /not/ poison, right?" he checks again, just to be sure.

Yelrona considers. "Not as far as I know," she replies judiciously. "If it is, it's _very_ slow-acting."

Walery seems not to gain as much consolation from that as he'd been hoping. But he can sense it's as much as he's going to get. "Fair enough," he says, tugging a little at the collar to his tunic.

"If it's at all reassuring," Rona adds, "they are just as likely to have anti-toxic effects. Which is to say, neither is especially likely."

A spindly-legged blond boy runs up eagerly to them and reaches for a candy, and Rona fixes him with a stare. "How do we ask?" The boy takes a deep, frustrated breath and rattles off "Please-may-I-have-some-candy?" and Rona nods. He grabs one and runs off.

Rona sighs. "We'll work on 'Thank you' some other time."

Walery smirks at the child, and shrugs about please and thank you. "Kids today are like that," he says with a shrug. "A few are okay, most are slackers."

Yelrona nods. "That's reassuring. If it were ever otherwise I'd have to wonder what was going on." She offers a hand in greeting. "I'm Yelrona, by the way. And no, I'm not a candy maker... this is more of a short term windfall," she explains. "Giving it away seemed more fun than the handful of silvers I'd make selling them.

Walery ohs about not a candymaker, and nods about a windfall. "That's cool, then. I'm Walery. Mick Walery. I'm scouting out locations, cause I'm thinking of opening a shop here," he explains.

Walery also shakes hands.

"Oh? What sort of shop?" Rona asks, interested. "If you sell candy, I know a supplier I can introduce you to. Guaranteed probably not poisonous."

Walery laughs, shakes his head about a candy shop. "Nono, though I think you might be able to stick a jar of candy in Sandy's dress shop. She's always got children around, I think, since she helps out with the orphans." He then explains, "No, I was hoping to open up an armorsmith's shop. I think if I cater to the adventuring community, I could undersell some of the other amorsmiths."

Yelrona nods. "I had the same thought, but she turned me down... something about kids with sticky hands." She shrugs, then returns to the shop talk. "Enchanted? Or just regular?"

Walery hahs about enchanted. "There's wizards all over town who will fall all over themselves for the chance to enchnant your armor. But not nearly so many who want to bother with hammering steel."

Yelrona nods. "Point. So how do you cater to adventurers?"

Walery ehs, "Well, hopefully by making armor for cheaper than the other places do."

Yelrona laughs. "Well, that is always a way to attract customers." She regards her box of candy skeptically and adds "Well, free probably-not-poisonous candy notwithstanding. Though I suppose the question becomes how you expect to make a profit that way."

Walery shrugs about a profit. "I'm not looking to line my pockets with gold. I just need enough to keep up my research."

Yelrona raises a curious eyebrow. "Research?" Her glance takes in the firearm-and-backpack arrangement. "Artificer, I take it?"

Walery nods about being an artificer. "I have an idea for flight-oriented combat troops, but I need to work on the concept," he explains.

Yelrona nods. "Air superiority wins many a battle," she agrees. "Just ask the Egalrin. Equipping ordinary troops with flight capability would be pretty expensive, though, wouldn't it?"

Walery pauses to think about the cost. "Well. Probably," he fiinally says. "I haven't even worked out -how- to get them in the air, myself," he admits. "But it becomes a question of 'Is the importance of winning the battle enough to justify the cost?'. And that's always the case anyhow, which is why some nations equip their forces with mail armor, and some just use leather, and almost no one puts rank-and-file troops in plate."

Yelrona nods. "The training is more expensive than the armor itself, I gather. In terms of time, anyway. That's why I've never bothered with heavy armor, myself... this works well enough for my purposes," she adds, knocking on her breastplate. "But, yes. People pay a lot of attention to the killing and the dying, but most wars are won and lost over money."

Walery shrugs about the why. "I'm really just working on the project," he explains. "I mean, I guess it's my project now, my mentor lost his funding, and then left the area kinda mysteriously. So I stayed with the project. But I don't have a plan, really, beyond that."

Yelrona nods. "Well, I know that one of the artificers at the Academy is an egalrin... she might have some useful insights on the subject. Who was your mentor?"

Walery explains, "My mentor was Lord Senki." He was noted for having a few research efforts related to the Sendor War, which lost funding when the war ended. If Artificers' Guild politics is your thing. "I don't think I've worked closely with any Elgarin. But I think how they fly might be very hard to do mechanically. I've talked with a few senior artificers who agree."

GAME: Yelrona rolls knowledge/local-2: (11)+4+-2: 13

Yelrona doesn't recognize the name, but notes it. "Sure, that makes sense. I meant more that she might have studied the subject, being from a flying culture herself. If you were interested in equipping burrowing troops instead, I'd recommend a gnome." She grins. "Oh, speaking of which... I ran into a gnomish artificer the other day who talked to rabbits. Not with a spell, or anything, just talked to them. And vice-versa, as far as I could tell." She shakes her head. "Gnomes, man."

Walery ohs, nods about Elgarin and flying. "Wind characteristics and flight dynamics kind of thing? That makes good sense," he agrees. As far as gnomes go, he can only shrug. "I ... don't really know any gnomes. Not personally. There are a few in the Guild, of course, but I try and steer clear."

Aya has arrived.

Yelrona laughs. "That is probably wise," she admits. "I spent some time trying to learn their language, a year or two ago... I was better at languages then. But Gnomish..." she shakes her head. "Gnomish is something else. Then again, you know something about hard-to-understand languages yourself, I imagine?"

Walery arches a brow, but nods slowly about languages. "Well, most respectable artificers know Dwarfish, and some knowledge of Kulthian is needed to do the research. Apart from that, though, my linguistic training has fallen behind."

Yelrona nods. "Right, I was thinking of Kulthian. That's another one I took a look at and backed hastily away. Worse than Celestial."

Walery says, "Ah, yes. Some of the more esoteric knowledge is recorded in Kulthian. Sad to say, it's a much more concise and well-structured language for those sort of things. The concepts become much more clearcut and delineated. Tradespeak just doesn't have the words. I guess that's why it's all taught in Kulthian.""

Yelrona nods. "Things get lost in translation. Even _within_ a language... when I was little I used to get 'valientharin' and 'valienthorin' confused all the time. My mother still teases me about that."

Walery looks puzzled, but says, "Yes, closely related things can be confusing. I forget which language it was, I think something around the Jade Islands, the difference between 'husband' and 'prisoner' is a long vowel versus a short vowel. I would definitely not want to be married in that culturee!"

Yelrona laughs. "On the other hand, you might enjoy getting arrested. These things have a way of working out," she adds, straight-faced.

Walery can only shrug. "Hopefully I don't find out. I'm quite busy enough as it is, and I just don't have time for that," he complains.

"Being arrested?" Rona asks, amused. "Or getting married?"

"Being arrested?" Rona asks, amused. "Or getting married?"

Walery gives Yelrona a sort of patient look, and says, "I don't have time for either, thank you very much."

Yelrona nods. "Yeah, I know what you mean... it can be pretty timeconsuming."

"Is there truly that much difference between the two?" Aya inquires from Yelrona's immediate left-rear. She may well have simply overhead comment after exiting the Fernwood, and promptly relocated to that position... or she may have been dropping eaves for some time.

GAME: Yelrona rolls bluff: (6)+11: 17

Walery nods gravely. "I don't have time to till soil and earn rent money and such," he agrees. "My research is quite important. Even without the War, it could have many tactical implications." He seems about to give Aya a serious answer, but it changes to a sort of weary sigh and says, "Either one takes too much time."

Yelrona whirls around at Aya's sudden appearance, and tries unconvincingly to seem unstartled. "Hey Aya," she greets. "Do you know Walery?"

Returning her attention to the human, she asks "Don't you have to till the soil and earn rent money and such anyway?" Then, after some thought, "you don't have to pay rent in jail. And they do feed you, so that's something."

"As for the differences," she continues, "I think they mostly boil down to who is making the decisions."

"Both involve confinement or shackles," Aya rolls a shoulder, "of some sort." She then looks to the inroduced Walery to answer Yelrona's question. "Possibly, but I can't recall any specific meeting off-hand."

Walery shakes his head about rent money, and says, "I stay at the Artificers' Guild, in the apartments they have there. And I work with the Explorers' Guild, so I basically shoot bad people for a living. They don't let you shoot people in jail," he points out. He nods a greeting to Aya, and says, "Yes, exactly, and shackles I want nothing to do with."

Yelrona shrugs. "In that sense, they are both rather like housing. There's a wide variety of shackles, though, and I imagine some are more comfortable than others. That said, I can't compare the two from experience: I've never been married."

"The Guild is a convenient means of employment, isn't it?" one corner of Aya's mouth lifts, then further at Yelrona's comment and its implications. "The lack of bias is refreshing."

Walery nods to Yelrona. "Neither have I. It worked for my parents, but they were farmers, so not a very complex job." He nods about the Guild being a convenient employer. "And much better combat support than the usual nobles' regiments."

Yelrona considers. "To be honest, I have never entirely understood how the Guild can afford to pay out at the rates they do... or, rather, how their clients can. Is there some sort of insurance pooling going on?"

Aya rolls both shoulders. "I've no idea, and don't particularly care how they are able to pay, so long as they do. The lack of a singular agenda or benefactor, and commitment to the same, make it far better for all than a temple, noble regiment, or even one of the shadow guilds."

Walery shrugs about the Guild rates. "I don't pretend to understand economics. I also don't ask what happens to the fellows we capture, or their homes and stuff. I assume the guild turns around and sells it, since they won't need it in jail." He nods at what Aya says. "It essentially doesn't matter, because they simply do. If it was an unbalanced model, you'd see runaway inflation and strange prices. And while 2000 gold for a tiny accuracy boost is ... kind of strange, there's no 2000 gold for a loaf of bread going on. So it /must/ be sustainable. Somehow."

Yelrona nods in agreement with Aya. "True. Even if everyone is corrupt, they won't all be corrupt in the same ways... with no more than ordinary luck, the various corruptions cancel each other out. As for the economics of it... well, I guess I try to think about these sorts of things, because it's one way to get a handle on where the real power is, and what it's doing. But mostly it all just goes over my head."

"I'd expect that it all balances out and steadies at whatever point is considered tolerable for all involved," Aya shares her very general view of economics, if not of all things. "I try not to worry about the details beyond that. We're not merchants."

Walery nods about not being merchants. "That's the truth. Though if I ever get the smithy built, I guess I -will- be one. Of a sort, anyhow."

Yelrona nods to Aya. "Yup, that's consistent. For my own part," she adds neutrally, "I don't necessarily think the balance-point where everyone involved will tolerate a situation is necessarily the right place for the situation to remain... sometimes it can be significantly improved, and ought to be." It's possible she's not just talking about microeconomics. "But agreed that we aren't merchants... although if you're hoping to sell armor cheaper than your competitors," she adds to Walery, "you'll probably have to give some thought to these sorts of questions."

Whirlpool has arrived.

Walery says to Yelrona, "Well, that's the part I can control. I'm a bit more capable than a lot of mundane armorers, so I can use artifice to aid the manufacturing process and gain a few efficiencies there. Things like mechanical arms to hold plates a certain way, and temperature controls for forges." He nods gravely.

Yelrona nods to Walery. "That makes sense," she agrees.

"There was an Inquisitor of Rheos in the city, Fazahd, a year or so ago," she muses, "who was a big advocate of using artifice to improve living conditions here. He was involved with getting mana lights installed, for example," she points to them for emphasis. "It was a great revelation to me... I'd mostly thought of artifice in terms of the Khultian empire and their weapons, and the Spell Cannon, and that sort of thing. The idea that it can be used for _creative_ ends, the way magic can, was startling."

"That particular Engine Breaker was rather ...creative, yes," Aya breaks her recent silent listening to comment on Yelrona's mention. "Though his desire to light the city was somewhat frivolous." For her, at least.

Walery nods gravely to Yelrona. "Ah, I remember them popping up, but I didn't know who was behind it. But yes, Artifice is just a tool, and doesn't indicate a diseased psyche at all. No matter what the fellows at the Academy of Sages say." Was that a crazed look across his face? "Oh, I find the lights quite helpful," he says. "We don't all have Darkvision, of course."

Yelrona nods to Aya. "I thought so too initially, but it's like Walery says... much like age, darkness is much more of an issue for humans."

Walery nods at what Yelrona says. "That's the thing. It's a mostly human city, so you have to support mostly humans. So lights at night are good." He nods gravely. He's looking up and down the street and sighs a bit. "Though if I want to support them with an armory, I need to find a location for the shop. This is probably the best neighborhood for it, but I'm not sure how available the shops are, or if there's any storefronts available. Ideally, I'd like to buy out another armor shop and install my own setup. That'd probably be the easiest."

Aya concedes the point with a vague hand gesture. "Yes, when in Alexandria, do as the Alexandrians, I suppose." Her chin dips to Walery. "That would seem the simplest way for you to start your shop."

"Though, to be fair, most of Alexandria isn't human either," Rona muses. "At least, I don't _think_ it is, though I'll admit I've never counted. Anyway, I'll keep an eye out for armories that might be open to an offer," she adds.

Walery agrees with Aya. "The simplest, yes, but it requires an armorer willing to sell. So a little complicated in that respect." To Yelrona, he says, "If it's not, humans are the largest minority, and probably drive demand just by weight of demographics."

"I'd imagine most areas are more human than not," Aya rolls a shoulder. "They are ...prolific. There are half-sildanar, half-oruch... but I don't ever recall hearing of a half-human. It's commonly assumed."

Walery nods about half humans. "All the half-whatevers are half-human. But the language focuses on what's unusual, and to be human is usual. So." He shrugs, his own humanness is just a thing. "I doubt it means much, to be honest."

Yelrona laughs. "To be honest, it's _still_ strange to me, being surrounded by humans all the time. Especially _old_ humans." She shakes her head. "But I've gotten more used to it. And you're right about the mixed-breeds," she agrees, "though I've often wondered why, say, sil/khazad hybrids are essentially unheard of, while sil/human hybrids are relatively common."

Walery shrugs about the hybrids. "Who can say? Horses and Donkeys make Mules, but mules don't make anything. It's the will of the Gods." He smirks, "Anyhow, Sil and Khazad generally get along about as poorly as anyone can."

Yelrona nods. "True. Though people don't always have to get along to sire offspring," she observes, a little darkly. "To be fair, I'm astonished by human fecundity in general," she admits. "To have so many children in so little time... no wonder you've grown so quickly!"

Walery ehs, "It's true they don't /have/ to get along. But it certainly /helps/." He shrugs about the fecundity. "I dunno about that. I mean, I know it's a thing, but I don't know how or why it works. You need a wizard for that sort of knowedge. Or maybe a priest."

Yelrona shrugs. "I've been a priest," she observes, "but they never covered that." She shrugs. "Anyway, I don't understand it either. As for shops, I recommend making some friends in the License Bureau," she adds. "They're the ones who'll know if a shopkeeper has stopped renewing, and they can give you a heads up if they like you."

Walery looks surprised, but nods about Yelrona being a priest. "I guess it's a pretty esoteric subject. I'll check with the License Bureau, then," he says, "And see what they say. I might wind up with another place that's cheaper anyhow. I dunno what'll be available/"

Yelrona notes Walery's expression and laughs. "I've had a... complicated professional life, let's say. Anyway, it sounds like you're going to have to rebuild the forge to your specifications anyway, if you're planning to..." she waves a hand, looking for a word, "to use artifice to assist your crafting," she says finally, "so you might do better to just build from scratch somewhere less overbuilt. It's not like armor is the sort of thing you buy regularly, after all, people are probably willing to go a little out of their way for a discount."

Walery nods to Yelrona about a complicated life. "Well, you've got longer for it to be complicated in, I suppose. And more time to change your mind." He nods about building from scratch. "I've worked it out both ways. Sort of, just rough calculations. I could do it either way, but it'd be a bit easier to repurpose an armorer's shop, because it's already got a forge, and I can build my additions and modifications around it."

Yelrona nods. "Makes sense. I wish you luck with it, then." She regards the crate, which is mostly empty by now, having been the focus of a steady stream of passersby. "And it's been a pleasure, but I ought to be moving along." She leaves the crates where they are -- someone will find a use for them, no doubt.

Walery nods, "Thanks!" He eyes the crate, then looks up and down the street and makes his way along in his informal real estate survey.