Customer Service

 

The crew hopes to pawn off some of the more unique items pilfered from the craft. Specifically the moss suits, and black ceramic organ vase filled with three mysterious liquids. Caulder’s connection to the underworld of Ux Qorath would be able to get him in contact with a wizard interested in potentially purchasing the living moss suit, but it would be a day before he would be able to get fully in contact.

Knowing the city is one of the few places with a strong enough alchemical presence where potions are sold freely upon the market they head there.

The market is abuzz, Yptifragean merchants and their pack lizards were swarming the streets hawking their wares. Eventually they make their way to a small alchemical stall called the Bubbling Potion, and meet with a diminutive middle aged woman named Yara.

After some brief introduction Mekinmini asks how much for a healing potion.

Much to her dismay it is 300 sols. Communications break down quickly after that. 

Amyl offers to sell some of the substances found in the vessel, warning that one of the substances is poisonous, but as to the nature of the other two liquids they have no clue. 

Yara pulls out a goblet and they fill the cup with a red syrupy substance

“Do you have any idea what this does?”

“No, that’s why we came to you” Amyl snapped back.

“I haven’t the faintest clue, although you could pay me 50 sols to have it identified”

“50!” said Mekinimini aghast “I could identify it myself for less”

“Oh yeah great wizard what does it do?”

“I don’t know but I could buy the spell myself”

“Good luck with that”

“How about we just sell you the entire thing” Amyl asked “It’s a genuine alien artifact, it’s got venusian writing on it”

“Let me look at that” and after a brief pause “That’s not venusian”

Mekinimini says “We’ll sell it for 100 sols”

“Ha pocketchange” retorted Yara as she ducked under her counter to produce ten bundles of ten souls on a string.

Realizing her blunder for going so low, Mekinimini starts to back peddle. “You know what forget it, we aren’t gonna sell you this anyways”

She reaches for the goblet and Yara instinctively recoils. Not thinking twice, Caulder grabs a potion off the shelf and lifts it above his head, making it clear he plans on dropping it.

Mekinimini says “Listen we just want what is ours back”

“You aren’t worth my time or money, get out the lot of you” Yara grumbled as she poured the goblet back into the vessel.

“300 sols for a healing potion, you are a cartel you know that!”

“Gladly are, go get your potions at lesser stores.”

“Shiester, you’re a shiester!”

As the group wanders into the less busy back alleys, beyond the Bubbling Potion and the Portage Bank Branch the group takes a breather. Looking around them they notice a charcoal graffito on the back of the bank reading “YGSÐД. Mekinimini recognizes the name of that of an ancient fungal god, who most worshippers had long since abandoned. 

With her supernatural healing provided by her attunement to her owl familiar, she listens in to the bank picking out mostly mundane conversation with a few proper names and titles thrown in, Xolo, and Haruspex. Caulder takes this time to look around hoping to find any secret doors to and from the bank, but comes up with nothing.

A fraudster is a fraudster, so Caulder comes up with a simple plan: open up a safety deposit box at the bank and while alone try to open the other boxes and pilfer whatever they find.

He enters in to the front of the bank, meeting a man with a shaved head and a wooden mask working the front desk.

“Xolo, representing the portage bank, how may I help you”

“I wish to set up an account”

“Why of course, you can set up a savings account: 5% interest per annum, but only quarterly withdrawals. Or, a checking account, 100 sol per year with unlimited withdrawals.”

“How about a safe deposit box?”

“How large?”

“A cubic foot or so.”

“That would be 5 lunas per year”

“Could I get it cheaper if I was only to store it for a month?”

“No it is bank policy, you purchase for a year minimum.”

They finish sorting out the details, signing the contract as “Harmody Alec” and going into the back with the keys to lock box 114. 

As soon as Xolo isn’t looking he gets to work.

Picking the lock of the next box he is greeted with an empty safe, just after he closes it Xolo walks back into the room.

“Woah Zolo, give me some privacy! I’m not done yet”

“Oh I had heard you close the door, I had assumed you finished”

“No, the door was just sticky and”

A bell rang from the front desk, and again, and again.

Roddy stood at the front desk jumping up slightly to reach the bell with his little muranian hands.

“Oh good finally some service, what do you need to do to get service quickly in here?”

“Ring the bell, only once.”

“Then why did I have to wait so long?”

“I was speaking to another customer in the back.”

“I want to speak to the manager.”

“I am the manager here, Xolo”

“Did I ask your name”

Knowing he had little time left Caulder made his move, picking open box 612 he finds fine crimson robes and an intricately sculpted brass mask of a grinning face.

He swaps it with garbage he had in his bag and closes the door.

He leaves and soon after Roddy stops pestering Xolo.

With a pained sigh he lets out “Mauranians”