Looking for an Inn (Open)

[Fallan Windchaser]

Despite having no idea what a stormgem might be the rest of what Hadrian had to say made sense and it stirred an idea which had been lurking in the back of his mind but had stayed relatively unformed.

"You can produce smaller things then? Things which might be in the reach of those who are not yet rich? Reputations are what make or break honest men and while I'd like to help spread that reputation I'll need more than just my word to do that."

He considered for a moment and drank deeply of the beer, an action which caused him to choke and splutter. When he'd recovered he asked curiously, "what could you provide me which would raise the sort of wonder and desire that you'd like to achieve?"

[Hadrian]

"Well," he said slowly, "sure... I could produce some simple items -- reinforced daggers, shields, glowing jewelry -- and I could produce them fairly quickly, but we would have to start local and you would have to bring people to me who have the money for it. Investment capital, you know?"

For at least the season, he had access to the magecrafting laboratories of the College of Magic, and he might extend that if he stayed in town for a while after, especially if he continued to assist professors as a graduate, but it wasn't cheap.

"You could at least put the word out in town that there's a student magecrafter nearing graduation. Talk about how student prices won't last for long..."

[Fallan Windchaser]

His eyes narrowing in thought, the Drykas nodded slowly.

"Student prices, huh?" He smiled, "a nice pitch, but everyone knows that student prices are because the student is not yet competent in his craft. Still it's not a bad idea, but what sort of prices are we looking at here?"

He wasn't about to argue about the business being local as for him it was less of an issue and in any case if he tried to sell here he would be up against not only Hadrian also trying the same thing, but also his teacher and any other students who might be about.

[Hadrian]

"I can't give you a price schedule off the top of my head, but my overhead will be low for a while because I have access to the university laboratories. If I stay on as a teacher's assistant or research assistant, that can continue." He shrugged. "That way, the cost is defrayed by the university."

[Fallan Windchaser]

He watched as Hadrian wriggled on the hook, unable or unwilling to give a specific answer but neither was he about to let this fish run. He slipped his knife from his belt and laid it on the table.

"For the sake of argument, since blades always impress, if you were to wriggle your fingers over this knife, what could you do and how much would it cost a customer? Actions speak louder than words and men rarely will dip their fingers into their money pouches merely on the word of a stranger. Show them something and they will be forcing the money on you. If I'm to bring you customers then I need something to show them."

He sipped again at the heady but still disgusting brew to cover his thoughts. Did Hadrian really think that Fallan would be willing to recommend customers with no way of being compensated for such a recommendation?

[Hadrian]

Hadrian was not knowingly attempting to wriggle off of any hooks, but instead trying not to give the Drykas bad information. Truth to tell, he hadn't meant to go through a middle man at all, but he was entertaining this idea because Fallan had brought it up in the first place. He realized that if he wanted to focus on continuing his studies and doing the work, he might need someone else to handle the business end of things. Not that he couldn't. He would have understood being disowned by his father if he hadn't at least picked up the basics of economics and finances by osmosis over the years. But it would certainly slow him down to have to do everything.

The future was still a bit of a mystery to him. Would he stay in Zeltiva to make use of the University facilities or would his father make him an offer he couldn't refuse to return to Syliras? Would Professor Rochlas take him to Akvatar or would Isikais help him survive in Sahova? Or would Professor Stonemiller have some amazing connection and opportunity for his over-achieving student upon graduation?

It was difficult to tell and Hadrian's esoteric studies hadn't really delved into divination of any sort.

He took a sip of the beer, wondered how the seaweed and fish taste had ever become acceptable to his palate.

"Why don't I show you the facilities at the laboratory some time?" he suggested. "That will give me time to come up with numbers for you and give you time to make a pitch if that's your intention. Because this isn't the sort of thing I can give you a roadside demonstration of... unfortunately.

"But as to your question... as I said... it would be the simplest thing to make your little blade stronger or sharper, and relatively inexpensive as these things go. Oh, or lighter, which means you wouldn't tire as fast in a fight. Theoretically something as simple as that goes for about 1000 gold nilos, or miza. But there just aren't that many magecrafters working commercially around here, so I'm trying to find out if that's what they're charging or if that's how much it costs them in overhead and materials. The which I should be able to ascertain before I show you the laboratory.

"If you want anything more complex... or you want your blade even stronger, sharper, or lighter... Well, it's not exactly an exponential increase in cost, but I think the most complex thing I could make with any certainty of success at this point would cost about 9000 nilos. It wouldn't be the Anvil of Lhex, but it would be fancier than just an extra sharp blade."

[Fallan Windchaser]

Fallan had taken to sipping again at his own beer, hoping that somehow the raw alcohol would numb his taste buds, as he watched and listened.

"Yes, I'd be interested in seeing those," he responded to the offer of visiting the laboratories. He grinned, "Call it curiosity if you will but the more background I have the more confident I can be when selling on your behalf," if I can, he added the reservation in his own mind but it was a minor afterthought because no trader ever lost faith in his own abilities.

He considered the offer for a moment in relation to his own blade. There were two things a knife needed above all else and these were the two things which Hadrian suggested, so it was a good thought and he mulled it for a moment.

"Strength might be a bit hard to demonstrate convincingly but sharpness would be something that is going to get their attention." He reckoned it might seem a simple thing, being sharp but while knives might not get the attention of the wealthy it would if they owned swords and the like.

"We'll need to find some wealthy customers then," he finished, wincing at the cost, "and we'll need to come to some sort of deal over it, something which would be fair to us both. It's your skill which is going to generate the value but skill with not enough customers won't make you rich either."

[Hadrian]

"Yeah, but if you slam your little dagger into a fine steel shield and the shield splits in two... well, that's a good demonstration, too." He smiled and drank down some kelp beer.

"Why don't we show you the labs, then. And I'll see if I can arrange some improvements to your dagger, and then you can decide whether you want to try to sell my work."

At worst, he would improve the man's dagger and never see him again, and even then he would have that much more hands-on experience crafting. At best, Fallan could bring him orders and then he could begin amassing the necessary funds to begin his post-graduate life.

[Fallan Windchaser]

"A deal," replied Fallan raising his beer to Hadrian, for it seemed to him that neither of them had anything to lose and everything to gain by this.

"Why don't you do that? You can show me the labs and perhaps also you can tell me more about these special things that you need in the future. If I'm out trying to find you some customers I can perhaps kill two birds with one stone."

[Hadrian]

"That sounds like a plan. I'll go crunch some numbers, and in a few days you can come looking for me at the College of Magic. I'll show you around and we can throw ideas around until we can agree on one."

He grinned and raised his glass, too. He wasn't going to get his hopes up, but if he had just scored himself a creditable business manager, he was going to be very happy.