Location The Second Hand

[Neologism]

The Second Hand

Stuffed on a corner between two more sturdy stone buildings is The Second Hand. It is an almost-nice white building, merged with the green ramshackle beside it, which is used as storage. On a good day it might be compared to the General Store of West Street, although with far less of a selection and almost no quality to its products. Rather, the Second Hand serves as the last resort for many of the poor and desperate in Zeltiva.

The door opens up to a cluttered and slim shopfront. Immediately inside the door is a narrow staircase leading to the upper floors, and almost every inch of the shop has far more than it can hold stacked on top of it. Each floor within the Second Hand is only lit by whatever light shines in through the windows, making most items hard to find, and obscure until picked up. The reason for this is apparent on the residual scorch marks that peak out from the new-ish paneling on the walls. The Second Hand has seen fire before, and no candle is worth the luxury of light in the eyes of the owner.

Everything from the old children’s clothing to used furniture can be found here, and everything is dirt cheap. Shelves full of tin jewelry and remarkably worthless treasures lean precariously in the small spave. Through the maze of junk, a customer will eventually find an older woman sitting on a stool carefully watching their pockets.

When rent comes due, the line in front of The Second Hand can stretch down the whole of East Street as the poor desperately sell off their meager belongings to make ends meet. Often those out of luck can also restock their necessities from this store, for a fraction of the cost, and quality.

 

Digit

Race: Human
Date of Birth: Unknown
Place of Birth: Zeltiva
Title: Owner of the Second Hand
Skills: Planning (65), Larceny (60), Negotiation (55), Intimidation (50), Stealth (40), Tactics: Business (30)
Language: Common (Fluent)
Concept: Digit has worked at the Second Hand since before anyone in this generation can remember. Her real name, age, is unknown. Her origins can only be guessed at, although no one has ever been able to lure a word of confirmation out of Digit’s mouth. The tale is that she first showed up at eight years old, perhaps escaping the orphanage which was rather defunct at the time, and began working for the old man who ran it before her. She had proved herself invaluable with silken fingers which helped the less-than-legal store tremendously. No one sees the old shop owner anymore, and most believe him deceased. Still, despite offering last hope to many of Zeltiva’s poor, she is remarkably well off for someone in her situation. Digit is a known quantity to the Wave Guard, but has never once been caught with a single illegal item, on the rare occasions the Wave Guards find the need to come into East Street. With no proof to take her down, no charges have ever stuck, and she remains in operation to this day.

She has a dry wit, and tends to ply sarcastic insults just as fast as Mizas. Getting her respect is more difficult than finding a clean prostitute at the Clapping Clam. She is rather mistrustful of many of her customers, which doesn’t much matter since anyone shopping at the Second Hand is doing so out of necessity rather than option.

 

Prices

⥼ Selling

Most items on the Price List can be sold here for 15% of their listed cost. No item will be bought over 10 Mizas, and prices are non-negotiable. If you are uncertain, PM an ST.

⥼ Buying

Consult the Price List. Most items can be acquired here with the exclusion of mage-related items or region-specific items. Items can only be found of poor or dismal quality. If you are uncertain, PM an ST.

Original location credit goes to Shai.

[Neologism]

The Third Hand

Through the dank and claustrophobic alleyway that sidles up against the Second Hand is the entrance to the weathered white building which shares a wall with the notorious shop. Constructed of the modern limestone concrete of Zeltiva’s lower-end buildings, the rain and wind has done a number on the building, and no one has kept it up. Still, it stands without difficulty, with all of its yellowed wavy windows intact. Some assume it is abandoned, due to the boarding on the windows and doors that face the street. Others think it is extra storage where Digit can hoard the mass amounts of junk she collects. Either way, despite being found directly next to the most popular building on East Street, this structure is often overlooked and ignored.

The back alley here is remarkably clean of refuse; not a single obstacle exists to hide behind. The door is non-descript, lacking even a door handle or obvious hinge. With the right pass phrase, which changes every season, someone can knock on the door and gain entrance.

Inside is a simple sitting room, with nothing of particular value in it. Still, it is neat and clean, a rarity on East Street. After several chimes of waiting, the front storekeeper will wander into the room and negotiations can begin. The Third Hand is a fence, specifically dealing in the purchase of high-end easily-identifiable items.

Buying a fenced item requires prior contact with Digit or a trusted associate. The inventory is not kept on premise and any customer must already know the item they want to buy before seeing it. This generally means that most of the Third Hand’s customers are the original victims who were stolen from. However this is not always the case. The Third Hand also deals with contracted thievery, procuring coveted items for those who are willing to pay.

⥼ Note: You absolutely must have the lore of this location before gaining access to it. Graders may not give themselves this lore and must receive it from another grader/ST.

 

Milo

Race: Human
Date of Birth: Winter, 497AV
Place of Birth: Zeltiva
Title: Doorman at the Third Hand
Skills: Brawling (60), Larceny (55), Stealth (50), Interrogation (40), Persuasion (30), Planning (25), Law (20)
Language: Common (Fluent)
Concept: Milo plays the part of the doorman at the Third Hand. He opens the door only after verifying the identity of the caller and then watches over them while Digit finishes her business up front. He has a strong docks accent when he chooses to speak up and anything he comes up with tends to be overbearingly rude, crude, and socially unacceptable.

He stands just under six feet and covers up his wiry frame with long coats most days except in the depths of Summer. When an item is to be delivered for purchase it is most often Milo who shows up with the parcel. For this reason, where the Wave Guard finds no victory with Digit, they so occasionally nab Milo. But he never serves more than a moon of a thieves’ punishment, because within a fortnight the labor warrant is rescinded by the higher ups. He is a vital part of a lucrative business, and those who profit off of his work do not want him working in the Quarry on labor charges for long.

Another thorn against law and justice, the quick thinking street rat enjoys a somewhat infamous status which he uses to his own advantage whenever possible. He can occasionally be found carousing through the Kelp Bar and gambling dens of East Street.

 

Prices

PM an ST.

 

Employment

⥼ Thief: After a thief has made significant inroads with The Third Hand, they can seek contracts for specific thefts. Burglaries that require skill will be given out sparingly and only to the most proven and trusted larcenists. Zeltiva is not a lawless city, and those who choose to create a career out of breaking the law, do so with great risk. However, the pay-off is good, so long as one does not get caught. Base pay is 3 gm/day, must possess the Larceny skill.

Original location credit goes to Shai.