(009) Return to Ket

[waysoftheearth]

tonneau wrote:
"My, you gentleman have been busy I see", observes Gustave, eyeing the goods from behind the group. He scratches his nose absently, "I do hope that you plan to continue your obviously profitable exploits, and that you could use an extra hand..."

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:

"I am unknown in this town and will be safe to take what valuables we have to the market and coins to the exchange,"

It is unlikely that Flewellen could carry all the copper coins, let alone all the other goods as well.

And, as mentioned above, a money changer will charge 7 coppers for each silver. But 1 gp = 6 sp = 36 cp when buying goods.

[waysoftheearth]

heartless wrote:
Padrig suggests, "Lets calculate how much we get each in coins first. Then spend what we need to buy/pay for in coppers, and with the rest of the coppers we can exchange for gold coins if need be."
"Once we have done then I will be honoured to go return Rodrick's items to his order."

[waysoftheearth]

coffee wrote:

"I am unknown in this town and will be safe to take what valuables we have to the market and coins to the exchange," says Flewellen, hoping to earn his keep. "I owe you all my life and there is trust in my heart for this I travel with. I will return with the goods."

"And when you go," Dieter says, "I'll go with you. To carry the coins, of course."

And he smiles.

[waysoftheearth]

waysoftheearth wrote:
After the majority of the food and drink have been demolished, talk becomes more feasible and the subject of conversation swings back and forth over how to divide the loot.

Soon enough it is agreed that Flewellen and Dieter will lug the two huge sacks of copper coins to a money changer and return with silver.

They head off with the cumbersome sacks of coin to ascertain the whereabouts of such an establishment. It is mid morning of a relatively bright late autumn day on the modestly busy streets outside. The sky is mostly clear of cloud, but the air is still crisp, and the ground muddy from recent rain and foot traffic.

The pair push along Main way with their clinking burdens toward the town square and the market once more, where the noise of barter and the smell of animals is strong. From there they veer down Bow street, wherein cart wrights, carpenters, lumberers, and bowyers work at their projects from open-front workshops and yards. Toward the middle of the wide street they pass a wide open saw mill where bare backed Men work in tandem with long toothed saw blade to cut timbers.

After passing a few lanes they leave the smell of sawdust, sap and raw cut timber behind, and then make a few turns before finding Crib street which is a narrower, but cobbled avenue leading directly up to the tall gate surrounding the Traders' Concourse.

The buildings here are made of blue-grey blocks of stone instead of timber, but are oddly narrow. These are older and taller structures, and appear somehow grumpier. Despite their dourness these must be the premises of a wealthier class of citizens, for they have wrought iron gates and fittings, and shiny brass bells and door knobs. These are the homes and businesses of well to do merchants, and a theatre, a locksmith's, and a glove maker's, and at last they locate a money changer, called The Crumenal. The weather faded sign out front depicts two hands exchanging coins.

It is a narrow stone building, grey and green with verdigris. Two step lead up to the plain wooden door, behind which a miniature bell tinkles as Dieter pops his head inside for a look about. There are two very thick necked lads dressed in ridiculously tight formal shirts with starched cuffs and collars and bright brassy buttons sitting stiffly in formal chairs just inside the door. Neither look to be the "forgiving" type.

"What can I do for ye?" rasps an impeccably dressed, balding and bespectacled Goblin sitting behind a small desk at the far end of the narrow room.

Dieter and Flewellen explain their need to change copper for silver, and then await a long and tedious process of counting and weighing and etching records of exactly what coin is being changed. The Goblin pushes the copper coins into an ingenious sorting rack as he counts them, the device lining them all up beautifully into tight, equal ranks.

"Thirty two hundred copper pennies, exactly." mutters the Goblin eventually, raising an eyebrow inquiring at Flewellen and Dieter, but saying nothing more.

The snooty Goblin then painstaking counts out 456 silver shillings, puts them into a poke and pushes it across the table to Flewellen.

"Don't loose it," he advises with a half-smile half-sneer.

The two Men are just as pleased to be back out on the street, and without their former loads, quickly make their way back to the Plow and Furrow.

[waysoftheearth]

danhem wrote:
"If someone else will take the gems to a reputable dealer for appraisal, I will take these other items to the library to see if I can learn something of their origin. If they prove to be ordinary items I will try to find a decent place to sell them. Perhaps one or two others can accompany me to stand watch while I study and help with the negotiations?"

Ulric will collect the four rings, idol, belt, choker, letter opener, scepter, goblet, and pot of honey and go to the library at the Trader's Concourse.

[waysoftheearth]

coffee wrote:
Dieter smiles even more broadly, now that that weight is (literally) off of him.

[waysoftheearth]

eris wrote:

"I am unknown in this town and will be safe to take what valuables we have to the market and coins to the exchange," says Flewellen, hoping to earn his keep. "I owe you all my life and there is trust in my heart for this I travel with. I will return with the goods."

"It's not like I don't trust ya, Flewellen, but I don't think you can tote all these coins by yourself." says Olaf, "Besides, with all this coinage there might be folks that decide they'd rather have it than let you keep it."

"So, even if you are the front man, you're going to need 'porters and bodyguards' around you to carry your load and protect it."

[waysoftheearth]

eris wrote:

"I am unknown in this town and will be safe to take what valuables we have to the market and coins to the exchange,"

It is unlikely that Flewellen could carry all the copper coins, let alone all the other goods as well.

And, as mentioned above, a money changer will charge 7 coppers for each silver. But 1 gp = 6 sp = 36 cp when buying goods.

Hum...so 1 sp = 6 cp, and a money changer will charge 7 cp to convert coppers to silver? That's approx. a 17% vig for the house...maybe we should go into the money changer business! [img]images/smiley/smiley.png[/img]

[waysoftheearth]

eris wrote:

"If someone else will take the gems to a reputable dealer for appraisal, I will take these other items to the library to see if I can learn something of their origin. If they prove to be ordinary items I will try to find a decent place to sell them. Perhaps one or two others can accompany me to stand watch while I study and help with the negotiations?"

Ulric will collect the four rings, idol, belt, choker, letter opener, scepter, goblet, and pot of honey and go to the library at the Trader's Concourse.

Olaf says, "I'll go along with you Ulric. Call me your bodyguard for the morning."