Solo Stocking Supplies

[Alric Lysane]

1st Fall 521AV - 9th Bell - Castle Commons There was a scent on the air as Alric sniffed, detecting the coming damp and the inevitable downpours. It didn’t take anyone blessed by Zulrav to know that the fall brought truly terrible weather. It was a time of preparation for the winter, even if they were mild the unprepared often succumbed to illness or exposure. Sometimes both. Alric had settled into a routine the last couple of years. Politics and Sunberthian revolts he could avoid but the weather was a more implacable foe and so he had taken to stockpiling rations, repairing or replacing his clothing and generally being more sensible than he expected of himself. It was better to survive and be alive than have fun sometimes. Perhaps that meant he was getting older he reflected as he pulled his cloak around him against the bite of the wind and trudged through the miserable streets towards the Castle Commons. Weather didn’t disrupt business after all, not in a city where profit margins might be the difference for survival. His breath misted and curled around his cheeks as he made his way, eyes flicking from side to side and taking corners in a wide manner to avoid any would-be muggers. He was proud of his city, as far as a native could be whilst acknowledging its pitiful state, but he wasn’t a fool and didn’t want to have anything taken from him needlessly. Along with most people of Sunberth he had long ago given up on having nothing taken – the city didn’t work that way. “Best we can do is limit the damage” he muttered to himself as the distant noises of haggling and heckling started to filter their way to his ears. That had been his philosophy the last few years and it had served him well enough. He hadn’t been mugged in some time and hadn’t lost so much from a pocket that he could be certain it had been picked. Slowly, but surely, he had scraped together enough to tell himself he was doing better than most. Not that he could prove such a claim he knew, smiling grimly to himself as the narrow streets started to give way to wider ones and then, almost suddenly as if trying to surprise, swept open into a wider square that assailed him with it noise. “The Commons never changes does it?” he asked himself as he pushed his hood back a little to gain more peripheral vision. Observation was key in the Commons if you wanted to leave it with fair terms of trade instead of sorrow. He found a wall to prop himself up against and watched for a time, eyes moving across the crowd in vague interest. People both amused and annoyed him but they were always enjoyable to simply watch. You could tell much just by waiting for it to almost fall into your vision. Patience mattered more than ability, he thought, and he didn’t have much else to do this day beyond make his purchases and find somewhere to slink off to. He watched and listened, noting a courting couple whose male part still had roaming eyes for the other lasses, a shopkeeper who was clearly hungover and losing a few smaller items here and there because if it and what he assumed was a bard of some kind who kept weaving through the crowd and banging her instrument case into people. He couldn’t decide if it was an act for some end or just clumsiness but it was infrequent enough of an occurrence to catch his attention briefly.

[Alric Lysane]

Mostly he just waited for the beating throng of the heart of Sunberth to abate a little so that he had enough space to make his way without any inconvenient ‘bumping’ along the way. It took some time but he amused himself well enough with his watching of colourful characters in the meantime. No one was richly dressed this day – not that wise people ever were but a select few new visitors to Sunberth, or particularly naive characters, cropped up now and then and were rich targets indeed. He had known some to walk from one side of the Commons to the other and lose most of what they had in wealth – gold on legs they were and so few and far between that it wasn’t unheard of to find bodies in the side streets of those who had lost the right to rob that day. “Should know, I helped them once or twice myself” he chuckled to himself before sighing and taking a deep breath before braving the now slightly less bustling throng. He knew the stalls he wanted to get to, he had found the fairest ones he could find previously and simply wanted to exchange coin that had already been agreed upon. He saw the value of haggling but he liked to do it in advance, so he didn’t hang around too long and invite the probing fingers of the larceny minded. Not that he had much choice about direction, the rippling crowd did that for you despite its size. All he could do was follow the running stream and then dive out at the little island stops he wanted. He kept his head up and cloak pulled about him, noting those he knew were thieves and giving them as wide a berth as possible until he spied the first stop and all but forced his way out. “Ah Alric,” the whiny voice of Kelvin greeted him before he could get himself upright and firmly planted at the front of the stall, “decided to come and buy in the end eh?” “Of course, I had to reward your charming personality. How goes the day?” “You always do like to talk a lot or pulp don’t you lad?” Kelvin snorted, “it goes. About as good as I can ask. Not been short changed yet” “I could be persuaded to if you like?” Alric asked, only half jokingly – cheaper prices were cheaper prices. “Just pay up and get gone lad, before I stop liking you now. I got what you wanted. Not my usual stuff all of it but reasonable easy to get hold of. Got the amount?” “Sure thing Kelvin,” Alric smiled, looking at the man a moment before corrying on, “it was 5 gold miza wasn’t it now?” he asked almost innocently. “Liking you less and less boy,” Kelvin’s face remained jovial but his tone was now a tad harder, “it was 6 gold and 4 silver as well you know” “Ah yes, of course, apologies, 6 gold it is” “And 4 silver lad, now or no package for you. Plenty of customers” “Relax old man, I know, just testing that noggin of yours. Got it all ready” Alric said, passing the man a rough scrunch of parchment with the amount already in it and watched as it was counted. “Hum! Well just stay out trouble. With what I got for you last season or two, don’t like losing customers,” Kelvin said once finished, “ but sometimes I do wonder if you’re on the level or not lad” he said as he handed over the package for Alric to stuff into his pack. “Who is Kelvin? Who is?” Alric responded before stepping back into the river-like throng of bodies towards his next destination. Secret : Long-stemmed pipe, wood – 5gm Blue Vision, 2 oz – 4sm Gloves, Pair, Leather – 1gm Total – 6gm 4sm

[Alric Lysane]

Alric pushed his pack into his chest and pulled his cloak around it as he stepped into the throng, protecting it as best he could against idle hands. His eyes flicked here and there, nodding at those he recognized and tilting his head at those he had been companion in larceny with, just so they knew he knew they were there. Not that it always stopped them trying – Sunberth bred persistent and bold lawlessness – but it was better than being an unknowing mark. It was short journey to the next and last stop on his journey, the stall close to the outskirts and so less bustling. “Having a good day Tina?” he asked, looking her up and down quite deliberately with a smile. “Haven’t got time for your lip today Alric, or your browsing either thank you very much. Come for pick up?” “Come now, I might find something else I want to buy. Aren’t you supposed to want to sell things? What if I want something…expensive?” he asked, trying to put his most shocked face in place. “I knows what you want and you ain’t getting it. Can’t afford it anyway,” she sniffed, though her voice was less angry and more resigned, she was a beauty and received comments most of the day he knew, “unless you’ve managed to get your mitts on something valuable and probably deadly that is. Anything like that happen lately?” she had a slight smile now. “The very idea that you think I am a low ruffian cuts me to the core,” he said, watching her eyebrow raise slightly and sighing, “fine fine, no not of late. Just looking to survive. Don’t mean anything with my words Tina” “That I know, or you’d not be welcome here again. You got the miza?” “Sure sure, got it here,” he passed another scrunch to her and she placed a package on the table in its place as she took it up to count. As she counted he stuffed it into his pack next to the other. “You know Alric…” she seemed to hesitate for a second after putting her earnings away into a box, looking at him directly after, “you could always find paying work in the Commons. Less risky and more appreciated. Might even make a decent man of you...maybe” “A rarity in Sunberth,” he stated softly, looking at her for a moment, “I’ll keep it in mind. Perhaps I’ll come back in a day or so when it’s less busy and you can tell me where such employment might be. Until then…back to the beast” he said, stepping back into the crowd and forcing himself down the moving mass towards his last destination. Secret : 2 x waterskin – 2gm 2 x belt pouch – 2gm 3 x Traveller’s Stock – 9gm Total – 13gm Running Total – 19gm 4sm

[Alric Lysane]

He managed to stumble out of the crowd quite gracelessly but just in time to end up standing in front of the Temple of the Unknown. Relic of the past and rundown sentinel refusing the fully give up and collapse – defiant against Tanroa’s grinding. He had wondered why, from an early time in his life, he had found the Temple to be a nice place to relax. He still hadn’t managed to entirely put his finger on it but at least part of it was that it seemed like it embodied the spirit of Sunberth itself. As always he took a few minutes to simply stand and look the old girl over, there was no question that the Temple was a woman, much like a ship was. Stubborn and defiant despite her abuse and possessed still of a beauty and serenity. Perhaps he waxed poetic but when he was there the Temple felt like a she. She shook his head at himself and was about to take a step towards the entrance when a flickering in his right peripheral vision caused alerted him and he turned to his right to confront whatever it was. A split second of recognition passed and a right fist that was balled and ready to strike relaxed slightly even as his left hand continued to hold fast to the small wrist, the hand of which was currently trying to grab at his belt pouch of mizas. His grip tightened until there was slight squeal before he threw it away and the small figure was forced back. It was a child, a young girl who he knew well enough that she knew how to test his patience. “Lys, I told you not to do that again,” he said sternly, frowning down at the girl, “why are you out and about in the city? You know how stupid that is” he stated factually as she went through the ritual of looking down and pretending to be chastened. Sometimes she tested is patience, yet other times he quite enjoyed her company. She reminded him a little of himself when he was…whatever young age she was. No street rat every truly knew precisely. “Almost got it this time at least” he said after a few moments before shaking his head and heading towards the entrance of the Temple. “I’ll get it next time!” Lys chimed in, suddenly recovered from the chastening and skipping along beside him. “You should stop trying or one time I’ll finish you without realising it’s you” “But then I’d never get better” she stated sulkily. “Get better at less dangerous things” “No fun!” He left the conversation there, it would start up again quick enough but any peace and quiet in her presence was a blessing to be taken and her pouting would buy him five chimes or so on average. They passed the threshold and he made his way to a low crumbled wall the abutted the main wall so he had something against his back and all but lounged across the stone, placing his pack at his feet but carefully and deliberately hooking his foot through the straps a bit so Lys wouldn’t try to run off with it – a mistake he made once and vowed never to repeat as small she might be but she was quick and had a habit of getting him to fall into things whilst chasing her. Resting his head against the wall he took out his replacement pipe, flint and tinder and sparked up the remnants of an almost finished candle stuck to the stone beside him. Catching a flame he quickly thumbed some Blue Vision into the bowl and lit it with a few puffs before leaning back again. A few deep breaths later and he was looking up at the crumbling architecture and tracing the edges to see if anything had changed since his last visit. He thought it looked much the same, perhaps a few chunks here and there had weathered a bit more. “Why do you smoke that?” “Because it helps me put up with annoying little girls” he retorted with a grin for her to glare at. “It stinks!” “You would know” he said cheekily, which brought the response of a raspberry and her scrabbling for a pebble to flick at him. “Why don’t you go and explore a bit and I’ll watch the entrance?” “Promise you’ll watch out for me?” “Sure, should be easy you’re the only one here” Lys looked at him with a childlike grumpiness that faded quickly at the idea of treasure to be found before skipping off into the next room and gods knew where else. This left Alric some time to relax and simply be. This was why he tried to come to the Temple every season at least but a few times each season if he could. It was a place to think, and sometimes explore. He had never found much treasure beyond candle stubs and a few smaller items likely fallen from other travellers – wood pendants, copper rings and once a silver trimmed book which must’ve been exposed from some hidden nook to be left behind. But mostly he had found some small measure of tranquillity amidst the chaos, fighting and generally high level of lethality – fun though it could be – of Sunberth. City of his birth. He puffed away at his pinch of Blue Vision, chuckling to himself at the sounds of Lys trying to mine gold from a rotten ruin, counting time until he had to head back home before heading off to...work. The never ending grind of the city of freedom paused, if only for just a few moments.

[Alric Lysane]

Your Grades Alric Lysane Skills Observation – 4 Socialization – 3 Negotiation - 1 Lores Street Smarts: Take Corners Widely Castle Commons: Sunberth’s Beating Heart Castle Commons: Prime Larceny Location Larceny: Identifying Gold On Legs Larceny: Avoiding Being Pickpocketed Lys: Loveable Urchin Sunberth: No One Is ‘On The Level’ Temple of the Unknown: A Relic of the Past Temple of the Unknown: A Relaxing Place The Art of A Good Smoke Items Gained 2 x waterskin 2 x belt pouch 3 x Traveller’s Stock Long-stemmed pipe, wood Blue Vision, 2 oz Gloves, Pair, Leather Items Lost Deducted from Ledger - 19gm 4sm