Taloon

There was a secret to it, to being on the road... the long hard toil of moving from place to place, just one man and his merchandise moving from port to port, shop to shop in a never ending route between the broken places which this wonderful world provided. Broken things were always a grand opportunity for a salesman of any caliber. And you’re caliber was downright the highest of them all.

Or at least that’s how you liked to think of yourself.

From your youth you’d trained yourself well, looking for opportunity at every corner as you worked your way across the countries, never content to simply settle as your feet in one spot. You’d met others akin to you, so very willing to idly sit by and watch the world pass them by from behind a little counter. Never to step out into the vast beyond and gaze over the chasm rifts of Arlune, or to peruse for themselves the wondering Isles... of which there were many. Never would his ‘Expies’ actually find themselves enriched by the sights, sounds, and smells of the world as your eyes wondered far and wide.

Briefly you ran a quick check of your inventories. The skills of a merchant shining though as your ‘Deep Pockets’ trait ensured that your ability to carry quite large amounts of stock indeed; though the check itself was a bit superfluous with the ‘Private Pack’ trait which you’d picked up at some point in life, a lovely little anti-theft trait which combined quick fire puzzles and a general opacity to a private inner inventory which was hidden by your main open one.

Like any good merchant you were never unprepared.

You loved the life which you’d chosen and in turn it seemed to love you just the same. Unique items from across the world, things of true beauty an Exotic wonder were often your purview, though it didn’t at all hurt that you were in essence a man of will and means profound. Trading was life and every trick, you practiced with relish.

You smiled lightly, a quick memory of a haggle which you’d had with a truly talented youth beckoning it to your face.

You’d won out of course, attacking with the actual superiority of your wares in combination with figuring out the tells and desires of the Youth as they tried to pry an item out of your hand as part of a wider bargain, utilizing a bulk buy to attempt to gain something valuable for cheap.

Persuasive too, you’d almost figured wrongly the thing they’d been after, having switched their tune as they realized what you’d realized and then instead trying to switch focus upon another item in the process. That had been a fun spar in and of it-self but for all that the youth was indeed a talented student, a diplomat in training no less, you were a seasoned and tested Master.

Just to show that you understood their game you’d raised the price upon the object which they actually sought, lowing the one they’d hinted and nudged towards dramatically, just for the wonderful moment where you could practically see their stomach drop though the floor, leaving you laughing in the purest of merriment at their predicament, then afterwards extracting from them a true confession of just what it was that you’d gathered as part of your possession.

And then you let them have it for practically a song.

You were after a wise and generous merchant after all… and it didn’t hurt that doing so managed to secure you a rather lovely exclusive trade contract with the Kingdom of Went, a small place it was true but their young ruler, the youth you’d schooled so decisively in that war of wits, now welcomed you to open shop with royal approval, his courtiers rushed to claim the more expensive of baubles which flowed throughout your inventory, and the passion of trade seemed to intensify under the youth’s rule.

You liked to think that you’d inspired that one, a legend for generations to come.

It made you grin with joy that thought.

Profit was not always made with direct cash, even if cash was what you preferred to accept over everything else.

Even now as you walked into a familiar dive, an old bar at which you always stopped when in this particular town, you couldn’t help the grin across your face. Here was another example of good investment on your part, a small bit of generosity to a young woman who’d been doing modest business but had fallen ill. You sold her a sweet little homemaker for but a single sky, she’d been worth at least fifty but you didn’t wish to begrudge the girl a chance to stand upon her feet.

Now years and years later you’d never had to spend another cent in neither food nor lodgings unless you felt like doing so yourself in that town.

“Mr Taloon!” Was the merry cry, your wide face split with a fatherly grin, you’d perfected that one specifically for situations like this, as two youths ran out to meet you infront of the bar.

“Do you have anything new? Something cool?”

“Something pretty! Another dress!”

“No way, you always get dresses…”

“And you always want the swords.”

“Is not my fault little boys like you can’t lift them.”

“Mamma! Mommy! Danni’s being a Jerk again!”

“No way you little…”

Ah children. They bought smiles to your face and consternation to your brow. Though these two grown bundles of joy were not your own, but the progeny of that fateful union which you’d brought together to care for each other ever so long ago.

“Ah, Master Taloon. Back in town again. I didn’t even realize it was that time again so soon.” The woman who walked out of the bar smiled, gathering her unruly children back towards her skirts. “I’ll have Mae prepare you something nice… come in come in.”

“Ah Talia, your generosity never ceases to invigorate me. I look forward to whatever fine food is upon your pot.” You grin in return. “How has business been treating you my dear?”

A small frown crossed her face, a mar you could not help but notice. “… unfortunately my dear sir, you find me in a position far more unstable than any of my previous years. A very current situation threatens to put me out of business soon, and I can blame none save my own ignorance and foolishness.”

This sounded like trouble, trouble and the collapse of an arrangement which had saved you much over the course of years.

“May I venture to ask what kind of trouble which you’ve found yourself in?” Concern tingeing your voice as you spoke. She sighed lightly even as she escorted you along the familiar path to the room which was always to be your own.

“Master Taloon, I know you’ve always warned me away from the evils of gambling.” She winced as your fatherly gaze grew stern, biting her lip as she continued on. “I know, I know… but I saw all the other bars doing so well, I figured I should just install a poker table, because surely it couldn’t hurt.”

“Oh my dear my darling… don’t tell me that you allowed yourself to be caught up in this poker craze…” It was like a bloody plague across the nation… you’d earned so much sweeping the chips off the tables that you’d often needed to give back some as tokens of good will to the house.

Useful but still, you couldn’t help the disappointment in your eyes causing her to shrink back.

“I… Yes Master Taloon… I started gambling with the customers.” She grumbled. “I usually won too… but…”

“Buuuut?” You drew out slowly.

“I… Well a few nights ago They showed up…” She emphasized unhappily, walking you into the bar room only to point your gaze in the right direction.  Where your gaze landed were two sisters, beauties in their own right… though you could swear you’d seen their ‘expies’ any number of times before… both purple haired and dark skinned with heaving chests which made you sigh in sympathetic memory of your own Wife waiting back at home. “Those bitches rolled in one night and I offered them shelter from the storm… they watched us play Poker for a while then joined in while I was a little… inebriated.”

Roaring was the only way in which you could describe the type of drunk which your young protégé could get.

“Mommy lost everything! Mama was soooo pissed!” The precocious little girl chimed in with a grin, clearly not understanding the full ramifications of the loss.

“Ah… yeah…” She rung her hands chagrined at the idea. “I… they… I gambled everything… they reeled me in, let me win the first three hands… then hit me again and again for the rest of the night. I don’t even remember when I pulled out the deed to this place but…”

“Ah alas my lass, I understand the where this tale shall go.” You truly did. Normally it would be you to sweep in and take lock stock and barrel, purely business of course. But you rather liked this place and the thought of one of your investments going under was in itself infuriating.

“They’ve been here every since… daring me to put up even higher collateral before they leave and sell our home out from under us. They want to put chains around our necks and Mae here… its only that I couldn’t bare to do that to her again that kept me from going father at the time.” She sighed.

“You know. I believe it time that I intervine. No worries my dear we’ll see this solved within the hour.” You smiled gently, you knew the types. You were the type.

You caught their gaze as you trudged towards their table, a fresh face having just been fleeced as you approached.

“I hear that you two are into a good game?” You grin, a sparkle in your eye as you set yourself before them. “I too am a fair hand at this game... but let’s be frank. You’ve been quite a pain to some people of whom I have a stake in and I believe you need a spanking. Will you allow this old man to risk everything?”

An ugly look crossed the face of the one standing, though her sister at the table merely nodded, drawing a card from the deck then placing it down.

“Ah… you seem to have an idea of what you’re up against. What makes you believe we’ll risk our gains against you?” The tabled sister smiled, then drew yet another card.

“Why of course my dears… I am a purveyor of nothing but the best.” A tingle shivered up your spine... you knew the meaning and let it pass. “Really what do you have to lose save your invincible reputation?”

“What do you propose?” the sister before you spoke, glancing at the standing one.

“A risk. A bet… a thing of beauty. A contact with our names upon it. To the winner take all.” You smile. You would rather like to imagine that your image be likened unto a shark. “And all in this case… is quite an extensive list of goods.”

Greed. You could always depend upon it. Even knowing the deal too good to be true you baited them with casual deliberation, as you emptied the extensive keeping of your public inventory, shedding it all as casually as sin; then produced an already signed document from between them… one which you kept for just such an occasion… placing it before them with a smile.

You could hear the whispering buzz between them as eyes alit.

“Ok… I don’t know what your trick is… but I’ll play along. We’ve broken bigger fish before.” Ah yes, they probably had. You were the first to admit that you weren’t anything akin to a big fish. You were after all just a simple traveling merchant. They reached out, examined the contract utterly then signed their name.

All or nothing to the winner...

“Then my dears let us play.”

The next hour could only be described as intense… the tingles up your spine growing worse as you battled, the sweat of your brow bleeding off. Every card played, and every hand intense as they worked their wonders. Alas though, you’d already figured them out. A cheap scheme though difficult enough to counter.

The sister playing was clearly a precognitive of some kind, an Oracle of the cards and the very act of playing giving her insight into your every move...

At least at first, while you still allowed.

You’d been a traveler for a long, long time, collecting relics, collecting armours, weapons, slaves, and signs. Baubles and beauties of all kinds had fallen into your hands only to be sold again and again as you’d gone. But the one thing you’d always held fast… the one thing you’d never allowed to leave your grip despite even the hardest of times bringing you close… was a single simple gem of onyx carved like an eye still placed within the inner most sanctum of your Private inventory.

The black stone was a relic long past… a thing which had allowed you more than a few narrow escapes in your time. The power which came with it was to see as any future teller with you in their sights might see… to tell the future which they predicted.

They watched you lose.

You chose to win.


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"And that is how Uncle Taloon saved your mama again!" You recount into the night to the children, eagerly bouncing on your knee as you tell them the tale.

"Is that why Mommy and Mama won't let us over by the bedrooom?" The younger boy frowned, wearing his cute little dress once more. You'd talked to his Mother about it but she insisted on being liberal as possible with his upbringing.

"What about the screaming? I keep hearing those ladies... are they being spanked?" This little girl...

"I suppose you might say that, my dear." You allow... at least you figure you were being truthful... though spanking was possibly the least thing going on.

You smiled though once again enjoying the free food and lodging even if it was punctuated by the care-taking of children... and the unexpected windfall of good deeds done.

There was a secret to it, to being on the road.

You were Opportunity.

And you just had to get good at knocking.