The Life of Etan Stonebridge

Etan Stonebridge was no stranger to the world of trading. Having grown up poor in the streets of the Imperial Capitol of Iliyara, he'd spent much of his youth parlaying stolen eggs or broken bits of glass into a warm evening meal.
During a brief stint in the 2nd Legion, he'd learned a bit about horse-trading and had become an expert in sniffing out bad deals, but the mindless tedium of the military lifestyle didn't suit Stonebridge's notions of adventure. He abandoned his post in 596 to join a small westward-bound trading company.
Shortly after arriving in Ehb, Stonebridge was introduced to the Droog, and became convinced they had more to offer than the exotic weapons and jewelry other companies were failing to acquire. He'd briefly glimpsed the Droog using eggshell-like material as thick as a man's hand with a glorious oily sheen to it; judging by the way they were pounding it, it had to be harder than granite. Acquiring even a few lots of the stuff to tile the floors of some wealthy patrician's villa might put a nice jingly in his pouch.
It was a stroke of luck that the Droog held no value in the shells, and were actually glad to be rid of them. They were even happier to receive in exchange many of the items that had previously been offered in trade for their treasured weapons and jewelry.
As time passed, the Droog became more comfortable dealing with Etan, and eventually offered him limited exchanges of Droog weaponry despite their refusal to all other parties. Etan's wealth grew quickly during these years, and by the time of the Droog retribution, he had established himself as one of Ehb's wealthiest citizens.
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