Maryam

Maryam is an NPC aboard The Xianzhou Luofu, located in Cloudford upon completing .
==Profile==
(To be added.)
==Location==
==Voice Lines==
;(Version 1)
:: "Did the Sky-Faring Commission's regulations get another revision?"
;(Version 2)
:: "The first one to hand in my application this time, heh."
==Dialogue==
;(First interaction)
:Maryam: Seems like the Sky-Faring Commission has updated their regulations yet again, mostly about detentions and compensation due to the Ambrosial Arbor's new growth. But there doesn't seem to be anything about document approvals...
:Maryam: Hello there boss, are you also a traveling merchant from beyond the sky? My name is Maryam, and I'm mostly involved with the distribution and sales of Cybercity superconducting alloys. Let's talk if you're interested.
: I'm no Outworld traveling merchant, and I'm not into business.
::Maryam: Doesn't matter whether you're an Outworld traveling merchant or not. I'm more concerned about another vendor trying to sell Cybercity superconducting alloys out here.
::Maryam: On the Xianzhou, there's a saying: "Your peers are your rivals" — and another one: "Rivals will always run into each other," meaning rivals tread a narrow path alongside each other. We are no rivals, so the road we take should surely widen out.
::Maryam: But not necessarily for that traveling merchant over there called Sinclair. I suggest you keep away from him whether you're our rival or not for longevity's sake. We're all short-life species here, so life is to be cherished.
: Why would a traveling merchant come to Cloudford?
:Maryam: You really do sound like an outsider when you ask questions like that, boss.
:Maryam: I loaded up a bunch of my stock into the Trove of Verdure here in Cloudford. Despite the Sky-Faring Commission guaranteeing security for me, there's always an abomination or two nearby, so I often stop in to check on my stock.
:Maryam: Also, I just feel... It's just a feeling I've got that Xianzhou people have an unusual conception of time.
:Maryam: For them, ten years is like a snap of the fingers, so when they tell you things like "soon," you have to keep on pressing them because in their minds, it's not an urgent matter.
:Maryam: This matter can't wait though, so you will see me chasing up that guy named Maozhen every single day.
:Maryam: So I'm stuck here. All I can do is check up on the Sky-Faring Commission's regulations and pace around anxiously. If you're down for a casual chat with me, it'd be a great way to pass the time — how about it?
;(Continue on to dialogue options below)
----
;(Subsequent interactions)
:Maryam: This time my application was submitted first. And Master Sinclair should really reconsider his position.
:Maryam: Oh, you're still here, boss? Wanna have another chat? I'm not up to anything anyway.
: Let's have a small chat.
::Maryam: That's all I could ask for. What would you like to chat about?
:: I'm guessing you and that Sinclair guy don't get along?
:::Maryam: Honestly, if you ask me, I've never taken him seriously.
:::Maryam: Master Sinclair always thinks I'm out to get him, and that I'm this evil mastermind stealing his business. When I offer a price, he lowers it, and so I put out another price. And he lowers it again...
:::Maryam: I suspect he's here for charity instead of business. I didn't mind at first, but after thinking it through, as an experienced traveling merchant, how could I show any weakness in front of this oaf.
:::Maryam: So if he wants to lower the price, I shall accompany him down. I'll get my documents from the Sky-Faring Commission approved before he does, too. That'll show him how a serious merchant gets business done.
:: Do you know of a traveling merchant with a coffin?
:::Maryam: A traveling merchant with a coffin? Not that I've seen... But then again, I don't know all the traveling merchants here. If I knew that Sinclair was already selling superconducting alloys, I wouldn't even have gotten into this trade. What rotten luck.
:::Maryam: But this "merchant with a coffin" you're asking about sounds very mysterious. I once saw a show on IPM with this solo gunslinger dragging along a coffin as he stalks the muddy wilderness, saving a girl from bandits' clutches.
:::Maryam: The gunslinger had this troubled past that's etched onto a face clouded by memories. At one point I thought the coffin would be empty — every time someone asked him what was in the coffin, he replied that it was himself.
:::Maryam: Then I guessed that it was a close friend or family member. A "symbol of misfortune" that forced him to drag the coffin out of guilt. But nobody mentioned any rotting stench emanating from within.
:::Maryam: Later, I thought there must be a treasure or fortune inside, and the coffin was just a red herring. You may have heard that some cosmic treasures don't fare well under natural light...
:::Maryam: So in the end, right, what does the gunslinger pull out of the coffin? A fully-automatic heavy energy machine gun! Ahahaha, what a surprise. Think about it! He's a gunslinger, so what else could be in the coffin?
:::Maryam: So if the "traveling merchant with a coffin" you mentioned is a traveling merchant, there should be goods for sale stuffed inside the coffin.
:: You sound really experienced when it comes to waiting for official documents.
:::Maryam: It's... complicated.
:::Maryam: When I was back on my home planet, getting a business license was always a real pain. It usually took a year. At first, I was pretty angry and anxious. But later on, I became more calm about it.
:::Maryam: In the end, when the official document was finally issued, I didn't feel the kind of joy you'd expect. I was just so numb from waiting so long that I couldn't even get hyped up to celebrate.
:::Maryam: There'll always be things that are a pain, and "Not having official documents" won't be the worst. I mean, as long as nobody deliberately messes things up, it'll get done sooner or later... Fortunately our luck held out until we got there in the end.
:::Maryam: Hey, but I wouldn't call this any kind of "experience." Please forgive me.
:: I'm busy, so I'll be heading off.
:::Maryam: Off you go. Take care.
: I'm busy, so I'll be heading off.
::I'm busy, so I'll be heading off.
==Other Languages==
==Change History==