Dicing with Death: Episode 221

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==Synopsis==
Father Prosper, cleric of Quantarius, is informed by the head of the head of the Guild of Cobblers of Premier City that a group of dwarves are disrupting the free market with exclusive trading practices of gems and aggregate.
Father Prosper visits the Dwarven Village and find the claims are true. The Dwarves are only selling them gems to family members in Premier City. The Dwarves however blame this on a recent human thief who visited. Father Prosper organises a trade to occur with the dwarves. He also frees a Goblin Slave in exchange for one of the goblin's hands as they are a thief.
Father Prosper returns to Premier City with 3 carts of aggregate and a bag of gems. He makes a deal with Guild of Cobblers for them to take the aggregate. 
==Recap==
: Episode starts with character creation. Story begins at 1:00:33 in Youtube Vod
===The Dwarven Conspiracy===
: Takes place during the events of City Dwarves: Episode 12
Premier City, Age of Mist: Father Prosper, cleric of Quantarius (god of trade), is in his temple when he is visited by Francesca, the leader of the Guild of Cobblers. She buys frequently from Father Prosper.
While visiting, Francesca tells Father Prosper about a conspiracy of dwarves to corner the markets thought monopolies, and inappropriate use of mercantile power.
Francesca blames three factors:
# The Cobblefeet Sisters - who use family members in the mountains get them gemstones exclusively. Gems kept outside of free-trade.
# Dwarven Trade Union - Belts & Roads Union. They again get free to aggregate from the mountains exclusively to make roads. Only available to dwarves.
# Duster - Dwarf on the City Council. The council seat will be for life. Is corrupt and allows these dwarven monopolies to occur.
Father Prosper says he will investigate the matter, but won't just take Francesca's word for it. The mountain dwarf materials come from the town of Ignition.
===The Road to Ignition===
Father Prosper set out of the city and to the town of Ignition to find out more about this exclusive market & price fixing. He travels wearing his chain armor and carrying his mace (a Swagger Stick).
On the road, with his high perception, he notices a nearby hiding monster. Father Prosper casts on his Swagger Stick, then to boom his voice. The creature, a Grick, comes out of the rocks to look at Father Prosper.
The Grick comes out and attacks Father Prosper and the two enter combat. The Cleric throws a against the monster, but the Grick gets some strong hits in. Father Prosper defends himself with a spell.
The Grick after getting enough damage retreats from the combat back into a crevise. Father Propser casts a on himself.
Father Prosper feels responsible to keep the road safe so goes in after the Grick. In the cave he finds the Grick lying dead from its wounds. Also a nest of 7 eggs. The cleric also finds the remains of a human traveller, finding 10 silver coins. Father Prosper takes the human remains out of the cave. He leaves the remains slumped against the road and returns to the cave. Father Prosper investigate the other passages of the cave and finds nothing.
===Ignition===
Father Prosper arrives at the town of Ignition after 2 days of travel. It s a town built into the side of the mountain. There is much construction occurring on the mountain-face, expanding the underground entry. The population appears to be mostly dwarven.
Father Prosper mentions the rumours of conclusion and that the dwarves would never do such a thing. The dwarves claim they only trade in the family to avoid thieves. A thief named Jan had stolen gems from them.
Father Prosper, as a cleric of Quantarius, regards thievery as a grave crime, but also considers market exclusivity also bad. Bouldara and Lazuli (and Pebble) are the only ones to sell the gems in Premier City. But the 3 dwarf sisters are away founding the Dwarven City of Cobbleopolis. So at the moment nothing is being sold.
Father Prosper is then offered to be allowed to trade with the dwarf family. This "changes" Father Prosper's mind about the dwarves only trading exclusively with family members. He puts the blame on the Guild of Cobblers of Premier.
Father Prosper meets with Antimony, a older dwarven woman, to make a purchase. Father Prosper didn't come with a cart so says he will be back. He also notices there is a slave goblin workforce of 6. Antimony claims they were captured in battle and were made to work instead of death.
Father Prosper casts on himself so he can speak with the goblins. A goblin confirms the story, but wants to be free. Father Prosper considers lifetime servitude a too harsh a punishment for attempted theft. He gives the goblins an option freedom but a cut off hand. One goblin, Moiner takes the deal and Father Propser smashes the hand with a sledgehammer and frees that goblin. Father Prosper removes the remains of the goblin's hands, then casts to cauterise the wound. Everyone in the town watches this in horror. None of the other goblins take the deal, so remain slaves.
Antimony meekly askes Father Prosper to put down his ruling in writing to avoid future incidents. The Father agrees. She also offers Father Prosper 3 free carts of aggregate, worth 40 gp each. Father Prosper buys 100 gp worth of gems (topaz).
Father Prosper asks for more details about the human thief, Jan. A bard. 5'8", 170 lbs, short sandy-colored hair, big smile on face, clean-shaven. Carried bagpipes. Father Prosper says he will try to look into the thief, but is uncertain if he can find them.
===Road back to Premier City===
Father Prosper hires the one-handed goblin, Moiner, for 5 cp a day to help haul the 3 carts. After an hour the spell wears off and Prosper is unable to speak with Moiner anymore.
A day before returning Father Prosper stops at a road-side halfling male merchant, Jiminy. They are selling magic potions, ointments, and oils. Father Prosper gives his blessings to the merchant of Quantarius.
Father Prosper points out that the magic potions are being improperly stored in clay jars, as those jars would ruins the potions due to their porous nature. The halfling claims the magic potions are fine. Father Prosper says they can't claim they are healing potions as that is false advertising, BUT they can claim they are healing supplements, and lets them go with a warning. Jiminy blames the Martha cleric named Honeybucket for this misunderstanding.
Father Prosper, along with his carts and goblins continue onward.
===Back in Premier City===
Father Prosper arrives back in the City. Father Prosper visits the Guild of Cobblers and meets with Francesca. Francesca is downstairs in the meeting hall with her wife Bethany. He explains he visited Ignition and was able to trade with them.
Francesca complains again about Councilman Duster. He is vetoing bills that would equalise costs between halfings & dwarves and Humans, as halfings & dwarves have to eat less and use less materials due to their smaller size. Father Prosper doesn't care to get involved in that situation.
Francesca then asks about how the the Cobblefeet Sisters will be dealt with, as they had profited from the exclusive trading rights with the Ignition Dwarves. Also complains about Bouldara's actions in the past. Father Prosper says that sounds like mor a task for law enforcement, not a cleric of Quantarius. Francesca points out that Councilman Duster is blocking legislation that would create a permanent town guard.
He wants to sell the aggregate, but not to the Belts & Roads Union, but to people willing to make a rival company. Francesca says she will buy the aggregate to compete with the Belts & Roads Union. Father Prosper says he can arrange future deliveries, for a free. Francesca agrees to the deal.
Francesca the gets a union member to make Father Prosper some new sandals, as his current ones has goblin blood on them. Sister Helen of the Temple of Shoes is assigned to the task. Father Prosper has some of his topaz used in the making of the shoes.
===Seeking Jan the Piper===
Father Prosper visits the town taverns to ask about Jan the Piper. After 2 days he finds a tavern, Constellation, that has heard of him. He will be back tonight to perform.
Father Prosper returns in the evening, and Jan turns up. He matches the description given. Father Prosper meets with Jan during a break. Father Prosper says the dwarves there accuse him of theft. Jan claims that he eloped with a dwarf woman, Jamie, who fled.
Father Prosper doesn't believe any of the story, and casts . Jan resists the spell. He claims that Jamie and him are now divorced, and she returned home, disliking the life of a traveling bard. 
Father Prosper decides he will check the story with the Ignition dwarfs on his next visit.
Category:Dicing with Death Episodes