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Category:Stories
Category:Taijiang
Category:Domo
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:- by Taijiang
==Tai stroked his mustache as he contemplated the painting before him.==
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Tai was no art expert and this painting didn't strike him any more than any of the others he'd passed by in The Garden, Stormwind's famed ... and stuffy ... art gallery. Still ... Tai glanced over at the well dressed noble born women, their clothes tailored to downplay their spreading backsides. They were chatting intently about the work, going on about the romantic, wispy young man who was the painter of this work. 
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<BR>Tai had heard of him, in passing - this Miguel Jaserdain. He was quite the rage around the snobbier cirlces of the city at the moment. Tai smiled as he contemplated the two women talking about the painting before him. He could almost see it gaining value as he watched ...
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<BR>Tai pursed his lips to hide his smile, moving to the next painting hanging on the wall. The arched ceilings towered over head and the lighting should have been terrible but the curators had paid some outrageous some of money to the Mage Academy here in the city to arrange for a very soft glow around the frame of each painting. 
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<BR>Tai sniffed. He had his doubts about magick but he had to admit that Jaserdain's depiction of the throne room was perfectly lit ... <BR>
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Tai narrowed his eyes, examing the details of the work. The style was distinctive, that was certain ... Out of the corner of his eye, the next painting caught Tai's attention. He smiled; he was supposed to be here on business but how could he not enjoy a painting of his adopted city at night? 
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Tai mused about just how difficult it would be to duplicate the texture of the waterpaintings. Rubbing his chin, he moved into the next gallery. Ah, here were the works of that elven artist, Michan Quel'danze. He'd been doing charcoal and paper sketches for, well, ages. 
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<BR>Critics lauded him for his spartan, colorless view of the world. Gossips enjoyed spreading tales of his exploits in the well appointed bedrooms of the finest gentlemen in the land. It seemed he had a way with more than the tools of the artist ... 
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<BR>Tai looked over the elf's renditions of the Alliance's major cities. The old proverb ran through his head, "By night, all cats are grey', and he smiled. Quel'danze's view of the world might not be so far from Jiang's own. 
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He smiled, reminding himself he was here on business. Again, he looked at the work closely, taking in the details ... the canvas, the nuances to the strokes of charcoal ... The elf was a master and only a master could repeat such work ...
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<BR>Tai took a deep breath. There was one other well-known artist's work being displayed at the museum that Tai needed to inspect. The medium was unusual but the pieces were now found throughout the homes of the wealthiest Dwarves in Ironforge. He wandered into the next gallery, glancing at the other patrons before looking at the artwork. 
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<BR>Tai peered up at the rough strokes of the painting before him. The Dwarven woman, Delbia Macurdy, painted with short, blunt strokes as one might expect a Dwarf to paint, Tai mused ... 
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Still, there was something that jumped off the canvas ... Tai nodded, understanding why her works had become so popular, and so valuable. Tai again took note of the details of the woman's work, and turned to go, sparing only a glance for the paiting by the door. 
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Tai came out in the light of the late afternoon and paused on the gallery steps. Taking a cigar out of his vest pocket, he ran down the candidates, comparing them. As he lit the cigar and took several enjoyable puffs, he smiled at himself. 
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<BR>It really wasn't his decision. These were decisions best made by a master of the art. He'd have to see just how versatile this Domo was ... He smiled, taking a long drag and then slowly releasing the blue smoke. And then there was the matter of acquiring the originals. That recent theft of a painting from the Keep had certainly elevated security all over the city, and especially at The Garden. Tai's grin spread; he was sure Mur could handle the task ...<BR>
==Domo Writes a Letter to Tai==
Domo had received another note on his table, while away at night. The letter was in simple script, suggesting he look at a few particular paintings in the Garden. There was no (he found this rather funny), signature. A linear mind might assume the sender wished to remain anonymous. Domo just thought the sneaky bastard didnt want to give him the chance to learn his signature. He grinned. You could smell the cigar smoke on the paper. 
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<BR>After committing the names to memory and crumpling the note, he lit it on fire in his incense tray. He decided it was time to go Appreciate Art. 
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It was several hours later, and Domo's head was swimming. This was going to be harder than any job he'd ever done. He had a list of supplies hed need. Tripods, paints, and oilsmany of them exotic, and all of them expensive; Taijiang's mercantile contacts would be tested on this one to be sure. 
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<BR>Look at the charcoal sketch, for example: 
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<BR>Charcoal is made by burning trees for a long slow time. The rate of heat, the kind of tree, the amount of carbon, all these factors would affect the quality of the charcoal. It's easy to make good charcoal. It would be harder however, to make the same stick of charcoal twice. He would probably need a lot of raw wood from Teldrassil to troubleshoot the ratio. 
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<BR>Even with the right supplies, it would be a hard job. No, scratch that, impossible job. He heard about a few illusionists that (for the right price) could capture the image of the painting, and put it on a mirror for a time. A painting was more than a picture though. Each of the artists brushing techniques created unique patterns of intersection, swirls, and varying levels of three dimensional thicknesses. No mirror image could capture the depth. 
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<BR>He was confident that, given nine months time, he could probably create one painting that would fool the average onlooker, and give a connoisseur heavy suspicions. 
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<BR>A good forger made copies so good they looked real, he knew. A great forger made copies so well they made original look fake. He couldnt do either here. 
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<BR>Back at the monastery he sat at his table, and stare off into space. On the edge of his vision he could see the plate that doubled as his incense burner, and ashtray. Taij's note had expanded as the paper had burned. He couldnt make out the words any more, and paper was all but ash. 
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<BR>In fact, Domo realized, he only knew the note had been a note because he put it there. 
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<BR>He decided to write a letter, 
My Smoking Friend, 
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<BR>Do you know how cigars a made? Tobacco leafs are gathered, treated with oils, and aged in humidors. Any man on the street can tell one brand from another. However, I am told that a true connoisseur can tell one from another simply by the quality of the ash they leave behind. 
<BR>I find this rather amusing as I am sure that with right materials I could make kobolds shirt look like a pile of cigar ash. Well, maybe not the smell, but you understand what I mean. 
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<BR>Incidentally, I have heard that engineers are using more and more strange items in their inventions these days. I have attached a list, Im sure they'd be quite valuable in the right hands if you run across them. You could probably make alot of money with these items. 
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<BR>Your Friend, 
<BR>Domo
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==Tai Meets with Domo==
The dockside meeting with Domo, as Tai was getting accustomed to, had been interesting. The man was skilled and clever. Tai wondered if the man might ever be persuaded to come into the 'company' ... 
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<BR>Where Tai's plan had been devious, Domo's was bold. Tai smiled at the thought. Why not all at once, in one fell swoop? Murithi was capable enough - and it made Domo's task just a bit shy of impossible (compared to what Tai had been asking). Now the trick was to find a specialist in torching. Oni was a possibility but the young man had been off, busy with other things ... 
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<BR>He had some time. The Tong was working to get Domo the supplies he'd asked for and he'd, of course, need some time to do his end of the job ...
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