At the merchant's Westian perks up and looks excitedly around at all the esoteric items Thhralik has for sale. Thhralik notices the elf browsing around and grins at him. "Ahh, I see your companion knows quality when he sees it." he tells Sssil. Turning to Westian, he says "I have travelled far andwide, and have learned some of the language of mammals. But the language I know is the simple trade-language used by your kind, and I don't speak it well. Im not adverse to casting a simple spell I learned to facilitate trade, however. Would you be willing to let me cast it on you? It lasts for a bit, and should make communicating with your companion easier. No charge. This is my thanks for your friend being such a good customer. It only removes an accent though, so I hope your knowledge of Zaangaardian is enough."
Westian nods after puzzling out the words and the mage rummages in his robes and produces a small glass vial with a clear liquid in it. He holds the vial at eye level, then takes out a small paint-stick made of crushed shells and clay mixed with grease and inscribes a rune on it. To Sssil the rune looks like an upside down hook with a circle on the bottom. Thhralik closes his eyes to concentrate and murmurs "ONOHIR" , before setting the vial in prongs rising from a foot wide copper disk he has on a shelf nearby. On the disk Sssil sees symbols commonly associated with magic. The mage touches a few symbols on the disk, and then closes his eyes and concentrates. The fluid in the vial starts bubbling and foaming, before turning an iridescent pale purple. Thhralik opens his eyes and examines the vial. He nods and then turns to Westian and says "Drink this and you will be able to undestnad any speech. It only lasts for a half-bell however."
Westian takes the falsk and sniffs it before drinking it down. He makes a face and says "Ugh. That tasted like dirt." in perfectly clear Zaangardian.
Thhralik rubs his hands together and says "Excellent! Now, let usget down to business. So, you want another smoker? Unfortunately, I don't have one to sell directly on hand as I make quite a business using the one I have here to smoke hunter's meats quickly. I can, however make you some extra blackbark shavings so you can refill the one you have without having to come back here. One gold for two uses of the shavings, plus an extra 3 silver to smoke the meat. Added to 4 silver to tan the hides, and 5 silver for the refill. So, 2 gold 2 silver. Sssil goes to dig in his pouch and Westian steps forward an puts his hand over Sssil's to stop him.
"Now, now, good mage," he says. "While your offer of the language potion is generous, you admitted that your hide tanner is still in the experimental stage. So I dont think its fair that we pay you to use it."
The mage harrumphs and sighs. "Yes, yes. Thta is true. Why dont we try the tanner and smoker first. Then you can decide." At Growlgra's nod, he takes the hides and dumps then in a large copper pot with runes inlaid with lapis around the top. Then he takes a large jug of a greenish fluid and dumps it in the pot, along with a grey powder. He stirs the mixture well while muttering mystical incantations. A foul grey mist rises from the pot, the acrid scent causing Hisssa to dive into Sssil's armor-pouch and the tracker's nictating membranes to reflexively close over his eyes to protect them.
"Let them sit in there for a while, and i'll get the smoker ready." he says while going back to his booth and pulling out a censer like Sssil's only much larger and a large wooden box. He takes the meat from Growlgra and hangs it on metal hooks in the box before placing the censer inside and lighting it. After this is done touches the censer and mutters somethin undre his breath and quickly closes the door of the box as the censer lights nad smoke pours out. 15 minutes later he checks on the hides and the smokes and grins. "Good. It is done." he says as he pulls the hides out with a large metal prong and dumps them in a vat of clear water.
He hands both a chunk of meat and a hide to Sssil for inspection.
"So. Tell me what you think?" he says.
Ok, roll a (Ug, we still use wilderness lore in my home game, which is what this woulda been. I dont know if survival really fits, so I'm gonna say knowledge nature) knowledge nature with a +2 survival synergy bonus. Read whichever one is appropriate and frame your reactions accordingly. You can also ask Growlgra his opinion.
Hides:
If you roll above a 17:
Spoiler
Sssil notices that the hides, while tanned, arent tanned very well. They are brittle and have minescule cracks throughout and will most likely crack apart with use or streching. It would take an experienced eye to notice this
If you roll below a 17:
Spoiler
, they look fine
Meat: Above 15
Spoiler
The meat is expertly smoked. It is chewy without being too tough and still retains some moisture. It is of an even higher quality tahn the meat from your censer. It will last for quite a long time if it is protected from the elements.
Below 15:
Spoiler
It tastes good and seems as good as conventional smoking or the result from your censer, although you have no idea how long it will keep
THough cracked hides...might be an idea to see if anyone in the caravan knows a trick for tending/repairing them so they might be useable or sellable later.
)
