Mearcis is a middle aged male which I most often cast as a Halfling, but occasionally as a Tiefling in less traditional settings in which I really want to telegraph the "bad news" vibe. He plays the part of a very respectable looking merchant. His base clothing is sturdy and well made shirt and pants, with shoes which were once very fine, but now are rather worn but clean and polished. He wears a fancy waste coat, taking it off only if manual labor is called for, and replaces it as soon as such work is finished. A casual observer will note a gold watch chain affixed to the coat. The affixed watch appear to be of very good quality, and can be set once per day so that it "chimes" the next time the user is told a lie. He wears a signet ring, with an symbol no one will recognize, and he will speak of a known, but distant land and his mother who was the 3rd daughter of a major trading house, alas little of the family fortune and influence found it's way to him, and he has made his way here to start his fortune.
He is the owner and proprietor of the Dunbar Trade-post, but has only recently arrived in town. Dunbar was his absentee father, and recently passed, and Mearcis has claimed the business as his unexpected inheritance. He traveled to this edge of the frontier, leaving behind some unfortunate financial matters, which he is sure will catch up to him sooner or later. He hoped for some quick cash to settle his affairs, before they settle him, but most of his fathers wealth appears to tied up in the considerable inventory of the business. He simply hopes to convert enough of it to cash to avert disaster, or at the very least keep ahead of it.
The trade-post itself is a sturdy building, painted off-white, but whose age is beginning to show. The main room is cramped, with a L shaped counter, and the remaining walls "stacked" with larger merchandise. The ceiling is high, and a balcony can be seen above the storeroom, which is where his personal quarters are located. This is a simple sleeping loft with little more than the most basic of furnishings, and a ceiling so low, it would be nearly impossible for anyone but a halfling to move about. counter weighted stairs behind the sales counter lead to the loft, abut are always in the up position unless in use. The store room is nearly 3x the size of the shop, though only a portion is topped by the apartment. An observant PC will notice that the store room has been added on to several times, speaking to the prosperity of the business over the years. Despite it's considerable size and high ceilings, it is filled to the brim with crates, barrels and sacks of all sorts. Mearcis himself only has a vague idea of his inventory. A trap door is easily spotted by anyone behind the counter, leading to a roughed out cellar, where food stores would be kept cool. If a PC were to go down, that would find halfling low ceilings, and a high Perception or investigation would reveal that the dirt walls have recently been dug out to a rough circle nearly 20 foot in diameter, and that the crates and shelves (mostly empty) have all been pushed and dragged around the edge, creating an open space. Further investigation would reveal that one of the crates is actually a folding latter, recently built, which extends to 12 feet in length. In start contrast to the roughly 5ft tall room. If discovered and inquired, Mearcis will casually explain that it is to paint the building, but the paint won't arrive for several weeks, and it was put down here to be out of the way. The cellars size, shape, and the odd latter are in fact the only clues that a portable whole is hidden between two sheets of metal which make up the ceiling.
The portable hole is in essence stolen. He was hired to smuggle it, and it's unknown contents out of the city. Unfortunately, the small portion of upfront cash was just enough to arrange discreet passage to claim his inheritance. The remainder can only be claimed on delivery, if only he can somehow explain his delay. The portable hole was found to be filled with all sorts of books, maps and art. He has no idea what it all is, but it's transport appears to have been worth a lot. Little does he know that his clients are actively attempting to locate the contents, but the contents are only detectable when the hole is open, due to the extradimensional nature. Lucky for him, the lead content of the metal ceiling panels, is keeping the portable hole itself shielded when it is hidden away. Though Mearcis is keeping some of the more recognizable illicit good in here, it spends most of it's time safely tucked away.
A high perception may notice a bit of damage over the double doors to the shop. Mearcis will explain that a larger parcel banged into the frame, while lacing in an inquiry if they are here to do "business" in Thieves Cant as the glyph marks a willingness to buy stolen goods. Due to cash flow issues, he is currently paying 25% in store credit, and only 10% in cash and only for items he is confident he can cash out quickly. Most of the locals have no idea, and the only illicit trade he has had thus far has been a small band of local bandits, who hold up or pilfer merchants on their way to do business with the trade post, thus providing much of his incoming inventory for a considerable discount. The Bandit Captain does not like the cash poor terms, but winter is coming and the credit will be used to get his men through the lean months. Mearcis is biding his time once more, as there is barely enough food stored inventory to keep himself fed through he winter much less outfit the surrounding folk. With any luck, he'll be gone before this issue comes to a head.
Comments