Okay, this post is of no interest for most of my readers (those 3). It's just an example for a trading travel.
So, we have this new Nutri Life System now. In theory it's quite nice. Exactly what I was looking for as a merchant and what I missed at the Gorean Meter (Yes, they missed the chance).
With this system you can hunt animals (bosk, tarsk, verr) harvest trees and fields, chop wood etc. etc. Then you can work with this rawmaterial. Make meals with different ingredients, make fire and so on. Oh, and of course SELL IT! Which for me as merchant in Gor is very important.
The thought of this system is good. You chose your role in the hud and you will have certain skills. Like an ironmaker can make tools, a healer can make medicine, a slave can cook.... I haven't found out what the special skills of a trader are though.
There are different climates like northern, moderate, tropic and desert. And some things only grow in a special region. - So far, so good. But the system is not very conceived yet, I think. The thought would be to encourage RP between SIMs... different regions... like salt only available in the desert, therefor cheap there, expensive in the north. Or leather and tabukhorn cheap in the north, valuable in the south. But 1. people don't take that chance for interactive RP between SIMs, and 2. the creator also offers "global" regions, which have just everything. Well, keeps them independent and they don't need to interact with other SIMs, but why then using the system at all?
Another weak point is the "beaming". Yes, we just click "teleport to" and voila - we are 2000 miles south. Quickly buy some salt and with another click teleport back home. So what's the sense of being a merchant and actually really ROLEPLAY the travels?
That's why I post this as an example. Maybe the one or other Gorean reader really thinks about "just jumping" to another SIM. Of course it didn't take me 6 or 7 weeks to RP this, but at least IC I was away for that time.
I already founded a group for everyone free to join, called "NLS Gold knows no Caste". To support a global system and sychronize prices etc. But about that I will write later....
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Franziskus, the merchant and harbourmaster of Kalana Fjord, made his ship ready and sailed with his slaves south to get goods, which won't grow in the cold north, no matter how hard the brave residents of Kalana Fjord try.
After a one hands (=Gorean week, 1 Gorean week = 5 days) travel with his ship, he and his slaves arrived on the islands of Tabor. Not the best friends of Torvaldslands, but Franziskus is a merchant; what does he care about the wargames of the warriors?
While his second boy stayed at the ship, he took his first boy with him to the market. His eyes widened as he noticed all the riches in the marketstalls, his mouth watered at the promise of making good trades. He bought tools and flour and blackwine powder, cacao... oh, and of course bazitea for the tearoom-lady (which - as he later heard - left the village).... and some more blackwine powder as he knew the addiction of the first boy of Kalana Fjord (and his own), though the beans are more precious then gold and not many can afford the bitter liquid... too precious actually for a thrall, but then again... that boy is always busy and on the run, so if his Master spoils him with that very special and luxurious liquid... who cares? The better for the merchant to sell him more of the precious powder. - With these thoughts he ordered just another sack.
So, Franziskus and his first boy strolled the market. More and more barrels and sacks he purchased and put on his slave's back. While he negotiated with a trader from Thentis about more blackwine-powder he pointed over his shoulder "Go and see if you find salt and sugar... oh, and paga and sulpaga... and maybe more bazi-tea for the tealady, my lil sunshine"
"Yes, my Master!", answered the slave and ran to search the stalls. As he came back, catching for breath, he reported: "I seen the tea on the same stall as the coco powder, my Master."
The boy's belly rumbled and he licked his lips at the sight of a ramberry pie, hopefully he looked to his Master, but such was too busy negotiating with a bee-keeper about the prices for honey, and only told his slave over his shoulder "I think the tea-room lady needs much tealeaves, mine"
A kajirus was sneaking between the marketstalls. Curiously he watched the traveling Master and his kajirus. As the merchant with his hands full of glases of honey, turned around, he almost stumbled over the slave "Aiiii! Tal, kajirus!", balancing the jars in his hand.
"Greetings, Master. Greetings, kajirus.", the slave answered in a soft voice
River returned and pointed to another corner of the market "I have found better quality tools, my Master", he said and then noticed the other slave, greeting him.
The other slave scurried back and apologized: "Master this one begs forgiveness, jai did not mean to startle you", but the merchant just shrugged and reached the glasses to his boy who was already heavy sweating from the weight of the southern goods. "No worries, boy", he said while packing his boy like a donkey. Then he looked around "Your peasants have been busy, huh? - I'm a merchant from far North. Many things not grow in our cold lands."
The kajirus nodded quickly, his inky hair falling about his eyes "Yes, Master, the village is excited to have the market. There are even traders from various lands, Master"
Franziskus nodded "Aye, I understand that. Your land must be quite rich!". From the corner of his eyes he watched his boy struggling to keep hold of the shovels and scythe as well as the sacks and honey.
The other boy shrugged. He reached down to adjust himself while he answered: "I guess, Master", but he said it with a sigh, as slave not understanding the monatary concept of Gor.
The merchant from the north looked at his boy "Did you see candies, my lil sunshine? The barrel in our kitchen is mysteriously getting more and more empty..." He smirked at his slave, then reached for the boy's hips, pinching to check if his lovehandles have grown.
"I did see the candy, my Master", the slave answered and licked his lips thinking of how nice the sweet taste of candy is. The other slave peeked arond the boy and saw the barrel of cherry candy, his mouth watering trying to remember the last time he had a piece.
But the merchant was too busy worrying for his boy struggling under the weight of all the errands. He reached into his wallet and grabbed some copper bits, holding it to his boy's lips so he could place them under his slave's tongue "Go and see if you can rent a cart somewhere, mine!"
"ess, mu mather", his slave mumbled with his mouth full.......
While the slave hurried away to find a cart to rent, the merchant turned to the other boy: "Hmmmm... mine said there was candy.... do you know, where it is, boy?"
"Yes, Master!", he answered and quickly scurried over and pointed to the barrel of cherry candy.
"Ah, when my boy gets the cart it will be easier for him.", the merchant said, looking around for his boy he saw him negotiating with a trader, placing the coins from his mouth into the traders hand and then placing the goods on a cart. He pulled it back to where his master was waiting.
"My Master, the trader said we can leave it at the dock."
Fanziskus nodded "Ah, that's good.", and turned to the crate with candies. He picked one of the candies between thumb and finger, turning it before his eyes. Then he looked at his slave "Come here now, mine. Kneel!"
"Yes, my Master", the slave answered quickly and knelt before the wagon. He looked up to his master.
Franziskus with a soft smile picked another candy "The best way to check the quality of candy is.....", he held the candy to his boy's lips and continued with a soft smile: ".... the soft tongue of a slave"
River licked his lips in anticipation, then dutifully opened his mouth waiting till his master placed the candy on his tongue. He moaned softly as the sweet candy tantalises his taste buds. He sucked on the sweet candy with pleasure.
The merchant of Kalana Fjord turned to the other boy and fed him with candy too, but the boy only opened his mouth slightly and carefully bit down on the candy. The merchant with a short laugh pushed the cherry candy deeper into the boy's mouth, then brushed a finger over his cheek. "Don't be so shy, boy!"
With his arms crossed he watched both of the slaves, waiting for their reaction. A smile on his lips as his first boy closed his eyes, relishing the flavour and sugaryness of it. "Mmmm, tank u, mu Mafter" he mumbled, dribbling a little down his chin. The other boy rolled the candy around on his tounge, a smile crossed as the sweetness begins to coat his mouth "Tank yew, Masser", he said too, a bit of drool running down his chin. He reached up whiping it with the back of his hand.
"Now, boys? How's the quality? Good?", Franziskus asked, as if the beaming faces of the slaves wouldn't tell more then 1000 words.
"Cady ish hood, ma Mafter", his boy ansered and nodded enthusiastically.
The other boy nodded too: "yus, Masster"
The merchant looked content and turned to the candymaker, ordering some boxes of candy. Some for his own use, others for selling it in the north.
His boy swallowed the last of his candy and looked up to his master in hope. As his Master saw the happy smile on the slaves' faces grinne and picked another two candies out from his recent purchase "One more for later?"
"Oh yes, please, my Master!"
Franzi grined and reached for another two candies, giving one of each to the boys. "Keep it for later". They quickly tucked it away and thanked him with happy faces. He looked at the slave who was obviously from Tabor: "How are you called, pretty one?"
"They call this one Jai, Master"
"Ah, Jai... very well." He smiled at the slave and ruffled the interesting hair "My regards to your busy peasants. I think I will soon come back to do more errands for trading with the north". The he looked at his own boy and mumbled more to himself "Hmmm, my lil sunshine seems to be tired. We should see to take the ship back"
"Yes, my Master", River answered and stood up, taking hold of the barrow again.
The merchant snipped his fingers "To the ship, my lil sunshine! Time to travel home!" He waved and winked to the other kajirus "Safe paths, Jai", then took his way to the docks.
The next morning the ship left the harbor. But not towards north. South they went, took a short stop at Bazi, but it wasn't the time for the tea-harvest, so they continued traveling to the Port of Schendi. At the harbour of Schendi the ship entered mainland. Through the jungles of Schendi the travel went. Often the river got so tight that they couldn't sail and the seamen had to row. Further and further inlands, one hand they traveled until the jungle got lighter, reaching the southern prairies, and another hand until they reached their destination point: Kurzal.
From there Franziskus joined a caravane inwards. He left his seamen and his slaves in the city to regain their power after the exhausting passage along the river. After another 2 days the caravane finally reached the Oasis of Klima. Formerly the City of slaves [note: As far as I remember it actually still should be. There were no women in Klima and it was only salt-mines, full of male slaves. Not a "city" like it is in SL-Gor], now a rich city... rich from the trading with the famous salt of Klima.
Soon after his arrival, the merchant from the north entered the vivid market, after passing the guards. He wiped the sweat from his face, not used to the hot temperatures. Soon he got into negotiations with different merchants. He wondered that he not only found the salt he was looking for, but even cheap Sul-paga and Sa-Tarna paga. He would never have expected, that they can offer it so cheap there in the south, as there obviously won't grow much suls and sa-tarna in the desert.
However he didn't show his surprise, instead he haggled with the merchant "HOW MUCH should the sul-paga cost?!?", and then started to whine about his spendthrift FC and kids, not to mention the slaves, which were always hungry, how pleasing otherwise they might be....
He did as if he wouldn't understand the strange accent of the merchant ((RP was in German)) negotiating about at least 10 barrels of Sul Paga, as the sul-harvest in the north this year wasn't very fruitful. [[Okay, really... not reasonable. Sul Paga, Sa Tarna Paga... such thinks should be EXPENSIVE in the desert. There just wouldn't grow any Sul or Sa Tarna. While Salt should be cheap, which it wasn't]]
As Franzi in spite of all his whining and complaing wasn't successful to get a discount, he at least could negotiate about a good price to hire a caravane for the way back to Kurzal. With the feeling he still made a good business and already counting the copper tarsks in his mind, he continued his tradings. He stops on another marketstall, when an old woman is offering flour and Blackwine-powder [[Again: such things in the desert???]] Testing the flour with a wet finger, he wonders about the cheap price the woman tells him for a full sack of it, but he shows his best pokerface. He considers to hire a bigger caravane, ordering several sacks of the flour and - of course - even more blackwine powder.
The whole day he was busy negotiating, haggling, buying goods cheap, which would be expensive in the north - if available at all. At the late afternoon, after he got a small meal in one of the tavernes, he rested a bit in the shadows of palms as a slave girl approached him.
"Greetings, Master. Can I help you?", she asked.
Franziskus looked over to the caravane, where the workers for some copper bits were loading the exotic pack animals. Then he turned his gaze to the girl "Tal, kajira". He pointed over to the caravane "I got almost everything what I need for my people in the north. I come from far... far... FAR away.", he said and pointed towards west, always bad with directions.
The girl smiled and her eyes wandered down the body of the the merchant, wondering about his strange clothes of leather and fur.
Franzi continued "I hoped to find Cacao powder, but unfortunately.. nothing"
The kajiar answered with a smile "A long way you got before you, Master. Better you fill your waterbladders well." Then she shook her head "But cacao... ? No, I don't we have that here, Master."
She wished him safe paths and with his permission returned to one of the tents, swinging her hips seductively.The merchant watched her leaving, his eyes fixed on her swaying butt. But then he turned over and continued his little nap.
As the sun went down at the horizon, he got up. Better to travel at night, when the Tahari isn't too hot....
Three days later he was back in Kurzal. The ship was laying deep in the water after all the sacks of salt, the barrels of paga were loaded. With the ship so heavy now, it took them even longer for the way back through the plains and the jungle. Three hands they traveled and another 8 days until they finally reached the north.
The merchant's heart jumped as they saw the coast of Torvaldsland, although deep inside still a child of the south, he felt like coming home. Too long he had been away....
