Cry the Wares - Rumors and Events for Merchants and Trade [RP]

[DM Soulcatcher]

Word circles around that the Merchant's League isn't fairing well due to the past three years' ever-present threat to the city, which disrupted trade considerably. Lord Aldeth Sashenstar, head of the House Sashenstar and owner of the business, has been seen in presence of several, notable trade guild owners- people he kept at arm's length at all times before.

It's rumoured that Lord Sashenstar is thinking of selling the Merchant's League and its assets in order to save the family fortune for his, yet still missing, nephew and heir to the family fortune. Many presume Dabron, Aldeth's nephew, is dead but the Lord himself has never lost faith in him.

[Steve]

Word circles around that the Merchant's League isn't fairing well due to the past three years' ever-present threat to the city, which disrupted trade considerably. Lord Aldeth Sashenstar, head of the House Sashenstar and owner of the business, has been seen in presence of several, notable trade guild owners- people he kept at arm's length at all times before.

It's rumoured that Lord Sashenstar is thinking of selling the Merchant's League and its assets in order to save the family fortune for his, yet still missing, nephew and heir to the family fortune. Many presume Dabron, Aldeth's nephew, is dead but the Lord himself has never lost faith in him.

Recent news among the merchants and traders of the Gate has provoked a moment in time where Jon Smythe of the Chionthar Charter & Seaward Supply Co. was rumored to meet with representation of House Sashanstar at the Merchants League headquarters in the Docks district of Baldur's Gate.

An otherwise common event, the Half-elven being invested in trade transport from the League on some occasion, considering the recent rumors about the League itself, the curious might deduce that the Chionthar Charter & Seaward Supply is being...used...in some capacity to assist the House and the League.

Said assistance would naturally require workers, or partners, or just simply those seeking a profit via direct labor or talent—something Jon Smythe has been known to require in years past....

It is easy knowledge among the merchants and traders that Smythe is regularly found lodging at the Helm & Cloak Inn...while regularly drinking at the Elfsong Tavern.

[Steve]

Rumor has it that I’m recent weeks, the Half-elven Jon Smythe, proprietor of the Chionthar Charter & Seaward Supply Co., has been attempting to parlay with every river boat captain and crew that comes to port in the Gate.

Using his innate diplomacy when possible, he speaks to these river runners about a momentary need to ferry and deliver goods on behalf of the Baldur’s Gate Merchant League. Smythe, with an urgency in relation to the onset of winter and the seasonal pet freeze, does what he can to create a temporary monopoly on the holds of these river vessels and barges capacity to deliver goods east to the other towns in the Lords’ Alliance.

It is said Smythe himself speaks to these Captains about a great profit to be made, since they will have full holds and fair prices given at delivery. Rumor is he also offers the earliest agreements and the fastest deliveries a ten-percent extra gain, over general prices.

Smythe’s “call to sail” may cause alarm to some that survive on the regularity of Merchant League business. Yet only time and effort will tell if a change in the pattern of falling Gate trade, can be made soon, or later…or at all.

[Steve]

Subject: DM Rumors of Baldur's Gate

A moment many expected but dreaded comes as well, as ice floes dot white the Sea of Swords to the west and the River Chiontar by the shores of Baldur’s Gate, the latter growing thick with ice and frost by the hour. Those who make their livelihoods from the waters....

Your character had been given the goods to deliver to other city-states and I've assumed that was done and is going on a regular basis, truth be told. I am due to make a rumour about it, in fact.

Over the course of the months of Uktar and the first Tendays of Nightal, the Chionthar Charter & Seaward Supply Co., directed by the Helf-elven Jon Smythe, in contract with the Merchant's League via Director Gilben Sallynock, has dutifully worked with focused attention to keep the tradeways active above normal, seeking to deliver goods from the League to Lords' Alliance city-states along the Chionthar, developing connections and goodwill among the traders of each, and when and in return, bringing supplies in need to Baldur's Gate, in preparation exactly for what has now come to pass: the severity of winter has descended, and the most profitable tradeway this year, closes for months to come.

In these Tendays of the recent past, Jon Smythe was easily seen in the Harbor District inspiring river-captains and crews with diligence, to bolster his own shipping companies capacity, so that no good presented for trade and delivery, was left on the docks, idle. As those that have livelihoods depended on river and sea sit with hope that enough has been done to keep the Gate out of dire circumstances, not even the keen prescience of the Half-elven Smythe can say to his colleagues if enough was done—some even hear in his remarks in public, that his doubts ever linger, since no official word about stores or progress has been made to the People.

It is also rumored as well, and to Smythe's chagrin, that he was unable to entice more sea-bound vessels to join in the tradeways support network, in the last months—he speaks carefully to not offend, yet, many in the taverns have heard his wry dismay carefully sneaked into his speech about "sea monsters in the waves" and the such. Yet these most recent days, his casual speech in the taverns he frequents, some may over here a certain positivity in his voice, that "...if no ships can sail, then no sea-monsters can lay havoc, either!" But this is just one Half-elven's opinion.

As many of the small vessel companies dock their boats securely in the harbor, as does the CC&SS co. as well, a few last crates are disembarked from the Fleetwood I, the fastest river vessel the Chionithar has ever seen. The Half-elven Smythe, there in person as the few small crates are loaded onto push-wagons, he gently wipes his hand over the wood walls and clears away some dust and so from their labels, Clarity Cellars — Reserve.

The last words out of his mouth, accompanied by foggy air in the chill, are: "At least we may warm ourselves up from the inside! To the Helm & Cloak my goodman! With haste!!!"

[Steve]

Subject: DM Rumors of Baldur's Gate

The winter had finally set in.

The harbour's ice thickness is gradually rising and snowfall becomes a common occurrence. Usually bustling with much activity- now the docks remain mostly silent as there are no wares going in and out of the city through any ships.

Dockworkers are either counting their earnings, hoping for the best, or looking to find short-term jobs in order to make sure they can feed their families and themselves.

Notable, however, is that the Merchant's League appears to be enjoying some sort of a more lively movement than before. The onlookers and workers eagerly say that Lord Sashenstar had held off the selling of his business's holdings due to the Merchant's League securing more contracts and deals with the cities of the Western Heartlands. A lot of credit is given to Jon Smythe of the Chionthar Charter & Seaward Supply Company, but also to some other smaller merchants who's cooperation in the difficult period was invaluable. With the harbour frozen, the Merchant's League returns with re-doubled effort to their primary goal: Safe and secure overland trade. More, better trained guards are hired for each caravan- better supplied with weapons and armour than before.

It is a promise. Perhaps not to go back to the previous state of great wealth, but that of ensured survival of the House Sashenstar business.

For now.