Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

A day in the Life of Jane at The Exchange.

Most people believe Jane of Here and There, to be an adventure extraordinaire, seeker of mystery, finder of relics and discoverer of lost lands. Truth is, Jane's day to day life is anything but glamorous and even to call it mundane would make it thrilling. Jane, works for the Exchange, the bank of Baulder's Gate a metropolis on the Sword Coast and was hired as the Assistant to the Accounts Manager Miss Allie De'Lille. Many nobles, rich merchants, and holy orders come to the Exchange, to turn gems into coins, pay for projects, expand their influence and all other sorts of banking based business. Jane has seen Dukes, Lordlings, Knights of Renown which all these people come to speak with Miss Allie De'Lille of Accounts, and as her assistant, Jane has the pleasure of dealing with everyone else. The bakers, the farmers, miners, field hands, harness makers and just generally strange folk all together. This is a look into her day to day.

It was just another morning on the Sword Coast and a cool breeze from the harbor swept through the city streets of Baulders Gate cleansing it once again of debauchery it familiarized itself with the night before. Jane enjoyed mornings but not as much as sundown, for it was an end to a day while mornings where just a reminder of the beginning and the tedious work of Accounts. She had taken to using the side door of the Exchange as that was more fitting of her station while the front should be reserved for higher clientele, such as a Duke. After all you can not expect a nobleman to use the same soiled door as a commoner, it is just unheard of anywhere worth knowing. In truth Jane did not mind using the side door, it was smaller, and the people in the rear of the massive building much more polite she would tell herself often. While most people where pleasant in the minor accounts offices of the building she thought, one in particular was not. Old Miss Haggis, but just known to Jane and everyone else that mattered as Old Hag. This stern woman was a stickler for math, timeliness and strict paperwork, the kind of things Jane lacked. Old Hag, had all her teeth and gray hair kept in the high hair buns which is the fashion of the Exchange. Everyone with in the rear of the building knew to give Miss Haggis the widest of breathes and when the scratching of her quill stopped, something was wrong and no one wanted to be the nearest person, today, Jane was the nearest person.

"Jane" Old Hag had a way of saying names that brought chills to people, a long drawn out use of the vowels. "Jane, This account is Past Due. Be a dear and ride out to the Farms" Jane was sure she out ranked the old woman, but no one argued with Old Hag, no one that knew better that is.

The Past Due account was for a loan on new plow to a smaller farm in the sum of 3 silver and 7 copper. "Miss Haggis. I am.." Jane began but was quickly cut off by the deep raspy voice of Miss Haggis "An accounts assistant, this is an account, assist" Jane thought about paying the sum from her own pocket but she knew this was against Old Hag's rules, though it be a good reason to get out of the city and into some fresh country air. "Oh course Miss Haggis, as the Accounts Assistant, I will do my" Jane noticed the old woman had stopped giving Jane any attention and has already honed her hawk like gaze on a new target in the Exchange.

--

Jane's ride was short, less then a quarter of the day to reach the distant farm and its thriving crops, which on reflection was less then that. The Farmer was of middle aged and perhaps a quarter orc she thought and he had children all from the same woman, nine of them. She was sure the children never seen a proper horse before, truth is most people haven't in some time as they have become rare and thus the children ran up to greet her as the middle aged farmer took his time to hobble over. "AY! Dar be me farm, and dat children not for sale." Exclaimed the farmer, though why anyone would want to buy children, much less these children was beyond Jane at the moment. Regardless she smiled briefly "I am Jane, from the Exchange." The farmers attitude changed quickly at hearing these words and he took his straw hat from his head humbling himself "A See der Mess. I aint. got it" Jane sighed, she figured that when she saw the farm, and its not so healthy crops in the distance, the new plow the man bought on credit, didn't look to great either. "I see, but you took a loan." It pained her to say that.

"Dat me did. Dat me Did, I .. I got two eggs and half a ten foot rope. " Jane new that barely came to five copper total, even at best. "What am I to do with two eggs and five feet of rope Farmer" She asked.

" 'ell it be a bit less den 4 feet miss."
"you said.. half a ten, that is five. "
"'ell its three and a half, by half i mean, three and three"
Though Jane knew the farmer was poor, this was feeling worse then ever, she couldn't demand more as the man had at least 9 children and who knows how many more in the hovel he lived. "Alright sir. I will take the two eggs, and three feet three inches of rope and your loan will be complete"


With a bit of thanks, and the joy of the children Jane headed out from the farm with the two eggs and what turned out to be three feet, two inches of rope. Miss Haggis will not be pleased.

--

It was just past mid day by the time Jane arrived near the gate, she could see the merchants outside the walls of the city hocking wears and calling out to all sorts of people, shouting deals such as "Half off the doubled price" and "Discounted -up- ten percent!" Sadly one of the eggs did not survive the journey back and all she had was now was one egg and a very useless piece of rope. She knew she could get a copper for the single egg maybe two if she smiled just right, but this would be far from the sum of 3 silver and 7 copper that Miss Haggis was waiting for. She told the farmer the account would be closed and she intended to make sure it was so through the farmers own money. So she got the two copper for the egg and bought a fork, she knew this fork could get four and from there she was soon to a silver and a half through trades, deals and selling. She had gained and sold a broken bell, a cracked mirror and purchased with those a jar of dead bees, a dull pair of scissors and a few spools. It took an hour to tear up the rope with the dull scissors and put the strands to the spools she had, but in time she soon had something worth selling. After tossing in the Jar of Dead Bees, she made a titty sum of 3 silver and 9 copper, the Old Hag will be pleased as this was all the farmers money.

With the sun coming to an end Jane entered through the side door of the Exchange with a skip in her step and a smile on her face, Old Hag hated smiling accounts people. "I have the farmers coin" she said plopping it on the old woman's desk, "Account is closed. by me, Jane. Assistant Accounts Manager! " and with a step, Jane turned, her heels clicked and she was off, or so she thought. "Jane" the old woman's raspy voice called out to her, the room cringed as a whole. "If you are going to be the Assistant Accounts Manager, you may want to learn the basics of mathematics. He has over paid by two copper. You have given me 3 silver and 9 copper, the amount clearly on the paper.. you just signed said he owed 3 silver and 7 copper. He has over paid. " Jane was looking forward to a night of anything but riding to a farm to give a farmer two copper.

"Yes Miss Haggis... I will head out now"

A tale for Candlekeep. A tale of love and loss.

It was night in the city as Jane sat at a small vanity in the corner of a room she has been letting for sometime. With a heavy sigh she leaned her elbows on the aged wood of the vanity and dangled a parchment with her fingers that spoke of a Story Tellers contest at Candle Keep. She was bitter this eve, angry, even justified she told herself as she looked into her glassless mirror preparing to rehearse her tale.

---

I warn you now, turn away if you do not want to hear these words on True Love, once heard they can never be unknown. For this the tale of the secret power of ones true love, your soul mate, that one person above all others who is just for you. As with all truths, all knowledge there is consequences, take my warning or not for here is the tale, the Story of Willow Trees.

The Story of Willow Trees, by Jane Price.

This is the tale of a woman with average curves, golden locks; fair face and eyes like emeralds, most of all a talent for cooking. Her name is Alyssia who lived in a small hamlet of fifty on the edge of the Three Horned Wood. She was a happy woman and many a man courted her, a small laugh here turned heads and a kind gesture there welcomed by all. Though she wondered about the world beyond her village and the tales of travelers regaled her, however no tale caught her imagination as those of the ranger Ragur. He was a strong man, could pull back ten bows and rode a bear when it suited him. He battled drow, dragon and devil, the three d's to danger he would say and each trip he returned with greater heroics. Ragur was the only man for her, Alyssia would say, the man that she would marry if only she could get him to settle in the village. Yet, each passing adventure would keep the lovers apart, first a week, then a month, followed be seasons on end.

It was during the Long Winter that a new face came to town, the brilliant sage Lucas. Lucas was in many ways everything Ragur was not, he was shy, empathetic and an unmatched intelligence. While no great hero, Lucas could cure the ill with concoctions made from herbs, he taught the children to read even Alyssia herself. Most important, Lucas was always there, a kind word and what people would say and call a good man. As the seasons passed Alyssia's heart swelled with emotion for Lucas though longed for Ragur and for a time she indulged in both, the stable love which Lucas gave and the adventurous wanderings with Ragur. Alyssia was happy and had all she could want, though in two men who knew not each other, till one morning she learned she was with child. Though who's child?

Which man could she tell was the father for she had laid with both and both loved her deeply and her in return. She could not ask the soothsaying old women of the village for the shame would ruin her, the gods she prayed to would not answer, the only thing was in the Three Horned Wood. The Lord of the Feast, a druid of primal power deep with in the darkest part of the forest, only the most brave would seek him, the most wise able to reach him and only the most desperate to need him.

Alyssia wandered, wandered deep into the Three Horned Wood, calling out his name "Lord of the Feast" she screamed, till the primal druid of great power answered!

She beseech him "oh great druid of the wood, Lord of the Feast, Master of the Wild, tell me whom is the father of my child".

The lords antlers shuck the trees and vermin bowed to his steps. "I will tell you, but must you know? I already see your child living a strong health life with out the knowledge."

She thought long and hard and new in her heart of hearts to not know would betray one man or the other. "I must know who is the father of my child, it is only fair to them" The lord of the feast stepped "To them no, it is about you, I will tell, the father of your child is your True love."

She was preplexed "Who, who lord of the feast is my true love!" and his reply was cold "That is for you to discover." With such quick words she found herself in a lit glade, not far from her village, the lord and his vermin gone, the Three Horned Wood in the distance.

Alyssia was not daunted for there where other great powers she could be seek, others to aid her in the question of who was her true love, her soul mate. She would climb the highest peek of the furthest mountain to find the High Sphinx of the West. There she asked the terrifying creature before its bone covered cave "Noble beast among all, who is my true love!" the creature in all its glory humored the mortal "I can tell you but will you beat my riddle," She knew she could not. She tried regardless and the Sphinx riddle puzzled even the angels above, it explained the cosmos and nothing more. She was defeated but there was still another!

The Caged Cyclops from the Isle, was a being no man could slay yet he could be tricked and was blocked into a cave "Oh great Cyclops can you not use your eye to see the future, look forward and see who is the father of my child for this man is my true love". With a roar "I can not use my eye for I only see my own path, but move the boulder that blocks my way and I will join you on yours, then, I will see yours as well. " She looked to the large stone, it was the size of two men and wider then house, She tried and failed and the Caged Cyclops bid her gone from his cell.


Swearing to the night moon Alyssa had to try once again, the primal force of all nature, The Lord of the Feast. He spoke first "You have returned, you have failed the test of mind and that of strength, but now you are left with me, do you dare ask me your question a second time." Confidently, more then she had ever felt before she stated "I do Lord of the Feast, i do, I must know. Whom is my true love!" A thousand crows left the wood that eve upon that question.

"I said that is for you to discover, and I will help you to and so." The lord of the feast raspy voice spoke as he stretched forth his talons, in the palm of his hand a pair of acorn like seeds. "Seeds, Lord of the feast, Seeds?" she asked, puzzled but she knew in her gut what they where for before he spoke "You will use your charm, wit and cunning, you will have these men swallow both before the brook on the next eve. Your true love will show"

Alyssia did just that. She used her wit to bring forth Lucas and her cunning to challenge Rugar and both men where helpless to her charm when they tried to kill the other when confronted by the truth. So the three stood all afternoon waiting for the eve that the Lord of the Feast promised along the brook. It was here and then that she told the two men of her child, her true love and the Lord of the Feast, she told them of the seeds and both men refused. Once again she would out wit Lucas and her cunning would beat Rugar and thus both men swallowed the blacken acorns. Rugar boasted before he swallowed his. "I am the strongest man and will prove my love." Lucas would not be out done and tactically chose "I am the smartest man and can prove my love"

It was at that moment all time had held, for in that darkest of thoughts the truth was revealed about the seed. What the Lord of the Feast had given her where the pits of despair, deep truth only the primal forces knew. That every person only has one true love, regardless of loss or gain, this is where hope comes from, which is the life force of all. However even the gods can error and there where two men who's love was the same woman. The rules of the cosmos are clear she may only have one true love, and now one man will have no hope for he has no true love. It was doom, a sentence beyond death, a destruction of a mans very soul for without hope he has no life force. He would become no different then the stones around him.

Rugar was the first to plead his love as he felt the seed take grip, pleaded, his strength virtue and heroics. Lucas was quick to counter with intelligence faith and loyalty. Both men argued for an hour upon their strengths and the same length of the others weakness. As time passed, the seeds grew in the two men, each others plea becoming more desperate. Even the strong Rugar broke into tears and the logical Lucas spoke of matters in pure emotion. They would confess a hundred sins, made a thousand oaths before her, though in the end Alyssia would have to chose one. The Lord of the Feast was right, this will be her choice no other magic, just one man will live and the other die.

With the heavy heart, she chose, Lucas. Rugar felt the darkest deepest loss take root in him. His feet turning into roots spreading along the shore, his tears like leaves and his arms reaching for Alyssia. He has now become the willow tree, weeping for his loss, for this is how they are made.

Good Night.