Faerie Bargains
From Akakios the Boatman
Embedded Files
Akakios brings a few things to trade: Faerie items, sometimes Magical items, vis, and legends. The vis is always tained faerie, though the form may once have been Magical. The magical items he trades from a magus will often develop a quick of faerie nature by the time he trades it away.
He takes a few things in trade for his wares: He prefers to trade in bargains and ephemerals, stealing away something appropriate from the customer themselves; he also is willing to trade for a magical item, valuing them as the vis expended the crafting (which he can tell by examining them); and he sometimes settles for trading raw vis for his wares.
If you wish mechanics for his bargains, he values each item at a certain vis value (example 8 vis). A Presence + bargain (faerie deals) roll against ease factor 12 will raise the perceived value of the mortal's trade by 2 pawns of vis. If the bargainer is trading an item they themselves crafted, it is valued at +2 pawns. Incredibly appropriate story-bound trades can also give a perceived value. He has also been known to accept arcane connections at 1-2 pawns of vis, though few people are willing to trade such to him, since he is known to deal with other magi.
Mariel the Merinita is trying to trade for a Rod of Awsomeness, which Akakios secretly values at 9 vis. His initial asking cost is all of Mariel's hair, because he knows Mariel is vain. She denies this, and begins bargaining. Despite her skill in bargaining and her beauty, she fails her bargain roll, but she is offering a Crown of Beautification, which she made but no longer needs. She spent 6 pawns of vis on it, but it is an appropriate comparison, so Akakios values hers at 8. They finally agree on the crown and a single pawn of Terram vis, since Akakios doesn't have any terram in stock.
Akakios, the Boatman, is a faerie rather than a magus. He is known, however, among the magi community as a good source of vis, mystical oddities, and stories. The trades he makes are strange, and he seems somehow aware of his faerie status more than most. He has, perhaps accidentally, insinuated his story into the lives of a number of different magi, in a number of different Tribunals, in a fashion that means attacking him would easily be considered 'depriving a magus of his magical resources' for a large number of older and powerful magi. Magical items traded to Akakios have been known to be sold years later with different or enhanced abilities of faerie origin.
Akakios can only appear in water-born locations, usually a decrepit dock long left to waste, though he can make bargains to show up in other locations. Generally, he appears in Autumn, in a heavy fog. A lantern approaches over the water, the sound of an old gondola boat being poled through the water. His gondola boat appears almost rotting, and piled with decrepit crates and bags. Still, everything he produces appears to be in fine condition. An ancient water-damaged wooden rod is used to pole his way up to the docks where he stops.
Akakios himself seems to be made of rags and sticks, wrapped in decaying cloaks and robes, looking reminiscent of a classical Charon. In place of a head, he appears to have an ancient, tarnished brass lantern with a willowisp trapped inside it.
Akakios tends to do business in the Mediterranean Sea, often with Theban magi. His story, however has lead him to visit other places - More than once he has visited a previous customer when the maga travels to a new tribunal, and met their Covenant to acquire more patrons. He has travelled as far as the Hibernian and Rhine Tribunals, though most of his customers are in the Thebes, Roman and Provencal Tribunals. He speaks an ancient and poetic form of Classical Greek, but whenever he meets a new customer, he offers them a 'gift' of an ancient coin, the accepting of which allows them to speak to him. This coin is technically a single pawn of Rego vis, though spending it will cause him to refuse service.
Catalogue of Wares:
11: Goblet of the Sober Prince
13: A New Name
15: Blade of War
16: Crown of Beauty
17: Chest of Coins
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse