Akakios
the Boatman
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.
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.
The Boatman's Stock
Akakios has a story of an oft-forgotten Goddess of the Hearth. He offers a hearth that will always warm a home or family. he asks in trade naming newborn child after him (the child will gain Faerie Friend and Faerie Blooded). He values the stone at 6 vis.
Stone of Hestia: This is a broad hearthstone that ignites with a faint blue-white glow that lasts day and night, for as long as a human warms themself at its hearth. The temperature is always comfortable, and it fills the room it is in with light. The lit fire can be used as a focus for a Fire duration spell. If the fires remain lit for an entire year and a day, its soft violet ashes will become a pawn of ignem vis.
Akakios has a broken jug painted with wild animals dancing with bare nymphs. It holds a few draughts of the sweetest wine ever scented by man. In trade he seeks a soul's sobriety, or it's mirth. He values this broken amphora at 9 vis.
Circe's Lost Wine: This broken amphorae holds three goblets worth of wine in it, and the wine is the sweetest ever tasted. Each draught has a penetration value of +20, and turns the drinker into a land animal that shares personality traits with the drinker. The transformation lasts until a mortal falls in love with the beast. Each drink is a single use.
Akakios desires to trade a ragged yellowish bridle. He claims it will master a temperamental mount. Akakios would trade the bridle for (an appropriate thing). He values it at 8 vis.
Belerophon's Bridle: This rope is an incredibly tarnished, pliant gold. When thrown over a mount, it will calm the beast, such that it will be easy to control by a rider or guide. The effect has a penetration of +30.
Previous Sales
Artemis's Arrows: These are three arrows carved from olive wood and feathered with olive leaves. They can be used as three pawns of faerie Perdo vis. If shot at a mythical beast, they deliver a PeAn kill effect, with +20 penetration, and lose their magic. They were traded to a magus in return for the colors of his left eye. He has since recovered the ability to discern colors effectively, though sometimes still sees some colors as a gray at side angles.
The Broken Blade: This sword was wielded by a king, and it shattered when he died. It strikes true still, as if wielded by the ghost's anger. Despite being snapped almost at the hilt, the blade strikes as if it was still there, though it passes through parries and armor as if it were not. This was traded for a fresh human corpse.
Akakios offers a cup bartered from a god on Olympus. He asks for a powerful, enchanted cup in trade; or the promise of raising a boy on behalf of Akakios. He values the cup of Ganymede at 12 vis.
Ganymede's Cup was traded for an enchanted cup of poison, crafted by the trading magus.
Ganymede's Cup: A kylix supposedly from Zeus's table, it seems a wide-mouthed bowl with a short stand beneath it. It appears to be crafted of finest pottery and painted with purest gold in images of eagles and young boys. Wine or other liquids drank from it taste exceptionally pure and are more intoxicating than usual (MuIm penetration +15). When enough wine has been drunk (exact amounts vary), and wine begins to spill from the mouth of the drinker, a handsome young boy will be there to wipe the wine from the drinker's chin. The boy claims his name is Ganymede, and appears to be a faerie-touched child, and the wine wiped from the drinker's chin is two pawns of faerie imaginem vis. Ganymede appears at first to be 8 years of age, and after appearing, will stay physical for the remainder of the year, while his image disappears from the cup. The taste-enhancing effect of the kylix remains if Ganymede is the one serving it to the drinker. When Ganymede finally reaches sixteen years of age(after eight years of gathering vis), his curse is broken, and the cup appears to be inert.
Akakios brings a story of war between Ocean and Sea. He offers to trade in return for a wind trapped in a bag; He would also accept a trade for a well-told legend of adventure (though the teller will forget the story if this is accepted.) He values the story at 3 vis.
The Legend was sold for a small few vis.
A Legend of Storms: This is actually a story Akakios can tell. Turns out, he's not a great storyteller, being a Faerie, so surprisingly he will open up a leather bag and a voice will escape it, telling a story of a war between a giant/cyclops and a dragon/eagle. Both are children of gods or titans, and fighting over control of a storm front running through a mountain range. Akakios also gives a handful of feathers or scales, which can act as an Arcane Connection to a creature in the story.
Unsold Treasures
Akakios offers a blessing of Vitality, from a far off land. He asks for the vitality of a virile man in trade; this requires a man of ages 16 through 35 who is not infertile, and it will take that fertility from him. He will also accept a bull/ram of the highest quality of endowment. He would also value the Draught of Vitality at 13+ pawns of vis, or an item of equivalent value.
Draught of Vitality: While techincally, this could be used as 3 pawns of faerie Creo vis, or six pawns for longevity rituals or CrCo rituals, it has significantly more power. If a virile male (or fertile female) drinks this potion, they will be granted a +1 Stamina and -2 living conditions modifier (no penetration, Until duration, wasted if it doesn't penetrate). The lucky drinker will also find themself very, very fertile - and when their first child is born, the effect is gone, passed on to the next generation. This draught of vitality is a powerful faerie-aligned mystical effect for the purposes of warping, and will pass down through the family line's oldest member.
Akakios offers a witch's cauldron from the chilled lands. He asks, in return, for a promise of a season's hospitality in the future, and a token by which to show this promise. It should be noted, this isn't hospitality for him, but a token he can barter in his dealings with others. He may trade it to another magus, a faerie, or faerie-wizard. No matter who he trades it to, it will result in a story for the covenant (he'll only trade it away if it'll cause a story, since he feeds on that vitality). He would value the cauldron at 7 vis in trade.
Grandmother's Stew Pot: This is a massive cauldron. A bit of water brought to a boil, and anything solid thrown into it can be brewed into a stew. It will let the user brew down any form of stone, plant, or flesh into a (probably disgusting tasting) slop of chunky stew as a MuAq(Te/Co/He) effect (moon duration). Assuming the hungry individual can get over the fact the stew might taste like old boots or rocks (or just like water!) it'll be a hearty day's meal. Alternatively, it could be used to liquify various materials for use in potion making, enchanting, or alchemical experimentation. It could be likely add bonuses to labwork, if installed in lab (though it'll invariably apply warping).