[Commerce] Accounting 2.0

[Bailin]

[nospaces]

HP: 100% MP: 100% RH: Saurum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) LH: Sarum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) QS: Golden Hilt (lvl 21) AR: Flak Jacket (lvl 21)

WC: 576 TWC: 576 Tags Mikoto, @blazeedge Theme Song TS Credits Cortana

It was early in the morning when Bailin rose from his bed. He had slept quite sound and feeling rather invigorated. It would most likely be the most opportune moment to tackle the dreaded accounting class once more. Using his interface he quickly dressed himself in his easy and rather refined vanity wear. It made the warden feel a bit more… at ease wearing his lighter and less bulky vanity wear rather than his warden armour, which was built for combat of a physical nature, rather than a combat of wits, quill and ink. As if he was walking upon air, as his vanity wear was a lot lighter than his armour, Bailin waltzed into the kitchen to grab an apple and some bread with butter and ham, which would serve as both breakfast and probably lunch, the order in which said items would be eaten currently unclear. Plate and apple in hand Bailin waltzed back into the bedroom where both his chalkboard and desk were. Opening one of the desk’s drawers Bailin took out his quill and inkwell and placed them on the right hand side of the wooden desk, from his inventory he took out his small accounting notebook and placed it in the centre of the desk. Taking the chair and gently pulling it back the warden seated himself upon it before shifting it back, his feet gently on the floor, back straight and arms on the sides of his notebook. Gentle, with a grace and delicacy one would not expect from the bulky warden, Bailin took his quill and dipped the tip into the inkwell, gently pressing it against the glass edge to get rid of most of the excess ink, which most assuredly would leave smudges on his accounting form. [break][break] With gentle strokes Bailin scribbled down the date with a readable and perhaps even pretty handwriting, something he had never mastered in the real world. His was more of a cuneiform writing rather than a nice and flowing style. Next the warden let his quill dance graciously across the page, making a form with income and expenses, as well as a name and date for both as well as their origin. The first line was reserved with the flowing, cursive writing regarding the purchase of the Royal Naval Academy in Londinium. ‘It cost me about half of my fortune, that was actually an expenditure I would rather have avoided for a while.’ The warden thought grudgingly to himself as he wrote down the name, date and amount of gold he spent. The next few lines the warden grudgingly wrote down the expenses he had made, most consisting of groceries and other supplies, and his income, mostly from selling loot from his adventures and encounters and occasionally some minor gizmo’s, none regaining him his fortune, yet the perks of the guild hall were rather interesting. Each time the warden wrote some lines he dipped his quill into the inkwell to maintain a certain consistency of thickness. After a while the warden placed his quill with the tip on the edge of the inkwell and blew over the pages, making the ink dry quicker. [break][break] Placing his hands behind his head as he stretched his legs the warden wondered if anyone had read his notice, if they happened to be either looking for financial advice or help with accounting, one of the few ways the warden imagined he could raise the class its levels. [break][break]

[Fletcher]

As a budding Alchemist and someone missing the pleasures of owning his own space, Fletcher was in need of an accountant. While waking up in the same bed day in and out at the inn was a nice sense of consistency, it wasn’t the same as knowing that the place was truly his. With a yawn he fixed his hair and beard before heading out into the larger, shared space of the inn for breakfast. He had yet to find a good Tailor to make him some halfway decent clothes so he still slummed it out in his beginner gear. Not that he overly minded, it was comfortable, but the look was getting old. Down the wooden stairs he strode from the second floor to the first, making a beeline for the bar to place his deposit down for the same room as he always did.

”Mornin’.” The dwarf yawned again, rubbing his eyes and blinking to adjust to the morning light. The man at the bar greeted him back and without a word more, the pair exchanged money with understanding as they had done for the many weeks prior. Fletcher had given himself the day off and decided to spend it looking at property that he’d one day like to own. A little bit of a pipedream for his current lot in life, but a man could dream. As he went to walk out of the inn his eye caught a new bulletin pinned to the inn’s noticeboard. ”Financial consultancy…” He stopped and pulled the notice down from the board so he could have a better read.

It wasn’t anything flashy, but it was to the point. Quite simply it was someone looking to give advice on monetary matters as such skillsets weren’t exactly common amongst those that took professions more dazzling like Acrobat or Animal Tamer. He re-pinned the notice on the board and set off to the location noted on the flier. It led him to a fairly nice place and at first he wasn’t sure if he’d gotten the address right. Figuring he had nothing to lose, he gave the door a knock. ”Hello? Am I at the right place for that flier I saw advertised? The one about an Accountant?” He stepped back from the door, waiting to see if anyone was home.

Word Count: 388

[Bailin]

[nospaces]

HP: 100% MP: 100% RH: Saurum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) LH: Sarum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) QS: Golden Hilt (lvl 21) AR: Flak Jacket (lvl 21)

WC: 290 TWC: 866 Tags Fletcher Theme Song TS Credits Cortana

Suddenly there was a knock upon the door and the warden shot upright, straightened his vanity wear and walked up to the door. A voice came, mentioning the notice he had had put up in some of the taverns. Opening the door the warden found a dwarf standing in front of it. Dwarves weren’t that uncommon but a player dwarf was still a rare sight, for some reason. “Enter.” was all the warden spoke as he stepped aside as to let the dwarf enter his house, quickly adding the dwarf, whose name read Fletcher, to those allowed to enter his home. The dwarf had a bigger beard than the warden and a much friendlier face and seemed to walk a bit… lumbering, as if he was perhaps unaccustomed to his new form, even after all this time.* [break][break] “Come.” Was all the warden had to say, walking towards his office. If Fletcher would look around the house he would notice that it was a rather fancy house, most of the furniture was in the old Victorian style, made of a darker form of wood. The office functioned as a bedroom, armoury, wardrobe and well, an office, also in the same Victorian style. The wardrobe consisted of a large, dark wooden closet, the bed resembled a Royal bed for two people and on the armour- and weapons stand stood a level one Warden Armour and musket. Bailin sat down in his chair, back straight, legs at a straight angle, hands upon his knees, looking with his eye at the dwarf. [break][break] “My name is Bailin, warden, accountant and mechanic. What is it I can help you with?” he spoke, cold and stern faced, but still attempting to sound as friendly as he could. [break][break]

[Fletcher]

The door before him opened, revealing a fairly tall human. Granted, with Fletcher’s naturally smaller dwarven stature, most races stood at least head and shoulders above him at all times. He stepped aside and let Fletcher pass over the threshold and into the house. As he was inside, Fletcher took in the view of the fairly nice living space. It was fancy, and looked to be possibly Victorian era in design. It was impressive to say the least. The man beckoned him to follow and so he was led through the house. It could’ve been he was so used to tavern living that he’d forgotten just how large a house could actually be, but this house was levels more fancier than what he had ever lived in.

As they entered the office, Fletcher took it in and had to actively supress the impressed gasp that wanted to escape from his mouth. No wonder this guy was an Accountant, from the furnishings of this place it seemed like he was loaded. His office however seemed to be an amalgam of different rooms all condensed down into one space. Whether or not it was for convenience, laziness, or lack of space, Fletcher couldn’t tell. Regardless, it was furnished with a bed big enough for two, a set of what he assumed was his starter armour from how it looked, as well as a large wooden closet to function as a wardrobe. His host took a seat before speaking again, formally introducing himself.

”Oh, um… Name’s Fletcher; Summoner, and aspiring Alchemist.” Without waiting for an invitation, Fletcher took a seat opposite Bailin on the other side of his desk. ”I was hoping you’d be able to help me with a few financial things. Namely things like financial advice for buying a place of my own, possibly starting up a store to sell some of my Alchemy stuff, although I’m talking long-term plans as opposed to something right now.” Fletcher was a little embarrassed for his long-term goals for real estate ownership but that could wait to see what exactly it was that was required.

Word Count: 351
Total Word Count: 739

[Bailin]

[nospaces]

HP: 100% MP: 100% RH: Saurum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) LH: Sarum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) QS: Golden Hilt (lvl 21) AR: Flak Jacket (lvl 21)

WC: 350 TWC: 1216 Tags Fletcher Theme Song TS Credits Cortana

“I can, though not for free.” The warden, or rather accountant, stated. “I might have use for an alchemist or sigilmaker someday. If you find that agreeable, that can be your payment; a service for a service so to speak.” The accountant spoke, friendly though the cold and seriousness still resonated when he spoke. [break][break] After Fletchers response the accountant continued. “First lesson: remember this is a game. You can do a lot but you are still limited to the capabilities of your class and skills. Second lesson: Housing and shops are not cheap. Third lesson: find yourself an accountant and make a deal.” The accounting warden stated, looking straight into Fletchers eyes with his one eye, his body not moving, except for his mouth and chest as those tend to be required to move when talking, even though this was a game. [break][break] “We could discuss some terms if you like where I would say, buy a house and either sell or rent it to you. As an accountant I get certain… discounts on the purchasing of housing and shops. Or you could join a guild which has an accountant.” The warden continued, presuming Fletcher could follow all he had said so far. [break][break] “As for the business plan, I would presume you desire a shop in Londinium, it has to have a lab and perhaps something that allows you to gain more from your sigil making as well. I am, however, not aware of such things as of yet.” Gently and very deliberate Bailin placed his right ankle upon his left knee and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “You could take one extra room of your choosing, but I will assume you’d prefer something which allows you to sell your wares. You would also require the help of a carpenter for the furniture; if you want comfort you’d also need a tailor.” Bailin continued, cold but some form of twinkle in his eye. “Do you have any questions so far?” he finished his, well, monologue, allowing for Fletcher to respond and ask or vocalise questions of his own. [break][break]

[Fletcher]

As expected, Bailin was not willing to work for free. In all seriousness, what good businessman would? It wasn’t a common practise to do work pro-bono unless circumstances made it better in the public eye. There was no public here; they were in an office, so unless this office was rigged up with bugs to record private meetings, this was never going to be an instance of working for free. Fletcher had some money, but most of that was hopefully going to go towards buying a house. The idea of a trade was mentioned, and the dwarf’s eyes glinted with interest. Service for a service worked fine for him, although he’d want that documented in clear terms before agreeing to anything specific. ”Seems sound, and I’m agreeable to the trade of services, but you’ll respect my reluctance to agree to anything definite without a contract.” He smirked slightly and let Bailin continue.

Bailin then cut to the chase and made his sale. All things he spoke were true based off of research he’d done prior to seeing the Accountant out. Any form of building was going to cost at least a small fortune if you wanted anything decent. While this of course included furnishings, having the outer shell of a house wasn’t usable by the same conventions that still made this a game. They locked eyes, the unspoken duel of business now underway.

”If we’re speaking in plain terms, my eye is set on Big Ben. Long term plan, that is. For now, you’ve hit it on the head; Londinium, Magitech Laboratory, whatever else accomplishes what I need would be great so long as it’s within budget.” Fletcher shrugged. ”Otherwise, you’re an Accountant and I’m not. Rule number two, I believe. Otherwise, no questions; sounds reasonable to me so far.”

Word Count: 300
Total Word Count: 1039
Bailin

[Bailin]

[nospaces]

HP: 100% MP: 100% RH: Saurum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) LH: Sarum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) QS: Golden Hilt (lvl 21) AR: Flak Jacket (lvl 21)

WC: 373 TWC: 1589 Tags Fletcher Theme Song TS Credits Cortana

“Signing a contract is customary, though not a requirement per se. If you desire it, we shall sign a contract. It will require a scribe to formulate the terms.” Bailin responded. He did not mind having to sign a contract; however, third parties occasionally required some form of payment as well. [break][break] “Big Ben is limited to guilds only by the game mechanics.” The warden said stern, cold even as he probably popped a dreamy bubble of the young entrepreneur. “There are several houses that would serve as an ideal location for your shop. The problem being would indeed be your budget, how large is your budget?” the warden stated and asked, not even caring if it were to be considered rude. To him it was the information he needed to get the job done. [break][break] “To acquire Big Ben you would be required to start a guild, which can be rather… troublesome. Or you could join a guild which has not yet acquired their Special Building. Game mechanics allow a guild to… enjoy the perks of having an accountant present within the guild. This bonus does not, however, stack. If you desire to purchase your house and it is your first, you will get a large discount via said game mechanics and, if you are an accountant or part of a guild which has an accountant, you get a small discount on top of that.” The Warden explained. “As we have already broached the subject of contracts: if need be I could loan you the money, at a reasonable interest rate, however, this will indeed be put into a contract. Said contract will force you, so to speak, to pay the agreed upon sum back to me. I am not aware of the limits of said contract, though I doubt it would turn you into my personal slave upon failing to repay the sum.” The warden concluded, allowing his speculation and doubt regarding the power of contracts seep through his normally cold and stern way of talking. Perhaps he was being too honest and open, though on the other hand, a business built upon lies would disintegrate as trust in one another was the most essential and base law of any economy or trade. [break][break]

[Fletcher]

”Guild building only, huh? That’s a damn shame.” Fletcher looked to the side, contemplating his options knowing that being outside a guild nor being in a position to start one made owning Big Ben a lot more of a challenge than he had originally intended. That said, being one of the iconic landmarks in the area it was no surprise that it wasn’t so simple to obtain. That said, it still wasn’t impossible, it’d just have to wait until he knew more people, was more established within his own right as an Alchemist, and had even more money to spend.

Bailin inquired about budgets. It was bound to come up eventually, and that there was no surprise. He’d set aside most of his money for this venture, although it still wasn’t a grand sum. ”I have about one thousand gold sitting aside for this venture. I could get more by liquidating some of the stuff I’ve made with Alchemy, but in raw funds I have about that much.” Fletcher paused before continuing. ”I was thinking of getting the location settled first and foremost before looking into furnishings. Although that’s just another expenditure that I’ve been planning on worrying about later.”

The Accountant went into an explanation about Big Ben following, possibly on the off-chance Fletcher wanted to pursue that path sometime in the future. Then he mentioned discounts and guild benefits, and it seemed like a poor thing to not be in a guild if you were considering doing anything significant outside of just levelling. Then following that was back to the loaning of money, contractual obligations to pay it back, and so on. ”I suppose the question comes down to how much money one would need in order to get what you’re describing. The suitable place to setup as a shop, I mean.” Fletcher looked at Bailin, gently stroking his beard and considering what the next step would be.

Word count: 320
Total Word Count: 1339
Bailin

[Bailin]

[nospaces]

HP: 100% MP: 100% RH: Saurum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) LH: Sarum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) QS: Golden Hilt (lvl 21) AR: Flak Jacket (lvl 21)

WC: 364 TWC: 1953 Tags Fletcher Theme Song TS Credits Cortana

“Indeed.” The warden responded to Fletchers response to the news of the Big Ben being a guild exclusive location. “One thousand golden coins is a start. You require four thousand more to acquire your first house. You will require thirty eight hundred more coins with the help of an accountant. As brought up before I would be willing to lend you the money you require for a friendly interest rate or perhaps a set amount of money. I prefer to view this as an investment, rather than a singular loan.” The warden spoke with a smile, which would probably be very eerie and awkward. [break][break] “Adventurers are the only ones who can help progress the technological state of our current lives.” The warden said, elaborating on his intentions. “Thus having more craftsmen doing business is good for all, however, business can fail and as such I have to make a profit as well.” [break][break] “As for the furnishing, that would be wiser and cheaper. Start with the basic items, it will be low tech but functional.” The warden continued, relieved he did not had to elaborate this part. Talking shop was interesting and fun, but talking long epitomes and, or, monologues was something he had not done for a long, very long time. [break][break] “As I mentioned before, you will be required to pay five thousand golden coins for your first house. If part of a guild with an accountant it would be thirty eight hundred. I could allow you entry to Vylbrand, however, that would be mixing business with personal matters and I would rather not do so unless you truly intend to join the guild for more than mere business.” The warden spoke cold and serious. “The place I have been pondering on that would suit your plans ideally would be either on the riverside, as to allow you to utilise the water flowing past your house or in the middle of Londinium. Sarum would be optional as well, as it has a strong Warden presence and we Wardens enjoy fancy toys.” The warden said, intending a joke, though due to his… cold, serious and stern way of talking it would probably sound very awkward. [break][break]

[Fletcher]

Fletcher frowned. He hadn’t considered that the cost of buying property would be so high for something so basic. When he had in fact figured it’d be much cheaper for something low scale. Granted, something like Big Ben was always going to run in the bracket for the very rich, he didn’t think a basic place would cost that much more than what he had saved already. ”Mmm. I don’t intend to fail, although the risk is there; I don’t blame you for taking precautions. If I had to choose, I’d be more willing to settle for a set amount in excess of the original loan amount to pay back, but that would depend largely on that end figure as to whether or not we can make that work.” Fletcher shifted in his chair, wondering what kind of plans Bailin had for him, or what outcome he forsaw as a potential investment as he put it.

It’d be fine if he made a living by doing something small and then once it was all paid off, they were all square. Granted, if it were something completely revolutionary, he’d imagine some portion of the profits would be expected to be shared if part of this money went to funding that before the debt was completely paid off. ”I think the only thing I’ll need for a house right off is a bed. Everything else I can do without until the money comes up to pay for it. Granted, depends on what the game issues as a package, if anything, upon creation of such specialised rooms as a lab or what have you.”

Fletcher thought about the location briefly. ”Being positioned in Londinium would be nice, although that’s mainly cause I’ve been here the most. River sounds good too, although pricey if that’s something that effects the price. Granted, if there was a market in Sarum, then we can’t go ignoring that… Unless the ‘toys’ were good enough to come over to collect; and those who happened to be local would obviously benefit from the locality of an establishment.” Again he frowned, coming back to the overall cost of the venture. ”Five thousand gold pieces was more than what I was expecting for a basic house though. Granted, I don’t know what I expected, although I feel as though I should’ve been more prepared by having more money stored away. A loan I’m agreeable to, assuming the terms are fair, however.

Word Count: 409
Total Word Count: 1748
Bailin

[Bailin]

[nospaces]

HP: 100% MP: 100% RH: Saurum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) LH: Sarum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) QS: Golden Hilt (lvl 21) AR: Flak Jacket (lvl 21)

WC: 395 TWC: 2348 Tags Fletcher Theme Song TS Credits Cortana

“Most do not, they still fail.” The warden pointed out, cold as he regained a rather minute bit of his composure. “The figure would depend on how well you can sell me your business plan.” The warden continued with a grin. “The game offers such a package deal, so to speak. You can pick three rooms you. For you it would be at least an alchemy lab, I presume a storage room or bazaar. All houses have the following, to the best of my knowledge: Bath and bedroom, a garden, living room and kitchen. As such your bed is not an issue.” The accounting warden said, elaborating on the details of housing as far as he was aware of. “The prices are the same for all; your second house on the other hand will be rather expensive, twenty five thousand, unless you are an accountant. The upkeep is currently not worth mentioning.” [break][break] “I would not go as far as to say there is a market, however, there might be more research options in Sarum, though you will probably have more of a demand for goods in Londinium. The riverside would perhaps allow you better accessibility, as it allows you to send items, or costumers by the sea. The location is up to you, all have their advantages and disadvantages.” Bailin said, probably making the choice harder for Fletcher to make. [break][break] “As for the sum, I think I can loan you up to four thousand, with an interest rate of two hundred per one thousand coins. As per example: one thousand coins would require you to pay twelve hundred back to me. Four thousand would require you to pay me forty eight hundred.” The warden said calmly, presuming the interest was probably very, very steep, yet if the business went well it would require the aspiring alchemist about four or five sales to have paid back the first interest. “As for the duration, that would be up to you, I can be a patient man, though not… forgiving. If you are, for example, confident you can make twelve hundred golden coins a week; we can set the duration to a month. Wisdom however, tells me we should make it two weeks per section. However, it would all be depending on the amount of money you would be willing to lend.” The warden explained, leaving room for Fletcher to respond. [break][break]

[Fletcher]

Any potential investor would want to know what they were investing in. Now Fletcher was no fool, although he did admit he didn’t know when not to show his hand at times. It seemed like at this point in time, it wouldn’t hurt to show a card or two, although to reveal everything would be a bit dangerous in case this was a long con. Not that he expected Bailin to pull that, much like as an investor taking a risk in a potential successful company taking a risk on someone unknown, Fletcher had to do the same and assume he was playing it straight. After all, if he assumed every second person was involved in mobster dealings then the world would be a lot less hospitable to him in return. ”Business plan…” Fletcher looked thoughtful, eyes closed before continuing. ”It’s plain that my Alchemy level is in need of some work, but I’ve noticed more people are talking about taking property. Things like making lamps that ran on mana, or air-conditioning units that worked by distilling ice elemental mana were what I had in mind. If I make something that people need to keep topping up with resources, resources they can get from me easier than what it would be to make for themselves, then that was my stage one.”

Fletcher scratched his beard, looking Bailin in the air. ”As for the store’s location, based on what you’ve told me about Sarum, the choice is clear; Londinium. I started here, know the people better, and given it’s where most of us started out, it’s always going to be more central to where everyone is; more foot traffic means more customers, potential ones or otherwise.” Fletcher folded his arms over his chest, thinking the numbers over in his head as best he could. He should be able to make those repayments back; it was only in the short term that he needed to worry about it, and once he owned the property it wouldn’t be too hard to pay off any upkeeps that seemed to crop up.

”Interest is a little steep though,” The dwarf had a glint in his eye, switching into his bargaining mode that he had used when purchasing his car, or when he went to the farmer’s market on the weekends. Granted, he wasn’t the best at it, he knew the basics of how haggling was to work, and how different it was from an auction. ”How about we make the repayments fortnightly, with ten percent interest of the total loan amount added as a set sum to pay back?” Negotiations had begun, and now it was the accountant’s turn to make a grab for more money.

Word Count: 451
Total Word Count: 2199

[Bailin]

[nospaces]

HP: 100% MP: 100% RH: Saurum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) LH: Sarum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) QS: Golden Hilt (lvl 21) AR: Flak Jacket (lvl 21)

WC: 280 TWC: 2628 Tags Fletcher Theme Song TS Credits Cortana

Silently Bailin listened to the alchemist speaking, explaining that he intended to start up a grocery store for alchemical goods. ‘That would require him to spend most of his time out hunting, rather than spending time in his store, as well as quite some extensive experimentation and research.’ The warden thought as he continued to listen to the dwarfish alchemist. His plan to set up shop in Londinium was a sound one, as it would indeed grant him a larger target audience. The next thing he stated was that the interest was rather steep and suggested to… lessen the interest a bit, up down to 10%, still a rather reasonable amount, but it hinged a lot on the hypothetical success of the enterprise the alchemist intended to build[break][break] “How would you acquire your resources? Time spent gathering resources are equal to time not spent selling your inventory or inventions, thus decreasing your potential profits. It will also force you to close your shop for a set period, decreasing your market and profits, making you a bad investment. As such, to take the risk and still minimize my loss if you fail, I would say 15%, as I am aware that 20% is rather steep, yet a necessity if I were to cover my own expenses. If you fail, I lose more than you.” The warden explained coldly and calculated. [break][break] “What form of research and resource dependant items would you think are profitable enough at the market? I have no interest in stealing your ideas; however, I desire to know of them, as to estimate the possibility of your plan succeeding and me not losing anything.“ the warden asked, rather bluntly. [break][break]

[Fletcher]

It was a fair point. Time spent not selling was money lost. Fletcher met this quiery with a smile and awaited his turn to speak. When it did arrive, he was ready with the answers as soon as Bailin gave him the opening. ”Hypothetically speaking, if I were to make an air conditioning unit, or even a heater, it’d need to run off a resource. Usually, this would be a simple task of gathering ice from the mountains, or chopping down firewood to make fire. As an Alchemist however, elements like these I can literally, and I do, pull them from out of thin air.” Fletcher reached into his pocket and pulled out a Stablized Mana Fragment to demonstrate what he was talking about. ”Something like this takes about ten minutes to produce, so getting the effective base for making the elemental counterpart could be done while potential customers waited if I was out, or if it was a slower day.”
Fletcher got comfortable in his chair. This whole thing they were doing a formality. He could’ve that he’d offer ten percent and that the only logical step forward would be to settle on fifteen percent. The other thing that made Fletcher a little concerned was that it was very clear that Bailin was taking a very big risk in funding him. The risk came from them only meeting that day more than anything else, but it was still a risk that needed to be measured to how much it’d pay off. ”15%? Seems fair now that you’ve pointed that out. Consider that aspect a deal.

”For what to make, basic pleasured of the home are what I’m thinking of targeting.” Fletcher tucked the Mana Fragment back into his pocket. ”Heaters and air-conditioners I’ve already mentioned, but things that ran of Electric Mana are also open for things such as stoves and ovens for Chefs. This is the short term of my venture, as I believe that transportation and exploration are what people really want to be able to do easier if they had the option to. Building an airship is something that I believe is doable, but making things like that will require more contacts and collaboration. In the meantime, what I could more reasonably accomplish would be say… a jetpack.”

Word Count: 382
Total Word Count: 2581

[Bailin]

[nospaces]

HP: 100% MP: 100% RH: Saurum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) LH: Sarum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) QS: Golden Hilt (lvl 21) AR: Flak Jacket (lvl 21)

WC: 551 TWC: 3179 Tags Fletcher Theme Song TS Credits Cortana

Once again the warden listened in utter silence as the alchemist spoke. Most of what the dwarf said made sense and could actually turn into a decent profit, which was actually a good sign. The downside would be, however, that once the recipe became known, the possibility of competition would increase exponentially. Also there were other way to heating and cooling a house, not as fancy as a central heating or cooling system, but the old fashioned log furnace or fireplace worked miracles. On the other hand, it would be something new and new items were always good for a run at the market. Bailin was relieved that the alchemist agreed with the 15% interest, though he had expected that things would end there. Anything lower would have been charity rather than business and a charity was not something he planned on running. Thus the risk would be somewhat smaller to the warden, yet the interest rate would allow the alchemist to build up a prosperous business. If the alchemist would be able to handle the strain and stress of the first months, it would be solid and allow the warden to ease the pressure a bit. That however, was something the dwarf did not have to know, not yet anyway. [break][break] “I think you might have potential, though I would recommend you find yourself a proper advertiser, it will cost a bit more, however, it might increase your market and as such your sales, which in turn equals making a larger profit.” The warden spoke mildly after the dwarf had finished his talk. “You should probably attempt to capitalise on the novelty and innovative side of your project, in an attempt to create a hype for your temperature regulators. Your plan is hinging on the success and interest into these items, I presume you will manage to capitalise on it.” [break][break] “I am aware of the process to acquire those mana fragments.” The warden stated coldly, the change as if a chill wind had blown through the room. “I am relieved we that we were able to reach an agreeable percentage. As for the text on the document I would like to propose the following: I, Bailin, hereby offer the amount of X golden coins to Fletcher. Fletcher will repay the loaned amount of golden coins at an interest rate of 15%, bringing the total amount of golden coins to be repaid to X, to be paid back in set amounts of golden coins fortnightly. These amounts carry the worth of X golden coins.” The warden suggested, presuming that X equalled the amounts of money would be rather obvious. The date of the final payment would still have to be set, as it all was dependent upon the amount the dwarf desired to loan. [break][break] “A jetpack sounds… interesting. Stoves and ovens would be… optional. I personally have created a portable version of it.” Spoke the warden as he conjured up the portable oven he had made for Schuwen a long time ago, a merrier time. “However, I will not tell you how to run your store. I am merely here to provide you with funding and possibly giving you tips, tricks or hints on how to make certain you are able to pay me back.” The warden said with an evil grin. [break][break]

[Fletcher]

Hearing that he had potential was a nice bolster to his confidence in his project, and a sign that the negotiations were going well. Getting someone to advertise for him would undoubtedly help in sales, but would be another expense in which to factor in to this loan he’d need in order to even buy his shop. Unless he could get say, Sark to talk him up given how many people he talked to, it would probably be something that’d need to happen eventually regardless. It was a shame, but another unavoidable expenditure to be successful at business. Bailin then suggested to capitalise on the novelty and innovative aspects of what he could produce. A good suggestion, although Fletcher wasn’t exactly thinking that these things would be a novelty. While true, the idea wasn’t exactly the most mainstream, but it wasn’t too outlandish enough to be considered novelty, surely. He bit his tongue and said nothing, letting Bailin continue.

The room seemed to be in need with one of the aforementioned temperature regulators with how Bailin’s comments shifted from businesslike and somewhat friendly to frigid cold within syllables. Fletcher listened as the accountant listing each term of the contract in order and leaving little out. Granted, there wasn’t much to it aside from giving someone money and the other person giving that back plus a little extra. ”I don’t have a problem with that contract, although my memory of how algebra works says that those variables should all be different letters.” Fletcher smirked, trying to elevate the temperature in the conversation if only slightly. ”I jest, of course. Those terms sound fine.”

Then came the issue of the jetpack. Not so much an issue but it was originally just an idea that he had just thought of and thrown out onto the table given that’s where his mind went when he thought of a smaller version of an airship. If Bailin was interested though, then it was on the money. There wasn’t anything around for localised aerial travel that he knew of, and even if someone managed to get something like a hoverboard into the market, these would be filling a different niche. Bailin pulled out his portable stove and closed with an evil grin and a comment about how to run the store. It was in his best interest to see Fletcher do well, so the dwarf couldn’t complain too much with how he had to say about his modus operandi. ”If you think I should stick to my temperature things and jetpacks then I can do that; just show me where to sign so I can get started.”

Word Count: 440
Total Word Count: 3021

[Bailin]

[nospaces]

HP: 100% MP: 100% RH: Saurum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) LH: Sarum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) QS: Golden Hilt (lvl 21) AR: Flak Jacket (lvl 21)

WC: 370     TWC: 3549 Tags Fletcher Theme Song TS Credits Cortana

“That is indeed a good sign.” The warden stated, ignoring Fletcher’s joke. “Qui audet adipiscitur.” The warden stated after Fletcher had finished his response, in response to Bailin’s reaction “Who dares who wins. I am not telling you that you should not build jetpacks, I would rather advise you to gain a steady income and with a part of that income you can research and invent new tools, toys, potions and what not.” The warden said kindly. [break][break] “I have also thought of a new way to perhaps secure your funding, though it would require us to work alongside for a long, very long time and I presume very closely as well. It would be a partnership; the profits shall be divided 55% and 45% in my favour, as I will put in most of the initial finances. The partnership however, would allow you to have your shop; it will allow me to make a modest profit, as well as provide a location for us to invent and create joint items, like simple scopes; which recipe is already known to me. However, I am assuming that there are more wonders and tales that are waiting to be uncovered. As such crafters should work together more often en closely, even if it were for the sake of finding the limitations of this world.” The warden elaborated rather detailed, it was required of him, yet he dreaded to have to talk this much. Now all that remained for him was to see whether or not Fletcher would agree to such a partnership. The Warden had once before worked with an alchemist and they had created a scope which could increase the accuracy of firearms. However, that alchemist had been a heretic as well, a class that the warden had started to… dislike after his time in the miasma realms. Anyone or anything that spread the vile miasma was part of an open hunting season as far as he was concerned. Only those whom had their uses were allowed to be spared, however, such a stand was hard to accomplish. For now there were more pressing matters, like the lending of money or the possible business partnership between warden and summoner, mechanic and alchemist. [break][break]

[Fletcher]

It seemed that Bailin shared, or at least understood the vague philosophy that Fletcher worked by. Dare to touch the heavens and settle for nothing less than the stars. There was no telling what would be successful or not until it came into practise, which as Bailin had stated before, hinged on his marketing and capacity to invent novelty. ”I do admit, inventing new things is fun. Monetising it makes it all the better. I intend to make myself a jetpack at the very least; hell, we could also use it as a means to market as it would definitely stand out.”

Bailin then had another proposal. Fletcher listened intently, as meeting the required funds while also needing to manage costing out his materials would be hard. If there was an alternative that suited better, then all the more power to him as a prospective merchant and Bailin as a prospective investor. Everything he said had made sense in theory, but there were a few details that Fletcher needed clarification on. ”When you say secure, are you suggesting the partnership as an alternative to just a monetary loan, or to supplement as such? Either way, the division of profits makes sense. It sucks getting the lesser amount, but it wouldn’t make sense any other way.” That was the main point of contention, just so the dwarf knew what it was exactly he was agreeing to. Everything else sounded fine though; working alongside a mechanic had its benefits in terms of the things they could create, and even now the possibilities were flooding Fletcher’s mind. Scopes were cute, but what about cannons? Things with lasers? There was something Fletcher also vaguely remembered about how Warden armour was made, making that an option too. In fact, many of the things that Fletcher had in mind to make with the aid ad consultancy of a mechanic were more and more tools of war.

Tools of war were alright if there was a fight to be had, but raging war across the country on the backs of mechanised beasts that shot fire and beams out of every orifice whilst running on magic seemed to be the nightmare fuel that would cause the People of the Land to rise up and revolt against the adventurers. Well, it was either rise up or go into hiding for fear of death, there was no middle ground. ”On the topic of collaborating, I’d be glad to. I do have my concerns as to where such collaboration may lead, or rather what impact such inventions could have for the People of the Land, but that can wait until the time where we work together comes about.”

Word Count: 447
Total Word Count: 3468

[Bailin]

[nospaces]

HP: 100% MP: 100% RH: Saurum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) LH: Sarum Progressive Riffle (lvl 20) QS: Golden Hilt (lvl 21) AR: Flak Jacket (lvl 21)

WC: 286 TWC: 3835 Tags Fletcher Theme Song TS Credits Cortana

“It is.” The warden said with a gentle smile, something he rarely ever did, probably adding certain amounts of scare factor into the conversation. “That is indeed the way to approach the business of money making.” He continued, “Jetpacks can be considered as new, like I said, and novelties sell, standing out means it will catch the eyes of people and thus, in theorem, increase the demand.” [break][break] “It is. We will both have invested into the store, me as the main monetary supplier will receive a larger amount of the profits as my initial investment is, and thus my risks are, higher. It becoming a supplement would be very, very profitable for me, as I will have to part with a smaller amount of money, whilst receiving more. That would be considered unfair and is bad for business.” The warden explained. “I suggested 5% as it is the minimal amount I can go without things becoming uninteresting for me. To put it bluntly: You are one of the many means to make money for me. My desire is to make more money than I have put into it, and I presume that is your goal as well.” [break][break] “Indeed, the collaboration between alchemists and mechanics would be most beneficial to both of us. The impact would be up to us, I have several plans stored somewhere, which could be beneficial to all. I presume you worry about the possible, negative influence we, as adventurers, have upon the lives of the Landers? Or are you perhaps worried regarding, less dramatic, the state of the flora and fauna of this world of our collaboration?” the warden inquired, thinking back to a discussion in a tavern with Klide and Rook. [break][break]

[Fletcher]

Fletcher smiled as Bailin did. He was bracing for the temperature whiplash that was his tone of voice however.”Demand for jetpacks, or demand for the other novelties? I’d imagine the problem if any that could arise from the jetpack would be that the demand for such an item may not be easily met due to either costs or construction time. Nothing worse than an item people just can’t afford turning them off as a potential buyer.” He spoke from experience as a customer rather than a businessman. Even when he was doing dentistry, there was someone else that handled a lot of the pricing side of things, although a lot of that seemed to coincide with an industry standard.

”In terms of the division of profits, would the workload be split in half evenly, or are we saying that I’d effectively be an employee able to retain some of the profit margin while you had a share to get your return on investment?” Fletcher had no issue being an employee, but only if it was for a short term stint. His idea to run his own business would mean that he was the boss, he would be in charge, and he wouldn’t need to conform to someone else’s whims as to what to make. ”Of course it’s my goal, I would’ve expected that was a given by now.” Fletcher smiled a little before continuing. ”As for my worries, specifically my main concern is whether or not development will turn to tools of war. Which might be an eventual logical step, introducing things like tanks, or even something more along the lines of ridable battle robots would be a terrible idea for the People of the Land to have to bear witness to. It’d cause panic and in doing so, cut us off from potential avenues for securing supplies. The few I’ve had the pleasure of meeting seem to scare easy, so staring up at a colossus made of steel and magic wouldn’t be the most helpful when trying to bolster good relations with them. That’s not so say the environment is any less important, we get more out of collaborating with the natives than just assuming they’d be fine with whatever monstrosity we can come up with.”

Fletcher cleared his throat, thinking about things that would be interesting to make that didn’t necessarily go down the route of terrorising civilians. ”Similarly to jetpacks, things like hoverboards or even something as simple as a car might be a better step forward if we’re going to introduce modes of transport. That said, I wouldn’t mind seeing what plans you did have, there might be a gem in the rough that could already bring in a fortune and pay off your investment and then some within the span of a couple of weeks.”

Word Count: 470
Total Word Count: 3938