(no subject)

[sythyry]

Sythyry the Doll Seller [13 Thory 4262]

The Hoberst Museum

The Hoberst Museum is more or less associated with Vheshrame Academy. I haven't been there before. It's smallish, and oldish, and has heavy kthargenwood and glass display cases showing curios from a thousand years of ducal and academic adventurers. The assistant curator of accquisitions is a smallish and oldish Orren named Yarglerifver Youngbloofd.

Me:"I have a paper doll made by Iraz Halix, stolen from Oorah Thrassen by a nendrai."

Yarglerifver:"I see. How well is this provenance attested?"

Me:"Well, the theft is reported in this issue of the Times of Oorah Thrassen, in my saddlebag. The method is reported to be that the rest of the moving caravan got teleported half a mile closer to their destination, leaving one wagon behind, and then a herd of butterflies rummaged through the caravan and flew off with the doll, bringing it to a dull-black serpent monster of unknown species and fearsome magical protections levitating in the near sky. That certainly sounds like the deed of a Locador-specialist nendrai. And, by some coincidence, the one and only Locador-specialist nendrai claims to have stolen it. I could get a more detailed and personal testimonial, but you'd have to leave the city walls."

Yarglerifver:"Hm. Interesting. A pity we'd have to return it."

Me:"You would?"

Yarglerifver:"We have a retrieval reciprocation agreement with Oorah Thrassen. It was useful getting back some lost tokens from the last war."

Me:"So you're not interested in acquiring it?"

Yarglerifver:"Unfortunately, no, we're not."

Me:"Pity. If more interesting oddments come my way, would you be interested in them?"

Yarglerifver:"You are currently qualified as a ducal and/or academic adventurer?"

Me:"I think so."

Yarglerifver:"You should be taking Prof. Dargwyn's course."

Me:"I am, actually."

Yarglerifver:"Ah, excellent. Prof. Dargwyn inherited that course from me, you know."

Me:"I didn't..."

Yarglerifver:"Well, come have some tea, and we'll trade a few stories."

Which took two hours, and the tea wound up being brandy instead. The life of an assistant curator is harsh and terrible,

Leptou Whilavonthon

So I tried somewhere else.

The Honest Antiquery of Leptou Whilavonthon crouches between the Lesser Hall of Justice on one side and a small park set about with umbrella cypress trees on the other side. I'm pretty sure that putting it next to a courthouse was an intentional symbolic gesture. I'm pretty sure that putting it next to some shade trees wasn't. In any case, they are known for fencing stolen goods; at least, Thestra mentioned them a few times.

Parsiet Whilavonthon -- I tried to talk to Leptou, but he doesn't work there any more -- well, she wasn't that helpful.

Me:"I have a paper doll made by Iraz Halix, stolen from Oorah Thrassen by a nendrai."

Parsiet:"Extraordinary."

Me:"Would you be interested in buying it?"

Parsiet:"We do not deal in stolen goods."

Me:"You don't?"

Parsiet:"Absolutely not."

Me:"But, that lead-plated grasshopper cage, wasn't it stolen from Prince Nestrune Kreslink?"

Parsiet:"We are holding it for Prince Nestrune Kreslink."

Me:"I'm pretty sure he didn't pawn it..."

Parsiet:"We are not a pawn shop."

Me:"I didn't say you were..."

Parsiet:"It is not available for your purchase at the moment."

Me:"I don't want it."

Parsiet:"Then good day to you, O Zi Ri. If you have further business this afternoon, my assistants will be more than ecstatic to assist you." She departed, flicking her tail behind her.

Comments

[perlandria.livejournal.com]

Donate it to your school for significant discounts on books/spells, or just to start the sucking up to having an entire department named after you process?

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

Shouldn't you be going to an Auction House with something like that?

[sianmink.livejournal.com]

I was about to say something about tree-bay.

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

*giggle*

[stormydragon.livejournal.com]

Wow, you have all the subtlty of an amorous Cani with no pants.

You can't just announce you're offering someone stolen goods and expect them to buy them. Try something more like:

You:"Excuse me, Parsiet, I was walking along the other day when a dull-black serpent monster of unknown species and fearsome magical protections flew by and dropped this paper doll created by Iraz Halix. According to the paper a similar beasts ran off with one from an Oorah Thrassen caravan and I fear this may be it. Since you have experiences dealing with the local caravans, could you please see that it is returned to them? Of course, I would need some sort of security bond to make sure that you complete your task. How much do you think would be necessary to assure such an item?

[archadia.livejournal.com]

"Wow, you have all the subtlty of an amorous Cani with no pants."

I want to use that in an everyday situation XD

[calamitous-cani.livejournal.com]

Bah! Over-amorous nude Cani have much more subtlety than that! I have yet to meet the Cani unable to manage some tiny measure of politeness and tact under such a situation!

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Maybe you can have Thestra steal it from you and give you a percentage as a finder's fee for letting her know where a valuable item that could be stolen was stored?

[calamitous-cani.livejournal.com]

Or simply ask Thestra for help in brokering the thing. No sense re-inventing the wheel when you have a friend who deals with such issues as a profession.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

That's what I did.

[calamitous-cani.livejournal.com]

Well.. more help.