Kessler waited with his back against the wall, a bottle upturned pouring out bubbling drinks into a mug he'd taken from a nearby bar. If one wondered where he got that bottle, he could only laugh and proclaim with pride that it came from his first quest-- he'd stolen it from a young master and his butler, though the quest ended abruptly with a strange interruption, he'd still made off with his 'loot' as it were even if the prize the quest offered was left behind, this consolation wasn't so bad. An enchanted bottle, a strange thing, seemed like it would be much more powerful or coveted an item, but it was one that now belonged to him at least. He waited with his back to the wall, just outside of the black market alley, but not quite outside either. It was clear he was waiting for someone by one of it's many entry 'routes'. While many might think the alley itself was the way in, in truth, the way in was the backdoor that was the second on the right. Had the black market been easy to find, it would have been constantly raided by imperial knights after all. The one he was waiting for was a friend, one he hadn't known for long but at the same time, knew long enough from the game's forums. Kessler had been one who dealt in information from time to time, the boys he worked with; his fellow thugs were usually privy to those sorts of details in their work. Whether they were posing as servants or posing as guards, they all took on all manner of roles to stir the pot, and often times they heard or saw things during their criminal acts that would be valuable to others. Jack was one such buyer of information, his rates were good, usually in real world money to keep himself afloat as an 'ex-con' or a few GP to feed his occasional in game habit of finding good smokes that he enjoyed in reality. He waited for the man, Jack, expecting him to know what he looked like, Kessler wasn't exactly particularly discreet when it came to the forums. He was a man of principle with an honest reputation as someone who was extremely neutral-- he might be stabbing you today, but tomorrow you could hire him to get revenge for you; that was just the way he worked. Because of that; though he made some enemies, there were none who had life and death debts with him, he had no problem revealing his identity and waiting to be found by his buddy.
It was a simple affair arrangement really. Though the man could’ve wandered about the under city all by his lonesome, things became much easier when escorted by a bit of extra muscle. That said, he had contracted a man on the zero channel of the BBS in order to seek assistance. The deal was straight forward enough. All Jack had asked for was an easy escort gig through Stokbon’s underbelly. The originally given premise was that the man sought a few unsavory goods for purchase and wished to go spectate at a local pit fighting ring in order to have a few drinks. Though he could’ve done so without need for a guard, it was well understood that one was better off with a bit of caution. The job itself was fairly standard considering the nature of the request and his reasons given for wanting to journey into the belly of the beast. Arriving just minutes later after their designated meet up time, he’d nod while warmly welcoming the loosely familiar face. His employee had been rather upfront regarding the arrangements, making it rather clear that money was the primary driving factor of their relationship. Though such a blatant gluttony for wealth might turn others away, this sole stance on dealings had instead left Jack with a solid impression. If material things were all this mercenary cared for, it’d serve as one less burden on the man’s mind. That was easy enough to arrange for. Waving a single hand to grab at the man’s attention, the dark haired mage would wait for a moment of acknowledgement before grinning once. “Kessler, right? I’m Jack. Shall we?” There wasn’t exactly a need for formalities. With that same hand, he’d motion for the stockier built man to lead the way. Following closely behind, he’d briefly rehash his objectives for today’s venture below the city. “Just as a reminder, we’re going to browse some wares and then sit back to enjoy a good old brawl. No objections I take it?” As he spoke, two dark orbs continued to send curious but ever fleeting glances out to their surroundings. It wouldn’t hurt to take note for next time. @Kessler Cole
Kessler waited patiently, as one might expect, his motivation while greedy to some extent was firm and direct. No ulterior motives, no secret scams; he was direct and forthright with what he needed for a job given. In that respect, he showed up punctual as ever, trying to be the first to arrive to prevent any kind of dissatisfaction. He was used to being in the employ of others; a thug in reality but his reputation as such was refined and a cut above your typical street tough. For that he made sure his actions properly fit in with his reputation as someone who was professional despite their work being unprofessional. Seeing Jack though, he corked his magical bottle quickly enough, stashing his glass as well deciding it might be worthwhile to not take them at his own convenience in the future. When Jack got close enough, Kessler'd stretch out a fist intending on your traditional fist bump to smooth over the intro process. "Jack then, I'm Kessler, as promised." He spoke with a firm nod, his gaze was sharp, as if trying to find something wrong even when there was nothing. He'd been raised and worked all his life in positions where caution and information is most important, while he didn't need to know anything about Jack to work for him, a cursory glance was the bare minimum he'd do in order to best understand his employer. "I got it though-- I'm more here for deterance then action. A familiar job at least. No worries." He spoke, not bothered by the contents of the job, voicing his understanding so Jack didn't worry they weren't on the same page. Kessler was an enforcer after all, 70% of his job in reality was just being a deterrence for the low level soldiers, he did his job most of the time just by existing; in that respect this was very familiar for him. The only difference was the director at this point, instead, he shoved a hand into his pocket before gesturing to the particular door that lead down into the true black market. There was always some kind of stupid password or something, but Kessler had been coming and going from this place long enough to be known by the scouts and sentries. Such a thing wouldn't really stop him any more even if he did have someone under his wing for the ride.
To be honest, Jack hadn’t specifically come with a particular good in mind. As the two descended down into the city’s underbelly, he’d simply stroll from one stand to the next while casually browsing. On occasion he’d pause with a more serious glance while inspecting a good or two, however up to this moment he still hadn’t purchased anything worth note. Only petty sums of coin had left the mage’s wallet thus far as he bought strange odds and ends, trinkets and other useless bits that could be considered souvenirs at best. The dark haired man would eventually stumble across a particular stall however after following a seemingly aimless route. After greeting the shop keep and pausing momentarily for a bit of small talk, he’d eventually slip a small pouch across the countertop. Though not particularly large, the contents inside jingled with a slightly dull but crystalline ring as the cloth bag shuffled across the space between the two men. A keen ear would quickly recognize the sound as rustling gemstones, worth far more than their weight in gold. Nothing was given back to Jack in return however save for a gentle pat on the hand and a hearty laugh from beneath the bandages that covered the vendor’s face. Continuing on about his way, Jack would eventually turn back towards his companion while stretching both arms and letting out a weak yawn. “Anything catch your eye so far? You’d be surprised what you can find down here… If one looks hard enough they might find dragons nesting among lizards.” The man would reach into his sack of odd baubles and trinkets, only to reveal a fairly shoddy looking wooden toy of some sort. As for what value it held? It was difficult to tell. @Kessler Cole
Glancing down at what Jack was sifting through and looking for, Kessler's gaze didn't linger as he continued with a grunt and shrug. "They wouldn't have the good stuff on display anyway. There are back doors behind back doors in these types of places. Reputation and trust is worth a lot more then coin usually." Kessler explained his take on the market. He didn't think anyone would ever display their best or quality goods. They were usually always reserved for return customers or people who the sales rep knew through the rails. Though he skimmed the stalls one by one, his eye wasn't particularly discerning when it came to quality crafts but he had a good enough judge of character to tell when people were holding back. "Mine just isn't big enough to get to that sort of thing, at least not yet." Kessler spoke, a hum coming as he brought a hand to his chin letting his gaze wander once more as he continued. "I'm a person with a particular set of skills anyway. If it was really valuable there are more productive ways of acquiring it then shoveling out sticker price." Kessler added with a hearty grin. Theft didn't need to be the means to that end either, whether it was offering his services or creating some kind of enmity with a competitor, there were a great many ways to bridge the gap to discounts aside from his non-existent haggling skills. That said, it was fortunate Kessler had little interest in trinkets or arcane tools that typically passed through the market here. He was a thug, one that was clever and crafty but his combat style was anything but, he was an eloquent man of decent upbringing when needed, but on the battlefield he remained a savage. Even glancing at the toy Jack produced, his brows perked as if surprised before settling down dismissing it as some tool or trinket he wouldn't understand. "Plus, I'm typically more into the business of procuring goods then I am trading for them." He admitted knowing he was a better savage then he was a business man. While he was an enforcer, he'd yet to reach OG status for a reason.. "If they had some good creatures, that'd be another story, but I'm a ways off from being able to get some good subordinates going." Kessler suddenly added, as if the thought just occurred to him. Unfortunately he wasn't qualified for such a task yet, but there was nothing wrong about using the lay away method.
A grin cracked across the support’s face as he’d nod comprehensively while listening to his escort’s assessment. For the most part he was correct. In fact, were this reality perhaps the he’d be entirely correct. The extra aspect of this being a game however threw things into an entirely different dimension, causing things to perhaps distort more so than the guard had anticipated. This sole difference in understanding had led to a different interpretation on how the black market functioned. Jack wasn’t too eager to divulge these facts though. A fine comprehension of how the underworld worked outside Terrasphere would only betray a bit of his own background. Instead, he’d simply muse over what he had managed to glean from his companion’s background while focusing on a more game heavy explanation to bridge the gap in interpretation. “You’ve got to keep in mind that this is primarily a game. Things outlawed in this world are enforced by powers irrelevant to our own, making players much more dismissive of the rules. That said, what defines illegal in Terrasphere? It really just boils down to whatever the ruling nobility arbitrarily dictates. If you keep that in perspective… many of the vendors, primarily other players, have no qualms with peddling their goods to anyone for a proper price. Why obey a ruling body they haven’t recognized? And most importantly… why the need for secrecy if these powers hold no authority over them? They’re here to make some coin, right?” He’d pause for a moment while peering at some additional goods before continuing. “If you think of things that way… there’s usually a deal readily available for things actually worth your while. Many of these players aren’t actually aware of the true value of what they offer due to how foreign and new this setting is.” With a bit of closer scrutiny, Kessler would quickly realize that his employer had only visited the stalls of other players thus far while strictly avoiding the natural denizens of this world. Maybe he was onto something? “So you’re interested in obtaining creatures, huh? I don’t recall taming being on your repertoire of available skills. Looking to take it up?” @Kessler Cole
Being reminded that this was a game wasn't unusual, a few people had tried to tell him it was different from reality. Seeing the complexities of the NPCs and their actions, the 'game' of diplomacy and socializing was obvious and apparent as well. He couldn't help shaking his head filled with doubt about things of that nature. "It'd be true if us players were the only ones who thought, but the NPCs of this game aren't simpletons either. Where there's Law and Order there are enforcers who protect it. Those nobles will have soldiers, those soldiers will have guards." Kessler retorted with a sigh his suspicions were strong, he wouldn't chance something that would land him into the same place he escaped in reality. He was already on Parole, he'd grown much more cautious since then. "Being Players doesn't make us exceptions-- just outsiders. There will be some who don't view us with such kindness as to overlook our naivety." He added leery of the time when NPCs grew tired of the intruders wantonly attacking their small villages or extorting their merchants so haphazardly. He'd known the darker side of the player base and the light side, and had to say, the dark side was causing more damage then those few good eggs were helping. Though seeing Jack's style as he moved from stall to stall it made a bit more sense. If he only dealt with adventurers it was a lot harder to come under NPC scrutiny and PCs didn't have any vested interest in the damages their tools caused this game world. Hearing Jack inquire about his repertoire though, Kessler only flashed a sharp grin. "Who said it's not?" He retorted, but at the same time, Jack was right. Kessler was merely looking into what kind of creature would be best to work for him. He wasn't sure if there were creatures as intelligent and crafty as humans, but he needed something to support him and help him in his businesses. "I need something crafty and smart, but it's harder said then done." He grumbled with a furrowed brow knowing that creatures with human intelligence were almost impossible.
An understanding nod was made as Jack continued to listen to the mercenary’s words. Though he didn’t quite agree with everything, he found that there were valid points scattered throughout. “It’s not about being an exclusion or an outsider. It’s about not giving any fucks because there’s a logout button, accessible cosmetic changes and the fact we’re essentially immortal.” Laughing quietly at his own words, he’d continue to browse for wares before slowly losing interest. Having already picked up what he came for quite some time ago, the man was simply perusing for any additional surprises. The markets today weren’t feeling that generous though. Returning back to the subject of beast taming, the support could only raise an eyebrow at the prerequisite listed by the opposing man. “Crafty and smart huh? Do you think the system would apply to intelligent creatures as well? Perhaps something humanoid in mind but not quite there physically? I’ve heard that there are druids in this game. If they can shape shift like other fantasy settings… do you think enslaving the NPC would work? It’s a bit of a work around, but that might be cheaper than well…” He’d pause a moment to look around while glancing a several overpriced tags dangling from cages built of thick steel bars. It was enough said. This place was ridiculously overpriced when it came to live goods. He’d have better luck going out into the wilderness butt naked and befriending the orcs through sign language than he would finding an enslaved one that was combat ready and trained. @Kessler Cole
