Adoven smiles relaxed and says "quite well. Our boats are coming in with full nets and we are handling quite a bit of local trade.  Actually, I'm here to see about picking up some formal wear for State functions and foreign visits. Dress to Impress you might say. I also have a special project in mind that I need a consultation on. "

"Well, my performance in the field was less than exemplary but in here, I am much more proficient."  He walked out from behind the counter to better address his friend and customer.  "I have had a number of orders for the upcoming Naming but I have plenty of things in stock and I can fit them for you here and now if you have time.  Let's peruse a little, see what suits you and while we are looking you can tell me more of what you are looking for?"

"I've always favored 'earth tones ', brown and green . Probably because in the past I have worked hard to not be noticed. Is there any way to keep the same colors but sill be noticeable?" Adoven queries.

Quinn pondered for a moment.  "Mix in some orange and a conservative amount of yellow, and I mean very conservative.  To compare to nature it would be like going for autumn colors.  Orange is not in great demand for core colors but as accent pieces it would work nice."

Adoven nods, liking the idea. "I find myself in need of two sets of formal wear, one of which is suitable for a Noble's court. In addition,  as the head of a sword school I need a military style outfit for official functions. Can you handle such an order? I'll need a time frame and cost range." Adoven pauses, then adds "in your experience,  what material or weave is lightweight, yet resistant to water or other steam escaping?"

"The problem with not allowing water to escape is it gets rather uncomfortable if you do any kind of activity.  You want the clothes to breath a little especially if you perspire."  Quinn began naming a few different fabrics talking about their permeability, comfort and durability.  "The military outfit should be durable yet allow your skin to breathe a little.  The head of the school should be ready at a moment's notice to draw his sword and show the recruits why he is the head master and it would do no good to that prestige to be sweating and smelling, right?  The noble court is easier, I know two offerings on the rack without looking that would do well for you.  I could have you out the door with that outfit within an hour or two.  The military outfit will take a bit longer but I have some ideas that I think would be really good for you.  As for price...I would give them to you for free if I could afford to."  Quinn looked genuinely sad that he couldn't.  "But I will give them both to you for the cost of the materials.  I may not be able to give away the components but I can definitely afford my time.  Agreed?"

OOC: In game terms Quinn is offering a standard outfit off the rack for the noble attire but wants to make a masterwork uniform for Adoven so that he looks every bit the part of the head of a sword school.  In game terms I leave it to the DM but I'm fine with skipping the actual "transfer" of coins from sheet to sheet and just assuming it is part of doing business.

Adoven smiles. "the lightweight cloth is not for wearing. Rather I had it in mind for a more ambitious idea. One having to do with sails and the like."

"Oh?"  Quinn's interest was definitely piqued.  "Do tell.  And how are the rest of the group?  Andalon?  Have you heard from him lately?"

Andalon visited Quinn's shop a bit later in the season when he was able to combine the trip with a visit to see Valoria and Cyrus in Ringbridge.

"Hello Quinn, you look well. No lasting ill effects from that blister phage? I hope life here in Ringbridge is more to your liking. It is certainly quieter!

"It really is great to see you again but I have also come to ask you to make some new clerical robes for me. My temple of Abadar in Tusk is growing by the day, so I really should dress the part too. I would like a new set of clerical robes in white silk trimmed with golden thread. Also a half-cloak of deep yellow or golden colour for the cooler months. I thought you would probably be able to take the appropriate measurements today then send the finished items down to me in Tusk Town when they are completed. If we can agree on the price I am happy to pay you for them today, as I will not be able to visit Ringbridge all that often."

OOC: Not sure if you Adoven and Andalon want to have their visits occur at the same time or separate so I am writing this a bit open to allow for either option.  Since you mentioned later in the season I will assume different.

"Ha!  I was just thinking of you!"  Standing on the shop floor, he wasted no time walking to the cleric and offering a warm handshake.  "It is so good to see you again.  I was hoping I might cross paths with you once more.  I can't thank you enough for the blessings of Abadar that you bestowed on me on that hill when I was suffering from those bites."  Judging by the looks of things Quinn had fully recovered.  "Ringbridge is without a doubt more my speed.  I've got to admit being out in the wilderness is just not for me.  El enjoys such things but me, I feel most at home here."

Quinn listened intently to the order.  "Sounds like things have been going well for you, too.  I am glad to hear it.  Let's get the ugly part out of the way.  I would give you the outfit for free if I could afford to but the materials are not cheap and I haven't established myself enough to be able to, but I and I will give you the outfit you never dreamed of for whatever I pay in materials and not a copper more.  It's the least I can do for an old friend and traveling companion.  Come over to the counter and let's see what we're working with."

In a few minutes Quinn had everything he needed from Andalon's dimensions and measures.  "So are you looking for something more functional or more for the flair?  Being a church that deals in wealth and mercantile pursuits I am thinking we should make this thing look every bit the part of a man of wealth and prestige and class."

OOC: Timing doesn't matter. Andalon probably travelled on Adoven's boat anyway.

Andalon smiled warmly at Quinn's enthusiasm.

"Oh, I am definitely looking for quality this time, more than pure functionality," he replied.

"Excuse me a moment."  Quinn walked behind the counter to his work station to collect a sketch book and pen.  At the counter he started allowing Andalon to look at his work.  "All right, so the usual temple attire is typically like so..."  Quinn drew a rough sketch of a generic vestment.  "Now you're describing the usual fair for your faith which is fine, but if you're looking for something more we need to think a little bigger.  Let's add some silver and copper into the mix along with the base layer of white.  We'll add some buttons made of platinum here.  I want to see the other colors become more of a magnification of the gold inlays.  Silver trim on the wrists with gold leaf accent.  Platinum symbols of Abadar on the collar, the half cloak with the traditional yellow I believe?  We'll trim that out as well with some diamond dust woven through the material so that it shimmers when the light hits it and then we'll trim the edges with silver as well..."  Quinn's pen was fast and furious as he sketched and doodled away the imagine in his mind.  When done, he stepped back to allow Andalon to see the picture and all the notations and comments to go with it.

OOC:   you are all of high enough staus to have a set of courtier clothes - so a set of courtier clothes is just OOC and doesn't really worry me. Even a tagged on, low value, gold belt :)  Special Cloth, etc, for other purposes, might attract my attention.

OOC: taking a standard Nobles outfit but willing to trade the coins for a masterwork military outfit. Will assume Adoven and Andalon travelled together.


Adoven says "I'll take the deals on the courtier and military outfits. As for the other project i have been experimenting with the trapping of heated air and noticing that even engulfed it tends to rise. It occurs to me that an enclosed bag of heated air could be used to raise or lower large masses. If I am right, I could use this principal to raise goods from the Lower river to the Upper river at Feyfalls. And viceversa. We can establish a working trade route up the river to Restov. So what I am looking for is a lightweight material which can hold air, and weaved materials seemed likely to be a solution."

As a wizard, Quinn wondered why there would be the need of a big fabric to levitate something.  "Heat and fabric?  Wouldn't it just be easier to use a wand or other magical item to levitate up and down?"  He needed to think.  "Well assuming you want to make a bag of hot air rise, I suspect considering how much effort it takes to levitate it must take a similar amount of material and heat.  A large yet lightweight material to capture a substantial amount of air might be too heavy in and of itself to rise.  It would have to be very light, like silk or the kinds of things used in a lady's undergarment."  Walking to a rack, he took a silk shift and held it up.  "Light, strong but not the cheapest material.  I can't imagine the cost just to bring it in.  You sure you wouldn't prefer to simply levitate?"  Quinn held the garment in front of him, closed the holes with his fingers and studied it.  "A bag of hot air..." he mused in thought.

Adoven isn't the strongest caster but knows some limitations. "Yes, but isn't magic limited in how much weight it can support or levitate? It is based on the strength of the mage and there are not that many strong wizards willing to work for a shipping company. That's why I came up with a nonmagic solution."

The church of Abadar has strict rules about everything, including what its clerics should wear. Andalon gently steers Quinn away from some of his more creative design ideas but welcomes others where they would be allowed by the church's rules. It doesn't take too long to agree on the design and Andalon hands over the agreed price quite happily.

However, he becomes very interested in Adoven's ideas about getting past the waterfalls on the Shrike River.

"My family are merchants in New Stetven. The wider Lebeda family controls much of the trade on Lake Reykal, so I have heard many stories about boats and rivers and that sort of thing. If you want to raise a whole boat from one level to another the non-magical answer would be a lock, which is a chamber with watertight gates at both ends, which you flood to raise the boat or drain to lower it. If you were to excavate the chamber into the cliff face beside the waterfall you would have three solid sides already and only need to construct the gates at each end, plus short sections of canal to access it from the river. Digging it into the waterfall itself would require the river to be diverted during construction, but could be done if no one objects to the destruction of the waterfall.

"If you only want to lift or lower the load it would probably be more efficient to build a crane at the waterfall. I suppose that could even be powered by a waterwheel in the river or in the waterfall itself, rather than relying on manpower or horsepower," he suggested.

"Yes, there are limitations as much to magic as there is to science.  I would not suggest hiring a wizard as much as enchanting your device.  But that's here nor there, I am not one to judge your decision especially when you have surely put in far more research and effort into this idea than I have in the few minutes we have been talking.  What size are we discussing here and when it is done, can I see it in action?  I bet El would appreciate a trip out of the city."

With the details nailed down on the vestments, Quinn set the paper aside and continued the conversation about the flying... thing.  "The thing with a winch is regardless of how it is powered,it is fixed.  Adoven's idea is actually intriguing.  Consider if you equip a wagon with such a device.  You could use it anywhere.  Not only that but what if you lessened the amount of upward force applied to it.  Think about a wagon that is light enough that a single pony could pull it.  Or even more so, a wagon without wheels."

OOC: Obviously Quinn has no concept of hot air balloons so he's speaking from that lack of knowledge.  I'm not trying to be difficult or funny, just true to character.

"That would be something like a giant Floating Disk, wouldn't it? It would probably be possible to create something like that as a wondrous magical item, for a mage with the skills and patience to research such a thing," Andalon replied thoughtfully.

Adoven looks intrigued by Andalon's suggestion. "A waterwheel, useful in itself to power other things. But used to power a crane built for repetitive function, up and down. Such a device could be designed to handle heavy loads. Much less chance for mishap than my balloon idea. But I will still work on the balloon. Imagine forward scouting made easier by eyes in the sky, or messages that bandits and highway men cannot intercept."

"The floating disk idea was something I considered but with several flaws.  It must be near the evoker so the caster must be present.  It is likely not large enough for the volume being discussed.  Repetitive casting paired with the knowledge of how to manipulate the arcane energies would require multiple skilled casters which would be self-defeating.  The water wheel idea is a sound means in my opinion since the force of the water could be used to drive a winch system to move things up and simple gravity to move down but it is fixed and requires a substantial waterfall gradient to power.  This... balloon... idea sounds useful enough.  Captive heat rising devices could be used almost anywhere the bulk of such a thing could be employed.  I bet you could even pair it with a heat source that does not consume fuel, kind of like an everburning torch idea.  The magic would not come cheap since it requires a Permanency enchantment but it would pay for itself in the long run by avoiding the need for paying for and scavenging fuel."  The idea had Quinn intrigued.  "Make various sized ones as well.  One for a man-sized scout as you say and larger for your cargo needs.  Perhaps we should start with a model to test the idea and work on scale?  I would take a garment off the rack, sew the holes closed and have your balloon thing reasonably quickly."

Adoven mulls these ideas, then tells Quinn "actually I was planning a visit to Jovvox to consult with some gnomish tinkers there. Why not build on already acquired knowledge? Plus I want to gain access to their markets and see if they will let me set up a jetty on their lands. I would welcome a fellow researcher if you are interested."
He pays for the outfits he has commissioned, then adds "I see the idea has captivated you as well. You are welcome to visit me in Tusk. I can show you my experimental models and we can test whatever material samples you bring along."

"With the shop still in its infancy I can't be away for too long but there is not yet enough demand for custom items to keep me pinned in yet.  While I can't leave town right now, I can definitely afford a day to explore this idea.  I'm no engineer but I wouldn't mind expanding my knowledge on this topic.  Maybe there is even a way to merge the technology with the arcane to make something truly special."

"Perhaps you could come to visit us in Tusk when you have our outfits completed or ready for fitting? If you let us know in advance when you are coming I expect we can put the word around among my parishioners and Adoven's contacts so that potential customers can come to see you while you are in Tusk, instead of having to travel all the way here to Ringbridge," Andalon suggested. "I would also be more than happy to show you how things are progressing in Tusk Town and hear about the ideas you two come up with. It sounds extremely interesting and very promising too."

Andalon hands over the full amount of the price that they have agreed on and wishes Quinn well as he takes his leave.

"Might be a good excuse to have a holiday with El.  She might like taking some time to get out again."  Quinn pondered the idea.  "Might also be good for business to bring some of samples of work as well.  Getting a large order might just be what I need to get over the hump.  Hire an assistant to handle some of the simple issues, finally get enough supplies so that I am not having to postpone orders because I don't have the appropriate materials to craft it... It's a deal, though not for at least a week."  As Andalon departs Quinn gives him a handshake and a heartfelt, "It is good to see you again.  If you ever need anything consider it my honor and privilege to provide."