The wagon rolls into the market square, and the whole village seems to press in at once. Fresh bread drifts from one stall, hay and livestock from another, all under bright sun and shouting voices.
Crow feels the wagon slow beneath him as the crowd thickens. Carrot glances his way, waiting for direction while nearby heads turn toward the newcomers.
The Woman with the Basket
You made it. The market is lively today.
Raven
Too many eyes. Still, this is the right place.
The wagon settles near a stone trough at the square’s edge. A burly market keeper in a wool cap steps closer, one hand up as if to greet and measure them at the same time.
Bram
Halt there. If you are here to trade, you will take a proper place before the stalls.
Crow and the others have reached the heart of the village, with the market opening ahead like a maze of noise, cloth, and chance.
✓ Quest Accepted
Deal with the market keeper
“Does the keeper look like he expects a fee for our spot?”
YES (Likely, rolled 34)
Crow
The keeper's palm is not just a signal to stop, but a gesture of expectation, his fingers rubbing together in a subtle, rhythmic friction that speaks of coin.
Bram
My name is Bram, and the space for a wagon this size is not free. A few silver pieces will secure you a spot near the grain merchants, where the foot traffic is best.
“I get down from the wagon and speak "So you want us too pay to sell our gain?"”
FAILURE (Good Persuasion, rolled -3)
Crow lowers himself from the wagon, boots thudding into the square, and the question leaves him plain and sharp as a spear point. Bram hears the challenge and stills his hand.
Crow
So you want us to pay to sell our grain?
Bram
I want order. Farmers, buyers, and carts all in their place. If you want your load seen, you pay for the space that lets it happen.
The surrounding chatter softens. A few faces turn toward Crow, measuring whether he bows to the fee or bites back.
The Woman with the Basket
He is not wrong, but the square can hear a fair word too. Bram, give them a moment.
Raven
Crow did not come here to be peeled for coin in front of everyone.
Bram plants his feet beside the wagon wheel, blocking the easiest path inward. His patience thins, and the crowd waits to see whether Crow bargains, yields, or makes a scene.
Quest Complete
Reach the village market
Skill Upgrade: Persuasion Good→Great
“I get down from the wagon and speak in a annoyed tone "So you want us too pay to sell our gain, do you think I'm dumb enough to fall for that?"”
SUCCESS (Great Persuasion, rolled +3)
Crow lets the silence hang a breath longer, then his challenge lands cleanly in the square. Bram’s hard look falters. A few bystanders exchange glances, and the fee starts to sound less like law and more like a habit.
Bram
Hmph. Fair point. I am not here to fleece honest grain.
He steps aside from the wagon wheel and turns one palm upward, the motion less greedy now, more procedural. The crowd’s posture loosens by degrees.
The Woman with the Basket
There, you see? Talk first, coin second. That is how a market breathes.
Raven
And if the market forgets, Crow remembers it for everyone.
Bram snorts once, then points toward a shaded lane where a marked stall waits open and empty. The offered space is not the premium spot, but it is clean, visible, and free of charge.
Bram
Take that place. No fee. Sell there, and keep the peace.
Quest Complete
Deal with the market keeper
Skill Upgrade: Persuasion Great→Superb