The Crier's Board
The Crier's Board. Reviews of shops and companions, written by people who got what they wanted, mostly. The bad ones are usually right. The good ones are usually paid.
A Newcomer's Welcome
An older patron is preparing to write a HOSTILE review of the Iron Veil over a misunderstanding. 'Talk them down. The Iron Veil doesn't deserve this.'
This will be a persuade check (your charisma).
(Declining costs nothing but the gift is gone; you can leave the shop without choosing and come back later.)
Honest Voices, Unhonest Voices, Both Welcome
The Crier's Board. Honest Voices, Unhonest Voices, Both Welcome. (Five Quills is highest. One Quill means the crier wept.)
Translators for Hire
For when the book is in a tongue you do not yet read. Each translator's gold-cost is for one work. Reviews below.
Vell of the Cold Spire
40 gp · trust 8/10Speaks: frost-tongue, old-sylvan
Polite, slow, accurate. Will not translate verse — only prose.
- — A traveler❦❦❦❦❦
"Translated my Brenwall volume in three hours. Asked for tea. Refused coin until I sat with him while he worked."
- — Norra of Three Rivers❦❦❦❦❦
"Honest as the Cold Spire. Three of my song-cycles were checked by him for tongue. He found errors I had loved."
- — An anonymous reader❦❦❦❦·
"Slow. WORTH IT. Would pay double."
Meek the Quick
20 gp · trust 5/10Speaks: bog-tongue, wave-tongue, wyrm-tongue
Faster than Vell. Probably right about half the time. Has been wrong about important things.
- — A drowned-tower scholar❦❦···
"He told me Murex's title meant Honored Beloved. The actual word means cousin who cheats at dice. I learned this on the road. Quietly."
- — A coastal merchant❦❦❦❦·
"Did the cargo manifest in an hour. Mostly right."
- — A bog-trader❦····
"Meek translated 'do not eat the moss' as 'always eat the moss.' I now have three less teeth and one new opinion of Meek."
Tessari, Half-Elf, Citizen of Trinport
30 gp · trust 7/10Speaks: old-sylvan, wave-tongue
Trade-tongue native. Picky about her hours.
- — A Spire scholar❦❦❦❦❦
"Most accurate Wave-Tongue translator outside the Vale. She declined a commission of mine because she did not trust the source-text. I respected this and over-paid her for the courtesy."
- — An angry merchant❦❦···
"Refused to translate my contract because she said it was 'morally dubious.' Found someone else. Wish I hadn't."
Reviews of the Ten Shops
Five quills is highest. One quill means the crier wept. The chalk has been scratched out and rewritten in some places.
- The Iron Veil Armory❦❦❦❦❦average
- — Sir Pell (deceased)❦❦❦❦❦
"Brenhold sold me the blade that saved my life thrice and ended it once. Cannot recommend more highly."
- — An apprentice smith❦❦❦❦❦
"Master Brenhold WILL TELL YOU if a piece is wrong for you. I bought a blade I shouldn't have; he refunded it on day 90 without being asked."
- — A merchant from Saltmoor❦❦❦❦·
"Prices are firm but fair. He will not haggle. He will, however, sharpen for free if you buy from him twice."
- The Smoldering Flask❦❦❦❦·average
- — Helen of the Stacks❦❦❦❦❦
"Tessa mislabels her potions IN THE CUSTOMER'S FAVOR. I bought a 'common' potion that turned out to be a Storied one. Frame your purchase by what's in the bottle, not what's on it."
- — A skeptical buyer❦❦❦··
"Three of my potions were colored water. One of those colored waters did, in fact, do exactly what the label said it would. I do not know what to make of this."
- — A bard❦❦❦❦❦
"Her cardamom tonic cured my hangover during the third movement. Two stars off ONLY because she would not sell me a second bottle until I'd eaten."
- The Ember Market❦❦···average
- — An angry knight❦····
"Hellard sold me a 'cold-iron' dagger that was, on testing, ordinary iron painted blue. I appreciated the THEATER, which is why I am giving him one star instead of none."
- — A clever rogue❦❦❦❦❦
"EVERYTHING IS WRONG ON PURPOSE. Once you understand this, the Ember Market is the best stall in town. Hellard sold me a 'lock-pick set' that turned out to be three teaspoons and a knife. They were, in fact, what I needed."
- — A confused merchant❦❦···
"I paid 50 gold for a fake map. The fake map led me to a real cache. I am giving two stars only because I am still not sure if I won or lost."
- The Golden Kettle❦❦❦❦❦average
- — A bog-traveler❦❦❦❦❦
"Yura packed me three days of food when I asked for one and refused to charge extra. I broke a tooth on the iron-bread in the Crimson Wastes a week later. I am giving her five stars anyway because the bread, I now realize, was the durable kind."
- — A wizard❦❦❦❦❦
"Her cardamom tea is the only reason I survived my third winter at the Spire. This is not a metaphor."
- — A grumpy patron❦❦❦❦·
"Her sons stole my lantern in 1018. They returned it in 1023 with apologies and a fresh loaf. One star off, four restored."
- The Whispering Stacks❦❦❦❦❦average
- — A nervous apprentice❦❦❦❦❦
"Helonor REFUSED TO SELL ME a manual I could not yet read. I was insulted. I came back two years later and he sold it to me without a word. He had been waiting."
- — A traveling scholar❦❦❦❦·
"Helonor will tell you the truth about Brenwall if you ask him about Brenwall. He will not tell you the truth about himself if you ask him about himself."
- — An anonymous reader❦❦❦··
"He charges what the book is worth. Sometimes that is high."
- The Mapmaker's Table❦❦❦❦·average
- — A caravan-master❦❦❦❦❦
"Marra's Crimson Wastes map saved my caravan from the dry season. Three water-stops marked exactly right."
- — A grouchy hunter❦❦···
"Her apprentice drew the Cold Spire map with the leeward switchback on the wrong side. I CIRCLED THE SPIRE AN EXTRA DAY because of this. The error has since been corrected. Two stars for the correction."
- — A Free Cities trader❦❦❦❦·
"She refused to sell me a map of the Hidden Vale. She told me she has never been there. She told me nobody has. I trust her more for this admission than I would for the map."
- The Starforged Workshop❦❦❦❦·average
- — An older patron❦❦❦❦❦
"Veld made me a silver ring in 1009. It still fits. It still holds the small charm. He overcharged me at the time. He has refused payment for every subsequent piece."
- — An impatient buyer❦❦···
"Eight months for a single brooch. EIGHT. Worth it (probably). I gave it to my mother."
- The Companion Hall❦❦❦··average
- — A satisfied knight❦❦❦❦❦
"Captain Bren is a fair broker. She matched me with a scout who saved my life twice and ate my last pie once. Net positive."
- — An unhappy patron❦····
"I retained a 'mercenary' who was, on inspection, a poet. He sang well. He could not lift his end of the cargo. Captain Bren refunded me half. I have kept the poet."
- The Obsidian Archive❦❦❦❦❦average
- — An anonymous reader❦❦❦❦❦
"The Elders sold me a manual I cannot mention. The manual was correct. The manual saved seven lives. The Elders will not acknowledge having sold it to me."
- The Beast Market❦❦❦❦·average
- — A trail-master❦❦❦❦❦
"Old Quint sold me a donkey. The donkey is older than I expected and stronger than I deserved. He sold me a saddle for the donkey at his own cost."
- — A first-time buyer❦❦❦··
"The hawk Old Quint sold me was definitely a CHICKEN in a hawk costume. I returned it. He laughed for ten full minutes, refunded me, and sold me an actual hawk."
Reviews of Companions
Previous patrons of the four launch companions. Read carefully; the relationship is long.
Argus Ironshield
❦❦❦❦❦Veteran Warrior
- — A grateful knight❦❦❦❦❦
"Argus carried me out of a burning chamber I had no business surviving. He does not talk about it. I will not stop talking about it."
Lyra Swiftwind
❦❦❦❦❦Scout
- — A bard❦❦❦❦❦
"Lyra walks ahead. Lyra walks behind. Lyra sees things you have not yet noticed. She is worth twice her rate."
Master Elandor
❦❦❦❦·Battle Mage
- — An apprentice❦❦❦❦·
"Master Elandor refuses to cast one of his spells. I respect him more for this than for the spells he does cast."
- — A pragmatic patron❦❦❦❦·
"He is slow to anger and slow to spell. When he is fast, it matters."
Thorne Blackhand
❦❦❦❦·Rogue
- — A fellow rogue❦❦❦❦❦
"Thorne Blackhand will not steal from you. Thorne Blackhand will steal FOR you. There is a difference and you will eventually need it."
- — A nervous patron❦❦❦··
"I retained him for a tomb-job. He brought us back alive AND with the tomb's good half. I cannot prove he kept some of it. I am not asking."
¶ Whispered casesThe Watch is unwilling. The Crier is unbothered. If you have business with the kind of case that is not a crime — ask after Master Reyne the Pulse-Taker. He keeps records that nobody else will.