Amar finds something interesting - RPLOG
Participants
Date
5/2/481
Log
It was a quiet day today at the marketplace. There weren't a lot of merchants around, not a lot of swearing, not even a fight because of someone's outrageous prices.
A lot of requisitions had just been delivered to the feline standing next to Cary and the saurian was taking some time to analyze them. At some point, he brings his hand up to his eyes, probably trying not to believe what someone wrote in one of the requisition forms.
Some of his weapons and armor were on display, showcasing his work. Reinforced staffs, war hammers, various swords, a pretty large tower shield and even a Shralestan katar were part of the display. All items had the distinct mark of a pair of horns surrounded by fire, the blacksmith's signature.
"I'm not so sure about this," comes an unctuous voice from outside the smithy, "It seems a bit. . . shabby for my- for our needs." Another voice, lower and softer makes a few simple assurances and then the voices resolve into two beings stepping up to the stall.
The first is an absolutely enormous, incredibly fat, purple tiger in loose, Shralestan garb. Behind him is a large, brawny grizzly bear in sturdy, and fashionably cut, leather armor. Obviously a bodyguard of some sort.
:The saurian, noticing the familiar purple tiger, gives the feline a gentle pat on the back before assuring him. "Hey, can you handle these for a second? If you do see anything weird on the requisitions, you can tell me. But otherwise it's a pass."
Cary leans forwards on the stall, using both hands to push him a little forward. "Amar? Well. I wasn't expecting my former employer to visit!" He chuckles. "What can I help you with? But first, how are things doing for you?" Cary then looks towards the grizzly bear, adding. "Your friend looks quite sturdy, but then again, not a lot of bears around! Hello to you too."
"Ah yes, ah yes, Mister Tougard," Amar says, falling into his regular habit of repeating himself, "Gavin's job is to be sturdy, you might say." He turns a rather fond grin on his manservant, who looks a little embarrassed by the attention. "And I suppose that sturdy things are what brings us here today. It has been brought to my attention that my usual choice in home security may be less than ideal for the local climate. Politically, I mean."
"Too many poisoned arrows for your taste? Heard about it, can't really trust Cliffside to stay neutral in these times. People are afraid." Cary adds, his expression turning into a frown.
The saurian grabs a jug from under the stall, along with a couple of clay mugs, putting them on the table. "I got this mead the other day. You and your friend want some?" He says, also tapping the feline's back again, who refuses it promptly.
Amar gives an uncertain look to the jug and simple cups. "Perhaps another time," he says, stroking his pointy, white goatee. "I have no arguments with Cliffside," the fat cat says, "They are honestly the least of my concerns. Apparently there are rather more Sweetwater natives that want my pelt than foreigners. There seem to be some long-held grudges against the Longtails. And that is ignoring that fact that a rather sizeable and unpleasant faction of the Longtails would like nothing better than to see me on a slab!" He shakes his head, setting his second chin wobbling. "I require some more secure doors and locks and perhaps you have some ideas for keeping my inner garden secure?"
"Longtails eh? I thought they were slightly peaceful. At least lady Flora seems like a nice person." Cary shrugs, picking up the cups and the jug and returning them to their storage under the table. "Well, that depends. If you have an urgency, I suggest you try to buy a door I made from a certain freesword. You'll know him when you see him around. Can't miss him, large wolf, walking around with a reinforced steel door as a tower shield." He chuckles again.
"Jokes aside, let me think. There are a couple of Shralestan door lock designs I've studied. They would be a lot more secure than your average lock and require a very good thief to break into. As for the door.. There's a combination I made with high density steel and pearwood wood. It's sturdy, durable and can take quite a lot of blows. I found out the hard way that it's easier to dig a hole under it or blow up your way around it than trying to take it down." He nods, bringing his hand up to scratch his chin. "What do you think?"
"Not her, not her," Amar says, waving a fat paw, "The other ones. The ones that are against the Highlady, and the crown, and order in general. Bad for business, the lot of them." The purple tiger eyes Cary, trying to decide if he is joking about the door-shield.
"But yes, that all sounds perfectly acceptable," the fat feline admits, "That leaves simply the problem of securing the garden. I don't suppose you have any ideas?"
"I see. Conflicts within the Longtails, noted. Will try not to get stabbed, noted again." Cary eyes Amar back, something clearly coming up on the saurian's mind.
"Hmm.. How exactly.. 'Open' is your garden? If you're looking for automated defenses, I'm sure lady Flora can help you with that.. Now.. Structure.. There are a couple of mechanisms I could use as a basis if your garden was made the way I think it was.."
Amar rolls his eyes. "Flora's inventions and innovations are useless to me," he says, "Sometimes I regret coming forward as a Longtail. It has cost me far more than it has been worth! The stress of it alone has left me a nervous wreck! I can hardly relax even in my own home! Look at me! I am wasting away!"
The obese tiger is quite obviously not wasting away. Nor suffering any undue trauma. He looks the picture of well funded health.
"The garden is inside of my home. A little courtyard surrounded on all sides by the house," Amar explains, "The trouble comes from the fact that it is open to the sky, and I will not compromise my garden by building a roof over it."
Cary shakes his head just a little bit as he inspects the Tiger. "Yes. Stressful, I believe. Well, right now I can think of a couple of solutions to your problem, without any specific order of importance. Number one, prevent anything from getting on the roof in the first place by replacing the roof tiles with spiked roof tiles. I've only seen that once and I can question its usefulness though. And finally, number two is a mechanical roof. In theory and with the proper supports, a retractible roof could be added to your garden. Not there when you don't want to and there when you want to."
Cary cracks his fingers, leaning to the side a little bit. "The tiles between the supports could be made of glass, wood, iron. The heavier, the sturdier but it will require better support material and a stronger mechanism, as I believe you know."
Amar does not look sold on this solution. "The tiles I could work with," he says hesitantly, "If you think that something like pointy tiles will actually dissuade anyone from climbing around up there. But I am not convinced that building a monstrously mechanical cover for my meditation garden is the solution I am looking for." He turns a little frown on Gavin, his manservant. "I told you this was not the sort of work that Mister Tougard did."
