Faliol, You have been in the Tallon area for several days, looking for work. You have heard rumors of a caravan of silks and other goods that Merchant Hamilton is preparing but have no details on where or when it leaves.
There are three routes you often take:
The Karkul Road (or Uzon Road) is a well-maintained path that follows the shoreline north to Karkul. There are even small forts along the way, spaced at one-day intervals. These are seldom occupied since the war twenty years ago, but again, the rumor mill has it that they are once again garrisoning small troops as sabre rattling gets louder along the Uzon coast.
More dangerous but profitable is the Lizard road, leading to Adala and points beyond. Here the road is less maintained and attacks by gators not uncommon. You know the riven gator warlord Garlok has just suffered a defeat and will likely be in disarray for months.
Easier, safer and quicker is to take the Rivermaster's ships Columbia or Sunrunner up the Theron Inlet. Of course, he charges a high premium for this convenience and this reduces profits. The Theron Inlet joins the Lizard Road at Fort Lizard, a stockade and bailey type fort that is maintained by the city of Tallon. here there are about a dozen people and a like number of soldiers. The soldiers maintain the fort, while the civilians run a small trading post. It is the halfway point between hera and Adala.
Other merchants can take sailing vessels around the Merikian Coast, but the waters and weather can be treacherous, and the you are not a sailor, so you stick to the first three.
The foregoing is to give you a smattering of "factoids" to use in your character's dialog. I got more. Attached is a map.
Merchants (and guides and guards) register for caravan passage at Merchant Hall in Tallon Circle. They do not usually open until slightly before sunup, but when a Caravan is due to go out, activity can sometimes be found around back, where goods are registered and weighed. Going here means taking a chance that the Caravan has not left early, to get a jump on the day. But mostly, the Merchant Guild will want a piece of your pay (as a courtesy for providing you with a job reference).
You can often get a better deal by speaking directly with the caravan driver. If you can impress him with your skills and get him to hire you directly, you can negotiate your own fee and avoid the guild.
Caravans leave either from the Uzon Gate (Going to Karkul) or the Promethean Docks (either on the Rivermaster's boats or the ferry to the far side of the Theron Inlet and the head of the Lizard Road.
As a side note, you have not seen Jaleel since you came back from your last trip. Normally, he is at one of his regular watering holes in the Beast Quarter.
[EDITED on Sun September 15, 2002 @9:30 PM (PDT)]
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