When the darkness came, many of the Storm Tribe were shaken, and feared the the Night Tribe who had come the surface world to escape the light that had fell into Hell. But not Issaries, who believes that all change makes an opportunity. "We may have things they need, and they may have things we need. If we both need each other, we will fight less." So Issaries set out to teach the Night Tribe how to trade.
He met Argan Argar, who did not immediately attack him. "This is a promising start" thought Issaries. But Argan Argar did not know how to Trade, and thought that Issaries' bargaining was just a trick to steal from him. Issaries did not know how to make Argan Argar understand that both sides can benefit from trading.
Now, Issaries knew so much about Trading, he had two Trade Runes. If he traded the Trade Rune to Argan Argar, the Darkness God would understand how to trade properly. But Argan Argar had nothing that was worth a Rune.
Then the Talking God had an idea. He could give a Trade Rune to Argan Argar now, but the Darkness God could repay him later. He saw that a trading partner might not be able to pay you then, but if you trusted them, they might be able to pay you back later. This was a new thing that Issaries discovered during the Dark time.
Argan Argar agreed to this, because he did not have the give Issaries anything in return until he could pay. Argan Argar took the Rune, and understood how to Trade. So the Storm Tribe and the Night Tribe traded with each other for the things they needed. And so, because they started to trust each other, they could fight together more against the things of chaos that had invaded the surface world.
Later, when Issaries journeyed to the Underworld with the other six Lightbringers, he was separated from his six companions. He met a mostali twisted by Chaos called Must-Be-Avaricious. Must-Be-Avaricious was a thing of greed, and coveted Issaries Trade Rune. Must-Be-Avaricious told Issaries that he knew how Issaries could rejoin his companions, and offered to trade with Issaries for the information. But Issaries lost everything to trade with but his rune, which he would not trade away.
Now, in the underworld was the wealth of Asrelia, bright stones gleaming in the Earth. Must-Be-Avaricious slyly said to Issaries, "Here are tools with which you can dig out the treasures of the Earth. I will loan you the sum needed to buy these tools. With them, you can dig out the treasures from the rock. You can then use the gems to trade with the inhabitants here, to gain the things to repay me for the loan and to pay for the knowledge of how to rejoin your companions. "
"All I ask is that your Trade Rune be the security for the loan. You will easily repay the debt and make a huge profit, so there is no risk to you at all."
Issaries was affected by the air of greed around Must-Be-Avaricious, thinking to the profits he would receive from the trading in the stones, and so he agreed to the Trade. He went and dug for the stones, and then tried to sell them to the inhabitants of the underworld so he could repay Must-Be-Avaricious.
But when he tried to sell the stones to those in the underworld, they laughed at him. "These gems are worthless to us who live here" they said. "We could pick them out of the dung of the burrowing worms if we wanted".
Issaries realised he had not understood that the things that were valuable in the surface world were not the things that were valuable in the underworld. Issaries could not repay his debt to Must-Be-Avaricious, who then took the Trade rune away from Issaries as the security for Issaries' debt, as it knew would happem
And so Issaries had nothing left to trade with, and no longer knew how to trade. He lost interest in the quest, thinking he had failed and he had nothing left to offer. And so he wandered aimlessly in the darkness, despairing for the first time in his existence.
Argan Argar saw that Issaries had traded away his most valuable possession for the worthless tools, and knew the time had come to repay his debt. Must-Be-Avaricious was boasting how clever it was, and what a fool Issaries had been. Argan Argar took some beer he had brewed, and the Twins who Sling Stones, and went to Must-Be-Avaricious, pretending to congratulate him and to make him a trading partner. He got Must-Be-Avaricious drunk on the beer, and challenged it to a game of knucklebones. Because Must Be Avaricious was drunk, it bet poorly, and finally lost the Trade Rune he had tricked from Issaries to Argan Argar. Must be Avaricious tried not to pay its debt, but the Twins who Sling Stones threatened the chaos-thing, and so it tremblingly surrendered the rune.
But Argan Argar knew that just repaying the debt was not enough, but something extra had to be given. Because Issaries had taken a risk that Argan Argar could not repay his debt, he should be compensated for that risk. So he told the Twins to make Must-Be-Avaricious tell him how Issaries could rejoin his companions.
Argan Argar found where Issaries was wandering in the darkness, and gave him the Rune that Must-Be-Avaricious had taken from him, and told Issaries how to find his companions. And so Argan Argar repaid the debt that he owed to Issaries, but also with an extra thing of value. And so the Issaries regained his interest in the quest after his failure, thanks to the trust he placed in Argan Argar.
Tom McVey
Powered by hypermail