ooc: This is the general thread for player discussions and planning uninterrupted by the pace of the caravan and anything action-related that occurs. React in the Caravan IC thread to anything happening there, post here to chat IC and discuss at a slower pace.

Frank wasn't terribly secure on his horse, the large beast pacing unsteadily beneath him. Still, he insisted on riding the animal - whose name seemed to be "You Bastard" or occasionally "Junior" - whenever he could, if only to try and master it.

At night, when making camp, he hitched it and spent quite some time resting his saddle-sore legs, butt, and back, before pitching his tent - or forgoing the tent if the weather was nice.

"I was going to ask you guys if you wanted to invest in my trading venture as we go town to town," he said, staring into the campfire, "You give me coin to use as capital, I guarantee a 20% return at the end of the trip... but the caravan hoovers up all the trade along the route. Really no way to compete with it. I did my best to broker a deal with the caravan master... but he's good. Real good. Not sure I came out on top. The contract is... complicated."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:38, Tue 23 Apr.

Ken moved heavily and stiffly as he set up for the evening and joined the others for a meal. He had invested in some better clothing before their departure and he no longer looked the part of a vagabond. It was amazing in some ways what a few changes of clothes could do to make him look for respectable.

He listened to the offer and seemed interested but not yet sold. “That’s your personal guarantee? As in your own coin is backing it up?” He asked curiously.

"Yeah," Frank said. "Or it would have been, anyway. Now I've got my liquid capital invested in the caravan directly." He patted his horse's neck. "Profit margin won't be as high, but this way I don't need to know the goods market along our route... I just need to trust that the caravan master knows the market."

Simon grinned, eager to let the caravan work for him, "So it's not too late to invest?  I can chip in 4 gold.  If we lose it we'll just make more.  You sure they'll be interested in the paltry amount we can scrounge up?"  He counted out his silver and handed it over, leaving only a few silvers to get by.  "Gotta save some for the dancing girls."