Guildhouse of Quellon Danestro, King's Landing

**Jokern** · January 03, 2014, 02:53 PM

The harbor of King's Landing is frequently visited by merchants all corners of the known world, from Essos to Ibben to the Summer Isles. In a small wharf sits the office of Quellon Danestro, a young merchant from Pentos that recently received his rights to set up his own trade guild in the city.

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Buildings and Assets

**Hengest** · January 04, 2014, 10:58 AM

The stench of the great capital was not eased along the harbour, the heat made the sewerage into a ingrained perfume that only gave way to the sea-breeze to be replaced by stinking fish and an abundance of vermin that scuttled between the city wall and the wharfs where goods from all over Westeros, Essos and beyond were loaded, freighted and currency exchanged over. Lord Blackmont was looking for a fresh face in the finance world, someone eager to take risks and grateful for investment. A man of varied hungers like himself. Taste was for the effete. Consumtion was for the wealthy and the great. He had swaggered through the taverns and inns along the fish market road and traced the rumours and news of exciting business. There was a Pentoshi sea merchant who had recently set up shop, and the word on the street was that he had big plans. That was big money. Something that Jeel'Derah would fight tooth and nail to acquire and maintain.
His black cloak covered most of the silver accoutrements about his person that would give most a cause to accost him. He would not give away his namesake too easily. His black clothes were wealthy but weathered and although decorated were not too fine to be a burden for a Dornish sandsteed rider with bow in hand.
He rapped upon the guild door, with his rough and sweaty black leather gauntlet he rubbed the black stubble of his face and finally twisted one of his moustaches into a sinister curl. There was no answer quick enough for him, so he kicked twice with capped riding boots and slumped himself against the doorframe, waiting.

**Jokern** · January 04, 2014, 01:12 PM

The door opened and a man stood there, looking at the stranger with his hawk-eyes. He looked like a man from Pentos, with his long dyed red hair and yellow mustache, with the curved arakh of the Dothraki stuck in his belt. He turns around and nods to Jeel'Derah to follow him and starts walking without waiting for the man at the door to follow.

The guildhouse was small and the people working there few, most of them from Pentos with a few boys working as assistants. All of them were busy, writing and running around with several parchments and documents. Passing them by, the red-haired man opened a plain-looking door at the back and stepped in. The office was small and dirty, parchments scattered everywhere. At a desk, surrounded by towers of books, sat Quellon Danestro. He was deep into a book when they came in and didn't notice them until the red-haired man spoke in Pentoshi Valyrian. Looking up, he smiled and stepped forward to his guest.

"Welcome, great guest, welcome! I am Quellon Danestro, humble merchant of Pentos. Would you like to drink? Wine? Please, take a seat. May I ask for your name great guest of mine?"

**Hengest** · January 04, 2014, 01:19 PM

"Wine would do well." Said the powerfully built man gruffly. He sat himself down without being asked, removing his cloak and gauntlets first and throwing them rudely onto the already overburdened desk. "I am the lord of Blackmont, Jeel'dera..." he smiled icily with sarcasm. "...The vulture." He stretched his hand out for drink. "I've been told you are the new name about town. Eastern promises and all that. What do you deal in... between us two, you may be candid, for I have no love for the law."

**Jokern** · January 04, 2014, 04:24 PM

Quellon grinned at Lord Blackmont, his teeth bloodred from his habit to Sourleaf. He poured himself a cup of wine, Arbor Gold which he had grown fond of..

"I have met many vultures in my day, my great lord, but you must be the first to confess to be one. Wealthy men, noble men, godly men, most of them are vultures once they smell the scent of gold. Maybe even I, I should confess."

He chuckled while walking back to his own seat behind the desk. If he remembered correctly so was Blackmont in the Dorne. He had no idea that word of him had spread so far in just a short period of time. The journey seemed more and more profitable than ever.

"It seems my reputation perceds even me, my great lord. There are many merchants from Essos in this city, but that I am already known in so distant places as Dorne marvels me. It must be my connections at court, for I am a close friend of both majestic Prince Maelys Targaryen of Dragonstone and honorable Ser Rupert Hightower, the Master of Coin. Anyway, as a humble merchant of Pentos, my goods and wares are very varied, like silk, clothes, perfumes, weapons, food, carpets, tapestry, all sorts of things. If one is to survive in this business these days, being varied and prepared is the key to not be eaten by vultures. All of it imported from the Free Cities, mostly my mother-city Pentos. Do you have an interest in my trade, Lord Blackmont?"

**Hengest** · January 04, 2014, 04:51 PM

Blackmont laughed, raising his drink. "Yes we live in a world vultures of don't we, I suppose sharing that perspective makes us allies of a sort." He looked around the room, there were plenty of important documents here, he could gain intelligence of half Westeros' economy and even a good deal of its vices and military plans just by looking at what was being bought and sold. "With so many goods, you are sure to find plenty of buyers... and that's what interests me." He leant forward and raised his finger. "You see, you can tell a lot about a man by what he buys. If I were to buy you..." he snorted "sorry, if I were to finance your cooperation, perhaps you could keep me informed of the goings on here at King's Landing." He smiled, "I came to the docks looking and listening and I knew I would find someone that would be of the correct calibre, alas it was not the court that whispered your name in my ear but the gutter. Money draws the poor and morally challenged as well as the rich and noble." He stood and looked from the study window, "I dare say that being a humble survivor you may do well here amongst the vultures high and low." He reached around to the small of his back, at his belt hung a small horsehide wallet. Inside were heavy papers, promissory notes for the value of 50,000 dragons. "And there's more where that came from if you meet my conditions."

**Jokern** · January 04, 2014, 05:09 PM

Quelln read the documents several times before studying Lord Blackmont again with interested yet doubtful eyes.

"Hmm... a trade in information and secrets, so that is what you seek. I may have some, contacts you might say, about the comings and goings of goods here to the rest of the realm. A financial donation would certainly expand these contacts to a wider and more powerful area of the realm, although I am no man of the shadows exactly. The arts of gathering information from whispers is not one I master. You may pay for more than what you earn, my great lord."

**Hengest** · January 09, 2014, 10:28 AM

He rubbed his damp shaggy mane of black hair and laughed. "Oh no, make no mistake, I want money. A third of your earnings should suffice, I will recoup any of your losses and maintain your base income." He stared. "As for secrets, you have friends at court. I suggest you use them, a merchant with the backing of a lord in cohorts with the Master of Coin... that would make for vast amounts of wealth. Two southern lords at your back should deter any.... bullies." He grinned at that last word maliciously.

**Jokern** · January 09, 2014, 01:08 PM

Quellon felt a chill racing through his body when the man laughed. He liked the Vulture less and less for every passing moment, but what was there to do? He needed the money if he wanted to expand quickly. Well, a third until his debt was paid wasn't so bad when you considered how long it would take to reach the same amount of wealth on his own.

"A third of my earnings until the debt is paid sounds reasonable, but I guess you want some revenue for your investment. For your 50,000 Dragons, to pay back double that amount seems logical to me. So, a third of my income until I have paid you 100,000 Dragons, do we have a deal. And I'll make sure to get keep my eyes and ears open for anything that might interest you."

**Oznerol** · January 19, 2014, 11:26 AM

A message arrives:

Dear Quellon:

Your cog is in good use, I am trading with Estermonts, and the finest armours in the Realm are now stored in Dragonstone. As we agreed the forty percent of the profit has been sent to your vaults. Hope bussiness are faring well, Danestro. I remembered the other day about the Jaehaerys' crown, have you agents heard something about it? and your father, magister of Pentos?

Signed: Maelys Targaryen