The cities and villages of Melrath are as varied and diverse as they come. The capital of Raelia is the the jewel of this western kingdom, playing host to a merchants, artisans, Aesir priests, as well as a cut throat political landscape dominated by the nobles of Raelia. To the south in the depths of the Myrkvior Forest lies Melrath's second largest, and oldest city, Fensalir. Here people have learned to live alongside spirits and the natural world by maintaining their loyalty to traditions laid down the first Melrathi. To the east lies the small fishing village of Noatun, and to the western mountains rests the Mer city of Verimeer, the brewing town of Alivilda and the alpine village Vormund.
Brent took a seat at the table in front of his young employee Colin. Folding his hands in front of him, the cartographer gazed into the young lad’s eyes.
“We have something important to discuss regarding the future of Compass and Design Mapping.” Brent began.
The cartographer waited a moment to let it sink in and he noticed that Colin seemed a little apprehensive. He would be fine. Change was something that happened to everyone whether they liked it or not.
“Colin, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot stay in Melrath if I am going to expand this business. We now have maps of the region and all the major cities, except for perhaps Raelia. If I were to limit myself to the boundaries of Melrath, there will be no growth and no true expeditions into the unknown. Although it may be dangerous, there are numerous nations beyond us here and many opportunities to explore. Melrath has been my home but I would be doing the world a disservice as a cartographer if I were to limit myself to its confines.”
He paused a moment to take in the boy’s reaction. Colin seemed reserved but seemed to be taking it in. Brent continued.
“As you may know, I also have a sleipnir as my mount. This means that I can travel much faster than I would have otherwise and I can conduct my mapping more efficiently, at least in terms of visible landmarks, from above. However, it also means that I cannot take you with me, as it would eliminate any gains that I have made through the aerial mapping. As such, I would like you to remain in Melrath and take care of the business while I am away.”
At the point Colin spoke up. “How long will you be gone? What will be my role here? Just selling the maps?”
Brent held up his hand. “I cannot promise how long I will be away. But I do promise to write on occasion. While I’m gone, I’d like you to manage the shop and ensure that there is always inventory available by creating copies of the maps. I would also like to challenge you to create your own map, for example of Raelia or another Melrathi town. And if sales are going well, you have my blessing to hire on an aid.”
“And I if I were to start an enterprise of my own or switch to a new job?” Colin asked.
Brent made a faint grimace. He had known about Colin’s ambition but had not properly incorporated it into his plans.
“If that is your current wish, that I would ask you to send in your resignation within the next few trials so that I may find a replacement. Otherwise, I would request a commitment of one arc while I am away.” Brent said trying to be both fair and diplomatic.
There was a long moment of silence from the young Melrathi. Eventually Colin nodded. “I’ll promise you an arc.”
Brent breathed a faint sigh of relief. It would have been much more difficult if Colin wasn’t prepared to take over the business while he was away.
“I will probably set off near the end of this season. That means we still have some time to get you ready. Plus, this afternoon I would like to help with making copies of the maps. Especially my most recent one as it is quite detailed and complicated.”
With that, the pair of them got to work. Brent wanted to be involved with stocking up on supplies of paper, parchment, ink and pens. Their stock had run low and Colin hadn’t always been replacing the materials. As Brent started making a copy of his latest map, he emphasized the key landmarks and their positions. Other features on the map such as the individual trees or mountains were more subjective and could be adjusted slightly to improve the legibility of the map. He also emphasized that the islands and coastline were correct on this latest map compared to that of previous versions when he had not been as good a cartographer.
“But what if someone wants to buy one of the simpler and cheaper maps?” Colin asked. “Clearly there will still be a need for those.”
“For any future copies, keep the detail low but correct the coastline and indicate the islands.” Brent answered. “They shouldn’t take up any more of your time to make, but they can at least be accurate with the features they do show.”
Next, Brent wanted to go over the books. So far they had been doing well since their expenses were low by having just the wagon. But the horses needed to be fed and Colin needed a livable salary. Brent also inspected their current prices. Some he could adjust sightly, as certain maps sold better than others. For the large wall maps and any master-quality map, he made a note that all of them had to have proper wooden frames. This small improvement would keep them at a higher selling price compared to the simplistic traveller’s maps.
Lastly, Brent looked at the circuit that the wagon made. If he was going to be away with only Colin minding the business, doing a lot of travel on top of that would be impractical for the extra business they’d get.
“I’d like you to slow down your route and keep mostly to Raelia and Fensalir. Those are our biggest cities and they will have the most business. Even though the smaller towns might have more people travelling in the wilds, those people might also be much more experienced travelling and may not need the maps. Don’t worry so much about getting to all the towns each cycle, especially when there is deep snow. If in doubt, stay in Raelia since there are always new people arriving by ship who are interested in Melrath.”
It was almost with a heavy heart that Brent went through the various maps and supplies in the small wagon. This had been his start and now he would be on the road to wherever the spirits took him. He spent more than a few days combing through this and that to make sure it was all in order. The notebook with the business inventory and finances was all up to date, all the supplies restocked, and he had conveyed all his wishes to Colin.
What would life be like on the road? What would the new lands be like? Could he rely on just himself and Sinir to stay safe? They probably wouldn’t be ambushed during flight, but what if they awoke to something dangerous that they couldn’t flee?
Pushing the dark thoughts away from his mind, he approached Colin for what might be the last time for several seasons.
“You’ve been a good lad, Colin. Eager, smart, always willing to learn.” Brent held out a well-made but simple hunting knife.
“No matter where you are, even within the borders of Melrath, I want you to stay safe. Don’t be afraid of befriending the Ragnari. They are good people, for the most part. I know that you like to go out hunting and foraging. I hope that this may be of use to you. It is a gift for all your dedication and efforts thus far. It’s not anyone to whom I can leave my business to.”
Colin took the blade carefully and pulled it from its sheath. Although longer than most eating knives, it was by no means a sword. The boy gave a nod and sheathed it once more.
“Brent, this means a lot to me. Not just the knife but the opportunity that you’ve given me to work at Compass and Design, and now the trust that you’ve given me to keep it going. This may not be my life forever, but by the spirits I will keep it going while you are away.”
There was a fierce look in the boy’s eyes as he declared such. Brent was reminded of the lad’s age. Fifteen, sixteen arcs? And yet he had more determination than most. Even though Brent was uncertain about his own path moving forwards, he had confidence that things would keep going in Melrath. With or without him. This was true delegation.
Brent held out his hand and firmly shook Colin’s. It was time to go. The keys had been handed over, everything was in place.
“Thank you, Colin.”
At last he turned away. A new adventure, a new life. And those at home to look after what he had built while he was gone. He would write, but everything would be different. It was time to make an impact on the world beyond Melrath. It was time to make a name for himself.
Cartography: Revising old maps to have updated coastlines
Cartography: Highlighting important aspects of detailed maps so that they can be copied accurately
Business Management: Getting a one year commitment from an employee
Business Management: Ensuring supplies are well stocked
Business Management: Reviewing prices and accounting books
Business Management: Reconfiguring travel scheme to be better suited for a single employee
Skillplay: Appropriate to level.
Renown: none
Comments: Brent is awfully trusting, leaving his business in the hands of a 16-arc-old with no Business Management skill! I’m sure it’ll be fine.
I might have added “Teaching” to the skills used.
I appreciate that you wrote this, instead of simply assuming that the business would simply freeze in place until Brent came back for it. It’ll be interesting to see how Colin manages these heavy responsibilities you’ve laid on him. You do a good job portraying somebody hesitantly letting go of his “baby” and deciding to trust somebody with it. You also flesh out well how Brent generally approaches his business, what he emphasizes and values, and so forth.
Giving Colin a nice gift and reaffirming his commitment seems like a good move. You convey that there is a tension between the youth having his own ambition and awareness of his own worth while also being a capable and (hopefully) loyal assistant.
Also, the acknowledgment that going forth in the world to do great things comes at a price, both logistically and emotionally, the wondering what there will be to come back to afterward if you do. Good stuff! Too often characters simply lack backgrounds or have amnesia or something so that they are blank slates in search of a level up (not so much in ST, but elsewhere in the world of RP and fantasy writing).
Should Colin be eligible for NPC upgrading, you might consider giving him some Business Management.
Enjoy your rewards! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
