Fools' Ebony, Part the FourthFrinchepsnaughtyèÒ) (XÔ:µ  a•v¥•î #d%ùýFools' EbonyýPart TheýFourthùöý Dramatis Personae Prologue The Adventurer, A Dark Elf Rascal Komon, A Priestof Akatosh Lheban, Another Priest of Akatosh Epilogue Stete, APriest of Julianos Raic, Another Priest of Julianos Shub, AMage Shub, A Different Mage of the Same Name Nephron, ASomewhat Sleazy Merchant 5 Armorers Ortho Crunn, Husband ofMillie A Lusty Contessa Millie, Innkeep and PhilosopherGurnsey, Bovine Wench Assorted Wenches and Cads of theTaverns Soldiers Dwarves Giants Part The Fourth - Mercantile Dealings, TheArmorers Involveû Themselves. After someû general discussion andû verbal dancing around,öû finally the topic ofû Fools' Ebony isû explored ... Somewhere near the market, inthe back of a store called "Nephron's General Mercantile". The day after. (Enter Prologue, the Adventurer, and Nephron) Prologue: Whilst the actors playing the Adventurer and the merchant Nephron dramaticallyû move their mouths to pantomime aû conversation, it is on poor Prologue'sû shoulders to update the audience on theû play's actions in its first three acts.û The Adventurer, a rogue of a Dark Elf,öû has been hired two different groups --û four inebriated priests and two greedyû mages -- to delay the other group, andû find the lost cache of Fools' Ebony inû the Wrothgarian Mountains. Now, pictureû this clownishly decorated set as theû back room at a prosperous merchant'sû shop. And before the Adventurer andû Nephron develop lockjaw, Prologue willû leave you thus. Adventurer: So you see, friend Nephron, just what an opportunity we have here. We have thisöû new commodity, for which you agree thereû will be a huge demand. Nephron: Especially from the Royals -- once one ofthem has something new, they all wantû it, of course. Adventurer: And do not forget the Armorers for their forges, and the Alchemists for theirû retorts and whatnots... Nephron: You seem to have the Mages lined up nicely, got their location, memorizedû the access map, and so on - you know, wemerchants have had a suspicion forû quite some time that those old twitsû had some deep dark secret of interestöû to us... Now, the priests - the School ofJulianosû we already work well with, hand andû glove, you might say. But of course weû shall cut them out of the major profitsû -- maybe let them distribute some toû their flocks? And their Temples makeû good, how can I say? -- storehouses?û But the Akatosh Chantry is a problem,û always running off and doing things onû their own initiative, no cooperation, justcrazy people ... we really need toû do something about them, to ... er ... ensureötheir cooperation ... Adventurer: I have a suggestion that might help ... you recall how old Komon left and apparentlydragged off some little blonde lamppost girl ...just suppose, that just by chance, in his state of... befuddlement ... he dragged off someoneû important by mistake..? Might be a lot ofû trouble for the Chantry, if word got out? Nephron: Hmmm. Indeed ... there's this silly little blonde Royal who's all excited byû the 'real life' down in these parts ofû town. Disguises herself (or so she thinks), comeson down here and plays at being poor. Stupidlittle twit ... Komon is still in hiding with hisblonde, right? Adventurer: Yes, in that 'retreat' the Priests have, ödown near the waterfront. Nephron: Oh yes, I know that place - often sell them some 'spiritual powders' and so onû ... Good ... you see, just imagine what wouldhappen if Komon, by mistake, had grabbed thisslumming little Contessa ... Akatosh Chantry wouldhave no end of trouble from the palace if something nasty happened to her ... and then we couldmove in, offer to 'help' the Chantry during theirhard times ... Hmmm. Yes! Leave it to me, I shallcontact a few of my ... er ... business associates,as it were ... make some arrangements. Adventurer: And I'll keep up chatting with the priests, get them to support our little businessventure? Nephron: Right! And I should introduce you to some of the more senior members of our Brotherhood ...excuse me, Guild. Let me contact you in a few days,when everything is all set. You are here everyöevening? Adventurer: Yes, not particularly safe outside after dark these days. Nephron: I see. We shall have to arrange some ... protection for you. Well, in a few days,û then. (Exit Nephron, inconspicuously) (Enter Five Armorers)(Armorers and the Adventurer fight) (The Adventurer falls)(The Armorers tie the Adventurer up and then wake him up) Armorer 1: OK, fellow. Lets not spriggen-foot around! We know about this Fools' Ebony thing. And aboutthe Mages who apparently discovered the location.And we have been watching you dance around with thePriests, the Mages, the Merchants. Just abouteveryone with twoû feet!ö Armorer 2: And how you are really working with Nephron. Armorer 3: And how you are double-crossing the Priests and Mages ... Armorer 2: You and Nephron are really doing a good job on the Akatosh Chantry, we must admit. Armorer 1: But now, we want that Fool's Ebony supply. We need it to increase our production, our quality -- and our prices. We can work with Nephronand his gang, we need warehouses and distributionanyway. Armorer 4: We could torture it out of you ... Armorer 3: We could let the Priests know about your plans -- they would throw you to theû Afterdark Society in a flash! Armorer 5: We could let the Mages know -- they would send you to Oblivion for a very, very longöû time! Armorer 1: But we would rather you 'joined' our Guild. We cannot afford to leave Daggerfall forsome hairy wilderness trip. Too much demand thesedays, for our sevices. Armorer 2: But we can send a group of our apprentices along to keep you company. Armorer 4: Our apprentices usually test all our products ... and will be just itching to test outthere. Adventurer: Gentlemen, gentlemen! Please - I really was going to give the whole deal to you, once I hadgotten gold from everyone else. (Armorer 5 slaps the Adventurer with a hot poker) Ohhh ... well, I thought of it... Armorer 5: Sure! And I'm a Nymph!ö Adventurer: Yes, Yes, Yes, you are very persuasive. I would welcome an ... er ... escort and guard ofsuch tough gentlemen. Be very handy out there. Armorer 1: Good. Thought you would see it our way! Some of our other members are presently having alittle ... chat with Nephron. We can handle him. Andfrom now on, two of our bigger apprentices willalways beû close at hand. Protection, of course -- thistown can be quite dangerous atû night ... Armorer 3: So continue with your arrangements, work with Nephron. You can always leave word about yourdeparture date with any weapons shop. And aboutany problems you mayû have ... Adventurer: Certainly, gentlemen. Yes, you are indeed ö very persuasive. I shall keep you up to date. And, er...thanks for the protection. (Enter Ortho, the very large apprentice) (The Adventurer isuntied) (Exeunt Five Armorers) Adventurer: Hello, who are you? Ortho: Me am Ortho! Adventurer: My ... protection? Ortho: Me am Ortho! Adventurer: You look very familiar to me for some reason. Have you every been to Morrowind? Ortho: Me am Ortho! Adventurer: Fine then. (aside)û My old man used to say the very worstöû thing that can happen to a fellow isû an evening spent in the company of anû earnest politician. This, I think, isû a close second. (Exeunt the Adventurer and Ortho) (Enter Epilogue) Epilogue: Our play has six parts, and we've just finished the fourth. It's interesting I think that theLusty Contessa hasû not made an appearance yet. You don'tû suppose our playwrite forgot he put herû in the Dramatis Personae, do you? Well,û you'll only know if you come back forû The Fools' Ebony, Part the Fiveth. Andöû if your neighbor decides not to return,û don't tell him what happened. We actorsû have to make a living too, you know.û Don't forget to tip your wenches whileû we change the scene. (Exit Epilogue) So Endeth Part The Fourth ö