Arzhur

Arzhur and Ciel, a breeding pair from Catkinstarchild

Apparel to re-equip:
* Verdant Sage Sash
* Verdant Sage Lantern
* Golden Sage Sleeves
A prosperous clan like Oakheart has its own merchants, and Arzhur is one of the most respected of the lot. Ask other dragons if they like him, however, and the responses are vague. “He’s certainly good at his job,” most of them say.

“Too good,” others grudgingly mutter. They grumble about interest rates and contracts as ironclad and deadly as swords. Still, it’s difficult not to like Arzhur. He is a genial dragon, his speech carefully tailored to match the customer he’s dealing with; he’s not a Nocturne for nothing. The rough colloquialisms of peasants? The elegant words of aristocrats? He can match them all.

Arzhur works at his shop all day, alongside less savory merchants: Callisto the Skydancer, for example. Wiser customers prefer dealing with Arzhur: “He treats his customers well and doesn’t try to swindle them!”

Under different circumstances, Arzhur might have become as unscrupulous as Callisto, might even have partnered with her. But here and now, he must admit that he is much better off than she is. He has his family to thank for that.

~ ~ ~
Arzhur sells many things, but he specializes in musical chimes crafted by his mate, a Skydancer named Ciel. It’s said that magic runs in her veins; perhaps a little magic also bleeds into her chimes, for listeners each swear that they hear a different sound. Arzhur loves her dearly; to him, she is magic all on her own.

They had several children, all of whom eschewed the mercantile ways, finding them too boring and complicated. A daughter, Lioness, showed promise at first, always hanging around the caravan while her father was at work. But she was instead fascinated by the armed guards, and eventually, she began training as one, too.

This saddened Arzhur somewhat. Like many merchants, he was hoping for a relative he could leave his thriving business to. Lioness stayed on as a shop guard, but it wasn’t the same.

So when his grandchildren started to arrive, he carefully held back hope. And one by one, they did move on to other things: combat, art, magic....

One granddaughter stayed: Tenjin, a child of Lioness. The child showed promise in divination, and the clan was determined to train her thus. She was unhappy about this. Diviners were supposed to use their gifts to guide other dragons, but Tenjin showed more interest in helping out around her grandfather’s shop, delivering things that were asked for. Arzhur considered this. Could she be...?

He requested that the child be apprenticed to him, and the clan agreed. To his great delight, Tenjin was astute at understanding what customers needed, sometimes procuring things even before they were named. Arzhur nearly exploded with pride. Here, at last, was the successor he’d hoped for.

They still work together, grandfather and granddaughter. Arzhur has advised her to keep her abilities under wraps, and Tenjin concurs. She has no wish to be a full-time diviner. Mercantilism is way more profitable — and also more fun.

~written by Disillusionist (254672)
all edits by other users