Albireik Blackfist was a smith who lived in the town of Strayhold in ca. T.A.1636.His specialty was brasswork and a number of very fine pieces filled his shelves. The decorative items were quite lovely and the tools and instruments were excellent. The selection on display ran from a rather gaudy brass and copper statue of an eagle, to impressive miniature clocks, and even a complete set of navigation instruments. The smith did not limit his work to brass, however, and he exhibited several quality swords among his wares. None were worth the price he asked for them (e.g., forty silver pieces for a crude-to-fair scimitar), but this would not stop his suggesting them and the brasswork on their hilts was very good. Behind his workbench he also kept a few items for local consumption. In a box there he had three outstanding sets of very advanced lockpicks. He would sell one of these for two silverpennies, though his asking price would be three. He already had buyers for the other two so they would cost three, asking price:four. He also had a dagger with a hidden compartment in its hilt , which he would sell for a eight silverpennies, despite the 15 sp asking price. Albireik looked just like a smith should, a dark-haired, broad-shouldered man of middle age. Enamoured of his work, he often whistled tunelessly while he beat his anvil. He ran the shop without help, so customers often had to wait for him to finish a bit of work before being helped. Second to brasswork, there was nothing Albireik enjoyed more than arguing prices with a good haggler. If such a contest was handled in a friendly manner he was likely to become quite well disposed towards his customer. He was a good man, but minded his own business. It would have taken quite a bit to make him get directly involved in any trouble, but should a stranger have come asking him for a rush job on a grappling hook, he would not have asked whose house was to be robbed. He also knew roughly how the politics of the settlement ran and would answer questions about them, so long as the questions seemed innocent.
Notes[]
Original form in MERP:Alfric = Albireik
References[]
- MERP:Brigands of Mirkwood