[OL-FB] Miroslav Dobric's Trading Emporium

[Keymonus]

Miroslav Dobric's Trading Emporium

Part of the Foreign Merchants' Trading District of Fort Arltrees

Far in the West, back in the Old World, lay the country of Varcoast. With the discovery of a whole New World, people rarely remembered this small and poor neighbor of Oleon. Nestled among the Madrice Peninsula and the steppes of the Continent, Varcoast was out of the main trading routes and had never attempted to change that. With its dark forests, the unforgiving weather, and its tiny, wooden villages, the country seemed indeed to have remained out of time, still trapped in the Dark Ages.

Only a few merchants traveled along the roads connecting the main Varcosian cities with the Oleonese border, mostly for some livestock or wool fairs: a difficult journey along bad roads of dirt, plagued by wolves, brigands, and, even worse, arbitrary taxes imposed by the local lords.

The Nation of Varcoast never attempted to colonize New Terra, and only a handful of Varcosians were ever seen in the colonies. Therefore, the Governor was rather surprised when he received a letter from a Varcosian merchant, Monsieur Miroslav Dobric, asking for settling and trading rights in Fort Arltrees.

The little building established by the Varcosian delegation would probably fit better in a little town of the motherland, than in a lively city of the New World. A little out of place or not, Dobric's Commercial Emporium was bringing to Fort Arltrees an interesting number of Doubloons and silver Talers, so nobody cared particularly about the antiquated architecture.

The Varcosian contingent also looked particularly unusual, when compared to the troops of the other Madrician nations. Wearing an iron helmet and a brigandine, an armor made of heavy cloth and small steel plates, these soldiers seemed more ready to fight a dragon than for a modern battlefield.
Completely outdated at first look, this equipment could save a soldier's life back in the motherland, where the brigands and the raiders from the Western steppes still used bows and swords as often as muskets. El Oleonda, however, was far warmer than the Varcosian woods, and the soldiers on guard were severely put to the test by the tropical sun.

On the ground floor, in a corner of the warehouse, an officer was enjoying some rest from duty, together with a little glass of liquor. The Varcosians had brought with them a large amount of rakija, a strong spirit made from plums, which soon gained popularity among the inhabitants of Fort Arltrees.

The little warehouse also contained several caskets of indigo dye, produced in the nearby settlement of Jiangkai and dried in small bricks. Back in the Old World, blue was a particularly appreciated color, but most of the available pigments were either insanely expensive (as the Mokolei lapis lazuli) or not particularly resistant. For sure, the imported indigo would soon have made the vests of wealthy Varcosians far more colorful!

The upper floor of the building contained a small, bare office, largely occupied by barrels, caskets, and more bottles of imported spirits. Various benches and a robust table represented the only pieces of furniture in the room, while a Varcosian flag hanging from a wooden wall was the only visible decoration.

During his periods of leave in Fort Arltrees, General Tristan Rimbaud was often a welcome guest of Monsieur Dobric. The lands of the Rimbaud Family, where Tristan was born, were only a few miles from the Western Border, and Varcosian was almost his mother language. Tristan had last been to his family manor almost five years before, and receiving recent news from the Old West was always a pleasant surprise for him... even if, in this case, it also meant being offered a glass of strong spirit after the other, a typical aspect of Varcosian hospitality!

The rakija, a strong spirit obtained from the distillation of fermented plums, apples, apricots, and other fruits. Typical of Varcoast, it was also popular in Pontilla and Western Oleon regions.

Edited December 9, 2023 by Keymonus

[NOD]

It was very interesting to read about Varcoast and the people. Anyone with a higher education will immediately recognize the outstanding architecture of this trading house. The guards of other nations' trading houses get wet when it rains. The Varcosian guards stand under the canopy, grinning and not getting wet.  The interior design is practical without expensive furniture.

[Yperio_Bricks]

Another unique building from the merchants district and another great story! I like such details like the guard who wipes the sweat off his brow.

[Keymonus]

Thanks to the most loyal followers of my project! As I still have to take pictures of the last two builds, expect the next part to take a little longer!

I’m glad you like the result… the hardest part here was probably keeping everything simple and minimalist without making the build appear empty or unfinished, and I think I reached a reasonable balance.

Varcoast was my “first love” in terms of NPCs, as in my very first days on the site I had planned my first storyline to develop there… our world evolved faster than my builds, and I soon scratched the project. However, I was happy to show something about this little and rather irrelevant nation!

[Jeff of Clubs]

Those bottles designs are really doing something for me. I kinda wanna make a travelling snake oil merchant now. The street frontage was swank enough but they all have detailed interiors too! How long did this build take you?

Edited December 16, 2023 by Jeff of Clubs