When Coin Defeats Steel
It was deep into the Third Wharftown War, much blood had been spilled on both sides of the conflict. Those of Cordor fought those of Wharftown, almost to a stalemate. Unlike wars of the mainland, wars were not fought with standing armies and large conflicts. Instead they were fought by paying bounties to attack citizens of the other settlement, leading to many innocent citizens being slain for a war they cared nothing about.
"Dusk", Councilor Armen Roth said to Salasker Dusk, the head of an extensive trade organization, "I wish to hire you, and yours."
This was was no surprise to Salasker, and he replied: "Very well. What do you require?"
The tired Councilor replied in his gruff voice, "Copper, Dusk... Ingots. I will pay you five hundred coins for each." An excessive price, to be sure, even now they rarely go for more than two or three hundred. Salasker agreed right away, asking how many would be needed for the job.
"As many as you can, but delivery is in three weeks, to the day." came the reply as they parted ways.
Salasker called in his entire enterprise to the task. An excessive amount of gold per ingot, and as many as he wanted? This was a gold mine waiting to happen. The entire trade organization ceased to be a trade organization for three weeks, as every member combed the island for copper and toiled at the smithy. Even their leader worked the forge, even with his severe lack of capabilities; so was the need for everyone.
Three weeks passed in this fervent pace, as they piled the copper ingots higher and higher in the store house. It wasn't tens of ingots, nor hundreds. Thousands of ingots were stacked in place. So it was that Salasker brought some twenty of his employees and a host of porters besides to carry the load, to the meeting with Councilor Roth.
"How much then, Salasker?"
"Roughly two million, Councilor", he said with a sheepish chuckle, it was no small fee, "You did say price was no object, Armen."
Armen was absolutely thrilled by the news of being the proud owner of thousands of ingots of copper, and he swiftly paid for them; only building up Salasker's curiosity even more. When asked where to place the thousands of pounds of metal, the Councilor bid the group to follow them. They went to the docks and nearly sank the ship with the weight of the metal as they sailed to Wharftown.
The very Wharftown that Cordor was at war with.
Through bribed guards at the docks and warehouse, they gave all of the metal to Wharftown. Not as a gift, however, Armen wasn't about to help his enemies. He was a clever man, the Trade Czar was under orders to buy everything for the war effort, and Armen was going to let them do so. The flood of copper bankrupted Wharftown, immediately ending the tenure of their current leadership and letting Councilor Armen's person take over.
Thus ended the Third Wharftown War, not by the strength of steel and blood, but by a large amount of copper and coin.
Originally told by Salasker Dusk during the third Day of Stories. Recorded, written and embellished by Minto T Fuzzypaw.