Baloro

Free Mine · The mines

"I have somethin' in me stock that even Innos would kneel before."

The promised weapon

Baloro sizes up the Hero on approach and claims to have a weapon so fine that even Innos would kneel before it. When the Hero asks for a sword, sturdy armor, or mine access, Baloro tells him to think bigger and promises a blade that will make him the meanest bastard in the Colony.

The price is what Baloro calls a teeny, tiny favour: five apples, two bottles of rice brandy, five bottles of beer, three loaves of bread, two pieces of cheese, and two straws of grapes. He says the supplies are for a banquet and insists the Hero will not regret the exchange.

The trick

Once the Hero delivers the goods, Baloro keeps them and refuses to hand over the weapon. He mocks anyone who trusted him, saying that whoever is dumb enough to accept such a deal deserves to be cheated and may not last long in the Colony.

The banquet was real; the promised reward was not.

Thin ice

Baloro threatens violence when the Hero objects, telling him to go whine to someone else. If confronted aggressively, he warns, Careful, green blood. Thin ice.

Anyone who declines the deal or returns too late receives the same answer: it was their loss, because they had their chance. His whole trade is a test of whether the other person mistakes confidence for honesty.

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