<div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/MOEGIa0.jpg?1)   </div>One of the vendors steps forth to address the officers of the expedition.  "s'no use, sirrah.  These rangers wanna make everyfin' outta leaves and stuff.  Only fing I ever sells 'em is the occasional scrap of fine metal cause the ain't miners.  Far as I know anyway.  They take everyfin' from the land.  Provisions especially.  But if you want 'em to be extra stout, I got some arrows you may want, and somethin' perfect in case you needs to send back findings.  Like you don't wanna lug everyfin' around wif' ya'."  He produces a chest that rattles as if it carries several stones.  "Transportation stones, I call 'ese.  Someone found 'em in the wilds, figured out the activation word."  He opens the chest, and within are a mixed lot of red and blue.... rocks.  "Six thousand gold.  Put these on the ground on this end in a circle, all these painted blue... we marked 'em so they wouldn't get mixed up, see?  An speak the activation word.  If the red ones is in a circle, well... the fing appears in there a few minutes later.  Takes a few minutes to work, but better than shipping a crate of ore samples across the empire."  He grins.  "Was gonna put a circle 'ere and get all my shipments duty-free, know what I mean?  But... someone got wise an... er... suggested I offer'em to you all at a... fair price.  Or lose my 'ands."<br/><br/>A stout lieutenant with a crossbow is watching, very carefully, from a few meters away.<br/><br/>"So I gotta make the best of 'er don't I."