The Night Market Scales
Found after a fight
Possible rewards: Old Coin Scales Merchant's Seal
6 scenes. Choices with a requirement only appear when you meet it.
Scales in a Velvet Bag
Right away1In the floating wreckage you recover a velvet bag containing a set of precision brass coin scales, each weight stamped with a fox's paw. Every sailor in the Reaches knows that mark: these are the official master scales used by the Free Night Markets to settle trade disputes, stolen a month ago.
- Keep the master scales and bring them to a Night Market port.Whoever holds the fox-paw weights sets the standard of trade across the Reaches. You plot a course for the nearest Night Market port.
- Melt the scales down for 10 silver of scrap brass.You melt the historic scales down for ten silver worth of brass, leaving the Night Markets to squabble over short weights.+10 silverThe questline ends here.
The Market Weigher
At a port2 Bring the fox-paw scales to a Night Market in the Reaches.
Chief Weigher Hesper Pike, an elderly Vulpine, has spent a miserable month eyeballing coin weights since the theft. She eyes the velvet bag on your belt. "The market stallholders will pay well to get their scales back. Meanwhile, the Trade Guild merchant up the quay will pay even more to see them destroyed so the market has to pay Guild inspection fees—or you can keep them aboard to tilt every trade in your favor."
- Return the scales to Hesper Pike for 40 silver.Cheers erupt along the market row as Hesper sets the brass scales back on her table, and the stallholders pool forty silver for your reward.+40 silver+1 The Free Captains standing
- Refuse to hand them over and keep the master scales for your ship.Hesper nods grimly, and as you clear the harbor lights, two corsair sloops hired by the market move in to take the scales back by force.−1 The Free Captains standingBattle: Sky pirates · Close rangeIf you win:+20 silver
- [Quartermaster] Have crewmate negotiate for a duplicate set of fox-paw weights as your finder's fee.Crew: Quartermastercrewmate strikes a shrewd bargain: once the original weights are verified on Hesper's table, the market's foundry will cast an official duplicate set for your ship, plus twenty silver up front.+20 silver
- Walk up the quay and sell the scales to the Trade Guild merchant.You pull the velvet bag shut and carry it up the dock toward the Trade Guild office under the furious glares of the market stallholders.−1 The Free Captains standing
The Shaved Weight
Right away3 Watch Hesper Pike verify the recovered weights on her table.
Before settling a single trade, Hesper tests the recovered weights against her balance beam—and discovers the two-ounce weight has been secretly shaved light! The market crowd falls dead silent and glares at you. "Whoever held these scales for the last month was cheating every seller in the Reaches, Captain. What was the name on the wreck where you found them?"
- Give her the name of the wrecked ship so the market can fine the culprit's estate.When you name the wreck, three stallholders curse aloud—it belonged to one of their own merchant captains, who spent a month under-weighing silver with the shaved weight. The market pays you thirty silver from his forfeited bond and summons its brass founder.+30 silver+1 The Free Captains standing
- Claim the wreck's nameplate was gone and take 30 silver to end the matter.Hesper doesn't half believe you, paying out thirty silver minus the cost of recasting the shaved weight and ending your business.+30 silverThe questline ends here.
The Stolen Scales
Right away4 Decide whether to keep the stolen scales or ransom them back.
With the market's hired sloops beaten off, the velvet bag rests on your chart table. You can keep the fox-paw scales aboard to guarantee top trade margins in every port, or ransom them back to the Night Market now that they know they can't take them by force.
- Keep the master scales permanently on your ship's trade table.With the official fox-paw scales on your cabin table, no merchant in any port can ever cheat you on weight or measure.Relic: Old Coin ScalesThe questline ends here.
- Ransom the scales back to the Night Market for 130 silver.A market go-between rows out after dark and pays a hundred and thirty silver to ransom back the scales, though the Free Captains blacklist your name.+130 silver−1 The Free Captains standingThe questline ends here.
The Guild Merchant
Right away5 Hear the Trade Guild merchant's offer for the Night Market scales.
In his office above a chandlery, the Trade Guild merchant hefts the velvet bag without opening it. "Without their fox-paw scales, the Night Markets are forced to use Guild weights and pay Guild inspection fees. I'll pay you a hundred and ten silver to drop these at the bottom of the harbor—or thirty silver plus an official Guild Merchant's Seal for your ship."
- Take his silver.He counts out a hundred and ten silver and drops the velvet bag off the pier himself, locking the Reaches into Guild pricing.+110 silver+1 The Guild standingThe questline ends here.
- Take the Guild Merchant's Seal and 30 silver.He stamps a brass Guild Merchant's Seal with your ship's name—granting you preferred Guild wholesale prices at every port—adds thirty silver, and tosses the Night Market scales off the pier.The questline ends here.
The Brass Founder
Right away6 Speak with the market's brass founder as she recasts the weight.
The market's gnome founder pours a new two-ounce weight, files it accurate to the grain, and stamps it with the fox's paw. Glancing at the hot mold, she remarks, "While the bronze is molten, I could cast a complete second set of master scales for your ship—if someone pays forty-five silver for the metal."
- Claim the free duplicate set of scales your quartermaster negotiated.At Hesper's nod, the founder casts and stamps a complete duplicate set of fox-paw scales for your ship free of charge, ensuring no port merchant can ever short-weigh you again.Relic: Old Coin Scales+1 The Free Captains standingThe questline ends here.
- Pay 45 silver to have a duplicate set of master scales cast for your ship.Costs 45 silverShe pours, files, and stamps an official duplicate set of fox-paw scales for your cabin table, guaranteeing better prices from every trader you meet.Relic: Old Coin ScalesThe questline ends here.
- Decline the second set and take a 45 silver bonus instead.Hesper adds her own forty-five-silver weigher's fee to your purse as the restored scales settle their first dispute on the pier.+45 silverThe questline ends here.
Data from Magehold Fairwinds v1.9.26. Spotted something out of date? Discord