Auction House User Interface

Greetings, user (376) #53,217

This is the Auction House Interface, used to interact with ongoing auctions in a smooth and easy manner.

You have no Auction House permits active and are bidding as a Basic User. Your name will be displayed whenever you place a bid. As a basic user, you will also pay 5% Auction House tax on any items you sell.

Would you like to upgrade to Private User status (for this session only) for 200,000 points? Points are drawn from your Trade Link account. You can top up your account via the consoles lining the wall.

Alternatively, members of House Veyron can buy Private User status for significantly discounted prices, and have the option of becoming a permanent Private User.

Upgrade - 200,000p

(Note that when bidding, use of your Trade Link account is optional—you may also bid with physical points-tags and put up items for barter.)

(More information on upgrading your user type is available from the friendly members of House Veyron working the hall.)

Nicolai turned his head and saw that there were indeed some consoles, with a Trade Link look to them, in little recessed spaces lining the walls. 200,000 for a one-time private bidding status was ridiculous. It felt more like a way of pushing people toward joining House Veyron than an actual price they expected people to pay.

The Symbiote he wished to buy had a market value of around 300,000, but if there were any available the bidding might well push that higher. With his nearly million points, he could easily afford that. But there was a risk. This was an item people would want for Tier 2, so depending on demand the price could go much higher. Not to mention, his many enemies, some of whom might even bid against him out of spite.

He drummed his fingers on his seat, considering. Having almost a million points put him in an interesting position. He was pretty sure he would complete a Challenge for hitting 1,000,000 in his Trade Link account. That Challenge would provide more points. And, 1,000,000 was the cost to upgrade his Market Permit to the next level, which would give him access to… who knew what? Interesting things.

Not to mention, he didn't even have the Shardache he needed to hit Tier 2; he needed to work out how he'd steal some from those Scale Vipers, first. So, he decided to simply see if he could get a good deal. If the Symbiote he needed was available for a good price, he'd buy it. He anticipated making a good amount of money today from selling the semi-auto M99s he'd had the Assembler making for the past couple days, so even if he had to pay quite a high price, he should still be able to hit 1,000,000 by the end of the day—if he was thrifty.

Thus he opted against getting the private bidding status. 200,000 for one-time privacy was too wasteful. But he was interested in having that status permanently, and the description had hinted that was possible. He left his seat and looked to the Person standing in the corner. A robed, attentive young man with his hands behind his back. Nicolai approached, the false face his H-gram showed adopting a friendly smile.

'Greetings. Are you a member of House Veyron?' Nicolai asked quietly.

'That I am, sir,' said the Person in an equally quiet voice. 'How can I help you?'

'I'm here to inquire about other means of gaining private bidding status, and upgrading from a basic user.'

'Of course. To begin with, I have been instructed to inform any Players who ask, that they may be afforded both the privilege of being able to purchase private bidding status for a steep discount—for only 20,000 points-tags per Auction, or 100,000 for permanent status—and have their Auction seller's tax permanently reduced from 5% to 3%, should they become a member of House Veyron. If you are interested, I can start the process for you right now. Merely touch this with your Marked hand.' The Person extended a hand holding an identical little orb as the one the recruiter in the main square had held out.

'I am still investigating my options, but House Veyron is currently at the top of my list,' replied Nicolai, his H-gram smiling genially while he nodded his head. 'Are there—'

'Forgive me for interrupting, but I must ask if you are aware that at this early date House Veyron is offering an early-bird joining package?' asked the Person quickly, his face creasing with concern. 'That means favourable terms that will not be available to those joining later, when it becomes clear that we will be winning the House War. I would hate for you to miss this chance, sir.'

'I was not aware. I will certainly keep that in mind.'

'You would have to join today, sir, to gain those benefits,' stressed the Person. He held the ball out a little further.

'I will think very deeply on this.'

'There is a time for deep thought, sir, and there is a time for making a decision, sir,' the Person pressed, tone notably cooler. 'Did you know, sir, that House Veyron controls not only the Auction House, but also the Market? There are powerful benefits to be gained for any wishing to engage in trading of any sort. For example, if opening a shop in the Market, you would receive a substantial discount to the trading taxes, and may advertise for free.' The hand with the orb crept a few inches closer to Nicolai, who was beginning to develop the rather strong impression that this Person must gain some kind of commission or personal benefit for recruiting him.

'That is very exciting news. I will certainly look into that.'

'With the coming war, House Veyron will apply for permission to enact wartime taxes on any and all trades made within the Market, which will very likely be granted. Did you know that, sir? Someone with wisdom would keep that in mind, sir, and join now to ensure they keep their current free trading benefits, kindly provided by House Veyron.' The Person was now actually leaning forward slightly as he extended the orb until it was almost touching Nicolai's hand.

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'I am most thankful to House Veyron. I will look into this very deeply.' Nicolai's Marked hand remained resolutely by his side.

'Of course, sir,' hissed the Person. He stiffly retracted the ball. 'If that will be all…'

'Just a moment. Are there not other methods of becoming a private bidder? The UI mentioned Permits.'

The Person glared at him. 'There are indeed other methods,' he snarled. 'One such is the Merchant's Award, which Heaven has decreed House Veyron must inform Players about if asked.' Each word was short, sharp, and rimmed with ice. 'To learn more about the Merchant's Award, please enquire at the Market, where the Up-Trading Challenge can be found.' If looks could kill, the Person's furious, thin-lipped stare would've been lethal.

'Thank you for your time,' said Nicolai, his H-gram smiling beatifically.

'Of course, sir,' said the Person, in the same way one might say, "Die in a ditch, scum."

Nicolai returned to his seat feeling oddly rejuvenated. Around him, Cultivators finished settling into their own seats and the auction began.

A Person strode out onto the stage. He looked out at the crowd. He smiled. And he said: 'Before I start today's bidding, I have a quick message. House Veyron…'

He then spent five minutes force-feeding the crowd the very same information Nicolai had just received, though in even more wordy fashion. He finished with: 'And you can join right now, using your seat and its many impressive functions!' As he began to launch into an explanation of this, the irritable grumbling of the crowd—which had been steadily rising in volume since the start—went up a gear.

Even the Mask, to Nicolai's surprise, found it annoying. Don't these People understand that the more pushy they are, the more off-putting it is?

Nicolai shrugged. Perhaps a cultural difference, or lack of respect. I have the impression they look down on us.

Please don't join House Veyron, the Mask continued. They must be a nightmare to work for.

They may all be like this, mused Nicolai. At that moment, the Person was explaining the exact steps needed to use the seat to join House Veyron, and repeating the benefits.

'Give it a rest!' yelled a voice from one of the booths above.

'No one has time to hear more garbage about your worthless house!'

The crowd murmured angry agreement with this message, while the People around the edges stood even stiffer and more affronted.

The Person glared around at them all. 'Fine,' he snapped. 'The first item up for bid is this.' He held out his hand, and with a flash of light a little ring appeared on his palm. 'A Tier 1 Imbued ring allowing the user to slowly fly, taken from a Pegasi archer.' He sneered. 'Yes, ladies and gentlemen, someone murdered a Pegasi archer—who, by the way, are old and distinguished undead archers, who after proving themselves, received the honour of becoming a Pegasi—murdered an archer, stole this ring, and is now selling it to the rest of you. The seller starts the bidding at two hundred Oma crystals.'

Nicolai wondered idly whether all members of House Veyron were so very easily offended. He also concluded that it would be best to avoid sharing the fact he'd killed and looted four of those archers, whenever he was around People. He saw Cultivators sat in the hall around him exchange confused glances, then a few hands were hesitantly raised.

'Don't put your filthy hands up!' screamed the Person, his tentacles coiling and thrashing like a tiny, angry kraken. 'Use your chairs! Are you imbeciles?! Have you no understanding of how anything works?! Maybe if you'd let me finish, you would! Oh, someone does, someone has bid two hundred and one crystals. Wow! And now we have a bid for two hundred and two! My oh my! And what now—what? What?' The Person stared, furious, at the edge of the stage. It seemed as though someone was speaking to him, but Nicolai couldn't hear anything. Everyone in the crowd was craning their heads, trying to see.

'Oh I must, must I? Ridiculous!' frothed the Person. 'To these dogs? They have no respect, no understanding, they—!'

Now a pair of tall, skeletal undead wrapped in dark robes clacked swiftly across the stage. They seized the protesting Person and dragged him, screaming abuse and profanities at the room at large, away.

The crowd observed this mutely. Once he was gone they erupted into confused murmuring. Nicolai could only assume that this was not how it typically went.

A new Person strode out onto the stage. Smiling, she gave a short bow to the crowd. 'I apologise. House Veyron does not condone that behaviour.' She peered around, and seemed to be looking towards the edges of the room, where the stiff-necked People were arrayed. 'The Patriarch has decreed that all members of House Veyron shall be polite and personable to the esteemed guests of our city, and to keep in mind that of course, they do not know how offensive they are. Now, as to the bidding. We are up to two-hundred and seventy-five crystals…'

In due time, the ring was sold for 341 crystals. The Person tossed it like trash and it disappeared in another flash of light. A pleased-looking Cultivator rose from his seat, and quickly left the room.

Things continued in a markedly more professional manner from then on. It seemed that the less expensive items came first. As the prices gradually rose, the bidding became more exuberant.

Nicolai sat quietly, making no move to bid. There were some things that interested him, but not enough to bid for them.

That was until the last ten minutes of the Auction, when the very item he most desired appeared.

'And here we have a Toothbearer Blood Symbiote. The seller wished me to stress that it is in pristine state.' The Person raised the Symbiote high. It was a little red dinosaur, standing on her palm and roaring squeakily. 'Bidding starts at 350,000.'

There were a few rapid bids. The price quickly rose to 400,000. Then more slowly to 420,000. Nicolai waited patiently for his moment. It climbed, over the course of a minute, just barely to 430,000.

Expensive, but not out of his reach. He bid 450,000.

The nice round number sat there for a moment, displayed in the chair UIs, and droned out by the bored Person. After the last two who'd been in the bidding war had competed with smaller and smaller numbers, this number should be quite demoralising to them and assure his win. Assuming, of course, no surprises.

His cheek twitched when the number shot up to 500,000. The UI identified the bid as placed by the Hao Clan. He didn't see them here, which told him they must be in one of the private booths. And had opted to have their bid made non-private, to send a message.

Nicolai's hopes fell. He bid 550,000, and decided that was the maximum he was willing to put up. A bidding war with an enemy was not the way to get a good deal.

A moment later the number had risen to 600,000. Nicolai sighed. Alas, making enemies had ramifications. He rose and left, ignoring the conspiratorial muttering and flinty gazes from Cultivators who'd realised who he was.

He'd somewhat expected this might happen. Upgrading to private in every Auction at the cost of 200,000 points each time was not an option. Joining House Veyron just for this would be premature.

But this was only the first time he found himself with reason to visit the Auction, and he knew that he couldn't afford to be so easily identified in the future. It was unlikely he would be able to stop making enemies—for Nicolai, it happened as naturally as breathing. Thus, he needed to ensure those enemies couldn't identify him and seek retribution.

After exiting the Auction House he kept a watch on the door. A few others emerged after him. Some of them moved in the same direction he did. He turned a few corners and left his drones behind. No one followed him. He found an empty street, returned to his base, and there returned to his standard loadout.

Once he was back in the City, he headed toward the Market.

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