#me shaking artair: dude you have magic items and basically are a source of magic. having that kind of thing makes you a potential source

[townofcadence]

"Network...?" Artair asks, a mild curiosity that he's slow on the uptake for. He simply can't fathom how a half alive guy in the ocean would be particularly helpful or useful to this humongous guy coiling on himself kind of like a sea serpent. But he wasn't feeling good so maybe he just-- wasn't synapsing something. But what could someone who sold things want from someone like him? Unless he was still hoping for the bag somehow?

"What kind of mundane items have value...?" He asks next, out of curiosity. Artair could imagine maybe he meant things like jewelry or something. The mental image of a creature as long and large as this guy combing a beach with a metal-detector for lost valuables cracks a smile on his face, at the absurdity.

But then he mentioned a magical item in a cursed underground temple, and Artair has to tilt his head. It's like a faint alarm bell is ringing in his ears. "Near here....? What....did you end up finding?"

"I guess that's how it is, the ocean can either be very forgiving, or very... very cruel. For what it's worth, though, I'm glad it got you here too. Sure I would've enjoyed the looting, but I never turn down a good opportunity to network, either." And either way it would've been unfortunate. If he did manage to find the other in the water, there might not have been much to salvage. He definitely would've been dead, his bag probably would've been taken by the current, and who knows what damage might've come to that metal arm of his. No, that would've just sucked all around.

"Well, if you're sure." He shrugs lightly, his tail shifting and flipping over itself in the equivalent of him curling up and getting comfortable. At the questioning though he grins again, eyes closed in a very pleased expression. "Well, I am a merchant who deals with magical items. Selling or trading, and dabbling in some mundane items-- but only if they're valuable enough. And I collect all of my own stock. I'm actually on my way back from hunting down a new item now. It was a bit of a hassle, a whole cursed underground temple type of place, but the stock's in amazing shape and I'm positive it's gonna run a very pretty penny." At that the very end of his tail flips upwards, in what seems to be a sort of excited gesture.