Shopping and preparation in Rex Tree

Summary

In Session 4, after receiving 50 coins from Louise Guzman for their previous job, the party conducts shopping and preparation in Rex Tree before their journey to New Smoke. The session turns contentious when Sucks attempts to gather information from locals and is confronted about his appearance, then escalates when the party discovers standard escort rates in the Dungeon World equipment lists and realizes they are being significantly underpaid. This leads to a return negotiation with Louise Guzman involving negotiating hoods, though Guzman disputes their economic arguments about standard rates.

Details

The sequence begins with the party discussing how to divide their 50-coin payment. Sucks immediately establishes a position: "First of all, Cat Monster does not count as a person, so does not get a share." With the payment distribution settled, Sucks attempts to gather local intelligence by approaching a passerby: "I grab a passing. Like just pass it. And I'm like, hey."

The interaction goes poorly. The local resident responds violently, pushing Sucks to the ground with the warning: "don't fucking touch me, kid." The confrontation continues with the passerby calling out Sucks's appearance: "Oh, hey, take that Neo Nazi shit off," referring to his face-covering hood. Despite this rough start, the local eventually provides a recommendation for a Velocipede.

The party then examines the Dungeon World equipment lists, where they make a significant discovery. One party member observes: "Wait, wait. Actually looking at this, are we escorts and how much are we being paid? Because you know, 54 coins." The equipment lists establish that standard escort rates are 54 coins per day along monster-infested roads—significantly more than their current arrangement with Louise Guzman.

Armed with this information, the party returns to confront their employer. Sucks or another party member states: "We go back to Louise. Hey, Louise, we found out that you pay 54 coins a day for escort for a day along a monster infested road." The renegotiation involves the traditional use of negotiating hoods, with both Cat and Guzman participating in this cultural practice.

Guzman challenges their economic reasoning, responding: "I don't know how you think economics works, but there is no such thing as a standard standard rates." His argument appeals to market dynamics rather than published guidelines, contesting the very premise of their complaint about Wasteland economics.

Participants

Sucks — Attempts to gather local information, gets confronted about his appearance, and participates in the payment renegotiation
Cat — Participates in the negotiating hood tradition during the renegotiation
Safia — Present during the shopping and preparation
Monster — Explicitly excluded from receiving an equal share of payment
Louise Guzman — The employer who disputes the party's economic arguments about standard rates
Local passerby — Physically confronts Sucks and comments on his Neo-Nazi-appearing hood

Consequences

Sucks is physically pushed to the ground and has his appearance criticized by a local resident
The party discovers they are being paid well below published escort rates (50 coins total versus 54 coins per day per person)
A recommendation for a Velocipede is obtained despite the confrontational interaction
The party engages in renegotiation with Louise Guzman using negotiating hoods
Guzman maintains his position by arguing against the existence of standard market rates
The cultural practice of negotiating hoods is demonstrated in a commercial context
Monster is formally excluded from equal payment distribution, establishing the party's position on the cat's economic status