Dust Hat Negotiation

Summary

The Dust Hat Negotiation was a comedic bartering encounter in Session 8 of the campaign that took place in the aftermarket following the regular market's close. The party met the Dust Hat Merchant, who demonstrated a headband that releases dust to create the illusion of disappearing. What began as a standard negotiation escalated into a standoff when Cat, Sucks Benedict, and Vasso deployed their signature Negotiating Hoods—with Sucks Benedict dramatically revealing a second, hidden hood. The merchant agreed to sell four Dust Hats for 15 coins total, but Safia mistakenly paid 30 coins, doubling the actual price. The merchant quickly closed their curtain and disappeared before the overpayment could be corrected.

Details

The encounter began after the regular market closed, with Vasso noting that they had never attended the aftermarket before. The Dust Hat Merchant demonstrated their product, explaining: "It's called dust hat. It's like a little band I wear around my head. And when I pull a string, a bunch of dust falls in front of me, makes me look like I beard." The merchant initially offered a mystery box for 45-50 coins.

When the conversation turned to purchasing multiple dust hats, the negotiation began in earnest. The merchant proposed selling four dust hats at 10 coins each (40 coins total), with the condition: "I can give it to you for 10 coins if you tell people that I made it." Sucks Benedict proposed forming "Sex Benedict in the dust hat crew" if they each obtained one.

Cat initiated the party's signature tactic by putting on her Negotiating Hood, prompting Sucks Benedict to join in solidarity. Vasso also donned a hood. The negotiation intensified when Sucks Benedict "puts his hands back and pulls a second hood out that was hidden"—deploying the now-legendary double hood technique.

The standoff reached its peak when both parties committed to dramatic gestures. The merchant "reach[ed] out and grab[bed] a curtain on either side of them and start[ed] pulling it closed slowly making eye contact," while Sucks Benedict "start[ed] zipping up his hood" using the full-length zipper that runs all the way up the front. Both parties maintained eye contact throughout the tense moment.

Just before the curtain fully closed, the merchant capitulated: "And just before it closes, closes, closes, you can just see the tip of their nose. They go, okay, fine. 15 coins."

The victory was immediately undercut when Safia handed over 30 coins instead of contributing to the 15-coin pool. The merchant swiftly closed their curtain and vanished before the error could be addressed.

Participants

Cat — Initiated the hood negotiation tactic by putting on her Negotiating Hood
Sucks Benedict — Escalated the negotiation by revealing a second, hidden hood and engaging in the zipper standoff
Vasso — Joined in the hood solidarity; had never attended aftermarket before
Safia — Accidentally paid 30 coins instead of 15, effectively doubling the agreed price
Dust Hat Merchant — The vendor who sold the dust hats; engaged in a dramatic curtain-closing standoff before agreeing to the reduced price

Consequences

The party acquired four Dust Hats, magical items that create the illusion of disappearing when activated
Safia paid 30 coins for the transaction rather than the negotiated 15 coins—a 100% overpayment
The Dust Hat Merchant left the scene immediately after receiving payment, preventing any correction
Sucks Benedict rationalized the loss by noting: "Yeah, but I just saved whatever, six or however many I would have spent on a sick dust hit. Also, that guy threw a rock at me earlier, and I still have that, so that's probably worth one coin or something."
The party added the dust hats to their inventory, with the possibility of forming "Sex Benedict in the dust hat crew"
The double hood technique was successfully deployed in a high-stakes negotiation