[ IP ] There is a Trader who can be Found at the Edge of Things ...

They say there is a Trader who can be found at the edge of things. 
 
 Many stories are told of the Trader. Some say it is a jackal-headed madman who will barter strange, arcane wares in exchange for a soul. Others claim it is a trickster who will lull you by telling you what you want to hear, promising impossible riches and knowledge, then trip you over the edge of the world as soon as you let your guard down. The old books privy only to the highest scholars of the Old Citadel describe a sphinx-like guardian, who will tell you the most ancient secrets of the disc, but the price is not mentioned. 
 
 Towards the end of your life you set off in search of answers that lie beyond. You wished to learn if there is a purpose to the disc, how and why it came to be. Are there other worlds like it beyond the twisted maelstrom of novae in the night sky? Where does the life-giving sun go as it dips below the horizon in one direction, only to reappear hours later on the other side of our world? 
 
 You gathered your things, rations, and hunting gear, you picked a direction and you walked. You saw many strange things in your journey, but none of it matters anymore. You ’ re here. 
 
 You ’ ve travelled years and reached the edge. 
 
 Behind you is the stretch of wilderness where twisted beings driven to madness scuttle and roll about in the dust, their many emaciated legs flailing. The sun has faded out of sight, the landscape is lit a dark, bloody red at day and the deep purple of the novae at night. 
 
 Before you is the black, inky abyss. You are being watched. You feel foreign beings poking gently at your mind, feeling their curiosity. The abyss holds secrets beyond the comprehension of the mortals inhabiting this plane. You feel an urge to keep walking, over the crumbling edge of the disc, and fall into the void beyond the world. You have trained for this over many years during your time in the Old Citadel. Focusing your mind you resist the urge and take a step forward, no, take two steps back, *focus*. 
 
 From behind you a hand grasps your shoulder, steadying you. A gentle voice echoes softly in your head. “ Why resist now? You have come so far. Complete your journey. ” 
 
 You turn to answer and choke on the tangible shadow that suddenly surrounds you. You stumble backwards. Something catches you and holds you over the precipice. 
 
 “ What you seek holds a special price. The knowledge belongs only to the denizens of the black. What you wish to know, can only be known if you fulfill this condition. ” 
 
 It clears your mind, having the decency to let you make your decision by yourself. It knows you ’ ve already made your decision though. No human comes this far only to turn back, especially not one as old as you, at the edge of your life as you are at the edge of this world. You ’ ve dedicated your existence to knowledge, poring over the ancient tomes and scrolls within the Old Citadel. Now here you silently accept. The knowledge floods your mind and you fall eternally. 

