Druuna buys some supplies.

Knowing well the dangers of searching the old places, Druuna decided that it would be best to get some supplies before venturing into any of places marked on her map. Druuna asked the Junior Grandmaster where the market was, and he gave her directions to the cities grand market place. Ecstatic over her new membership, Druuna whistled and walked along in the sunny afternoon until she got to the market; where she stopped and stared wide-eyed at the spectacle before her.

Druuna had seen markets before, but none as big or as ostentatious as the Greenport grand market square. Towering multi-level buildings surrounded the bright stone courtyard. Most of the buildings were four or five stories tall with different stores on each level linked together by wooden walkways and stairs. The square itself was full of brightly colored stalls selling everything Druuna could imagine and more. Meat from the un-mutated bovine herds in the cold North, fish from the East coast, guns and goods salvaged from the lost times, clothes and dyes and all sorts of things. Under the banner of free trade the market flourished and so did the merchants.

After counting her caps, Druuna realized she had four-hundred and twenty-nine bottle caps with which to purchase her gear. After a bit of looking, Druuna found a stand selling survival gear. The proprietor, a middle-aged woman of African descent, sold Druuna a long knife, a good length of rope, a backpack to carry her bigger items in, some canned food, a big canteen, a ratty old sleeping bag and most important of all; a wind up Geiger Counter, for two hundred and forty caps. That Geiger counter was the most expensive item, but Druuna knew she would need one if she wanted to search the lost places. It was powered through a wind up mechanism, so Druuna could turn the crank for awhile to power it, instead of having to buy expensive batteries. After getting her survival gear, Druuna found a small clothing shop on the east side of the square. Though she wasn’t a very modest woman, Druuna knew that it would be best for her to get a bra. Her…endowments could get in the way when going through tight passages. Druuna bought a decent pair of khaki shorts, a pair of thong underwear and a cheap, yet effective bra for ninety-four caps at the store. She also sold her old pair of shorts for eight caps at the store.

With one hundred and three caps left in her pocket, Druuna retired to her free bed at the Lusty Mermaid and thought about her next move over a nice cold bath. The map Druuna had showed her three good locations she could explore that were nearby. They were; Mitusabii Factory, Oakwood Mall and an abandoned mine that didn’t have a name. According to notes on the map, many electronic devices and even a few small weapons had been found at Mitusabii before. Oakwood Mall had apparently been a great market of some sort that was completely enclosed for some reason. This confused Druuna, after all, how could customers see your wares well if your stall was completely enclosed? Most enclosed stores Druuna had seen used oil lamps or candles, but how many candles would a whole market need? However the ancient markets had worked, this one was dangerous. A survivor tribe was said to lurk parts of the building and anyone who intruded would be in danger. However, the amount of rare treasures in the “mall” might have been worth it. Finally, Druuna considered the mine. Most raw materials at the time were made by melting down old things from the lost times, but a lot of goods could find a hefty price on the market. If Druuna could find a source of copper, she could stake a claim and sell the mine for a nice price to a wealthy merchant company. Copper was needed for electronic devices and with it cities could begin recovering old technology.