A Shady Swashbuckler

NPCs, especially in EverQuest, are static, unwavering, killable, and the equivalent of pop up windows with character models. Yet, they end up becoming infamous and legends, all the same.

Enter, the Shady Swashbuckler. This NPC probably wasn't meant to be one of the most well-known merchants in Norrath. Given his placement in the middle of a dark tunnel between East Commonlands (yes, that EC Tunnel that is the legendary start of player-driven MMO economies) and The Northern Desert of Ro, he was probably just meant to be a quick stop or option for those passing through. And in many ways, he is just that. But what makes him notable from the other merchants that exist in that exact same room of that very same tunnel, is that he cheats the player out of money. This guy charges a premium and offers low-ball rates.

Why does he do it? Where does it go? How does the game benefit from this system? Well, it's because he's shady. It's in his name. And that's about as complicated as he gets.

However, that simplicity has made him infamous amongst the player base. Everyone has sold something to him at one point or another. Some people figured out his shady ways earlier than others. Others, upon discovery, felt cheated, angry, or even amused at this exploitation.

This painting aimed to depict all of the unseen money and hordes of treasure that he collected over 30 years. There is no obvious benefit to EverQuest to cheat the player out of money other than the story it creates for them within the context of the in-game world. And this guy succeeds.

Bravo, Swashbuckler!