Given how cheaply you can produce these strangely gritty little gemstones of yours, your price seems a little expensive - the five coal and five iron you ask for a single gem is sufficient for you to immediately produce no less than five more such gems. Perhaps a healthy price war would be in our society’s best interests.

It would, probably. However, anyone who tries to compete with my prices would probably only lose income and resources in the long run. My prices take into account the (rather large) investment I had to make to start up my gem production. I’ll have to sell quite a lot of gems to break even before I start to make a profit.

I see your point, though. I overestimated the worth of gems initially. Now that this new technology has been developed, gems aren’t worth anywhere near the price they were before. I’m reducing my price to 1 coal and 4 iron or wood. This will effectively allow you the use of my equipment for 3 wood or iron. If that isn’t dirt cheap, I don’t know what is.

Naturally, anyone is free to try to beat my prices. However, this will only cost them and me, and benefit everyone else.

I might as well come clean: I was hoping someone would take the offer before anyone would point out how unfair my original price was.

This one is more than fair, though. I promise.

Monopolies hurt legitimate consumers. However, I would consider refraining from competing with you if you agree to two conditions, as follows:

1, you agree to cap your prices at 1 coal and 3 iron or wood per other resource manufactured; and
2, you pay me a weekly stipend of one weeks’ usual Scavenging output for any resource other than Gems or Caffeine, as defined in rule 2.1, to be paid on or before every Monday until the end of the dynasty.

Should either of those conditions not be met, the deal becomes null and void and I am free to compete with you as I see fit. With prices that fair, you should be able to generate enough profits to meet my price.

An amusing offer, and one that I cannot possibly accept (as you must have guessed). You are in no position to blackmail me, and even if you were I could never accept such an outrageous demand.

I never had any intention of paying you off; I offered you but good advice. I see no reason to continue negotiations, and look forward to driving you out of business.

Bring your best, good sir, and I will bring mine.

Sir Josh,

If you need any Ressource, which I own, ask me for a trade. I will give you extra-good conditions, mabye I will lend you some Ressource, and youll pay the interest accrued later…

We need to fight against monopolists!

ALso, I have thought of a Gem Boykott (We do not need them! Really!), but it is too early for this. I hope Sir Purplebeard will not abuse his power. If he does so, we need to show him that lots of Commoners are better than one rich one!

Sincercly Yours, Sir Keba.

PS: Good ccatch, Sir Purplebeard. I laughed a long time about this ;)