Castor's estate contract

Castor's estate contract is the agreement that Castor signed with the elf Esnarril Softart in the Starsong shop of Akşelale, in the Mürekkep ve Çelik ("Ink and Steel") campaign. It binds Castor's personal belongings to the Starsong academy after his death, in exchange for goods he received at once.^{1 2}

Trade Among Friends

The bargain follows an elven practice. An owner takes payment now, keeps using the thing for the rest of his life, and leaves it to a named elf at his death; for long-lived elves the waiting is no hardship. Humans call it, roughly, "elf trade"; the elves' own, gentler name is Trade Among Friends.³

The bargaining

Castor first asked for credit secured on his belongings after death, to be cancelled if he repaid it in life. Esnarril answered that such a pledge was worth little, since a mage who died in battle might leave nothing behind, though he agreed that the Archon could stand as guarantor.⁴

Esnarril then made his own offer: any two books from the shop, and the unhatched sibling of his pseudodragon Ruby, which he would not treat as merchandise but would entrust to Castor. In return, the notes, robes and equipment that could be linked to Castor would go to Starsong at his death; his money and property he remained free to leave to anyone.¹

Castor asked to keep all his private notes out of it. Esnarril refused so broad an exception, saying that the personal things of such a mage would one day be valuable too, but allowed one notebook for private writing. They shook hands, and before the evening ended Castor signed the document; it was agreed that his journal could be that notebook.^{5 6 2}

Castor's further wish to have his old spells copied into his new book without charge was left for Esnarril to consider.⁷

Fulfilment

Castor chose the book that cannot be destroyed and the book that changes its shape, for himself and his pupil Glanfall. The first is large and bound in gazelle leather, with two white stones on its spine; the second looks small and square. He then took the boxed egg away, reading the care guide Esnarril had given him; the egg later hatched as Vaden.^{8 9 10}

Leonard and Glanfall suspected the elf might have Castor killed to collect. Castor answered that he had paid nothing extra, that only the things he carried were covered, and that history books showed the custom to be an ordinary one.^{11 12}

At the Archon, Castor's teachers took it badly. Marnor was upset and angry, and both he and Nocklin advised Castor to publish his later works under a pen name; Nocklin warned that many masters would dislike the arrangement.^{13 14}