Chapter Ten

How It Always Exchanges Hands

Good morning, mortal. You have summoned me at last, I see. Have you made your choice?

"Yes, I have," the mortal replied. "You keep saying that I should have picked the Tale of Coin. So, I want to hear it. The Tale, I mean."

I shrug. As you wish, mortal.

…

Hmm. I was planning to tell you a tale about the Barrister Arnold Timsh, or even the great Lady Boyle…Alas, mortal, there are simply too many of you that fit into this criteria all too perfectly. So, I'm going to take a different approach to this tale.

Are you ready to learn?

"Yes, Outsider."

Then let us begin, mortal.

…

How is it that such a mundane object carries so much weight? A coin is nothing more than a small, circular object with a picture on it. And yet, you mortals let it run your lives. It is a very fascinating subject, when you think about it. Coin leads to obsession, as much as it leads to power, and for some, the inevitable embrace of corruption.

I have seen mortals use it for political advantages: To buy off votes in the Parliament; assassinate members of the Royalty; and even to buy-out estates of the Nobility. Those are just some of its minor corruptions. On a grander scale, it has led to the ruins of families and empires.

Think about this, my dear mortal. The Pendleton family was once rich. They made their coin off of mining silver. Then, the mines began to dry up. They were losing coin, and quickly. So, what did the Pendletons decide to do? Well, Custis and Morgan were planning to spend each and every last coin they had on women, whiskey, and cigars. Then, they were going to commit suicide. A rather distorted form of honor, don't you think? But for a Pendleton, one must scrape the cistern deeply to find any semblance of the true meaning of that word.

As for Treavor Pendleton, he met his fate in a different way. He chose to walk the path of corruption. But that's not my tale to tell. Question those more familiar to you, regarding this man, should you desire to learn more than you already know.

As you should have learned during your brief forays amongst the more common people of Dunwall, coin is a means of survival. It buys basic necessities, like food, water, clothing, shoes, bedding, and for some, soap. Yet, even the people who live among the commons are not immune to corruption, or greed. Crimes are born of desperation or, in some cases, out of some malignant belief in one's own ascendency over the masses.

That, my dear mortal, is how crime industries become empires of their own. Ones that cannot be so easily rooted out from the population. In the darkest corners of the Empire, you can find anything from murderers, to thieves, to arsonists. Anything you can think of, really. But some of the most well-known crime empires are right here, in Dunwall. The Bottle Street Gang. The Hatters. Lizzy Stride and her Dead Eels. Daud's Whalers. The Golden Cat.

What you mortals often misunderstand, however, is that you need to earn your coin. You cannot steal it. You cannot just have it handed to you. Greed and corruption take root, when one feels they are entitled to more than they justly deserve.

Do you know what's ironic, mortal? Both the Royal Spymaster turned Lord Regent, Hiram Burrows, and City Barrister Arnold Timsh lost their positions of power. How did this come about?

…

"The Lord Regent got what he justly deserved for the betrayal of his Empress," the mortal said, contemptuously. "But why question me about either of these men? They're nothing to me."

I smirk at the mortal. Are they truly nothing to you?

They were both powerful men, of rank and privilege, who were taken out by lowborn Serkonan assassins. Hiram Burrows met his fate at the hands of Corvo Attano, who played a rather incriminating audiograph across the entirety of Dunwall. Meanwhile, Barrister Timsh was framed with one of his own eviction letters by Daud. Both of them are now rotting in Coldridge Prison for their crimes.

You seem confused, dear mortal. I realize that this is quite a convoluted tale. Speak your mind.

The mortal was silent for several moments before uttering, "You seem to be implying that coin, even though it is necessary for survival, can easily lead to corruption and greed if not handled properly. Just because coin can lead to power, it doesn't mean you should obtain power with it. And if you do, you shouldn't abuse that power. Or…Wait…"

I tilt my head, awaiting the mortal's answer.

"Coin is always changing hands. It can be put into the hands of the corrupt, or the hands of the needy. However, you should always be careful with it. It can ruin friendships, families…Something to that effect?"

I shrug, realizing that the mortal had completely missed the emphasis of my warning within this tale. Yes, mortal. It can. What else?

"I uh…Never mind…Outsider?"

Yes?

"I already know which tale I want next. I wish to hear the Tale of Redemption."

I distractedly nod my assent, in order to hide the perturbation caused by the ever-narrowing band of outcomes that are now left available to the mortal after today.