Supernatural S04E07

Episode 7 - Swap Meet/Meat Dubai, UAE (December 16, 2011) The Hunters head to the swap meet in Dubai to try to get the legendary dragon-hunting sword, Gram.

Zach had sent the Hunters three lists that the episode starts off with: the Rules for Swap Meet and a known guest list. Marcus is not present for this trip. (To stay behind and observe, or because of his sarcasm in a fancy setting? Who knows?!)

Rules of Swap Meet: 1. All parties and items present will be screened 2. Items are observable before the auctions or swaps are made 3. No items are allowed in the deal room 4. Both Mudane Security will be before the lounge and Supernatural Security will be present before the deal room. 5. Offers may be made in a direct trade or in a "round" fashion 6. If items are unsuitable, other arrangements may be made, and the item is held as collateral until arrangements are completed; for example, if a service is arranged in addition to or in lieu of an item. 7. All contracts are signed in blood

List of Hosts and Guests Hosts:

• Rudy Whitworth - Host and auctioneer in a turban
• Santianna Edge - handles the artifacts, for swap verification and held as collateral
• Kamden Henson - handles the security and tech (money transactions, signing in on the terms in blood, for example)

Guests:

• Bela Talbot - relic hunter
• Amia - fairy
• Claudine Lewis - rich
• Ari Whitaker - treasure seeker
• Tad Moran - disaffected collector
• Princeton Innis - pro like Bela, eye patch
• Morris Martin - ???
• Niko McCullogh - Olympian survivors rep
• Kim Haeun - upperclass Korean lady
• Bernard Shelton - associate of Ms. Kim’s
• Jasper Pagan - latino looking demon
• Vaughn Aksel Solberg - super athletic natural gas industry leader in Norway
• Ryker Morris- seems to be associate of Kim Haeun and Bernard Shelton

En route, the hunters do a little research into the Burj Khalifa, where neighboring resources (like Hardware stores) might be, weapons laws in Dubai, and assorted other information that may help. Since it is a new "world's tallest" building, they can get the basics on the floor layout and three-wing structure of the tower. They do brainstorm other things they might offer, including services, should the mantle not be enough. Ultimately, they rest up for the majority of the travel time and arrive fairly fresh - and in new, fresh clothing.

Upon checking in, the Hunters discover that Zach has provided them each with a room (not suites, but everyone has space for the night) and they are given a small, discrete card by hotel staff with the location and times for swap meet: a boardroom number with "Cocktails 6:30, Swap Meet 7:00." They all have rooms on the third floor, drop off their things, and then contemplate what to do or observe in the hotel in the meantime. Scott checks out the observation deck.

Notably, Ciaran lounges with views of the front desk area, to catch any other swap meet attendees. He ends up spotting Ms. Kim, the only Korean woman on the list, and her associates, Ryker Morris and Bernard Shelton. Ciaran follows them to the elevators, where he bluffs his way in like he was going to miss it. He pretends to be bumbling, accidentally getting off on their floor to find out their rooms, and catches the next one down. Aine reveals their exact room numbers, but complains she doesn't like going through the walls and floors because they are thick with lots of machinery and pipes.

Finally, it is time for cocktails, when the Hunters realize it is the time to observe people and the items up for trade. They meet up and are welcomed by two of the hosts, Ms. Santiana Edge and Mr. Kamden Henson, who explain their roles and use some sort of crystal-integrated technology to verify both their identities and the authenticity of the mantle. Servers offer them champagne or traditional mint tea as a welcome, or other refreshments, while snacks are available on buffet tables. They are arriving in the middle of the pack, it seems.

Briefly, the Hunters can observe there are 13 pillars for 13 items, making up the following list:

1 Ker's Fortitude - It’s a bit of scorched demon soul in a vial 2 Heart of the young - It’s a heart, child-sized. Creepy! 3 Hand of Glory -it’s obvious, you’ve seen one before. Gross. 4 Orb of Angel Flight - a pure white ball, slightly silvery in the light. On a small pedestal 5 Carbuncle - a faint glow pulsing from inside a cat carrier 6 Whetstone of Tudwal Tudglyd - a hand-held traveling stone, light in color 7 Golden Fillet of Sun Wukong - simple gold headband 8 Text on Hellhounds - blood-spattered page torn from a book, Latin, illustrated 9 Map to the Treasure of the Llanganates - Rolled up parchment 10 Gram - Really Big Sword 11 Cornucopia - Giant horn with fresh food 12 13 The Sacred Mantle or Shroud of Mohammad - the Hunters put this up

It is indeed noted that if the shroud is #13, then there is a missing 12th item. This provokes some immediate interest.

With a little observation, the Hunters can identify the people they see:

Hosts:

Rudy Whitworth - Host and auctioneer in a turban Short and diminutive with brown skin, he has an unrestrained feel about him. He has neutral, slanted, dark brown eyes, thin eyebrows and large ears. He has short, wavy, dark brown hair. He has a muscular neck, average-sized feet, and long legs. He often wears plain clothes that are mostly pastel-coloured and form fitting. He is usually seen wearing a specific turban. He also wears a necklace. Gentle, truthful, submissive and demanding. He grew up working class from mixed immigrant parents and worked his way up.

Santianna Edge - handles the artifacts, for swap verification and held as collateral Tall and thin with caramel skin, she has an unruly feel about her but is a good assistant and student, hesitant and orderly. She has friendly, wide, brown eyes, a narrow face, large ears and small lips. She has short, wavy, brown hair. She has gentle hands, and a long neck.

Kamden Henson - handles the security and tech (money transactions, signing in on the terms in blood, for example) Standing 5' 5" tall with orange-tan skin, he has a generally unsuitable feel about him. Disinterested, contemplative, honest and unconventional.He has dreamy, rounded, brown eyes, a narrow face and bony cheeks. He has shoulder-length, wavy, dark brown hair. He has large feet, and short legs. Looks young, duo theist, bi, what an interesting profile we had to keep all of it.

There are also a handful of servers/staff.

Guests

• Bela Talbot - mid 20’s woman, British accent, below-the-shoulder-length brown hair, grey-green eyes. Leather jacket
• Amia - fairy, quiet calm, ethereal black woman
• Claudine Lewis - olive complexion, wearing turquoise
• Ari Whitaker - pasty, light brown hair, snobby, wearing white
• Tad Moran - bony and short, aimless, disaffected collector selling Gram, wants…?????
• Princeton Innis - pro like Bela, wearing green, brown hair, eye patch
• Morris Martin - very neutral suit, British Man of Letters ring
• Niko McCullogh - green eyes, black wavy hair, greek looking, elite vibe, Olympian survivors rep
• Kim Haeun - upperclass Korean lady, immaculate dress and hair
• Bernard Shelton - associate of Ms. Kim’s, red-faced/rosy, thuggish vibe
• Jasper Pagan - Latino-looking demon rep of Crowley’s
• Vaughn Aksel Solberg - Viking or German-looking dude, tall, super athletic and mountain-climbing look
• Ryker Morris- seems to be an associate of Kim Haeun and Bernard Shelton. Something about him seems familiar

Scott chats with Bela (or attempts to) while Jon learns from the hosts that the 12th item is a person whose talents need to be confirmed. Ciaran, Razzik, and Airy inspect many of the swap items. Scott moves to talk with Claudine (again a poor attempt), while Ciaran talks again with Ms. Kim (and associates) and Jon meets Vaughn Aksel Solberg. Razzik then inspects the whetstone. Scott tries again with Santiana Edge, but again, only gets that the swap should work. Ciaran tries talking to Claudine, and learns that she is Navajo/Peruvian, and is looking for an item made by a powerful mage of her people. Airy tries his luck with Tad Moran. Razzik joins a discussion between Amia and Niko over Princeton's offer: the cornucopia. Jon talks to Morris Martin and observes that he is wearing a Men of Letters ring.

The Hunters wind up with information on almost every item and almost every person, missing only Ari Whitaker and Map to the Treasure of the Llanganates. And, of course, the item that is really a person. As a couple of guests predicted, right before the transition to the deal room, the hosts bring out a newly printed name tag. They take the name tag off of Ryker Morris and replace it with one that says "Eider Copley." Rudy Whitworth makes the announcement with a smile," Ladies and Gentlemen! We have our twelfth item: A Prophet of the Lord!"

It now clicks for several of the Hunters. This man, Eider Copley, is the author of the Remington Files YA graphic novel series.

Eider Copley has a solid build with tan skin, he has a recognisable feel about him. He has inviting, hooded, green eyes, a square jaw, a turned-up nose, and angular eyebrows. He has short, coiled, early-to-gray salt-and-pepper hair. He has slender hands and weak arms. Generous, funny, miserable, frugal, and gregarious. He is single and gay. He is making some money now off of the book series. He is always 10 minutes early, still trying to prove he is a “real” author despite being young. He is Type 1 diabetic and hates smokers. He likes sweet foods and electronica. His fave animal is a giant panda. He is progressive and open to lots of people. Religious awakening has been interesting. He is scared of what will happen to him now.

Almost everyone has something they want in the swap, but there are just a couple of points of contention. Bela, Ari, and Ciaran all showed interest in the carbuncle. Ari may also be interested in the treasure map, as people think it is also up his alley. Both Niko and Amia want the cornucopia. Ted wants something interesting, like the mantle or the prophet. The Hunters don't know who else may want the prophet now that he is revealed. No one has shown interest in the heart of youth or Ker's fortitude yet that you know of.

Entering the swap room is a new challenge: Ciaran must stay behind as he is asked to leave behind his spirit anchor for Aine, but he is the anchor. Razzik must also stay behind as he is a werewolf. This leaves them behind with the Prophet, Eider Copley.

The other Hunters enter the deal room, and the doors close. They see a projection representation of each item on a similar pedestal as in the lounge. The guests are requested to stand near the object they wish to trade for. This shows immediately the few conflicts that the Hunters noticed. They see Bela go to work Bernard and try to convince him to stay off the carbuncle and go for the map. Scott, Airy, and Jon plot out who needs to be convinced to take something else: Bernard vs. Bela, Amia vs. Niko, and convincing Ted to take the mantle, and convincing Solberg to take the prophet. Solberg agrees to let them use the sword if he can get it, and if they can convince Ted to give up the sword for another item.

Airy, Jon, and Scott talk to Amia to try to convince her to take the Demon vial. They convince her that it would be useful in the wars happening in the Fae Realms. Ted. seems interested in either the mantle or the prophet.

In the middle of all this, they get a text from Razzik and Ciaran in the lounge. They were able to talk to Eider Copley, a bit starstruck to see the people he had been writing about. In his experience, his visions were obviously not real events, people, or monsters, but seemed like good writing and drawing material. He only found out recently that it was all real after seeing something in the news. Unfortunately, while he was moving back to his hometown, he was waylaid and vulnerable and captured. He would run or fight but he is afraid of being hunted and killed or just unable to run because he is diabetic and insulin dependent. It doesn't take much for him to convince Ciaran and Razzik to help him escape legitimately.

A break is called between the rounds, and the other Hunters meet Eider. Eider thanks them for the attempt - he says it will work out because he has seen that the Hunters will all be on a boat soon. They share the progress and confer on the next press in that Ted needs to accept the mantle and not the prophet. Round two is called.

Bela is still working Bernard, and they back her up, arguing that Bernard would want to be a man of action and go after the adventure of the treasure map. Solberg helps them seal the deal with Ted, who agrees the mantle is certainly interesting, and something useful, or showable to other people. Solberg proposes he take the sword and the Hunters take the Prophet, but that they make a second agreement to loan the sword to them in exchange for evidence of the dragons and an introduction to their Valkyrie friend. He will pamper and take care of the Prophet while he is held in collateral. After they are done with the sword, they can exchange it and the Prophet in Las Vegas where Val is.

However, before they can sign the deal, Ms. Edge comes into the room bearing an unmarked white card. She shows Mr. Whitaker, who then leads her to the Hunters, Solberg, and Ted Morran. She hands the card to the Hunters, who saw both Arabic and English writing: "The Sheik of Dubai is willing to trade for the Sacred Mantle of the Prophet Mohammad. Name your price."

While such a note could throw things in disarray, the Hunters see the solution easily and pass the note on to Ted Morran. He accepts the card and the offer. "Now this will be interesting," he says, agreeing with Jon that a price might include contacts and connections, not just money. With this, every item with a cultural connection is repatriated. The Hunters sign the accessory contract with Solberg and leave the meeting with Gram.

The Hunters then get contacted by Grandma Remington and Mrs. Kahn, who tell them they are conspiring to go on a cruise together and are inviting "all the boys" to go with them and take a break after all their hard work. This confirms Eider's prophecy, and they agree. It will be a Mediterranean cruise out of Rome (Civitavechia), and sail in January.

Item Descriptions Below

Carbuncle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbuncle_(legendary_creature) A small legendary creature from South American Folklore but descriptions are always vague as to its nature (fur or feathers? For example). This little guy has a red, shinning mirror that glows like a hot coal on its head, thought to be a precious stone. The Chilean miners and local folklore, though, is that it will sniff out and find more treasure for you if you follow a complex ritual. (Better to be tenacious and fins a vein of gold or gems than kill it for the one)

Cornucopia (Not to be confused with the Hamper of Gwyddno Garanhir) A simple but overly large goat horn, always overflowing. Either created by Zeus (the horn of his nursemaid goat) or Heracles (the horn of a river god), it became a symbol of nourishment.

Golden Fillet of Sun Wukong A simple, plain golden band to be worn upon the head. When Sun is released from a five hundred year long imprisonment, he kills a group of six thieves. He is forced to wear the fillet as a form of punishment to reign in his unruly and rebellious nature. Sun Wukong is a personification of the Buddhist concept of the “Monkey of the Mind” (xinyuan, 心猿), or the disquieted mind that keeps humanity from enlightenment, so this is a symbol of Buddhist restraint or quieting of the mind. The fillet disappears when he reaches Buddhahood. However, it does show up later in the Later Journey to the West, when his grandson/descendant Sun Luzhen, has it placed on him to teach him restraint.

The fillet likely derives from copying some 8th c CE yogis and would be recognizable to contemporaries as a Buddhist item. As a legendary item, in Journey to the West chapter eight, three “tightening fillets” are given to the Bodhisattva Guanyin by the Buddha in order to conquer any demons that she may come across while searching for a monk who will bring sutras back to China from India:

“These treasures are called the tightening fillets, and though they are all alike, their uses are not the same. I have a separate spell for each of them: the Golden, the Constrictive, and the Prohibitive Spell. If you encounter on the way any monster who possesses great magic powers, you must persuade him to learn to be good and to follow the scripture pilgrim as his disciple. If he is disobedient, this fillet may be put on his head, and it will strike root the moment it comes into contact with the flesh. Recite the particular spell which belongs to the fillet and it will cause the head to swell and ache so painfully that he will think his brains are bursting. That will persuade him to come within our fold”  https://journeytothewestresearch.com/2017/12/16/the-purpose-and-possible-origin-of-sun-wukongs-golden-fillet/

Gram https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gram_(mythology) Nowhere in the Völsunga saga is a clear description of Gram given, but there is enough scattered throughout the story to draw a picture of the sword. Sigurd's weapons, Gram included, are described as being "all decked with gold and gleaming bright".[6] Depending on how the text is read, the sword may or may not have a dragon emblazoned on it and/or depending on the translation have been "brown of hue".[7]

Gram is otherwise a normal sword but overcomes a dragon’s longevity (immortality) trait. Normal damage reductions and such still apply - wouldn’t want it to be easy.

Hand of Glory A Hanged Man’s Hand turned candle, not common but possible to make. The Person must’ve been hanged for murder, the hand is the left one, and the wax his own. There are other steps in the ritual of making it. Purportedly people freeze in its presence and it can unlock or otherwise bypass any lock.

Heart of the Young Heart of the young - Young at heart.  Consuming it give you the body of an adult or elder, the mind and speech of a child until out of your system. It’s intriguing on how it might be useful or not.

Ker's Fortitude It’s a bit of scorched demon soul in a vial. Consuming it will turn you into a demon for a day. One of a set made by someone now only remembered by the name.

Map to the Treasure of the Llanganates https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_of_the_Llanganatis The Treasure of the Llanganates refers to a huge amount of gold, silver, platinum and electrum artifacts, as well as other treasures, supposedly hidden deep within the Llanganates mountain range of Ecuador by the Inca general Rumiñahui. He was captured, tortured, but refused to give up the location. The treasure would include the priceless and holy decorations of temples, items belonging to temple dancers, and the ransom money for Atahualpa, who was murdered by the distrustful Pizarro. Upon hearing of Atahualpa’s murder, Ruminahui had the gold hidden as he went to fight the Spanish, and had others bring in such other treasures for safekeeping. This treasure could potentially have a blood money curse as Pizarro broke his word and showed his dishonor.

Orb of Angel Flight This was made by a human mage long ago but no one knows how to get it to work. It supposedly has a little bit of Angel Grace powering it, which theoretically allows the user to teleport around the mortal plain as if using angel wings. Stories of people trying to break it to get the Grace, which would be very powerful, have all ended in failure.

Prophet of the Lord The prophet is able to write the Word of God, so clues to the future or past may be available in their writing. In theory, they can read other texts of forgotten languages or written by divine beings.

Text on Hellhounds An ancient looking page torn out of a book. It has a nice calligraphic font, some blood spatter, and is written in Latin. It seems to indicate a way of staving off or sating hellhounds. You can only see the front side, the method is promised to be on back.

Whetstone of Tudwal Tudglyd https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Treasures_of_the_Island_of_Britain Sharpens the blade of a fine warrior. It shall draw blood from any enemy of its user if its user be brave; if its user shall be cowardly, then the blade shall not be sharpened and draw no blood whatsoever.