07.01k Either Orr

The goings on of courts
misfit
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07.01k Either Orr

Post by misfit »

Harrune will approach the table of the Orr. "Good evening Teresa...Nathaniel. I hope you are enjoying the evening. Tabodi, Foradim, a pleasure to see you both again. I trust that your father is doing well? Ossian sends his regards. I see that you have a few seats left open for late arrivals. Would you mind if I joined you? I've been so busy with the holidays that I've lost touch with some things. It would be good to hear your insights into the state of affairs."
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Joshua
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Re: 07.01k Either Orr

Post by Joshua »

Nathaniel will nod. "Thank you. You honor us with..." He will stop mid-sentence. "It's nice to have the attention, but things have been difficult. If you're willing to listen, I'm more than happy to share." he will smile.

"It is difficult. The hardest part is the investment required to do importing. Advanced magics or an amberite willing to help. There is no other real choice. That's the biggest problem."
misfit
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Re: 07.01k Either Orr

Post by misfit »

"Yes, that has been the biggest problem with importing. There are so few that can actually do it. That does severely limit things. Of course there are other options as well...for those who can see them."

"As for investments, I have resources I can invest in worthwhile enterprises...if an equitable agreement can be negotiated. By all means, tell me about your difficulties. I am certainly willing to listen. Once I know the particulars I will know what help, if any, I can give. And please, let's dispense with the social dancing for tonight shall we? It is always so much easier when we can relate openly and directly."

Harrune will flag down a passing servant and request a drink (because he hasn't made it as far as refreshment table yet). He then settles down to Nathaniel's response.
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Joshua
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Re: 07.01k Either Orr

Post by Joshua »

Nate blinks. "Uh... Well, my father imports silk, and we have some of the best tailors on staff, but raw material is hard to import. There are issues with Master Wyllt (head of mage guild) fixing prices, because of the high demand for those capable of exiting the city. The forests are ... full of monsters, and there hasn't been any luck getting silkworms to survive here. We really need someone who can shift shadow on our side, but the ability you have... If I thought I had a chance, I would ask to walk, but my father cannot afford my loss if I die."

Tabodi will roll her eyes at the phrase "talk frankly" and strike up a conversation with teh person sitting on the other side of her for now.
misfit
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Re: 07.01k Either Orr

Post by misfit »

Harrune ponders for a moment.

"Yes, I suppose we should do something about the forests...at least near the roads. We've just been too focused on the city to give that much thought."

Harrune pulls a small notebook and pencil out of his pocket and starts taking notes.

"Master Wyllt 'fixing prices'...or just charging what the market will bear? That's worth looking into."

"You import silk...have tailors...can't get silkworms to survive. So you have weavers as well? You could go from raw material to finished product? Do you know why the silkworms keep dying?"

Harrune scratches himself behind the ear this his pencil and gives Nathaniel a few moments to answer those questions. He then leans forward and looks intently at Nathaniel. "And now the hard question...and I need a brutally honest answer to this if I'm to help you: if silk isn't working for you, why hasn't your father switched to another fiber? Does he lack the resources to retool? Is silk all he knows? Is he too hidebound to make a change? Why?"

(OCC: I left a gap in the middle rather than let this be two posts because: A) I wanted to move things along, and B) my train of thought gets too easily derailed. LOL)
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Joshua
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Re: 07.01k Either Orr

Post by Joshua »

"Our clients want silk." Nate explains, "It is high end. We could attempt to work with another type of fabric... Although, leather, and others have to be imported currently regardless. The cost is in the traveling, so, best to import expensive things."

"We need several thousand of them to get even a slow trickle of silk. We'd need a large plantation to do that, and there isn't enough room. Perhaps... if we could shift a single shadow over... and do it that way... but... I'm not sure if it's that easy."

"To explain why we can't switch... let's say it costs... oh... 5000 gold coins to pay someone to cary our raw materials. If they are silk, that's an additional 200 gold coins. If they are burlap or tweed, that's about 20. The silk garments sell for more than the amount we paid to import, the tweed would not."
misfit
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Re: 07.01k Either Orr

Post by misfit »

Harrune will continue to look Nathaniel in the eye for a moment, and then will sit back with his tail starting a slow wag.

"Those are good answers. And it is an interesting challenge. I see a few possibilities already, and am I'm sure there are more I don't see yet. Yes, I am definitely interested in doing business if we can come to terms."

At this point conversation is interrupted by the arrival of the soup course.

After sampling his consomme Harrune will continue. "With my commitments to the ongoing festival it will be a few days before I can start anything. I believe the best thing would be to just go for a walk in the shadows. I have a knack for walking to what I need, even if I don't always know what that is when I leave. I can take you with me and we can go find something that will help your family's situation. If that is acceptable to you then we will need to discuss a price..."
Wyvern
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Re: 07.01k Either Orr

Post by Wyvern »

OOC Aside: If you asked Alys - which you didn't, and maybe shouldn't - what you need is obviously sea serpents. Specifically:
  • Sea serpent: large water-dwelling critter, big enough to tow a ship. This is the base creature, and costs zero points.
  • 2 points: Shadow Path: The sea serpent can find its way to any shadow it knows well - in other words, once an Amberite has showed it a few different places to swim to, it can make the trip on its own... and tow a ship along the way. (As per normal rules of being able to travel through shadow with an amount of stuff you could physically carry.)
  • 1 point: Psychic Sensitivity: The sea serpent can establish a mental link with someone touching it - a useful property to allow someone without amber psyche to train and handle the creatures.
Three points for one serpent. Six for named and numbered - a good starting point for enough of a breeding stock to eventually expand to... Nine points for horde quantity, at which point issues of bulk trade are more or less solved, and attacking Amber by sea becomes (even more) foolhardy.

Edit: Josh wanted me to note that you can just walk out and find such things, without paying points for them. But that makes it, quote, "easier for the GM to mess with". In other words, spending points is a good idea if you want to avoid, say, accidentally putting Rebma under siege from wild sea serpents. (Okay, so that'd probably only happen with a good dose of bad stuff in the mix as well, but you get the idea.)

Edit2: On the flip side, you can also split the point cost with another PC; for example, if you did bring this up with Alys, and brought her in on helping with sea serpent wrangling, we could spend three points each in order to get named and numbered serpents.

Edit3: And now the topic has come around again in the thread Alys is in, so maybe we'll have sea serpents regardless.
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Joshua
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Re: 07.01k Either Orr

Post by Joshua »

Nathaniel sighs. "I am willing to do anything to support my family. However... As I am important to the continued well-being of my family that does seem to limit what I can offer. If the walk is relatively safe, I can commit to that. As for price, I know there is only one thing you value in Amber. I cannot speak for my family in that matter, but perhaps introductions can be made. My father would need to speak to it."
misfit
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Re: 07.01k Either Orr

Post by misfit »

"Well of course I can't expect you to commit for someone else. Finalizing negotiations can wait until we can include your father."

"Just so you understand, this what I am putting on the table. I am offering to take you into the shadows to find something that can solve your family's current problems. I can promise that we will find such a thing. Whether you can successfully acquire it will be up to you...after all would you leave negotiating your family's future to a stranger who has his own agenda? And of course I have my own agenda...who doesn't? But in this case I believe our agendas work together."

"Relative safety is the best I can promise. Walking the shadows is never completely safe. As much as may be I will steer us away from danger and will do what I can to protect you. If you have any skill at arms I suggest you come armed."

"Is that satisfactory, or is there something more you would like to add?"
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