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388YE Autumn Sarcophan ambassador briefing


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Dino i Riqueza, Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves

Overview

This briefing was prepared for Dino i Riqueza, Ambassador to the Sarcophan Delves, and presented at the Autumn Equinox 388YE. It will be made available to any citizen who requests it following the summit. It is intended to be read in conjunction with the Those memories of you wind of fortune. As an ambassadorial briefing, it takes for granted a degree of understanding of political matters that might prove opaque to casual readers.

Jakhalsmarkt and Far Horizons

  • Annabele de Gouden and the House of the Jackal are profiting from trade with Imperial captains and keen to see it continue
  • The merchants of the Sarcophan Delves are very interested in the Court of Far Horizons

The matter of Jakhalsmarkt, and continued access to "triumph vis" and star jewels, appears to be reasonably straightforward as far as the civil service can assess. Annabelle de Gouden does need a measure of external investment to the tune of 70 Thrones to secure the agreements with her Jarmish contacts that allow her to bring these magical goods to market. It isn't just a matter of securing product for Imperial traders, the House of the Jackal needs to buy large amounts of goods to keep up with demand. If the Empire doesn't invest, it won't ruin de Gouden but it will mean she isn't able to provide the quantity or quality of goods offered so far, or at least not in sufficient amounts to be able to service Imperial traders.

Some cursory investigation of De Gouden suggests that she is not joking when she mentions that she'd actually prefer to deal with a group like the Court of Far Horizons. De Gouden is a traditional Sarcophan merchant, and is always happier when dealing with other merchants like herself, rather than politicians or diplomats. This isn't that uncommon an attitude among the bedelaar husibaas and the founding families. In the opinion of the civil service, the creation of an Imperial sodality with the freedom to make trade policy would be very attractive to the Sarcophan, and they cautiously suggest that it would create more wide-ranging opportunities to get access to goods from ports Imperial captains can't approach directly.

Kraft Brothers

  • The Kraft brothers have rolled up their interests in Hahnmark but are still keen to invest in opportunities in the Empire

The farmers of Hahnmark made their decision during the Spring Equinox, and have politely severed ties with the Kraft brothers. The brothers have spent the last six months rolling up their investment in Wintermark, and are now looking for other opportunities to make money from Imperial citizens. This means that there will be no easy access to vizesmaak going forward. The civil service note that if the Ambassador has any ideas for areas the Kraft brothers might find a welcome with their hare-brained schemes they could pass that information along via Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike.

Zuredruiven Vintners

  • The Zuredruiven vintners are eager to ensure that their investment in Hahnmark goes well

Conversely, the Zuredruiven vintners are enthusiastically investing in the herb gardens of Hahnmark. They primarily use draaikolkbloem to produce popular wines, but the plant also has some use in potion making.

Information has reached the civil service in Sarcophan that the plant can be used to make at least one other potion, but for some reason the Zuredruiven vintners have not shared it with Imperial apothecaries so far. While it is easy to jump to the conclusion that this is due to the potion having some unpalatable quality that might offend or concern Imperial citizens, no specific evidence of this being the case has been found so far. Speculation suggests that either the Zuredruiven consider it to be a useless potion; that they consider it to be too valuable to share with the apothecaries of Wintermark and wish to maintain a monopoly on it; or that it is not part of the lore of the Infusions of Feathers and thus they consider it to be of little interest to the Wintermark folk.

Getting hold of a sample of this potion is feasible, but it would need to be purchased from a Sarcophan apothecary. The civil service in the Delves believe they can track down someone capable of making the preparation but it will require an investment (as does everything in the Sarcophan Delves). 5 Thrones should be sufficient, and if the Ambassador can provide that money the civil service will attempt to secure samples and deliver them in time for the Winter solstice. (OOC Note: If the Ambassador wishes to take advantage of this offer, they'll need to make sure that the funds are in their inventory and email plot@profounddecisions.co.uk after the event to ensure the funds are removed and the civil service are set on the task of tracking down this alleged third preparation).

Catharina Gjullit

  • A Sarcophan scholar is interested in acquiring consumables and magic items related to the vallorn

Catharina Gjullit, a scholar, is considered a little peculiar in the Delves. Academics rarely have much prestige in Sarcophan; expertise tends to be viewed as a commodity rather than a Virtuous end in itself. Her interest in the vallorn is not new but has apparently become more intense over the last year or so. She had originally intended to visit the Empire in person last year but failing health has made that impossible. Thus the arrangement with the City of Gold and Lead.

Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike is obviously aware of her interests in purchasing vallorn-related goods from the Empire. Some concerns have been expressed at the Beggar's Feast relating to the potential threat of a vallorn incursion in the Delves; few Sarcophan know much about the vallorn after all. The Sarcophan diplomat asks that the ambassador either provide reassurance that there is no chance of trade in vallorn-related goods placing the Delves at risk of an attack by the vallorn. If it isn't safe, they ask that the Ambassador take whatever steps are appropriate to discourage anyone offering them to Catherina. Given the resources the scholar has access to, Annike herself is not too worried that she will be able to acquire a dangerous weapon or unleash a vegetative catastrophe, but it pays to be a little cautious even in the Delves.

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Final impression of the planned cathedral of the Navigators.

Cathedral of the Navigators

  • The reputation of the Imperial Synod in the Sarcophan Delves has been wrecked
  • The congregation of the Cathedral of the Navigators has dwindled to almost nothing
  • The Sumaah präster have made significant gains in influence at the expense of the Empire
  • Any effort to restore the prestige of the Cathedral of the Navigators will be an uphill struggle

The Cathedral of the Navigators has seen its congregation dwindle over the last year. After the Spring Equinox, Ambassador Dino informed Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike that Highguard intended to send more priests to the cathedral and rebuild its reputation. The Sarcophan diplomat responds in a carefully neutral fashion, and wishes all those involved good fortune in their endeavour, in a way that makes it clear she thinks it is a lost cause.

The civil service have made a cursory examination of the issue, and it does not look good. Repeated warnings about the dangers of selling religious sculpture to people who had no interest in the Way were ignored. The Sumaah Republic präster, who have their own cathedral in the Buitenlandsewijk, have preached repeatedly that the Highborn have sacrificed Prosperity in exchange for greed. The Sarcophan pilgrims, those small communities who are devout followers of the Way, have mostly turned away from the Imperial Synod in disgust over what they see as the founders of the Way selling out to a fringe Sarcophan group with heretical and blasphemous ideas about life and death. While it was Highborn benefactors who ultimately arranged the trade, the fact the Bishop of the Navigators represents the General Assembly means it is the Synod as a whole that is seen to be to blame.

Attempting to rebuild respect for the Cathedral of the Navigators is likely to be an uphill struggle. The nature of trust is that it is hard to restore once it has been lost. Even completing the Grand Inspiration of the Way would not be sufficient to undo the damage caused to the relationship between Sarcophan and Imperial pilgrims of the Way, though it would create a solid foundation on which to begin that task.

The civil service suggest that the best route forward at this time is likely to be an appraisal, but caution that doing so without the support and approval of the Sarcophan themselves will be a struggle in itself. They also warn that an early assessment suggests it will be very expensive. Restoring the prestige of the Cathedral to its earlier levels is going to cost more than the Cathedral cost to build in this first place. Restoring the ruined reputation of the Bishop of the Navigators, and the Imperial synod, will take a lot more than simply sending priests to preach to an empty building.

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Magpies

Ilium Jackals

  • The Ilium Jackals have been offered a contract fighting for the Boyar's Hasta

Led by Maarten Nydeggen Vam Braam, the Ilium Jackals are a far-travelled group of Sarcophan mercenaries. During the Summer Solstice, their contract was purchased on behalf of the Boyar's Hasta. While they are somewhat focused on exploration and seeking lost wealth, like many sell swords they are experienced at plunder and pillage. The company offers their services as looters and raiders, allowing the general of the Boyar's Hasta to freely issue the plunder order each season for the next year (rather than having to adhere to the usual restrictions of using an order once per year).

Before they will take up their positions however, they need to be paid. Details of the contract negotiations are not common knowledge, but providing the funds agreed will fall to the general of the Boyar's Hasta Serafina Semenov. If they aren't paid in a timely fashion the Ilium Jackals will look for other work elsewhere in the environs of the Bay of Catazar - which may involve simply going back to work for the Grendel of course.

The civil service note that there are some alternatives however. The general of the Boyar's Hasta could arrange for the Wolves of War to take up the contract instead. If Jean d'Apulian or their successor paid the contract price, and the Boyar's Hasta didn't contest it, then it'd be a done deal.

However there is another possibility. The Ilium Jackals are first-and-foremost treasure hunters. If the general of the Boyar's Hasta was amenable, they could pass the contract along to the Magpies instead. Instead of one of the generals, the Speaker of the Magpies Morgan Drifting Bough would need to provide the agreed on money. If they did this, then at the Winter Solstice it would create an opportunity for the Magpies to send the Ilium Jackals to seek out a relic or treasure on their behalf. They would only commit to one such search, and how successful they were would depend entirely on the item they were looking for.

The decision about where the Ilium Jackals will be deployed is ultimately up to the general of the Boyar's Hasta, and will need to be made during the Autumn Equinox.

Sarcophan Further Reading

Winds of Fortune

Sarcophan Associated Titles

Sarcophan History


Click Expand to see a summary of various pages related to the Sarcophan Delves.

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