Towers and crows
Hendrik von Gjullit kept his eyes fixed on his host, even as he added a little cinnamon to the brew. He stirred the cup, but didn't pick it up, it. Freshly boiled, it was still too hot to drink without milk or kummel to cool it down. "I've come about the Imperial request for markets for their goods, Annike, I'm happy to say I'm in a position to make an appealing offer," he said, a thin smile drifting across his face as he spoke. Rather than interrupt her guest, the ambassador only arched one eyebrow, indicating he should continue.
"As you know, the Empire turned down our generous offer to supply them with weirwood at competitive rates. Fortunately we found another buyer, one in the Empire's own backyard as it turned out." He paused to give his host a chance to interrupt but continued on when they said nothing. "Our customer is eager for more weirwood, more than we can supply. The war leaves them hard-pressed and desperate."
"Desperate customers pay desperate prices." Annike intoned in response. "And your proposal?"
"Open negotiations with the Empire at three thrones a wain. If we can agree a reasonable price, Gjullit ships, can collect the weirwood and have it sailing across the Bay before the tide turns."
"It's risky..." the ambassador responded, her wrinkled face clearly showing her deep concern.
"Not at all, our vessels will be quite safe from pirates, that is all taken care of," Hendrik replied without a moment's hesitation.
"That's not the risk I'm concerned about..." his host cut in. She paused for a moment and then continued. "Still the risks should be mitigated if we were up front with them about the end markets..."
Overview
Each season the Civil Service prepares a summary of the Empire's relationship with the foreign nations, based on communications received from their ambassador, along with any useful intelligence gathered from other sources. While the Senate and the other houses of Imperial power may respond to these offers, it is important to note that it is the appropriate ambassador that the foreign power will expect to hear from. Their communication with the foreign power is the primary element that will determine the tenor of any response.
Among the six great powers, the bedelaar huisbaas merchant-princes of the Sarcophan Delves seek to maintain a level of neutrality. They trade enthusiastically with the Empire, and welcome Imperial merchants in their turn. While they have outlawed slavery, and the trade in slaves, they refuse to pick a side between the nations that make up the Liberty Pact and the so-called Freedom Accord. More than anything else, they want to ensure that their trade vessels have free access to the wealth of the world, all the better to funnel as much of it as possible into their own pockets.
The Sarcophan ambassador to the Empire is Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike, of the Tower of Crows. She reports to the beggar-landlords of Sarcophan, and is known to be a wily and subtle diplomat. No stranger to the murkier waters of espionage and intelligence-gathering, she constantly seeks opportunities to expand the influence of the Sarcophan mercantile Empire across the Known World. She has no particular loyalty to any one faction; her main concern appears to be the prosperity of the nation as a whole.
- Status: foreigner
- Ports: Sarcophan and Betovering
- Ambassador: Thanmir Hrafnar of Wintermark
Free and Open Trade
- Relations with the Delves are positive, tinged with disappointment by the failure of recent trade deals
- They are determined to remain neutral, wary of being dragged into the war between Asavea and the Empire (and between the Commonwealth and Jarm)
Representatives from the Sarcophan Delves were part of the original negotiations for the Liberty Pact, but they ultimately elected not to sign it, preferring not to be bound by it's restrictions on trade. As a nation of merchants they strive to maintain profitable trading relations with every nation and their primary concern is to ensure that nothing damages their ability to buy and sell in every port in the world.
Their ambassador, Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike, has been coy about the details, but it is more than likely that the Delves played a similar role in the creation of the Freedom Accord, the rival pact between the Principalities of Jarm and the Asavean Archipelago. Whatever the truth of the matter, their stated goal is to remain neutral and to pursue profits above all other concerns.
They appear determined to maintain this neutrality even as the drumbeat of war between the great powers of the world has grown steadily louder. There is a degree of fatalism about the current turmoil, with some fearful that the Delves will be forced to pick sides. They are determined to avoid that fate, arguing that this slide to war was an inevitable consequence of the creation of the Liberty Pact. In their view it is the dogmatism of the Commonwealth, the Sumaah Republic and the Empire that is to blame for the current fighting.
Not all Sarcophan view these conflicts with apprehension however; while many fear the loss of markets and profits that war often brings others are more positive, speaking enthusiastically of the insatiable demand for key products. War breeds desperation they say, and desperate customers don't balk at the price...
Thus, relations with the Sarcophan remain broadly positive, despite the failure of a number of high-profile attempts to create significant trade deals in recent years. The Gjullit proposal to deliver weirwood to the abandoned Pallas Docks foundered after seasons of consideration. Likewise, a recent offer from wealthy apothecary guilds to pay 175 thrones for exclusive access to the knowledge of how to create the Unshackled Gift potions was regretfully declined by the Imperial ambassador.
Most recently, tentative discussions to open the Sarcophan port of Schedalhaven to Imperial shipping camp to nothing over fears of the impact of the many exotic and intoxicating narcotics that the port supplies. Despite these setbacks, the Sarcophan remain publicly friendly towards the Empire, but there are some signs that the bedelaar huisbaas are focussing their more ambitious efforts on other markets recently.
The Volte-face Trade
- The Sarcophan are open to opportunities to purchase bourse materials from the Empire, but would need information on prices and volume
- The Sarcophan are prepared to open negotiations at 2 thrones a wain for mithril, weirwood or white granite
- They would open negotiations at 3 thrones a wain for weirwood, if the Empire were happy for them to immediately sell the wood on to the Grendel
There is significant interest in news from the Empire that the Imperial Senate might be interested in selling wains of valuable bourse materials to the Sarcophan. Beldelar Huisbaas Annike is keen to assure the Imperial Ambassador that the Sarcophan are interested in buying. There are few things Sarcophan merchants will not deal in, but previously bourse materials have always been in high demand in the Empire and have commanded high prices as a result. Barely a year ago, for example, the Imperial ambassador was keen to explore whatever opportunities existed for the Empire to buy such strategically vital materials from the Sarcophan Delves.
Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike makes clear that they will purchase any bourse materials that the Empire wishes to sell, provided the price is right. However the Imperial Senate will need to understand that the Empire has long been considered a sellers' market with bourse materials in the Empire commanding sky high values. Nobody is going to buy mithril from the Empire at four or five Thrones a wain. There may be Sarcophan merchants prepared to spend money to ship mithril to the Empire to sell it at that price – but they wouldn't buy it at that value, especially given the current difficulties in sailing through Imperial waters.
There are significant risks involved in shipping bourse materials to foreign nations, particularly now that the Bay of Catazar has become a war zone. Any traders looking to make a deal and agree a long term price would have to take those risks into account. That is going to depress the price - realistically any Sarcophan would be looking to open negotiations at two thrones a wain for any of the three bulk bourse materials (mithril, weirwood, white granite).
If the Imperial Senate are serious about wanting to sell wains to raise money, then the Sarcophan are prepared to send a trade delegation to discuss proposals with the ambassador at the Autumn Equinox, but Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike does not want to waste anyone's time if there isn't a credible possibility of closing a deal.
There is one way that the Sarcophan could afford to pay more. Part of the issue of shipping bourse resources is the size and weight of them; a small merchant ship can only carry so many wains. Wains are bulky and heavy, and ships filled with mithril sit very low in the water... and thus draw pirates like flies round honey. Sailing ships laden with bourse resources through the Bay of Catazar carries a high risk - and that affects the price they will pay. While they could in theory brave the Sea of Snow, or pass through the Mallum to reach the Semmerlak, these routes are not any safer than sailing the better-known routes through the Bay.
However, there is a practical way to avoid these costs and risks. Specifically, if the Empire were looking to sell weirwood, then there is a "local buyer" in the Bay of Catazar that the Sarcophan could quickly sell the wains on to. If the trade were all arranged, a deal could be made with that neighbour, that would allow Sarcophan merchants to open negotiations at three thrones a wain for a bulk order of weirwood. There would be almost no risk of piracy if the Sarcophan were sailing the weirwood across the Bay of Catazar...
Obviously Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike is aware of the current conflict in the Bay, so they understand why such an offer might be completely unacceptable. After all, this other neighbour is already buying all the weirwood the Delves can supply to frantically build navies at this very moment. If the Empire increase the supply of weirwood... then that will inevitably increase the speed with which their rival can build navies. That is, sadly, the nature of commerce and war.
The choice is up to the Empire, it really depends how much they need the money... The Sarcophan are more than happy to do the deal, and they know that their potential buyer won't care where the weirwood is coming from, but they don't want to set up the trade without the Empire understanding the consequences. Lifting tariffs and taxes from Sarcophan traders operating in Imperial ports has been a big boon to the Delves, they don't want to put that at risk by there being any misunderstanding.
The civil service wearily clarify that the neighbour the Sarcophan Delves is talking about are obviously the Grendel. Trading directly with the orcs of the Broken Shore – who are barbarians – would clearly be illegal. Selling weirwood to the Sarcophan – who are not barbarians – in the knowledge they intend to sell it on to the Grendel is a much murkier legal situation.
Storms
- The storms of the Bay of Catazar are a major concern for the Sarcophan Delves
Unfortunately, any chance of increased profit has taken another hit thanks to the magical storms that have recently pounded the Bay of Catazar. The ambassadors to the Commonwealth, the Sumaah and the Delves all took the time to write to their counterparts warning them of the dangers caused by Foam and Spittle of the Furious Sea being cast on the waters of the Bay. For the most part these warnings were well received, their merchants were advised of the risks and made decisions accordingly. It is notable that while significantly fewer Commonwealth and Sumaah vessels braved the Bay of Catazar, there has been no appreciable reduction in Sarcophan vessels. They appear to have made their own arrangements to deal with the storms – and profited significantly when those storms fail to materialize anywhere save Madruga (where the Sarcophan were not particularly trading anyway given the turmoil in the Brass Coast territory).
However, Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike is a little concerned to discover that the recent storm-raising magic was endorsed by the Imperial Conclave. The Delves take no sides in the conflict between the Empire and the Grendel but the Ambassador has concerned by anything that threatens their trade routes, especially if that threat seems likely to recur.
Perhaps more seriously, however, are the storms prior to the Spring Equinox that targeted Sarvos. The Sarcophan Delves operate an enclave in the old Alvetti estates there, ceded to them as part of a treaty agreement with the Imperial Senate in 383YE. In the wake of the storms that hit Sarvos, local Sarcophan were especially salty about the failure to warn them that the Empire had decided to curse the estates belonging to the Vandersaar family, without issuing them with an equivalent warning.
A contrite apology by the Imperial Ambassador might have been enough to smooth things over, but despite the warnings issued the Vandersaar seem a little miffed that no such apology was forthcoming. They do however appreciate the candour of the Ambassador's comments around their request to be invited to present proposals to expand current trading operations, by opening up new markets in the Empire for rare narcotic herbs. Indeed, they go so far as to thank Ambassador Thanmir for his suggestion and they intend to give the matter some consideration before, most likely, following the course of action he proposed at least in the short term.
The Dodgy Dossier
- The Sarcophan are offering to pay 18 thrones for access to the Regario Dossier
In previous seasons, the Tower of Crows has negotiated a deal offering an exchange of intelligence between themselves and the holder of the Regario Dossier. They raised the possibility of repeating the exchange for the latest intelligence, either providing information gathered by Sarcophan agents on the great powers, or by paying a suitable price to be negotiated. The trade has proved useful to all concerned, but the ongoing wars between the Asavean Plenum, the Sumaah Republic, and the Empire, and between the Jarmish and the Commonwealth has complicated matters for the Sarcophan.
Unfortunately, Bedelar Huisbaas Annike is forced to offer an apology to her Imperial counterpart. It is one thing to share knowledge with a friend during times of peace, it is a different matter when the world is at war. Sarcophan merchants still sail to Asavean ports - what happens if the Asaveans discover that the Delves are sharing what they learn from those merchants with a nation Asavea is at war with? Of course the ambassador trusts the Empire to handle the exchange with absolute discretion, but the risks are simply too great to be borne. It would utterly compromise Sarcophan neutrality and put them in an impossible position.
Thus, regrettably, the Bedelar Huisbaas Annike discovers she is not in a position to share intelligence with the Empire after all. However, she would still like access to any information the Regario Dossier has gathered if such is available. Obviously they can't ask for something for nothing, and they can't trade intelligence for intelligence as they have done previously, so they wondered if a monetary offer might be sufficient? They would be prepared to offer the holder of the Regario Dossier 18 thrones for complete access to the Dossier.
If that offer is acceptable to the holder of the dossier, then they can instruct the civil service to provide the office of Bedelaar Huisbaas Annike with the latest copy of the dossier (OOC Note: email plot@profounddecisions.co.uk to indicate that you have accepted this offer).
Reading between the lines, the civil service venture to suggest that this abrupt change in tack by Bedelar Huisbaas Annike is likely the result of pressure from her own people rather than any inconstancy or personal stratagem. It's possible that some of the other Bedelar Huisbaa have intervened to prevent the proposed exchange, or that something in the Sarcophan dossier has proven "spicier" than the Tower of Crows initially surmised.
The current holder of the Regario Dossier is Laszlo Gulyas von Temeschwar, of the Guild of Drovers.
The Silence of the Elakar
- The Sarcophan were asked for information on the Elakar or the Book of Silence, but have been unwilling to help with either
The Imperial Ambassador has requested more information about the Elakar, but the Sarcophan remain cagey. They claim to know them well – presumably confirming suspicions that they are a foreign nation with which the Delves trades - but do not intend to share any further information with the Empire.
Allegedly this is out of respect for the Elakar's privacy, but in less guarded moments they tend to let their real motivation slip. They appear to value the trade monopoly they enjoy with the Elakar and are not eager to jeopardise that by introducing them to a potential rival like the Empire. At this time, then, they are not willing to provide any information on the Elakar, other than to confirm that they have not been made aware of any official Elakar delegation to the Empire.
Likewise, they are unwilling to provide any access to the "Book of Silence". Many exotic tomes that find their way to the markets of the Sarcophan Delves, but there is nobody prepared to provide one matching the description provided by the ambassador. They politely ask the ambassador's office for more information on this book, in particular why the Empire believe they have it. If Bedelaar Huisbaas understood the context, such as where the rumours surrounding this book had come from, then they might be able to follow whatever lead the Empire believes exists, but without that it is impossible. Given the contents mentioned by the Imperial Ambassador, it is possible that the information they are seeking might be found in the Delves, perhaps in the possession of the custodians of the Houses of Silence.
Bedelar Huisbaas Annike does sound a note of caution, however, in the interests of managing Imperial expectations. The Delves invited the Empire to establish the Cathedral of the Navigators in the Buitenlandsewijk, and they have no interest in preventing Imperial missionaries visiting Sarcophan. But the people of the Delves have their own faith, their own religion, and their own beliefs about what happens after death. The priests of that faith have no reason to be friendly to the Empire, whose goal of converting everyone to the Way is well known. The Bedelar Huisbaas will not stop wayfarers coming to the Delves as long as they remain civil, but they likewise have no interest in putting any pressure on the custodians of the Houses of Silence on behalf of the Empire.