Bjorkus has very little trouble learning about the drug trade. After eyeing a few potential people in some shady bars and asking some subtle questions, he finds a few low-level dealers. He finds flayleaf, opium, and pesh to be the most popular.
The suppliers seem to be, surprisingly, mostly inside the city. There is a thriving nest of alchemists in Grastle Hollow, so they make most of their own drugs here.
However, he hits a dead-end when it comes to looking for the kingpins. Even Bjorkus's most delicate kind of diplomacy seems to fall short of whatever intrinsic fear of their bosses the drug dealers have.
Bjorkus reports his findings to the party.
"Whoever runs the drug trade within the city is doin' a real good job of stayin' off the streets. We're gunna need something big to lure him out into the daylight."
”Questions?” Rilka repeats mostly to herself. ”Why, yes: do I need to bring my own mop, scrub brushes, and bucket? What about ammonia, lye, or polish? Finally, how dangerous are the tunnels? Are the tunnels breached by raiding parties or the occasional rust monster or gelatinous cube?”
"Everything is provided, including a uniform. I suggest bringing a lunch or enough money to purchase one. There are some parts of the tunnels that can be dangerous, but your job will not take you near that. At worst you may catch some sickness from the bathrooms if you don't follow our cleanliness procedures. Anything else?"
”Oh I follow directions really well. I’m a master janitor after all. Thank you for the help. I will be here tomorrow morning.”
A very severe shortage. I wonder how the fallout is going?
After his visit with Malan, Dalton wouldn't quite call the smithy an alien location anymore, though it was far from familiar. He surely looked out-of-place in the various armor and weapon shops, though this served to enhance his guise.
"Good day, sir. As you can probably tell, I am not one to wield sword or shield myself, but I travel with a group that is rather adept with them. We are trying to seek-out some better grade of protection, but I keep hearing resilient adamantium is simply gone? I'm willing to pay top coin for it, but can't seem to find it anywhere! Surely you have something..."
"Oh, that's dreadful! Why would your suppliers leave you so dry as that? I'll have no choice but to take my business to another town unless something can be done about the acquisition of the sky metal."
Now, Dalton couldn't tell bracers from a bulette, but he did know customers with coin passing-by could elicit a rustling of loose tongues.
I need to know what the story is. Someone has to be willing to break the ice.
"Something a little more drastic will need to be done to find such important individuals."
"We are well. Currently, we are in Grastle Hollow, an advanced gnome enclave. They have advanced technology that might rival our clan's magitech. Fortunately, for us, though very much less so for them, their city is experiencing a manufactured adamantine shortage. To draw out the villains we are pursuing, it might be helpful if we could supply their needs. It also provides another opportunity for our clan's enrichment. I would like to suggest that you send one of Great Aunt Ordalla's subordinate priestesses to set up a banking concern in the city. This could be valuable to our clam in a threefold manner:
1. Expanding the reach of our financial services. You taught us that wealth breeds more wealth. This city seems in need loans to fund their research, and our family is happy to collect the interest.
2. Having a banking concern here would provide our clan with direct access to a competitor's technological goods.
3. Given the severity of the shortage, it might be lucrative to purchase it from the Airgidcasúr wholesale, teleport it to the concern and then sell it at a mark up to the metal starved smiths of this city. It could also provide a long term stream of income, if we can get these merchants to invest in purchasing futures from us because they fear the volatility of their own supply. With the right contract, we could be their main supplier even if the manufactured shortage ended.
Ianna seems to be taking to the political aspects of this mission with gusto. She seems to truly becoming into her own."
"Something a little more drastic will need to be done to find such important individuals."
~~~
After some pains, Dalton finally talks to a human armourer who gives him some information. A big black-bearded man with a white eye that had a scar running through it. "Aye, I've got some. But I've got a dozen other people wanting it off me. It's yours for ten times the price." He says deadpan, knowing perfectly well only the truly desperate would pay such a ridiculous price. "I think my supplier lost his spine. He just keeps giving me the run around, no real answer. But I can tell you this; I don't fight much anymore, but I know what to look for. He's taken some lumps in the past few weeks. Whatever's going on, it's violent, and he's not telling me the details."
~~~
Yana nods through the scry. "We could both help your endeavor and help the city and fatten our purses. A smart choice. I will see to it. Expect deliveries in mass by next week, about 4 or 5 days." Her eyes light up at the mention of Ianna. "Oh good, I'm glad she's finding such purpose in it. I know the life of adventure and danger is for you, but I was so worried when she decided to follow you out."
He knows his values.
"Violent? Not my specialty, but my good friends are quite the connoisseurs. How about this; let me know how to get in touch with him, and I'll see it his problem is fixed. Once the shipments return, you sell half the stream to me at double the price. I don't plan on reselling it here, so if you want to keep the shortage current and continue selling for tenfold? Fine by me."
If the man could do basic sums, he would see he was making out like a lion. So if he has any sense, he'll accept. That is if he's not in on it...
"Lopa" extended his hand.
The big scarred smith growls. "I don't like telling people about my contacts. Especially out-of-towners." He works his jaw around and spits into the fire behind him. After a half a minute he shakes his head. "Alright. Sounds like a pretty damn good deal, both for me and my customers. If you're just trying to find him to get him into more trouble though, I'll come and rip your god damn head off." He gives a loose smile, as if that last statement was more of a seal of friendship than a threat. With a crushing handshake, Dalton seals the deal. "Wiry little gnome, fella with blue hair by the name of Krayo Splintertoe. You'll him at..." The big smith gives a location at the northern train station where Splintertoe comes to at the end of every work week. He only spends the weekend in town, so he won't be here for another two days.
"She is surprisingly good at subterfuge. I did not know she had it in her to manipulate people. " Toramin says suggesting that he might have huge blinders about Ianna.
"In this town, I am going by Azan Dibh Muileta and Ianna is pretending to be Ziza Dibh Muileta. My suggestion for the banking concern is this: Don't keep anything valuable there. If my suspicions are correct, then it will be attacked. Be sure that the priestess running it has access to magic that will allow her to escape ambush. Our delivery system should be as thus: She will transmit the orders to you, the metal is delivered, and we guard it in transit in the city. Once the transaction is complete, we will bring the money back to your factor to have it sent to our vaults."
************
Toramin will bring Master Dalton on this scheme. He trusts the merchant to establish a fair price that will profit his family but not gouge the buyers too much.
"Then we just need to wait until we are attacked and then take them captive."
Ragnar systematically works his way through the city's districts hunting for information on the drug trade's kingpin. The brute uses every avenue at his disposal to get information out of Grastle Hollow's underground, from seduction, to intimidation, to straight up bribery.
Yana raises her brows at the mention of subterfuge. "She certainly is maturing quickly out there."
"Hmm. The problem with that measure of security is the transportation. We cannot reliably teleport for trade demand. I can certainly arrange for one or two to get the supplies there, or I could arrange mundane transportation that would take much longer, but we cannot have casters of that power level simply waiting on shipping orders."
Entering one end of an alley, Majet becomes Chibi and exits the alley’s other end, about half a mile from their inn. Chibi transforms to Rilka in the safety of their rooms.
”Well, Majet Tarcobble, master janitor, secured employment in the railway hub. I start tomorrow.”
She practices some balancing and hand walking exercises. ”You know, Bjorkus, look into who owns the buildings where the alchemists work. That might help us discover the drug kingpin. I’ll think of other ideas too.” Face flushed, she returns to her feet.
After carefully considering the halfling’s suggestion, Ragnar finds himself nodding in agreement. ”I’ll give it a shot. Thanks Chibi.”
Compared to canvasing the streets, locating the Hall of Records was a simple task. And it was all above board.
Bjorkus easily finds the list from the party's government contacts.
Major Alchemy Company Heads
Nixif
Lilza
Tanwin
Well Known Independent Alchemists
Dormin
Kelpip
Banmyra
Davkur
Erfan
Bjorkus works his way down the list of names, learning what he can about the important alchemy companies and alchemists in town.
Dalton thanked the mind kindly, taking his leave from the worker.
Normally blue hair would be distinguishing enough, but with gnomes, it didn't give the mage the level of uniqueness he needed on its own. He hoofed it to the Northern station, taking in the infrastructure of the city as he went. Very susceptible to a weather disaster. The urbanites lived densely, and while their innovations might invoke grandeur, they did not assure the same solidity dwarven work did.
Reaching the appropriate place, Dalton sought-out a nearby watering hole. Were he not disguised, he would've sought out a place with better cuisine, but anywhere that served a bite and a sip would do.
He hoped to come closer to the small man's description without being too obvious as he struck up a conversation with the staff.
"Feels good to take a load off!" He had a sit after his long walk. "I've just gotten here, but there's certainly a lot to see! Always dazzled by the hair of the gnomes though - can't even get mine to stay straight. And the colors!.. the boldest we have is red. Do the shades mean anything?"
From what Bjorkus can gather, the big government producers are too strictly regulated to be major contributors. But the independent ones are just that; independent with little records or over-watch. Any or all of them could be a part of it. However, a lack of official over-watch also means a lack of superior security, which means that both sneaking supplies into the underground and interrogating the producers are both accomplish-able.
Dalton has no trouble finding an accommodating establishment. It just so happens that the bartender is a lithe little female gnome with red and cyan hair. She laughs lightly at the hair comment. "It's more of an obsession, really. A fashion statement if you will. Does each shade have any special sort of meaning?" She giggles. "Not at all. Each style means something different to the person sporting it, although sometimes trends set in. You're going to have to look a lot more specifically into a person if you want to know more about them, us gnomes aren't an easily categorized group." She says with a wink.
The merchant chuckled along with the cozying gnome's giggles. Just my luck. I suppose I'll have to be more direct.
"How nice it is to have a pleasant conversation with someone! A smith sent me this way to talk business with one of his associates. Blue hair, Kray... something or other." He leaned back and sighed. "Truth be told, I'd much rather stay here, have a few bites, take a nap. That's the way things go though, isn't it?"
"Lopa" watched her face for reaction to the name.
"Ah! Krayo Splintertoe. That was it! Do you know of him and where I could find him?"
The gnome puts a finger on her cheek and scrunches her nose. "Doesn't seem to ring a bell." After Dalton watches her reaction he reveals the full name and she shakes her head. "Sorry, don't know the fella. A smith you say? If he's talking about the miners we get a ton of them in here on the weekends, but I only work during the week."
"Lopa" orders sufficient food and drink to bide his time until the halfling leaves.
The halfling does not leave. In fact, he orders another cup and continues to read his book.
When Dalton returns, Toramin tells him that he should take orders from the merchants for the metal marked up for scarcity and the cost of teleportation.
Dalton's choices narrowed. Either he is just curious and knows nothing, or he is waiting me out. The latter case was dangerous, while the former was harmless. Either way, he still had the element of the initiative to his advantage.
Finishing his refreshments, the large man strolled over to the halfling. "Excuse me. Unless I'm mistaken, I believe you took a pause when the name of my business-associate to be was mentioned. Do you happen to know when he'll be around? I must say I don't intend to be in town for too long, and I'm on a rather tight timetable. My name is Lopa." Dalton extended a hand, waiting for the halfling's reaction.
Your move.
The halfling looks up from his book with a surprised expression. "I think you may have me confused with somebody else. I don't know what you mean."
Dalton took a seat near him, leaning in a bit, speaking softly. "Listen, I don't know much about this man. Does he not hold up his end of deals? If so, I would rather avoid doing business with him. I'd appreciate your honesty."
The irony of the last claim wasn't lost on the mage.
"Listen bud, if you knew what's good for you you'd avoid him. He's in a lot of trouble right now, the kind of trouble that you don't mess with." Dalton sees the halfling reveal a wickedly curved dagger in his sleeve. "You understand?"
Mostly in honesty, Lopa nodded meekly and withdrew his position somewhat. "T-thank you for the alert. I just need to see if there's anyone else about who has some adamantium now. Dear me, it is impossible to find around these parts."
Standing up to leave, Lopa bowed slightly to him. "Thank you for your time."
Returning to the group later that evening, he recounted his events. "Danger lurks everywhere, it seems."
Rilka will observe how shipments arriving by rail are handled, not just for the adamantine ore, but also other goods as a point of comparison.
Rilka learns that shipments are brought in away from all of the hustle and bustle of the people transportation and unloaded by employees of whoever owns the materials. Basically all the station does is provide them a place to bring it to.
She will try to determine if any particular rail lines are more susceptible to having their adamantine stolen.
From this view, she can only see where the rails end. To learn what may or may not be more target-able, she would have to investigate farther out into the mountains.
She’ll try to understand the finances of the mining system. The miners are getting paid by the mining company, which gets money from selling their ores, but if that is stolen their customers will complain/demand their money back...which ultimately will take money from the mining company resulting in laid off miners. Is insurance for the ore helping the mining companies stay in business?
Rilka learns from stealing some finance papers (before carefully returning them) that the miners have a set quota for various amounts of material per month and get paid a flat rate for meeting the quota, or various smaller flat rates for failing the quota by certain amounts. Times are hard due to the adamantium scarcity, although some exceptions are starting to be made to adjust for it.
If the ore is being mined, where is it getting diverted to?
Rilka only knows that it is ending up here. To learn more, she will have to investigate further into the mountains.
After checking with his companions, Ragnar returns to the streets, learning what he can about the alchemists running their businesses outside the city's larger labs.
Who were they? Where did they come from? Did they have any family in Grastle Hollow? Did they have any known connections to the city's criminal element? Where did they learn their craft?
He focuses the whole of his own weighty influence to work answering these questions and more as well as spreading coin where he feels it'll produce results.
Ragnar returns to the streets, learning what he can about the alchemists running their businesses outside the city's larger labs. Where did they come from? Did they have any family in Grastle Hollow? Did they have any known connections to the city's criminal element? Where did they learn their craft?
- Born in Grastle Hollow.
- Has a wife and three kids, and a large extended family.
- No known connections.
- He was apprenticed to his father before him, running the family business.
- Came from a small gnome village to the west.
- Has a husband and five kids, and a large extended family.
- No known connections.
- Apprenticed to the previous owner of the business.
- Born in a northern gnome city.
- Has a wife, no kids or extended family.
- No known connections.
- Self-taught, rumor has it.
- Born in Grastle Hollow.
- Lives alone but has a large extended family.
- No known connections.
- Used to work for a major company where he learned his trade.
- Born in Grastle Hollow.
- Lives alone and has no family.
- No known connections.
- Apprenticed to his father and continues to run the family business.
During the evening when everyone is discussing their plans, Rilka says, ”Well, I reconfirmed some of what we suspected. The ore is getting stolen before it arrives at the station. Exploration further into the mountains are needed to see which rail lines are more problematic. Though seeing which ‘dock’ workers don’t have adamantine ore to unload should help us determine which companies are getting their ore stolen. Of course it’s most everybody, indeed maybe everybody is losing at least a small percentage. Your elemental companion, Toramin, should be helpful observing in the mountain tunnels.”
After Bjorkus reports on what he’s learned of the alchemists, Rilka adds, ”If we could mark some coin enabling us to scry it, we could at least have an idea where the profits are sent. To a bank or a private vault that may lead us to a head of the drug business. Though magic my expose us. Perhaps better to watch an alchemist to see if anyone looking like a courier leaves with a lock box.”
"Yes, he would, and Ymir would be happy to search and report."
Ianna goes to look for Paladin Fosscobble. She uses the hat of disguise to switch between Ziza and several different gnomish women to avoid anyone watching the paladin to connect him to Ziza.