"We'll keep tabs on it. We plan on looking more into the giants anyways as part of getting ready to confront the rune giant."
"And yes, we have contacts in every city."
"Anything else?"
"What kinda coinage are we workin' with? The kinda influence you're looking for across three cities isn't cheap. Greasing that many soddin' palms adds up quick."
”I think the others have said enough about the uncertain motives of Brumik’s rulers and how they appear at odds with the general thought of war interfering with trade especially long term. I’m willing to go to these cities and investigate more. Are any adamantine mines close to these places? Especially in the Muskegons where we’re starting first.”
"This is high priority so we will provide 10000gp to start with. If things get more serious than that we can talk and add more funds. As long as you're not trying to bribe the merchants themselves, you will not want for money on this endeavor."
"Yes, there are adamantine mines close to the Muskegons. It's definitely one of their larger natural resources."
Pazeek raises a talon to get noticed as he adds a few of his own questions. "Will we have time to spare on preparations before we begin? And, if we do, can you provide a bit of material assistance in that preparation? Since most of opponents we should face in Brumik won't be nearly as robust as giants, I can cook up a few things--lethal and not--that might help in dealing with any bothersome coin-biter forces we meet. Maybe throw together a few modest traps too."
"A week, feel free to use my lab. What's mine is yours. Except the back room." Jasper says with a chuckle.
Pazeek warbles softly and gives Jasper a nod of appreciation. "Mighty generous of you, thanks. And a full kit will make the work a bit easier than the traveling rig I use too. Just wish there was a bit more time to work," he adds with an annoyed click of his beak. "That'll mean I have to think very carefully about what'll work best, maybe even put a bit more of that time into throwing some dirty traps together." Glancing at the council, the tengu rises from his seat with a questioning look. "In fact, if I'm not needed here for anything else, then I think I should get started as soon as possible. I'll also need direction to your lab, by the way," Pazeek adds in an aside to Jasper. "If you don't mind my prying, though, do I have to worry about anything in that back room responding poorly if I have an accident?"
"If you don't mind my prying, though, do I have to worry about anything in that back room responding poorly if I have an accident?"
Jasper chuckles. "No it should...well if you...no it should be fine...well just let me go through there real quick first..." He stands and silently sweeps away from the table, giving a mocking bow to the council and waving Pazeek to follow after.
Pazeek stares after Jasper with a worried chirp, before following him. "The lack of a firm answer to that question fills me with worry, just so you know," the tengu calls at the receeding back as he too leaves the meeting chamber.
The sight of the lab that he's been granted the use of causes Pazeek's beak to drop open and hang limply, even as a covetous gleam lights his eyes when they pass over the amazingly well-made apparatus and generous stocks of raw material awaiting in their various containers. And he also notes in passing that there might even be a few skilled helpers he can drag into his efforts. Talons twitching unconsciously with the urge to start loo-, er, requisitioning whatever he can stuff into his satchel, the tengu approaches a clear workspace with a high-pitched trill that would be a whistle indicating impressed amazement from someone with lips. "Well now, this is... This is very nice, very nice indeed. I'm a pretty fierce partisan of my people's skills at making things, but I must admit that even our best alchemists don't have anything like this available," the awestruck avian says over his shoulder.
Before he dives into anything, he cocks his head to catch a glimpse of Jasper and points a talon at some of the other people present. "Before you check that room of yours, can you tell me if any of them are available to help me out? Oh, and is there anywhere around I can find someone who knows about traps and has the kit to work with them?"
Jasper snickers. "Whatever noble intentions the council preaches, we do a lot of stuff that requires poison. As for help, you can get advice and directions, but if you're looking for laborers you're out of luck. We're not quite as big with traps but most raw materials you'll need are down the hall."
Hearing the word "poison" causes the tengu to perk up visibly, and he turns to fully face Jasper with that covetous gleam (mostly) replaced with one of intent interest. "You... have poisons available? Here? Can members access them, or are they only released on the council's approval? If you're the one responsible for all of this," Pazeek says with a wave of a hand that takes in the alchemy setup in its entirety. "Then I've no doubt that the Aestherics who took me into custody and temporarily confiscated my stuff turned over certain things for you to inspect. Since I got those things returned along the rest, I'm guessing someone in a position of authority approved my having them. Would that be you?"
"What do you think I need the lab for?" He says with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Oh yeah I checked the poison supplies. Standard stuff, nothing that would cause an epidemic. We're just worried about that stuff, and artifacts or spying equipment. Been running into a lot of scrying focuses lately." He points to a pile of paper on a desk in the corner. "Just record what you use and how much so we need to restock. Beyond that, go wild. I mean, have some common courtesy. If you're making something with fumes or potentially explosive make sure you're cut off and everybody else knows what you're doing. The general rule in here is 'Don't be a dick'. Beyond that just record and I don't really care what you do." He jabs his thumb at a sealed metal door in the back corner. "Oh and the back room if off limits."
Chirping happily, Pazeek returns his attention to the workspace. "Well, it's a relief to know that I won't have to hide out in my room, working with my traveling kit to get certain things made then. Most folks tend to get surprisingly outraged when they learn that a bird likes to cook up poisons for this and that," he says conversationally as he begins considering materials. "Nevermind that I only use it as needed, and I never sell what I make for anyone else to use." Dismissing the matter with a slight shrug, Pazeek addresses the other points raised by the councilor.
"And no, I won't be working with anything dangerous like what you're suggesting. Maybe some vile stinks, at worst, but nothing damaging. If I can, I'd love some tanglefoot bags, those are always great to throw at enemies," he muses aloud, half to himself. "But those do take a fair bit of work to get the sticky stuff just right. Shame about the lack of extra hands, they'd be just what I need for that." Voice falling off into a soft mutter, the tengu makes it clear that his attention is entirely given over to the task before him now, as he examines specific materials that can be used for any number of compounds, depending on their preparation.
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Ghast Retch Flask: 12gp, 5sp material cost, DC 20 (complex), 4gp/day base progress; full alchemical lab (+2 circumstance bonus to Craft [alchemy] checks)
After some careful thought, and recognizing that getting too ambitious could be wasteful and embarassing both, Pazeek decides to brew up a flask of "ghast retch." The nauseating formula is fairly simple, stomach-emptyingly effective, and--unlike some things he could make--doesn't make corpses of those exposed to it. The initial day's work is nothing spectacular, but the following day, Pazeek gets a bit advice that leads him to an unutterably vile fluid that far surpasses anything he's smelt before for sheer foulness. Added to his formula, it proves a truly remarkable substitute for a number of lesser ingredients, which in turn speeds the rate at which the noxious brew is completed. His confidence bolstered by this, the tengu manages a few inspired shortcuts that further accelerate his progress, and the brew is readied for use with a full day to spare out of the week available. After carefully noting for the Aestheric's records everything used in his work, Pazeek takes his leave of the alchemical lab, his flask of stink carefully packed away for future use.
"If there are 11 termini of this creature, supposing they are roughly of equal strength, how many heads'-worth is the monarchy's forces presently?"
"Roughly equal, although some are stronger than others in certain areas. As for troops, reports vary wildly. We have gotten reports as high as 8000, although we think the real number is closer to half that."
Dalton rubbed his chins, carefully considering how the Aestherics would react to his idea. It was time for a choice to be made though.
"How difficult would it be to remove one of the merchant leaders? The individual person. From what I gather, Takaral is an expert at impersonating others, and his kind is very skilled in the way of speechcraft. If the replacement is done without the faction's knowledge, we could simply have an eleventh of their forces not working against ua. Maybe for us, if we're lucky."
"It could certainly push things in the right direction. But how long would Takaral be willing to remain undercover with that persona?"
Dalton shrugged. "He's a kolyarut. Longer than you? Longer than the other merchants will live?"
He carried the conjecture another step. "It might also be possible to accomplish the same effect another time in a different way. It would not be entirely untrue to say Ninnec has the pulse of Akropash's dealings. We could sell the merchants the idea of him representing Akropash and capitulating that region into their fold without conflict - for a seat on the council and a contingent of mercenaries. He'd not have as much leverage with the others then, but we'd lnow Akropash wouldn't be invaded and have additional forces to posture with."
”Would Takaral want to do this?” Rilka asks Dalton in an tone that suggests being incredulous that a being would want to impersonate another possibly for years on end.
Heff shrugs. "If he's willing. He just seems to be too far a curious soul to want to remain under deep cover that long."
"Hmm. I really like bringing Ninnec into the fold. He has become an indispensable asset, and this is right up his alley. I'm certain there will be at least a few open seats on the council once we're done"
"He's willing. It beats sitting in a cell for eternity."
Dalton asked of Heff in particular: "I imagine the Aestherics can take care of crafting the gravitas behind Ninnec if I can arrange his cooperation in this matter?"
"Oh yes, we can handle the details."
"Oh yes, we can handle the details."
"Then I will confer with Ninnec later about his willingness. Which of the eleven factions do you think Takaral would be best used to infiltrate? Where do you feel he should penetrate their organization?"
”We could acquire information about the merchant families as we pass through the cities,” Rilka says making a note. ”See which one would be best for infiltration.” She pauses, tilts her head slightly, looking at Heff. ”Though you may have suggestions?”
Rilka consults a map of Brumik, finger tracing the proposed journey. ”What about weather?”
"There is also one other thing to consider: What is an acceptable stance for this nation after we're done with the ordeal?"
Dalton was specifically omitting the name of the country, for he realized it would be fundamentally a different system of rulership afterward. There was also the diction chosen such that the acceptor in this situation was without antecedent. The council are not the only people with choices to make.
”Also,” Rilka asks after Dalton’s question is answered, ”are we teleporting between cities or traveling by land? I think teleportation would give us speed in averting a war, but traveling by land and river barge may give us a better sense of the country.”