"I am not crafting it for free. If you do the job, you will get paid 50,000 GP and I will craft the other rod for free upon completion. Bring me the head of Sorten and will up it 20,000 and another 2000 for the heads of each of his apprentices. You would expect me to pay you upfront with no guarantee I will ever see any of you again? Locating the Shaghaspondium is but the first step in what needs to be accomplished. For now, I can tell you no more, but the fate of the world depends upon it."