I don't mean to be brusque, but time is limited at the moment, so you'll have to excuse me if I plunge on ahead. Here follows a number of things which I have contemplated, perhaps inadequately. You come well recommended, and I need to be leaving for my next venture, so I will have to trust your judgement to a greater extent than my nature inclines. Please do not disappoint me.
Discussions with my associates earlier this evening indicated that certain aspects of the quest would benefit greatly if our reach were extended by the distance spanned by friends, relations and others that may owe us the loyalty of friend and kinship. To that end I have written letters to be delivered to various parties, either requesting specific or general assistance, or providing cover and plausible explanations to hide other actions currently contemplated by our various allies.
Deliver Letters
Cc: Your files
Prepare a seperate synopisis of the letter's contents, notarize it, keep in our files. Don't ask. But be sure this becomes a standing procedure even if I forget to mention it. If we make more than one copy of a document, be sure to prepare the synopsis, authenticate it as an accurate representation of the contents of the original (but not an exact copy) and store it separately from the primary document.
Have it copied and posted at the various Inns in the students quarter surrounding the Bibliotecha. Primarily those located in the Rotunda.
Have additional copies sent directly to the following students:
[Here follows a list of about a dozen names]
One copy, addressed as shown.
Enclose One copy of the anonymous letter.
Enclose a clean copy of Lightning Bolt from my spellbook.
This letter should be handled with care, and should be sent by separate means from the anonymous letter. It is important that this not be read by those other than the intended recipients.
Cc: Our Files, First Sword Of Clangeddin, and others as he directs.
Prepare a separate synopisis of the letter's contents, notarize it, keep in our files.
You will need to be familiar with the contents of this letter so that you may facilitate any transactions needed to support the activities discussed, should they prove to be both prudent and possible.
[Contents of the letter proposes that Nebo Perault expand his pony and mule breeding business to Eaglesreach, under the sponsorship of Murrin Zadabaruk. Invite him or his representative to visit Eaglesreach to determine if he is interested in this venture. If there is anything that needs to be imported to Eaglesreach that is in better supply at P'eiml, or Pather Hollow, or if "goods" or goods delivered from the northlands need to continue on to Eaglesreach (even if it goes mostly by river, pack mule can get it from P'eiml to the river) arrange for its transport. Having just looked at the map again it is more likely the "goods" will need transport towards Panther Hollow -- presuming dwarves disembark at P'eiml, and are headed to reinforce Kessel, so they can flank Fraubard's march on Kessel from the east, they will be going through Panther Hollow. Nebo can supply a pack train (assuming all his horses haven't been requisitioned already). Couch all of this in business terms, talking around the nature of the cargo, the personal letter explains that aspect. Proposing that V&VT&T warehouse goods that will be transferred to P'eiml, to be mule trained up to Panther Hollow, just makes a whole lot of sense, and is probably a routine and totally unremarkable occurence.]
Cc: Our files, First Sword Of Clangeddin, and others as he directs.
Prepare a separate synopisis of the letter's contents, notarize it, keep in our files.
You will need to be familiar with the contents of this letter so that you may facilitate any transactions needed to support the activities discussed, should they prove to be both prudent and possible.
[Contents of letter coordinated with Keri, who will need to coordinate with the King to provide for the receiving and warehousing of "goods, wink wink" in P'eiml. Solicit the Capt's opinion on what actual goods will find a ready market. Offer him a percentage of the sales? (Goods are going to be insufficient quantity to be profitable as a 'real' shipment, they are just there to have people not ask questions about the empty ships in port.) Couch all of this in business terms, talking around the nature of the cargo, the personal letter explains that aspect.]
Cc: Grandma Perault, Pather Hollow
These letters should be handled with care, and should be sent by separate means from the other letters to P'eiml. It is important that this not be read by those other than the intended recipients.
Supporting The Quest
Dwarven troops intending to support the Prince/de Groce against Fraubard coming from the North by ship to P'eiml.
As noted above coordinate with The Indrafang to issue purchase orders etc. to make this all appear to be ordinary commerce.
V & V Tea & Transport
to accept "shipments" from the Dwarven Highlands, warehouse as needed
until ready for transport.
Further Transport to be provided by
Perault's Ponies
to destinations as specified in the manifests, most likely Kessel via
Panther Hollow, or Riverfolk connection on the east branch of the Bakuge
River.
Unfortunately I am at the moment effectively penniless. Any wealth I own is non-liquid, or encumbered, being assets held in common with the rest of the group. This being the case, and the things that are needed will require certain amounts of cash, the first order of business is one I dislike, but see no way around.
Arrange for a line of credit
Draw from the line as little as possible, but enough to handle the necessities related to fulfilling my instructions above, and that needed to pursue the profitable opportunities of the moment, as enumerated below, and to establish my initial cash position, if required, where my personal participation is not considered adequate investment, in any ventures created.
Loans can be secured (assuming my survival) with the future delivery of powerstones. You may gauge an acceptable level of indebtedness based on a premise that I can produce a 4pt powerstone every 5 days under normal circumstances, presuming I have no other magical tasks. This represents a gross profit (after gem cost, but before ordinary expenses, and ignoring spell failures) of just under 3 gold pennies, or roughly one hammer per month - until the market is flooded. Larger stones would yield greater profits. A 25 pt stone would take the month, and would yield nearly 5 hammers, but attempting a stone of that size would be almost reckless as there is 1/3 chance of at least one quirk, and a 12% chance of ruining the work and starting over. It is probably unwise to commit to more than a years worth of labor. Also various persons may well be sufficiently pessimistic about my survival chances that a future commitment to produce would be viewed as practically worthless, and I can't refute that logic. Other works typically have a lesser market value than powerstones, but the unique aspects of Eaglesreach might come into play. For example a magic device that supplied a steady stream of fresh air, would take 2 years to make and would nominally sell for 5 hammers, it may have greater value here in the mines. When next I return we can discuss at greater length what devices I am capable of making, and what market they might find.
Create Pools
I would like to start several business ventures, as funds and opportunity permit. I am assuming that in taking the initiative in creating these ventures that you can arrange the charter such that I can maintain a signficant and hopefully controlling interest. The latter two ventures will require significant cash outlays to start, so I would not be surprised if that is not possible, controlling interest most likely ending up in the hands of those who front the money. In those cases I expect it can be arranged prior to losing control that I have acceptable long term contracts for my advice and consulting that will make up for my limited investment participation.
Please offer first refusals to the following persons
Lord Arasham
The Thangadrim
The Indrafang (but not for the Liquidation, he already effectively has
a share in that via the Matriarch Raoun)
Dayona
Master Smith Nayleeif
Gayda Noldi
Yourself, of course
The balance where it will
I see Four Potential business opportunities
As you see fit and proper based on funding, and the progress into the future I want to set up to invest in the following four business venture or pools.
I must leave it to you to follow local law and custom in the chartering and financing of these venture from selling shares.
I'm not in this alone, I am not the leader, and I have not discussed this with my fellows, I am basing this on our de facto operation procedures to date, so I don't control very much of what happens or where we go next, or what we keep or throw away, it being as it were in the hands of Mithras. Not to mention the fact that sooner or later this Quest is going to get us all killed, and then no one will be returning with any 'treasures'.
Any useful items needed for the quest directly or deemed useful to enhance the survival and effectiveness will remain 'party' treasure. Valuation and/or liquidation of these assets will not be permitted nor even accounted for until the quest is complete, and even then will generally be adjudged bonus rewards for those who used them most often and best.
Some other items will be disposed of "in the field". These will be considered operating expenses and not tallied nor shared.
However we often find things that we have no immediate use for and would otherwise be left behind. This is the basis for this pool - I will collect these where possible and bring them back with me or arrange to ship them back to you for disposal as I am able. Items that I cannot carry or transport, I will attempt to cache in a safe and secure place, and forward information for later recovery by teams hired by you. After liquidation any funds must be split amongst the party of Questors first (whose membership and numbers has tended to vary, I will keep records of who participated in the recovery of each find). My share will be the basis for profit in this pool.
Unless and until I get 'free' time to spend working on magical operations, my primary input into this venture is recruitment, and consulting. Arguably a major contribution if not an investment per se, how meaningful this is depends on how many mages come down from the Bibliotecha based on my letter. I'm hoping this is another pool that we can maintain a significant if not majority interest in with little or no cash outlay.
Eaglesreach needs mages, says Keri.
When they get here they'll be looking for work. We'll need time to look them over and see what they can do before anyone offers them earthblood, if they do at all. That's were we come in. We want to set ourselves up as the brokerage for mage talent. We accept the contracts, and put the mages to work on the tasks, taking a portion of the contract as commission. Since Dayona recommended you Tilliam, I expect we should do exceptionally well with this enterprise.
If he comes down from the Bibliotecha, Jonahthin Sauters is a good judge of Mages and can well gauge their talent and abilities. Let him work at matching assignments and postings with the available talent.
In periods where there are no pending contracts there should be concentration made on teaching the most useful spells to newcomers and possible magic items and scroll creation.
As we can afford it a percentage of the mages need to be allocated for Quest related spell research.
The First Sword Of Klangidan feels that there is a need to build a body of Mages resident in Eaglesreach. My letter may bring them down here to investigate, and paying work will keep them here for a while, but it won't keep them here for terribly long. If we want to attract and keep Mages in Eaglesreach we need to be able to provide the following things (for a fair price).
Your typical mage is not used to the spartan lifestyle that most dwarves seem to follow. They will want 'softer' accomodations than may be readily available, but for a non-luxury price. New arrivals especially will likely show up with pockets pretty much emptied by the expenses of the journey, yet they will still need suitable lodging. A wizard's room should be private, include a comfortable bed, a lounge chair to relax and think in without being quite so comfortable as to lull one to sleep, a desk with paper, quill and ink, and a desk chair with a good back.
Much of a mage's studying will actually happen in his room. The problem becomes what to study. If this is to be successful we must build a magical libray.
Standard spells readily available for little cost
Various more advanced spells may bear a greater cost. As a pragmatic matter there may be some spells that should be sequestered and only permit access to trustworthy individuals. But in no way should this evolve into the blackmail/peonage arrangement of Ramsgate.
Texts and books pertaining to magical Theory
Not all of magic is learning spells. There are fundamental principles and historical referents, that provide background and knowledge needed to understand the principle behind spells that must be mastered before a spell can truly be learned.
Regularly scheduled synposiums and lectures
These will generally be provided by the various residents and occasional visitors. They should be paid a token fee for their presentations, though admission should be considered included in the price of room and board.
Tutor Matching
Learning a spell goes much faster with a teacher. We should track the spells known by current and former residents of the hostel, and make arrangements to match people learning a new spell with those willing to teach it, taking a comission off any tutorial fee that results.
A Place To Work & Practice
Presumably most contracts will provide a Mage with the space required to perform the work on site, however when that is not the case, he will need a space of his own. Work rooms will need a desk and desk chair, and possibly a workbench, depending on the nature of the work. Each workroom will need to be private with its own locking door. In addition to an assortment of workrooms in proportion to the number of Mages working contracts from the hostel there should also be the following common areas:
A clear space open to the air and sky, surrounded by a sturdy wall to keep the curious out and mishaps in.
A enclosed space well isolated from anyone and everything. Securely lockable from inside and out. Here the floor should be inlaid with the appropriate standard circles and pentagrams.
A laboratory with appropriate alchemical glassware and equiptment.
A long large area suitable for the practice of missile spells and other battle magics, with appropriate targets.
No mage has progressed to knowing more than three spells without at least once having stayed awake, without eating until he was falling down asleep with his nose in the ink pot. Left entirely alone, many Mages would perish of malnutrition, and somnambulistic accidents. We need to keep this from happening.
A well supplied and staffed kitchen
Major meals should be provided at scheduled times, to help encourage a healthier regular schedule, but it must also be able to provide reasonable meals at any time of day or night. A hobbit cook would be nice, but if they were the least bit 'temperamental' they would not stay on for long. Dwarves at least remember if they've eaten today or not.
House "mother(s)"
Someone on duty, probably round the clock shifts, whose job it is to, well, look out for the well being of people who are too busy and too distracted to look out for themselves. Gentle reminderss to eat, sleep, or just take a break will help our mages stay maximally productive, without burning out.
Assuming adequate stable & grooms can be found, and line of credit is sufficient there were several animals for sale day before yesterday. A New Forest warhorse, in very poor condition, a pair of Kazads (a male and a pregnant female), and a Moab. DO NOT BUY THE MOAB. When I was there last, they were asking 18 marks for the three animals, you should be able to negotiate him down to 14 marks, 15 tops.
Regardles of my father's answer, the pregnant mule will deliver a fairly sure profit in a couple of months, and while the New Forest probably cannot be rehabilitated properly without some expert care, he should still have value as a stud, and let's face it the horse fair was two weeks ago in Ramsgate, and already there aren't many other horses left around, so until the next horse fair anyone who wants a horse, has few choices and the prices will stay a premium. If my father responds in the negative about my assessment of the opportunity, then sell them all off after the New Forest heals his burns, and the Kazad delivers.
Beyond that this was already discussed above. Presuming my father responds positively, then we would want to pursue this. If he doesn't think it can be made to work, then trust his judgement on the matter unless or until I can devote my time to it personally.