"Well, I'm looking for something that will help me imbue an object with a spell or a specific magical effect. Enchnting if you wish. and while I could do it easily now, I am looking for something that will allow me to do something like that properly and permamently. And preferably with a strong effect. I don't want a ring or a sword to wear out while in middle of use.
And just as a side, I am looking for books about souls and energy. And I don't mean religious texts; they are useless for that sorta thing. I'm not a mystic, I'm interested in ... arcane take on the subject.
I understand if all of this seems fairly detailed and too much for you, but Coast is not the best place for research, even with Lord Cain's resources. but I will be sure to take note of your word. You seem pretty well informed on the subject and you know the region better than me."
"True, true. I couldn't care less for the more arcane arts. I do quite well making aphrodesiacs, sleep aids and poisons. I love my plants, and I love the versatility of their applications without the side effect of impoding my skull because I miscalculated." She looks at her hands,
"No, mistakes in my field of work are often more unfortunate." [4?] upon closer inspection you notice that parts of her left hand appear blackened, and when she grasps anything the skin appears stiff, almost inflexible.
"Let me think about your work and see if I can come up with anyone that might have what you need"Talk to herbalist.
"Excuse me, but may I ask if you know any books about alchemistry, or metallurgy?"
Best efforts to appear polite.
"Interests in alchemy and metallurgy? Hmm, odd combonation of interests I must say. There are a number of alchemists in Shola - some nicer than others, in both temperment and work. As for metallurgy? The library should certainly have a fair amount on the subject. Personally I don't possess anything in either line you'd probably find interesting.""Ha. While you're half right, this plan requires me to have my kingdom back. I don't see how killing everything in my way works, when I just need to remove one man, and possibly a few of his loyalists. My word won't carry weight until I have a nation back under my control, and taking over a minor city-state would only impart a fraction of the authority I need to command for it to work..."
"Well unless you've managed a large number of friends recently, you're going to have a dull time trying to take Talama back - as you drown on your own blood. Kathos will never let you get within the walls if he even suspects you're coming back in force." [13] He looks you over for a moment, smiling
"Tell you what, I'll give you what I already know because you wouldn't need to get much closer to Ligorian borders before you knew anyway, but you'll need to pay for anything new. Fair?"During the other meeting:
Ask the boatmen what the crimes were and why they want the letters of Marque.
"Piracy and the usual suspects. It's been a while since, but a small handful of nations would still love me head in stocks. Marques will at least give me some respite if i happen upon their ports out of need. I do, generally, attempt to avoid the waters of people that want me dead or in chains. Mostly I need somewhere to call 'Home' when I'm not working, somewhere that won't sell my ass for a bounty."Join in with the Merchant on Negotiations.
"I'm in, then. I'm not that proficient with my sword unlike my other men under my command but I know a few unarmed tricks up my sleeve."
"Aye, but it'll be enough to have an extra body in the room"You're lead to the main shaft of the mine. You take in the notice that the entire operation, for being thrown together quickly, seems to have been well planned and prepared for. Nothing here is nearly as rickety as you'd expect it to be given the secrecy of the operation.
"Oi! Welcome back to the operation my man. Bring me anything shiny?"A tall grizzled looking man covered in dirt, blood and carrying a large
odd weapon. At least you think its a weapon. It appears, for intents, to be a pickaxe fused to a battle axe. You've heard of priests being battle-ready, but miners? If a meeting with this man came to blows, you're not sure how it would fair...[4]
"Shiny toys for shiny boys!" You're sorta weirded out by the comment he made, but the reaction on the large man's face turns from serious to friendly quickly.
"Good to hear my man, good to hear. I see you brought a lass with you? Don't tell me you've settled down?!""You wish Solan, but if I did...who would bring you supplies and why would I subject them to you? No no, hired mercs - leaving Polca was a pain in the ass"He fills in the goings on in the area to Solan before they start to discuss business a small bit.
"Well, fun times in the Coast, eh? Well let's have some food and see what we can do to cushion your tubby ass back out of here"Solan walks towards a large tent which opens into what appears to be a combonation of mess hall and office. Theres a desk with papers covering it, likely inventory and labor records, in a corner. Solan drops his 'battle-pick' at the desk and heads over to a rotundous man cooking what smells like death
"Shim, foooooood""Solan, you're going to get fatter than me if you keep eating like this""May rust consume your pots before your eyes" Shim laughs and hands bowls to all three of you. On the way to a table off to the side, Solan looks over your face,
"It smells awful, but tastes only half as bad" In the background you hear Shim
"Smartass!" "well Solan, aside from the usual fees - I think we're good to get out of here whenever we're reloaded with ore. Veruna as usual?"Solan stops eating,
"If you can make it that far. My last messenger to that pompous ass never returned. It's good you hired some help, provided they stay with you. Aside from the banditry of usual, there seems to be some active attempts to blockade me from Veruna - I'd suspect Zema, but they supposedly have their own supplier. So I'm at a loss.""Well I can see what I can find out while I'm out there. I'll hire some more hands if needed and negotiate the cost of them out of his un-Royal Pompousness himself."They mull over the ideas of what might be going on, asking you for your opinion on the matter - as well as whether you'd like to continue working with the merchant, who Solan keeps calling 'Av'.
Continue working on gun schematics, and training apprentice.
((To what effect? You possess the schematics already. As well as a mostly functional prototype. Training teh apprentice is a action, requires time more than anything.))