You decide that the banner would be a nice addition to the collection of artifacts growing in the Treasury.
"Then our runemasters will descend into your dungeons for hundred days, where they will toil with metals and jewels till they are finished."
Contracts are made in two copies, for you and for dwarves, and the prospectors will return to coincide with completion of the artifact.
1180 AD, Mid-Autumn
2
Glasswork in Ysirene returned only small profits this year, merchants report.
1180 AD, Winter
Silver, gold and gemstones arrive in the Treasury; the glassware is sent to Ysirene.
The dwarven prospectors return just as the smelly runemasters leave the dank prison cell they were working at.
"What your mines are mining today is the amount of minerals Methiant has. All the metals, precious or otherwise, jewels and fine sand suitable for glassmaking, they are all exploited already."
The runemasters unwrap the long bronze shaft from the old rag they had covered it with. The shaft is two-and-half meters long, and is made of bronze, but has a shine as if waxed to perfection. A small eschutcheon on the top, made with silver plate, and the green and red eagle of Yoean Dynasty is patterned from all kinds of gemstones; peridots, rubies, sardonyxes, red amethysts, green opals.
The Advisor leans in to whisper.
"How we shall proceed, Lady Empress?"
A) "We shall get rid of the dwarves with help of a razor or two!!"
B) "They finished their work, and must be paid, such is order of things!"
C) "I shall ask them to postpone the payment for the artifact."
//I forgot the Winter stuff and glasswork sales, so event is redone ;v