An accounting of events on the 20th of Limestone.A westward wind brought the dwarven trading caravan. They were understandably nervous, since nobody had come back from this route so far.
Regardless, they were here now, and they began unloading their precious goods.
As was the usual course, Dactylatra went to pull the lever that would surely doom the traders. As her hand reach for it, however, she felt another grip her arm.
Turning, she looked into the eyes of Mummu.
"What is this?" growled Dactylatra.
"I don't think we should do this this time." replied Mummu.
"Why? It is our mandate!"
"Maybe, but it would perhaps be to our advantage to let word spread of our 'wealth' here. Let us meet in council."
And with that, a council was called, in the small room that had been created for just this purpose.
There the five remaining brigands met.
Psycho leaned relaxed against a nearby wall.
"Why the meeting? We've never had to do this before." she asked.
"I think Mummu's gone soft." said Dactylatra, shooting a meaningful glance at Mummu.
Mummu gave her a glare.
"I have not gone soft."
"Then why not kill them and be done with it? Letting them sit up there seems... meaner, somehow." said Bullion.
"Because we need them alive." said Mummu simply.
"Our mandate is that they die and we take their things!" snarled Wulfgar, pounding his fist on the table, "Do you want us to risk death? For what?"
"Because we need help here. We need to attract more workers."
"I think we've done pretty well here on our own. We've made a magnificent fortress." says Dactylatra, with pride.
Psycho laughs at this. "Were you raised in a ditch, Dacty? This place is just... unkempt. Look at all the loose stone everywhere? It's hideous. And the rooms we ourselves live in? They are huge, yes, but are little more than poorly excavated caverns. You call that magnificent? I call you a fool!"
"She's right," agrees Wulfgar, "this is a hellhole. And we ourselves do not have the numbers to make it better. Or the skills."
There was a moments silence.
"And that, my comrades, is why we need slaves." states Mummu.
"An interesting proposal. We capture the traders?" asks Psycho.
"That would be stupid, they have soldiers in their number!" says Bullion.
"Indeed. We trade with them. And then we let them go." says Mummu.
"And this attracts dwarves seeking a better life?" asks Bullion.
"It's deliciously ironic!" laughs Psycho. "Let it be done. I don't care who trades with them, just grab whatever you think we'll need. It's not like we can't pay for it!"