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[Ghazkull]

what maniac said...

[Mullet Master]

Thinking on her feet Urist calmly spoke that single word and paused to let it sink in for effect.  She decided to milk it for all it was worth.  If they were going to make a show of her she might as well milk the platform for everything it's worth.

"I'm a simple dwarf unlike you honored dwarves of this chamber.  I've only ever worked for one thing.  I have for a long, long time; ever since... well ever since Kogan.  You honored council members remember the goblin wars.  You remember the Winter of Blood and how defenseless we seemed back then.  I'll never forget.  I'll never forget watching my brother Kogan, cut down before my eyes because we weren't prepared.  We weren't prepared."  Bitterly recalling the night from so long ago Urist spat out the memory to the council like an accusation. 
"The blood of the best damn dwarf I ever knew seeped into the ground.  He was defenseless.  Our nation was defenseless.  You never forget a sight like that.  And you never, ever let a mistake like that happen again.  And so I work.  Day after day year after year I've toiled in our industries so that there still will be an industry to keep our nation strong."
"There's not much left of our proud city's industry.  Benthammers is the last of our mighty steel mills still running.  If it goes down we are back to the way things used to be.  No steel means no weapons.  We are defenseless once more.  The elves know this, the goblins know this.  Everybody seems to know it but the dwarves."
"Benthammers was being retooled because sooner or later you dwarves on the council are going to need it again.  Someday this nation is going to turn itself around and when it does Benthammers will be there so that we aren't starting over completely from scrap.  But as long as this nation lies idle I have to work twice as hard just to keep the factory there for when things change.  So we retool to economize and to meet the demand that does exist.  We retool to keep lean through this winter because some of us remember what the future holds."

At first, the crowd is silent. It takes a full thirty seconds for all chaos to erupt. Dwarves start talking amongst themselves at first, and then start shouting at each other from across the room.

Kadol Degfab stands up and beats on the table in front of him with a lignum vitae gavel. He's a powerful Dwarf, from an affluent banking district. It's no secret - a full third of the council are professed allies of Kadol, and another third vote with Kadol over 80% of the time. As he starts to talk , the majority of the room goes silent.
"This is nonsense Urist. We are at a crossroads. Since the eradication of the kobolds fifty years ago, we have had peace in our time.  Yes, there are a few minor squabbles... here and there... but we have moved beyond that. You were only thirty during the last real Goblin war. Our clan... our nation... our dwarves.. have moved beyond the services you and Benthammers provide. The new world is in banking, trading, our telegraphs, generators, and our above ground crops. Not plump helmets and cannons!"

Another voice speaks up, a male... it's Bomrek Fitzcactus.
"I represent a district that used to be miners and metal casters. Where is this new world you speak of? Did you forget, that mining used to employ 1 out of every 3 dwarves? And now, there are thousands of miles of unused tunnels, and one in a thousand dwarves are miners? We only mine coal, and the majority of our steel is recycled. Or worse, the ore comes from a human mine. Why? We have the largest reserves on the planet!"

An older Dwarf in the back, Cog Tariq stands from his soapstone throne and says,

"Two generations ago, my grandfather was a miner, mining ore in Soloticarpdeep. That ore was forged into guns, and those guns were used to defeat the Goblins. His son, my father, was in the war to exterminate the kobolds. And I fought in the border clashes with the Goblins up until thirty years ago.
My sons have fought against the humans, but not all of us have had the same experience. But in each instance of war, we persevered because of one thing only - we were prepared for war. Our industry was a hundred times of what it was today. She makes a point - we sit in our cities and grow complacent , hoping that somehow our world has changed.

You know, we have forgot... forgot that our world is one forged in violence, and the forge fires have not yet grown dim. As we speak, the elves prepare themselves to settle the disputes the way every living thing on this planet does... by war.


Kadol says in a snarling voice, his tone lowering, "This is nonsense. We are here to talk about what Datan Morulsanreb said to the elves, not your opinion of our economy, nor you or Cog Tariq's warmongering fantasies. Let's start one more time, and if you don't cooperate, we are going to throw you in chains for a week to think about it. The Council has mandated answers for the questions we are about to ask. We have records that Datan has over a 50% stake in your company, and has options to purchase another 45% share in 6 months time. Why would one of the most conservative bankers in the country take this large of a risk? "

[Ghazkull]

"Because as simple as that, the elves provided us with over a ton of adamantine. They prepare for war...and wanted us to produce weapons for them."

[Sheb]

That's not a good idea. We'll get down for not telling the council officialy. And they'll take our adamantium.

"Datan trusted me sir. Those shares cost him close to nothing, and he knew I could turn this factory into a money-winning venture."

[mainiac]

"Because as simple as that, the elves provided us with over a ton of adamantine. They prepare for war...and wanted us to produce weapons for them."

((If we spill the beans on this the whole house of cards comes crashing down.))

"Datan trusted me sir. Those shares cost him close to nothing, and he knew I could turn this factory into a money-winning venture."

((+1))

"We've had more revenues in the past two weeks then in the two months before that.  With experienced leadership this place can mean a lot.  But I don't think I need to tell that to you... do I?"
"Why ask me why I am here, honored council members?  You are the ones who summoned me.  People wasting their time on worthless projects don't get summoned before the council."
"I don't know what you are doing or what the damn elves are up to.  But we know that steel never goes out of style.  Datan knows... Datan knew that we were too important to go under and he knew that sooner rather then later things were going to turn around.  And when they did the stock he picked up for a song was going to be worth a fortune."

[Ghazkull]

+2

[Ardas]

Wow, speak of ressurecting the dead. Nice to see this back. also +3.

[QuakeIV]

Excellent plan, I don't see anything wrong with it either.

[Armok]

Seconding Mainiac, as always.

[mainiac]

Bump?

[Mullet Master]

"Datan trusted me. Those shares cost him close to nothing, and he knew I could turn this factory into a money-winning venture."

"We've had more revenues in the past two weeks then in the two months before that.  With experienced leadership this place can mean a lot.  But I don't think I need to tell that to you... do I?"
"Why ask me why I am here, honored council members?  You are the ones who summoned me.  People wasting their time on worthless projects don't get summoned before the council."
"I don't know what you are doing or what the damn elves are up to.  But we know that steel never goes out of style.  Datan knows... Datan knew that we were too important to go under and he knew that sooner rather then later things were going to turn around.  And when they did the stock he picked up for a song was going to be worth a fortune."

Kadol Degfab beats on the table with a gavel again, even though nobody is is making a noise after listening to you. He is obviously taken aback and frustrated at something, but you don't know what yet. You sit back in your chair and take another sip of rum, and wait for his response. As you are waiting, a young dwarven page delivers a folder to the table you are sitting at. This green folder is unlabled, but seems to be brimming with documents.

Kadol sits back down and starts speaking loudly, "All members of the press, you are mandated to leave the room at this time. Any remaining dwarf in this room may not speak to the press about the following manners, and all guards are requested to leave as soon as the media has left. "
The guards swarm from all sides and start removing various dwarves from their seats. More often than not, reporters are sitting side by side with the various council members. It's a process that takes all of fifteen minutes, and at the end, a single guard remains. He says, "Councilmen, the floor is yours. Good night." When the heavy door shuts, the wooden clunk echoes throughout the room several times.

Kadol starts again, "The documents in front of you  are orders... not to a company, but to the Dwarven council. Six months ago the Elves threatened war on the Dwarves unless we would supply their war efforts. Obviously, at that time, there was not a war and we thought they were bluffing. The terms of these contracts are frankly very one sided and there is no way we can accept them, as are. You'll see on the first few pages. A locomotive at ten thousand Urist! That is insane. If we made a thousand, it would still be well over a fifty thousand for one! Bombs are starting to fall across elven lands, and they are going to invade us soon if we don't start giving them what they want.  "

You start flipping through the papers. These orders are very detailed, and both sides pretty much want the same thing. They need tanks, they need guns, they need battleship armor, they need railroad cars, and railroad ties...

Bomrek Fitzcactus stands up and says to you, "In order to ensure the security of our homelands, we are going to start filling orders. That is all you need to know at this time. You are mandated to produce items to aid our efforts." You fight the urge to smile at him. Apparently, at least part of the original plan has went correctly.

Kadol looks at Bomrek, and nods approvingly before speaking again to you. "That is correct. We are going to mandate various companies into ... wartime production. And of course, that means you shall have strict oversight from the council. To prevent you from profiteering off the taxes of your countrymen. Anyway, you are dismissed at this time. You will find on pages twenty five through twenty seven "Tasks mandated to Benthammers". Have a good day."

Spoiler: Tasks Mandated to Benthammers (click to show/hide)

Goal #1- Expand regular rolled steel slab capacity to 100 tons per day by end of next month
Goal #2- Ship 300 tons of rolled steel slab to Tor U'May'd.
Goal #3- Ship 700 tons of rolled steel slab to Aesylus.

You have zero chance of fulfilling these orders without some money, and a lot. Ignoring a mandate is serious prison time. You better think fast, before you are descorted out of the chamber...
You currently own 50% of Benthammers, and the estate of Datan owns 50%. The option that Datan held in buying more shares is null and void upon his death. Both positions are worth exactly $0 at the current moment as Benthammers has effectively $0.

Your current assets are as follows :
Estate at Mt. Taran - ~$100,000
Classic Executive Sedan, V16 - $10,000
Personal Accounts - $15,000

It is going to take approximately $100000 to be able to ramp back up to that level of production within the council's date. There may be other ways, but all will involve delays that the council may not tolerate.

[Ardas]

Its obvious. Estate will have to go. We can recoup the losses and get it back once we are in full swing.

[mainiac]

Its obvious. Estate will have to go. We can recoup the losses and get it back once we are in full swing.

((You must be new here...))

Urist skimmed over the orders and then gazed at that bastard Kadol.  Inside she was bubbling with pride.  The world as it should be was coming back and it was being handed to her on a silver platter by exactly the kind of decadent politician who swore it never would.  She could work with this indeed.  But first...

"One small matter, honored council!" she barked out before they could depart.

"It is an honor, councildwarf, to be able to help the nation in this hour of need." she thanked them in a much more humble tone, allowing a little of her inner joy to shine through.  "And I assure you that I shall do whatever it takes to meet this mandate.  To be specific, I will be secure financing in order to expand production as quickly as you need.  Towards that end I would wish to place a few personal assets as collateral.  However such an action on my part would technically be in violation of our nations insider-trading statutes.  Might I humbly request that I be allowed to raise 200,000 Urist of financing, so long as I trade only at fair market rates and collect no personal profit from this financing?  Without such authorization I regret to inform you that meeting this mandate is impossible."

[Armok]

What. mainiac. Said.

[a1s]

bump. I need to know how this ends.