The town of Edmond’s Crossing is the last Imperial settlement on the way to the terminus of the Great Road in the Jewell Cities. Situated on the northernmost tip of the eastern side of the Inaro River and cut from the trunks of the Thelan Forest, it is a rustic town of maybe a thousand individuals plying their trade of supporting the merchant caravans on their way to and from the Upheaval, primarily in terms of food, drink, entertainment and companionship. Merchant Caravans tend to remain here for several days as they make repairs, re-provision, hire new able-bodies and mentally prepare for the final leg of the journey north.
The town is surrounded by a palisade of lodgepole pines with three gates: one facing almost due north on the road to Beryl and Opal, one facing northeast on the road to Garnet, and one facing southwards, as the Great Road runs away south for many thousands of miles to the heart of the Empire. A small road runs almost due west to the Inaro river and stands open to receive the massive logs cut from the forest away south and tumbled into the turbulent flow to float down to Edmond’s Crossing. The roads converge in a parade ground in the center of the town and divide it into sections, with the Festival district to the northeast, the craft district to the southeast, the Merchants district to the southwest and the Lumberyard to the northwest.
The Troupe stops at the first Inn that they see, a simple yet clean and warm establishment by the name of The River Shining. As Magnus remains behind to locate an ostler for Schist and Feldspar, Ravenna and Mar’Khabazza head to the inn for lodging, information about the town itself, and the state of the market. Inside the River Shining they find a small game of cards being played and sit in on the action. Mar’Khabazza is introduced to a local, one Sandrene the Merchant by name, who more than happily talks about the town while taking Mar’Khabazza’s silver.
The town itself is run by an Imperial Governor in this case by a stern and taciturn woman named Lady Morwen Daggerford. While the Lady Morwen might run the town, the three Chiefs run their districts. There is:
Chief of Ironworkers – Elder Goldwell
Chief of Woodwrights – Algalon the Observer
Chief of Merchants Guild – Quartermaster Urgronn
Sandrine also sheds some light on the Rogue Knight and the bounty on her head: It seems that the Chief Ranger Jade Everwood had gone rogue recently, threatening the lives of the town leadership before gathering up some loyal followers and fleeing the city to live in the nearby forest. The Chiefs have repeatedly sent patrols into the forest to bring Everwood to heel and skirmishes have been reported, with more then one patrol returning with fewer men than originally set out.
Ravenna breaks her streak of sobriety and passes out from drink, so Magnus tucks her away in a room and then he and Mar’Khabaza try to arrange a meetig with members of the town council. Their intent is to try to determine the reason for the iron embargo against Beryl, thereby fulfilling their contact with the quartermaster in Beryl and perhaps exploit market opportunities. Silver-tongued Mar’Khabaza speaks with an underling in the Merchant Guildhouse and manages to finagle a meeting with Quartermaster Urgronn for the next morning. The group also sells some of the freight recovered from the sacked caravan, but keeping a load of construction wood for sale in Opal.
Magnus stays up late in th common room of the River Shining, quietly sipping wine and attracts the attention of Sammy the proprietor. She is a strong woman though showing some years and has been running the inn since her husband was killed in an accident in the Lumberyard a few years back. The two share some quiet words as her work allows, which eventually result in Magnus being invited back to her chambers for the night.
July 19, 7761
Somewhat refreshed, the Troupe wakes early and is the first to the door of the Merchant’s Guild for their audience with the Chief of the Merchant’s Guild. They are escorted upstairs through plush hallways and corridors to a well appointed office, where they meet with Quartermaster Urgronn.
“Hello, my most esteemed Chief of the Guild,” says Mar’Khabazza. “we come seeking news about the iron embargo and what can be done about alleviating the situation for Logitics Officer Grmsby is in dire need.”
The Chief Merchant is a stout man of immaculate carriage. His well-oiled and trimmed beard hands down over a prodigios belly. Two dark eyes peer keenly from a flesh face. “Of course he is,” says Urgronn. “Because I want it that way.”
“Why is that?”
“Because he won’t do what I want.”
“And that is…?”
Urgronn sits back and steeple his fingers, eblows on the broad expanse of desk in front of him. “Tell me: what do you know of cold ore?”
Mar’Khabazza is evasive and dances around the subject. “A little bit. Why do you ask?”
“Because we want it. The Empire commands it and Grimsby has refused. Apparently when they stumbled across it in a mine, many miners were killed from exposure to it.”
Ravenna speaks up, “They were killed because exposure to that level of cold while unprotected is almost immediately fatal.”
Urgronn is indifferent, “So? THese are indentures, worth less than an old mule. And there are hundreds of them in Beryl so it’s not like they’ll be missed. Mordant Grimsby suffers, Beryl suffers, because of his misplaced loyalty to a few dozen lawbreakers over the will of the Emperor, may he live forever.”
He sits back gesturing to Ravenna, “so you know of cold ore then, to speak of it thusly.”
Ravenna is noncommital, “Yes, I am familiar with it.”
Mar’Khabazza seizes a market opportunity. “If we were to provide you with cold ore, will you lift the embargo?”
“If you can get cold ore out of Beryl, then yes.”
“And what will you pay for cold ore?”
At this Urgronn stands up and walks to a wardrobe. He pulls an intricate key from his belt and unlocks the cabinet, pulling out a medium-sized box of some golden-hued copper alloy. He opens the box and rifles through the contents, pulling out a chunk of gold.
Magnus murmurs, “We should steal that box.”
Urgronn locks the box and puts the gold nugget on the desk in front of Mar’Khabazza. “Will this suffice?”
Mar’Khabazza is unmoved by the gold. “I think more long term,” he says. “I would like wagons of ore and your permission to be the first load to sell in Beryl.”
Negotiations commence and it is agreed that Urgronn will provide an Imperial Writ, granting permission for eight wagon loads of iron and steel mining tools to be carried and sold in Beryl. They also agree on a letter of credit to provide liquid funds to staff and provision a caravan north. In return Mar’Khabazza agrees to provide a shipment of cold ore.
As they leave the office and are walking down the hallway back to the entrance of the Merchant’s Guild, Ravenna comments, “There was not a single scrap of iron on that floor. Even the door locks were replaced with wooden contraptions.”
“I fail to see the implications of that,” replies Mar’Khabazza.
“They are fey. Iron gives fey great pain.”
Magnus speaks up, seemingly unconcerned about Ravenna’s comment. “I am uncomfortable providing this cold ore to those people at the expense of the lives of miners. And if they are what you say they are, Ravenna, then I am against it even more.”
As they cross the parade ground on their way back to the River Shining, Mar’Khabazza shares his thoughts.
“I have no intention of giving them cold ore. We are going to get our supply from Opal and get well paid for it so that in a few weeks we will be enjoying steaming hot water in a fancy new house on Nobles Row because of this trip. But I have no intention of providing them any more than that.”
Magnus asks, “And the Beryl deal? Mordant Grimsby the Logistics Officer?”
“This pays more.”