The Troupe leaves the Keeper’s house and returns to their home to plan next moves. As it stands right now there are three items on their “to do” list:
- Assassinate Earthbinder Tavgren and Earthcaller Halmgar on behalf of Earthcaller Franzahl
- Deal with Kyle and his anti-essence pals
- Return and clear out the remaining Sudaar in the river valley for Postmaster Malown
They trio decides to find out more about the Duergar: determining how the locals feel about them, how they came to be in Opal and general information about the race.
For a lack of anywhere else to start, they decide to head to the Crow Club to speak with the shady character who bought Duergar off of them originally. Mar’Khabazza ends up making a friend out of the basher standing watch outside of the club while the mysterious man has a private conversation speaks with a caravan merchant inside. While they wait for the business inside to conclude, Mar’Khabazza pumps the guard for information.
The basher, a comman man named Gorgannon, prompts, “miners know most about the Duergar. I mind my own business.” and that the Crow club is mainly empty during the day because “people come in to do business, then leave.”
He is more forthcoming about the indenture program. He can confirm that “those with a debt to the Empire” can get sent to work camps like Opal where they can work off their debt at a rate of 1 pence per day, but the Empire also charges the indenture for room and board as well as interest on the original amount so, depending on the discipline of the worker, a 150p fine can be worked off in about a year.
Ravenna and Magnus enter and talk to the barkeep while Mar’Khabazza continue to talk out front. The Barkeep, a dour and taciturn northman by the name of Gryth Thurden, warms up to Ravenna when it is clear they have actual silver to spend and no business with the mysterious man. He explains that Drenla the Sage is “a man who knows a thing or two about a thing or two” and can “fetch a trinket or two from time to time” but doesn’t elaborate any further.
Vaguely dissatisfied with the outcome of this conversation, Magnus and Mar’Khabazza change tracks and decide to plan the raid on the river valley while Ravenna explores the miner hangouts of the Pennant and Comber. While at the Pennant, she meets with a miner who tells her, “I’m a freeman. You can tell an indenture by the fact that they don’t spend money,” who then introduces her to a diminutive man from the Empire away south by the name of Prospector Gann who tells her about how the Duergar can move through earth and stone. “They have an uncanny ability to find the ore deep underground and then tell us Prospectors. Then we tell the miners how and where to dig.”
He works with five Duergar and there is no rhyme or reason on who gets assigned to whom. “But the Overseer and Quarrymaster Thesten, must know.”
Back at the house, Mar’Khabazza returns to the Postmaster with his requirements for the raid: 10 men, 4 wagons and teamsters, and all of the provisions and equipment for twenty men for twenty days. The Postmaster agrees to have it all assembled by tomorrow morning.
