As Tric and Heppa continue discussing their travel options, they hear a familiar voice. At a booth with fragments of old pottery and other relics, the archaeologist Ulf is trying to make a sale to the dealer. From behind some shelves, they listen as the artifact dealer rejects the veracity of Ulf’s claims about the provenience of the item. Tric steps into view and asks, “Oh! Is that the fabled Wand of Meduros?” to support Ulf’s position.
Ulf plays it cool, not giving away that he knows Tric. “Ah, well, I may have found my own buyer,” he says to the dealer. “Why yes, friend, this is indeed that very item.” The dealer hastily completes the sale, and Ulf manages to squeeze out more coin than he was originally asking.
So much for returning pillaged items to their proper owners, Tric reflects, recalling how the archaeologist presented his work to them when they first met. Looks like it really is all about money.
Ulf spends some of his new wealth to treat the elves to drinks back in town. As they share a beer, he asks them how they have been and how their own expeditions are going. “Did that staff we all found together turn out to be useful for your purposes?”
“I think it will be. We’re still getting an understanding of it,” Tric says a little evasively, leaving out the details of how it disrupted their village. “It’s definitely a burden to carry,” he does admit. Ulf nods at that; he felt a strange surge from it himself when he handled the staff. “Anyway, we’re interested in meeting with this Society of Shadow you were working for back in South Tower,” Tric tells Ulf. “We think they have more that they can teach us. Our patron Lord Thrandolil is researching the undead. Defending against them, of course! He is the one studying the staff. He is looking for how to better protect us against necromancers and what they stir up. We have some questions about specific passages from the Book of Rhys that we think this society may be able to help with. That is, if they have the book.”
Ulf’s eyebrows shoot up. “You’re familiar with passages from that book?”
Tric smirks. “Did you think I just happened to know that it was in the House of Light?”
“Ah yes, indeed. Well, I’ve already made the delivery,” Ulf says, “but I can give you a passcode that will be recognized by any society member, so that they know you are safe to talk with.”
“I heard a frankly ridiculous rumor that lightning mages are operating on the road to Carcyn,” Tric tells Ulf.
“Bandits,” Heppa adds to clarify.
“The Society of Shadow does not strike me as a group that just engages in petty banditry with magic,” Tric continues, “but perhaps you know better than I.”
“Oh, maybe there’s some sort of lightning creature,” Heppa murmurs, considering the possibilities. “Maybe pixie dragons. Or something that just looks like lightning…”
Ulf takes a draw from his beer and shrugs. “Yeah, there’s always stories of banditry out on the roads. Certainly not every road is safe. But lightning mages? We have red mages and white mages. Lightning mage isn’t really a classification of human magic.”
Maybe there is a faster way to make contact than taking the caravan up to Carcyn, Tric thinks, recalling the greed Ulf exhibited earlier at the pottery barn. “How much would it cost to get a direct introduction to the Society of Shadow?” he asks. Heppa sits up straight, suddenly present again and wondering what her cousin has in mind.
Ulf lets out a long breath, mulling over his response. “That’s at least three days of tour guide responsibility…” he hedges.
“But you might be bringing some valuable information that we can share with them as well,” Tric suggests.
“You have valuable information that you’re going to share with them?” Ulf asks, borderline incredulous. “Because it sounded to me like you needed their help.”
“Look, I made trades with you, I can make trades with them. You seem like a reliable broker for them,” Tric says, complimenting the fellow. Ulf gives his rate, and Tric negotiates him down to twelve coins a day. They discuss the plans some, and Ulf clarifies that his estimate of three days is based on getting them there and back, not that the journey itself will take three days. “Thirty-six coins… what do you think, Heppa? Take the caravan and use the password or get there directly but it costs money?” Tric asks.
“It would save us a lot of time,” Heppa says, and the elves agree to the deal.