Private Tales Beneath the Sands

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Seretha had never been one to remember the names of specific lords and families, but she did know them ambiguously by their lands and works. Her familiarity with Nah'hla was passing compared to Annuakat and Elbion, as her trade rarely brought her here, but his epithet jogged her memory well.

"Ha! Oh, of course. The Handsome Man. I should've known that was more than mere self-confidence."

And he had some feel for magic, enough to make a comfortable guess while not knowing anything in particular. That spoke well of her ability to maintain freedom in her own work. She put her earring back in and shrugged. "I hope you never ask me to build you that army. Your offer is otherwise acceptable in the interest of building a better world. For your people as well as mine."

Truthfully, she didn't really know what she was getting herself into. If he was loyal to the empire then she could end up in conflict with her own scruples. If he was as intelligent as he seemed while also hiding malevolence - did not most lords? - then it would be difficult for her to feel at ease with her place in the world for years... perhaps decades even.

She shifted in her seat and made a conscious attempt to keep her hand away from her necklace. Now was the not the time to further drain herself of her energy.

"What comes next, then? What land might be devoted to my experiment?"

Khalid al-Hasan
 
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The Amir waved off her comment about the undead army as soon as it was mentioned. He reached down and plucked a honey covered date. The sticky delight went into his mouth and devoured idly as she straightened herself up. An offer accepted and realization he could provide her a real chance to grasp what she desired.

His grin was wide. That cat like look back upon his face following his treat.

"What use for mindless soldiers do I have when hardened and renown warriors as creative in thought as they are brutal in their execution are readily at my call? I will gladly take a single thinking being over a hundred unthinking ones if I ever have need of violence and bloodshed."

Khalid reached down and took another date. The meat remained solely for her so far. Then came his drink of wine. Slow and purposeful in indulging in every drop.

"We will use an abandoned mine within the high lands. The low lands are devoted to our farmers, herders, and beekeepers. Skilled individuals we jealously guard from outsiders that understand the pulse of life far more than any animate corpse. Be they your kind or the thoughtless brutes who call themselves our nobility."

The Amir made a face as if he had just eaten a too ripened grape unexpectedly.

"The mine produces mostly iron and salt. Strange combination, but such is the high lands. Little water can be found and land does not lend itself well to plants. Barren and rocky. Far from any town. The need to import food and water was too demanding and made the mine unprofitable despite how plentiful in minerals and metal it might be. Your work could prove its worth over time if we make the mine profitable. Expand to other similar mines in the region providing further proof and it would not displace any current workers. The profits will go to furthering your research so the more profitable they become the more research you will be able to conduct. Any objections or demands?"

Seretha ibnat Rezhe
 
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Seretha smirked at little, interjecting with a quick, "I'm sure that single thinking being would rather be behind a wall of a hundred unthinking. But I wouldn't want to try to sell you on the idea."

She listened to his proposal, somewhat surprised by the idea that she immediately work to make a mine profitable. That was so far outside of her life experience that she hadn't even considered the possibility. Even in her normal trade she worked more with farmers than any other similar industry.

"I know little of managing a mine, so I hope that you'll be providing me with some help of intelligence and expertise. I can keep the ledgers easily enough but balancing that time with the energy to maintain the mining tools will take substantial effort."

"People who are fully aware of what's going on, of course. The more illusions needed to keep things looking more... socially comfortable, let's say, the higher and less sturdy the house of cards becomes." She ate a little more, very obviously in thought as she did so.

"Speaking of that, would we have to conceal the operation very much?"

Khalid al-Hasan
 
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The amir listened seemingly only half attentively, but by now she would likely be aware it wasn't true. More an instinctive facade from a life time of political games. He just ate his honey coated dates while she spoke and brought up good points. Certainly personnel would be vital to the running of any operation, only more so for this one.

After sucking the honey from his finger tips, Khalid straightened back up in his seat.

"The right persons to aid in running the operation will need to be gathered first before we proceed. My intention was always to work on the facade of our relationship first then begin the experiment second. The cover of you being my lover will help explain why you would be allowed the privilege and connection to the royal family will aid in preventing most curious eyes."

He paused and motioned back to the food. She consumed much and her little actions had been noted. Her magic and eating had a connection, although what exactly he had not pieced together just yet. Best she have her fill as they would be doing much business together from now on.

"We can look for open minded yet closed lipped individuals while making a show in public of being lovers. Might prove difficult to find such people, but may not. We have time and the resources to be picky with our choices."

Seretha ibnat Rezhe
 
Seretha ate some more, though had noticeably slowed down. There was, after all, only so much her body could handle even with her myriad energy stores spread over her jewelry and clothes. At the end of the day there were definite physical limits, though truthfully she hadn't been so close to actually reaching the brim of her capacity in an extremely long time - years, at least.

"Well," she started, shifting in her seat to lean forward and watch Khalid closely. "I'm fascinated by what's ahead of us. I must confess, though, I don't think I've ever properly grasped human time-scales, so forgive me if I'm off here. Do we start work within... weeks? Months? How do deals like this even become stone? Normally I sell something, receive payment, and that's all there is to it."

Well, there were always the recurring contracts to refresh long-term spells, but that would have just complicated matters. And there was nothing special to those either - no contracts or decided arrangements. She would simply keep her ledger of names, locations, and times to know when to return and check in.

"I have done mercenary contracts, I suppose, but I can't imagine this is anything close."


Khalid al-Hasan
 
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