Merchant House Rivalries...

[*Selebius]

(( OOC stuff sent as a PM )))

It is not Issanthis himself who approaches Charles but a rather avarage looking woman who appears to be just another beggar or poor wench that tries to make her living by selling self embroidered table cloths.

"Please sir, please.. take a look Sir... good quality Sir, would it not look good in your home Sir? Or perhaps as a present.. and it is only 5 Jink!"

Hidden under the cloth she is offering him Charles would see an envelope bearing one of the seals Issanthis uses.
If he accepts this envelope he will see that it contains what Issanthis found out- encrypted with one of their rather simple standard codes- including the description of the woman as well as the name of the shop.
Issanthis also requests that someone better qualified for social interaction takes care of her but it offers its services if serious mind probing is necessary.
It will also point out that the merchants involved called upon the local authorities to deal with its Mindpuppets instead of using their own enforcers or payed thugs.
This could mean that they are either quite sure that they are not involved in anything illegal or that they have some of said authorities on their paylist.

[*Darkrob]

Charles would purchase the goods off the woman, handing her a few coins in return. After reading the information contained in the letter, he would add it to the rest of the recently gathered info he and his associates had gained.

Although it appeared like any other mercantile house on the surfaceÂ… one could see signs that it was anything but. It was time to get someone on the insideÂ… it was time to speak to the jesterÂ…

[*Midnight]

Annia would return to Charles.

"I have given some thought to the conditions you would set to any workforce I create for you and i think I have found a convenient way we can meet them all. I can create the workers and I can also create an item that would allow you or some designated employee of yours control of them. The creation of such an item would take time and money though. What do you think?"

[*Black Wind]

Beyond the typical 50 gp per HD of the undead workers, Annia is able to quote a fee of three-thousand jinx for an orb to control the created undead. Each place to use the undead would require their own orb.

The orb will only stay active for just under a month, with longer lasting creations costing exponentially more.

Yet again, Charles has some fresh aid from his allies and decisions to make on how to proceed (PM Sent, apologies for the typos in the second half. Only noticed them after looking at the sent version)

[*Darkrob]

He agrees with Annia's plan and accepts the offer of the workers and the controlling Orbs... the one month orbs. He will accept all she can offer him in the regards of "workers". They only need to move and load things... not be able to think.

He also makes a point to send a "gift" to his friends in the Fated. A suitable amount to keep them smiling.

He also asks his allies to pull back a little on any snooping around that might be visual or noticable. No approaching their competition. No stalking or shadowing them with those who are less than professional.

He then decides to contact a few old friends. He knows a couple of folks that could look you straight in the eye without being noticed... and it was time to see if they were interested in work.



((Let me know what he owes Annia and his Fated contacts and he'll ensure they're paid in game))

[*Darkrob]

With the mothly cost paid to maintain his remaining workers, the undead and the Fated now behind him, it was time to initiate a counter measure to force Jaque, or any merchant bold enough to meddle, to increase his "suffocating tactic" expenses exponentially.

At several public parts of the Hive, those areas known for destitution and not simply chaos, the Consortium posts a want ad for "day workers"

"Help Wanted

If you are interested in earning a daily wage, to be paid daily, then please show up at this location at the break of light in the morning and the setting of the light at night. The Consortium wishes to hire you on a daily basis. You will be put to work in the Consortium yards and paid at the end of your shift when you depart. These positions are a "first come, first served" basis depending on need.

Charles Goodman"

Knowing that many will show up for work that they don't have to commit to on a permanent basis, Jaque will either have to buy out every single person that shows up (whether it be 10 or a hundred) and will have to have men there to buy them off at that moment... placing them in considerable risk of harm from local thugs.

While the expertise of the workforce may be lacking, the pool to draw them from will be large and the smarter ones, well... they'd work themselves in to a better life. Either way.... unless his competition was willing to buy off the entire area... the Consortium would have the labour it needs so long as the daily wages are maintained.

((Worked to put competitors out of business during the great depression, should help here ;) ))

[*Black Wind]

Charles' offer of work meets success. While he certainly pays more for less competence, there are plenty of desperate sods looking for any work they can get.

Not like there's any competing offers for them.

[*Black Wind]

Charles' search for enemies of Jaque and competitors is slow at first, the man keeps his books and activities squeaky clean. After some searching he begins rooting out spurned business owners and merchants in Sigil and other primes who had their businesses destroyed by the merchant-prince to be. It's nearly effortless for Charles to recruit most of them to his cause, however they can aid little because their fortunes are gone and their businesses are destitute. Much like Charles their employees, suppliers, and contracts were bought out from under them.

On the higher end of things, Jaque does have some rather powerful competitors and a few enemies with matching resources. There's even rumors of a few true princes who dislike the tiefling. However it will be difficult to convince them to give Charles the time of day, let alone help his efforts directly. In their eyes, Charles is no different than Jaque's previous conquests and without a doubt these competitors have done similar things to other unlucky businesses.

It'll take something special to convince these movers and shakers to rearrange their own plots and deals to make a move now. No doubt they already have their own intentions on how to deal with Jaque. Getting a meeting with even some of the lesser ones will take effort.

[*Darkrob]

Charles would offer these newly recruited, yet financially harmed, mercantile houses a chance to begin rebuilding their business by offering to funnel much of the newly acquired Syndicate funds into their old businesses… if they agreed to work under the banner of the Consortium. Should they agree, he would ensure the investment is done slowly and under the “radar” of the other houses that operated in the city. He would want them to have an honest chance at success before others turned their attentions on them. Employees would be few so starting small would be the measure of the day.

As for Jacues competitorsÂ…

Charles would start to investigate every one of them. He would be looking for anything that “might” give him an edge in getting one of them to sit and talk. Whether it was a weakness for a specific alcohol, or if it was a desire for certain works of art… whatever might get him through the door of one of them to sit and talk. This wasn’t going to cost them a thing… it was Charles who had to invest in this part…

[*Black Wind]

Over the last week or so, Charles starts to notice that something just isnÂ’t right with his own shipments. He doesnÂ’t know what it is, or what it could be, just that when he inspects them he has an odd sense of unease. That similar feeling pervades many of the warehouses, export and import portals, and ports.

ItÂ’s not just him, other merchants and workers have noticed it too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For JaqueÂ’s competitors, the vice and the price of it varies.

The former leading importer and distributor of fresh water is said to be a genasi of high taste and quality. She has a favor for fine drinks, rare ones at that, the sort that cost a small fortune on the open market. He would need to pick out the drinks, and maybe track down one of her servants to learn of her taste.

The next one up the ladder is an old salad, ancient by all definitions; he runs many of SigilÂ’s building supply importers and contracting companies. He favors surprising gifts that arenÂ’t surprising at all, or thatÂ’s what the source claims. The issue is, unfavorable gifts have the unlucky sod devoured on the spot- or worse, infested with Slaad eggs.

No one really knows about the last one. Whoever they are, they hold a solid chunk of SigilÂ’s metal market, which encompasses so many different types that Charles, or his sources, can fully take in what this mysterious individual controls. Jaque may deal in big orders, but he doesnÂ’t have all the magnificent planar metals and fringe artifacts this Prince deals in. This PrinceÂ’s office meets by appointment and one of CharlesÂ’ workers already penciled in a spot for him. He can cancel it if he so choses, who knows what heÂ’ll face in there? ItÂ’s incredibly unlikely however that he would speak to the owner himself, or even a high ranking member, but itÂ’s something.

ThereÂ’s nothing stopping Charles from approaching all three, but the appointment time means you will likely need to meet someone in the mysterious PrinceÂ’s business no later than the second in order.

When Charles asks the assertive contact why he signed him up for such an early slot, the contact would explain that the next was months away. He mentioned the name of the one who cancelled the last appointment ‘Reginald Watercrest’. Charles knows he’s heard the title somewhere. He may have met the man in the past, read it somewhere, or just overhead it one day. It’s not something he can place yet, but if it bothers him enough to start searching he may come across something… or he may just waste time over a mundane case of deja’vu.

(I'm more than happy to play these events in game, however for that, I'm requiring that the locating gifts involves bringing in a character outside this plot.)