The Quadrilateral Trade
E and A trading company traditionally captured Elves in the Deepwoods or bought them from slavecatchers and human traffickers, then resold them in Fathi or Rul-Anuk. But, after the murder of the Raleigh family and escape from Acroshian custody, they’ve had to forge stronger diplomatic ties with the surrounding nations; This is critical as they require staging points outside Acroshian jurisdiction to avoid potentially being targeted for their past misdeeds, and access to exotic foreign goods has enabled them to gain much higher profits.
The basic system involves a triangular trade between four points: GG Estates, a Naga-run trading company based in Seth most interested in magical artifacts, Rul-Anuk, the largest dwarven settlement, and the largest source of metals and manufactured goods on the continent, the Natuk Empire, an Orcish empire with access to substantial raw materials of all kinds and occasionally Spirit Sap, and the Ogre Kingdom of the East, which is poor in raw materials and frequently struggling to obtain adequate food, but has rich treasure troves of ancient and forbidden knowledge, both predating the Church of Mhim and unmolested by its censors.
GG Estates, run by one Golden Grace, demands such knowledge quite highly, and is willing to trade in its mysterious sources of precious gems and metals for the strange desert magics of the Ogre King. These precious gems and metals, appealing to the dwarves of Rul-Anuk, allow for the purchase of firearms, gunpowder, and metal armor and weapons for the Orcish Natuk Empire, even further to the Southwest and well out of Acroshian control. (Consequently, one of the largest base camps for E and A trading company is now in Orc territory, both near enough to the Deepwoods and Fathi but out of their reach.) The lush jungles of the Orcs contain ample food and natural materials such as fuel, as well as manufactured goods made by the Orcs using Dwarvish raw materials and blueprints. These, along with goblinoid slaves, of which the Orcs always have an excess, are transported to the Ogres far in the east, traveling along the southern border of Acroshia, able to dip into Acroshian territory for their protection when convenient, and able to circumvent it when necessary by paying protection money to the Duskmaw Galdur to use their shoreline and waters instead. Then, upon delivery of a great shipment to the Ogre King, ancient knowledge can be delivered to Golden Grace and the Naga, setting up the loop again. Additionally, Spirit Sap is sometimes obtained from the Orcish length of the route - whether this is from the Orcs or stolen from the Deepwoods Elves is currently unknown.
Consequently, several standing trade treaties are in place:
E and A company, while technically an illegal organization, is able to use the banner of GG Company in Seth so long as they continuously deliver shipments from the east of interest to the principal of GG company every six months.
The Rul-Anuk Dwarves, who respect the E and A company for putting Elves “back in their place”, have treaties enabling them to purchase all but the rarest Dwarven goods and allow them to stay in the Foreigner’s Quarters adjacent to the City of Rul-Anuk proper, safely outside of Acroshian borders and under the mountain.
The Natuk Orcs, generally open to more trading partners, trade with E and A company but try to camouflage it, as they are attempting to form good relations with the Deepwoods Elves. However, the massive Orcish military ensures that E and A company can blend in with Dwarven caravans and logistics teams, and mundane disguises and camouflage supplies have been supplied to them by the Orcs to avoid the Deepwoods scrutinizing these visitors.
The Ogre King in the East is known for his strange diplomatic practices; Visitors must wear masks at all times, or will be refused entry, and may be killed on sight due to a strange set of cultural taboos in civilized Ogre society. Due to their assistance in addressing the economic crises in the east, the Ogre Kingdom has ensured E and A company is supplied with the correct masks, and have a treaty providing them masks if theirs are forgotten. They are also one of the few organizations aware of safe trade routes into the east, and have a standing treaty with the Duskmaws allowing shoreline travel on the southern coast for a nominal tribute.
While no one loves E and A company, many inside and outside Acroshia feel the tenacity of the hard, violent, insensitive men who travel across the wastes to bring goods to where they are needed are an essential part of the thin economic network of the continent, barely held together in the face of both demonic and weather-based supply disruptions. But they are and will always be human traffickers, and most members would kill their own family members without hesitation for a few moons. The ugly reality of life in Acroshia is that nothing is truly in short supply in the desert; You can get virtually anything, as long as you can afford it and you don’t ask too many questions about where it came from.
The basic system involves a triangular trade between four points: GG Estates, a Naga-run trading company based in Seth most interested in magical artifacts, Rul-Anuk, the largest dwarven settlement, and the largest source of metals and manufactured goods on the continent, the Natuk Empire, an Orcish empire with access to substantial raw materials of all kinds and occasionally Spirit Sap, and the Ogre Kingdom of the East, which is poor in raw materials and frequently struggling to obtain adequate food, but has rich treasure troves of ancient and forbidden knowledge, both predating the Church of Mhim and unmolested by its censors.
GG Estates, run by one Golden Grace, demands such knowledge quite highly, and is willing to trade in its mysterious sources of precious gems and metals for the strange desert magics of the Ogre King. These precious gems and metals, appealing to the dwarves of Rul-Anuk, allow for the purchase of firearms, gunpowder, and metal armor and weapons for the Orcish Natuk Empire, even further to the Southwest and well out of Acroshian control. (Consequently, one of the largest base camps for E and A trading company is now in Orc territory, both near enough to the Deepwoods and Fathi but out of their reach.) The lush jungles of the Orcs contain ample food and natural materials such as fuel, as well as manufactured goods made by the Orcs using Dwarvish raw materials and blueprints. These, along with goblinoid slaves, of which the Orcs always have an excess, are transported to the Ogres far in the east, traveling along the southern border of Acroshia, able to dip into Acroshian territory for their protection when convenient, and able to circumvent it when necessary by paying protection money to the Duskmaw Galdur to use their shoreline and waters instead. Then, upon delivery of a great shipment to the Ogre King, ancient knowledge can be delivered to Golden Grace and the Naga, setting up the loop again. Additionally, Spirit Sap is sometimes obtained from the Orcish length of the route - whether this is from the Orcs or stolen from the Deepwoods Elves is currently unknown.
Consequently, several standing trade treaties are in place:
E and A company, while technically an illegal organization, is able to use the banner of GG Company in Seth so long as they continuously deliver shipments from the east of interest to the principal of GG company every six months.
The Rul-Anuk Dwarves, who respect the E and A company for putting Elves “back in their place”, have treaties enabling them to purchase all but the rarest Dwarven goods and allow them to stay in the Foreigner’s Quarters adjacent to the City of Rul-Anuk proper, safely outside of Acroshian borders and under the mountain.
The Natuk Orcs, generally open to more trading partners, trade with E and A company but try to camouflage it, as they are attempting to form good relations with the Deepwoods Elves. However, the massive Orcish military ensures that E and A company can blend in with Dwarven caravans and logistics teams, and mundane disguises and camouflage supplies have been supplied to them by the Orcs to avoid the Deepwoods scrutinizing these visitors.
The Ogre King in the East is known for his strange diplomatic practices; Visitors must wear masks at all times, or will be refused entry, and may be killed on sight due to a strange set of cultural taboos in civilized Ogre society. Due to their assistance in addressing the economic crises in the east, the Ogre Kingdom has ensured E and A company is supplied with the correct masks, and have a treaty providing them masks if theirs are forgotten. They are also one of the few organizations aware of safe trade routes into the east, and have a standing treaty with the Duskmaws allowing shoreline travel on the southern coast for a nominal tribute.
While no one loves E and A company, many inside and outside Acroshia feel the tenacity of the hard, violent, insensitive men who travel across the wastes to bring goods to where they are needed are an essential part of the thin economic network of the continent, barely held together in the face of both demonic and weather-based supply disruptions. But they are and will always be human traffickers, and most members would kill their own family members without hesitation for a few moons. The ugly reality of life in Acroshia is that nothing is truly in short supply in the desert; You can get virtually anything, as long as you can afford it and you don’t ask too many questions about where it came from.
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