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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Systole" data-source="post: 6108453" data-attributes="member: 93930">Franco grins and laughs expansively.  "Oh, he's a firey one, Allessano!  Are you sure we can't keep him here and send some other poor dupe overseas?"Cardinal Fortino rolls his eyes at the merchant, which only elicits another laugh from Franco.  "Oh, very well, Allessano.  I'll behave." He turns to you and gives you a smile and a half-hearted shrug. "Scads of money are always appreciated, Master Stormforge.  While I find this business tremendously entertaining, I would prefer to see a return on my investment as well.  My particular specialty is selling overpriced novelty items to rich idiots, and the local breed of rich idiot has started taking an interest in the West.  So if you can't simply send gold and gems, I'm sure I can find buyers for any knickknacks you find that look sufficiently, hrm, 'cultural' is probably the best way to put it."  He sips a glass of wine and turns to Gabbiano.Lord Gabbiano nods.  "House Gabbiano needs shipping opportunities.  And building a well-defended port, aside from it being our patriotic duty, would greatly increase our House's standing in court.  In short, we only require that you faithfully execute the charter."  He clears his throat and looks at the floor. "There may be obstacles to that.  There is ... infighting among the noble houses.  Emiliana Forenicci is an honorable lady..."Franco chokes on his wine, and gives Gabbiano a disbelieving look."Oh, she's cutthroat and unpredictable, I'll give you that.  But she wouldn't stoop to sabotage."Franco nods.  "Ah, that's true enough.  Emi will be a formidable business rival, but that's the end of it.  On the other hand, there's nothing I would put past House Boraga.  Their settlement will likely be run by one of the Dame's get.  I doubt it would be Abbandando or Cicci -- they're too stupid, frankly.  And it's certainly not going to be Tammasino, the poor black sheep of House Boraga.  Tessio and Brasi are possibilities, but I would put my money on Clemenza." He shakes his head. "No matter which Boraga it is, you'd best watch your back and your sides, plus you'll need to keep an eye on where your putting your feet down and also make sure that nothing is going to drop on you out of the sky.  And while you're busy doing all that, they'll probably sneak up on you from the front."Gabbiano clears his throat.  "Indeed.  It seems that House Boraga has already snuck up on us from the front.  They've managed to severely limit our pool of applicants by way of pre-emptively hiring everyone in the city who would make the journey."Fortino looks surprised.  "Everyone?" Gabbiano grimaces.  "Almost.  And not just honest tradesmen and mercenaries.  They've hired the muggers and murderers out of the back alleys of Venza and put them on boats heading west.  The city's crime rate has nearly dropped by half this past week.  But we've managed to get a translator.  A sort of translator, anyway.  More of a language expert, actually.  She's very ... enthusiastic.  She's in the library, if you'd like to meet her, Master Stormforge.  We've also found you a hired sword, who'll be meeting us at the wharf.  He comes, uh, highly recommended."<img src="http://i1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii513/pnthffr/fortino_150.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /> <img src="http://i1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii513/pnthffr/umberto_150.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /> [ATTACH]56868[/ATTACH]. . Cardinal Fortino . . . Umberto Gabbiano . . . . Geralt Franco . . .</blockquote>

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