[sblock=Anaerion]Middenstone is a fairly recent concoction having made its way slowly north from Heth. The exact fabrication method is a mystery, and appears to be closely guarded, but the resulting material, of a somewhat nauseating mauve, is similar to a mix between adobe and concrete. Kept in a semi-liquid state, raw middenstone can be molded into sheets, bricks, or many other shapes. Allowed to cool, middenstone has the same strength as wood but is much easier to mold and is relatively resistant to fire and rot.
Anaerion remembers nothing new about Gabbiano in particular, but the mention of House Boraga does knock loose something: With their family compound in Roses di Sanguigno, Boraga is one of the more powerful of the Houses, controlling the Zeire Gate which connects Venza to the Zeire Desert west of Heth. As Finia indicates, their primary power comes from their mining interests in the desert to which they hold a gate.
Heth is a vast kingdom on the south of the Inner Sea, comprised of low lying wet lands, inhospitable jungles, and desert. Here Xarr, known as The Scabrous One, a plague god, is the primary deity. For the people of Heth, disease had become a way of life, and with no god able to protect them, they turned their obeisance to their tormentor. And the plagues became less frequent, the sick were treated with reverence, and the most faithful seemed to suffer the least.
Heth is a volatile nation. Originally ruled by Serpantfolk, human desert nomads eventually wrested control and became the ruling nobility. Then, as the priests of Xarr convinced more and more that their only salvation from ravaging plague lay in their god, seventy years ago the wet landers overthrew the ruling nobility, leading to its current theocracy.[/sblock]
Finia takes a deep breath before responding to Tyrien's query, clearly nervous about what she's about to discuss, but realizes there is no further avoiding it.
"We've managed to ... secure ... guard positions for our people on the next transport out to the Zeire desert through Boraga's gate," she says. Having finally begun, her followup clarification seems to spill out much more easily. "Obviously, those positions are false. There is no power on the planet which would lead to that gods-forsaken house actually allowing Gabbiano interests access to their gate. You will officially be mercenaries assigned, though our agent at the camp, to long-range patrol.
"The cover will allow for you to disappear, sadly lost to raiders on your first patrol. Boraga will no doubt become quite concerned for their safety and hunker down, while you finish traveling to Kostry Kopec, arriving much sooner than Gabbiano's own resources would normally allow, and hopefully before Boraga's interests have full intelligence as to our trade intentions.
"As you say, we do not expect a great deal of negotiation on your behalf. I'll supply you with the documents you'll need. It is enough for Yrehgg that an 'official Gabbiano retinue' is arriving to deliver them and see to their signature. In essence, you're there to make a small local official feel important. Manage that, gain the signature, and my house is prepared to provide you with 1000 gold sovereigns for your time."