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Unearthed - II -
Expansion Post

Southern shores of Hugrëchige Bay

The keel of the rowboat finally hit the sand. It had been quite a journey, a few crimson carps the size of dogs had threatened to turn the vessel upside down and a merchant vessel had nearly spotted them leaving Aadenval. Overall, too much of a hassle to merely cross the bay and reach the scattered settlement of the southern peninsula, yet to be assigned a provincial governor and given little priority before the conquest of Swiegród.
Carolus saw the golden lights of Aadenval off in the distance, the unfinished Basilica rising from the center like a sore thumb. He was quite excited to hear mass in it, gaze at the decoration and perhaps craft some hallowed memorabilia for the wealthier clerics.
In contrast to the stunning unfinished provincial capital, the opposite bank of Hugrëchige was deserted and offered little in the way of eye candy. The boat had run aground next to a village. Most of the buildings were made out of stone and the roofs topped with orange clay roof tiles. The church’s steeple offered some light, giving a comforting gleam to its bronze bells. It was clearly an above average settlement, but nothing too spectacular.
The odd thing was how busy the locals were. Crates being handled by sailors, larger containers being lifted with makeshift cranes, barrels rolling on the pier and wagons brimming with various round and rectangular boxes.
“Understandable,” he thought “Perhaps this lost corner of the Reich had a sudden spike in activity on account of being near Aadenval.” That still didn’t explain all this work being made in the dead of night.
The boatman stepped onto the sand. Carolus went to follow when he was stopped. “No. You stay here.” The jeweler sat back down and watched as two figures approached the boatman. The traded some words in viftaelian, but with a very thick accent he did not recognise, which made the conversation practically imperceptible.
“Coast is clear follow them.” the boatman motioned to the two newcomers. Carolus obliged, stepping out the small raft and following them into the crowd. Their faces were illuminated by fire and he could finally distinguish their features. Their fairer skin, darker eyes and ear accessories quickly proved the assumption that they weren’t viftaelian -there were darker skinned viftaelian, sure, but theirs was much more similar to those of the natives tribes that dwelled amongst the exotic flora and fauna residing on the tropical jungles of the eastern Gemsamegh, a popular location for exile, where most enemies of the Reich would eventually starve or get killed by the aggressive wildlife-
The two men lead Carolus away from the shore and deeper into the heart of the village, through flooded streets and dark alleys.
The group’s destination was a house with barely any windows and a discreet facade. The interior was saturated with an uncomfortable stench, so much in fact that Carolus started tearing up from nausea. The discreet facade and hidden location were made crystal clear, it was a den where commoners enjoyed that powder from the southern bälvanian, that substance that had begun intensive cultivation a few years before, opium. Carolus despised the drug, it made the addicted no better than drunks and, in his line of work, something that hurt an individual’s perception and abilities was a death sentence.
The townsfolk laid strewn across crude wooden klinais, some giggling, others blowing on the pipes, but most had already fallen into their drug-induced coma. Carolus was relieved when his company opened the door to a smokeless room.

The old jeweler inhaled the clean hair and examined his surroundings. The room had crates mounted on every corner. A couple had been topped with a flat board, creating a makeshift table. Sitting behind that table was a woman. His eyes met hers and she motioned for him to sit. He scanned her face and upper torso, noticing some curious details. The faint scar cutting through her left cheekbone and a much more deformed left ear to go along with it, a silver brooch that held her tunic in place, carved into a shape that he recognized but couldn’t remember the meaning of.
“Carolus Interhoven?”
He nodded “Aye. Who do I owe the pleasure?”
“My name is irrelevant to the conversation. I’ll cut right to why you were summoned tonight, as I’m well aware of how much time is important to the both of us.”
“Very well. Enlighten me.”
“If you’ve come this far, you must know what failure to cooperate entails, correct?”
“Most likely, yes. The letter has been burned and all my apprentices and colleagues believe I’m visiting a relative stricken by a terrible ailment.”
“Wunderbar. Let’s go ahead and lay my offer down, shall we? I represent some people who are very interested in talented craftsmen like you, specifically in the lapidary business. You are hereby summoned to Orësbruck as soon as all your affairs in Aadenval are in order.”
“Come again? I've only arrived at the city four moons ago and I’m already being asked to leave? What for?”
The woman rolled her eyes and went over to one of the crates. She effortlessly opened the lid and took out a small tightly wrapped bag. She drew her dagger and slit the knot, placing it in front of Carolus. His gaze was met by several big sized blue gems. He examined one, even without his oculus he knew the stone was some unknown jewel with little value.
“What is this supposed to be?” he inquired.
“I see you have a good eye, I expected nothing less. That, my dear guest, is the reason for your departure. They’ll tell you more as soon as you arrive in Orësbruck, ask for Helga. In the meantime, this is to cover your travel expenses and part of your entire workshop’s relocation cost. The geist of Aadenval has already been persuaded and he’ll deal with any questions your customers might have.” she carefully slid a leather backpack across the wooden board.

“Why not just tell me everything now?” Carolus indignantly asked.
“This is a delicate affair. You’re still only knees deep in the operation. As soon as you arrive In Orësbruck, everything will be made clearer. Run along and start packing, you still have a lot to do.”

Carolus grabbed the bag and braced for the smoke between him and the exit. He had seen those gems before, he remembered how Fred had brought that pouch of crude sapphires on his way from the docks. Could it be? No, that was ridiculous...unless…