Wicktrimmer Negotiations and Research

This document details the interactions and research conducted by Vael and Ioannes concerning Wicktrimmer and the Rarities Factor, particularly regarding the sale of Larel’s Pin and other artifacts, as well as general intelligence gathering.

Initial Inquiry Regarding Arcanum

• Lyssandra informs Vael and Ioannes of a note from Wicktrimmer inquiring about a large quantity of Arcanum that reportedly showed up in their corner of town. He is interested in buying it.
• Lyssandra expresses surprise, noting Wicktrimmer is not a wizard and wonders who he’s trying to sell it to.
• Ioannes asks about Wicktrimmer’s identity, learning he runs the Rarities Factor and is likely the second richest person in Gosterwick, and definitely the richest goblin.
• Lyssandra advises being polite to Wicktrimmer, as he is not someone to anger.
• Ioannes asks Lyssandra about Arcanum, learning it’s a magic orange metal found in Arden Vul used as a spell component, though she has never seen it.

Wicktrimmer’s Offer to the Right for Riches Company

• Wicktrimmer sends a note to the Right for Riches Company stating he has reliable information they found magical artifacts of deep historical significance.
• He offers lifetime free banking at the Rarities Factor if his wizard identifies them as genuine and the company sells any to him.

Vael’s Due Diligence and Negotiations

Vael initiates research into Wicktrimmer, Lost and Found, and the Rarities Factor, wearing his Larel’s Cloak and Amulet of Voice. Ioannes and Vallium also contribute to intelligence gathering.

Initial Research Findings (from GM)

• Wicktrimmer is a retired adventurer who used to plunder Arden Vul with a group called Lost and Found.
• Lost and Found was led by the wizard Balthazar the Blue and the paladin Grimley.
• Wicktrimmer founded the Rarities Factor in Gosterwick 12 years ago, expanding to Newmarket and Narsileon.
• The Rarities Factor offers banking, letters, and mule caravans at slightly cheaper prices than competitors, with a smaller geographical range.
• Wicktrimmer is possibly the second richest person in Gosterwick and the richest goblin.
• He is a collector of historical treasures and magic items.
• He is friends with important people like the Green Lady.
• His reputation is solid; he seems to know everything in town, with various theories as to how.

Visit to the Rarities Factor

• Vael and friends visit the Rarities Factor. Wicktrimmer asks his wizard, Ingimund of Arcturus, to inspect a letter opener.
• Vael warns of obfuscation on the item.
• Wicktrimmer asserts his job is to know of all magic items in Gosterwick, implying magical means of detection. He notes the item was unusually confusing due to its concealing effect.
• The wizard casts Analyze Magic and destroys the letter opener (which was a disguised Larel’s Pin).
• Wicktrimmer offers $20,000 plus free banking for life for the entire company, for Larel’s Pin.
• Wicktrimmer reveals his past as an adventurer; his party, Lost and Found, reached the Obsidian Gates but not beyond. He became a merchant after his party leader, Balthazar the Blue, retired due to marriage.
• He notes his dislike for baboons, and is impressed by the party’s handling of them.
• He offers payment in gold, silver, platinum, gems, or a letter of deposit.

Vael’s Counter-Proposal

Vael proposes:

• Sale of Larel’s Pin.
• Right of first refusal for their magic items (with exceptions for personal requests, bartering for unique goods/services, or paying adventuring companions).
• Willingness to inform Wicktrimmer of any items given or traded away.
• In return: $20,000 for Larel’s Pin.
• Concierge shopping services in Narsileon, Newmarket, and other agent locations at Wicktrimmer’s cost.
• Free banking with the Rarities Factor.
• Reports on enemies in town, especially the Cult of Set.

Wicktrimmer’s Response to Counter-Proposal

• Wicktrimmer accepts the proposal as a first draft, advising them not to sell any other found items and to include less valuable items for his collection.
• He expresses personal interest in Larel’s Mom’s Rabbit Soup Recipe and other Larel artifacts, wanting to prove Larel’s existence to Balthazar the Blue.
• He reveals that Lady Alexia Basileon and a noble in Narsileon already hold rights of first and second refusal, respectively.
• He offers a “right of third refusal” in exchange for a reliable teleporter with 400 mile range or a fast flying carpet, citing the inefficiency of mule trains.
• He confirms that concierge shopping services are possible for specific items, with messages reaching Narsileon in less than a day, but item delivery at mule train speed (around a month). Analyze Magic costs would be on the party.

Further Research and Political Intel

• Vael and Ioannes research Lost and Found and the Rarities Factor.
• Lost and Found: Had unbelievable, possibly made-up exploits. Balthazar the Blue was big on self-promotion.
• Rarities Factor: Story of Wicktrimmer owning it seems doubtful; likely a rich noble behind the scenes.
• Wicktrimmer provides intel on Susarra’s murder, suggesting an out-of-town Settite or hired assassin.
• He mentions Keko the Lame, head of the Drome in Narsileon, who might pin a medal on them for eradicating the Cult of Set in Arden Vul.
• He warns of political complexities between Lady Alexia Basileon and her half-brother, leading to confusion in the Imperial chain of command regarding the Drome branches.
• He advises caution against assassins and recommends not sleeping in Arden Vul and not splitting up. If necessary, use 2 guards and Mystic Mist.
• He confirms Balthazar the Blue now lives in Narsileon, raising kids and making potions, rarely visiting Gosterwick. Wicktrimmer visits Narsileon occasionally but manages the branch remotely.

Larel Artifacts Provenance Statement (Drafted by Vael)

An Account of the Discovery within the Thothian Necropolis, by Vaelethron ‘Vael’ Sunshadow

“It is a rare privilege to uncover a secret that history has forgotten, and a rarer one still to prove a legend true. Such was our fortune in the deep and silent precincts of the Thothian halls.

Our explorations led us to a series of forgotten ceremonial chambers, far from the notice of other delvers. We found ourselves in what appeared to be a minor funereal complex. The antechambers were as expected for a minor Thothian complex, but one sealed door led not to a simple crypt, but to the true prize: the final resting place of a figure many believed to be a myth. There could be no doubt; the walls were dominated by frescos of Larel himself, depicted in his iconic green cap and with his famous dagger. The surrounding walls brought his tales to life in painted scenes: Larel distracting wolves with a chicken, concealing himself from an angry husband, and cleverly spiking apples on his dagger while performing a card trick.

Rather than being interred in a sarcophagus as is common among Thothians, the hero’s effects were laid out on racks in the chamber, as if waiting for his return. A small rack held a collection of fine, wicked-looking daggers, many with magical auras. Upon a writing desk lay a golden apple next to a simple silver ‘letter opener’—which we immediately recognized as Larel’s legendary pin—alongside three identical love notes to differently named women. In the center of the room, a capped urn rested upon a stone pedestal, containing what can only be the hero’s ashes.”