(1866-02-26) A Meeting with the Whytes
A Meeting with the Whytes
Summary: After Stephen arranges for the meeting, he and the Cassomir Sisters meet with representatives from House Whyte.
Date: 1866-02-26
Related: A Meeting with Tristan
NPCs: {$npc}
Players:
Stephen  Raelyn  Emilia  

and Jaime, Galad, and Horatio Whyte


An Inn in Firen
See scene set…
1866-02-26

The Whyte family is a prominent merchant family, based out of Dalcen though they have 'shops' in most of the larger cities. One step below nobility, and with more coin than some lordships! but that is often the way of an enterprising common merchant.

Of course, they are also, known to those who deal with the shadowy underworld in their line of work, a member house of the vaunted Syndicate: a multinational organization of crime families, each with their very own special talents that they bring to the whole.

At least that's what non-Syndicate persons believe. In truth? The Galenthian crime families have never stood together, not even during the wars.

What is true is that the Whytes are criminals, if organized ones, and field the best assassins in Galenthia. Among other… business interests.

The Lawkeeper's invitation to meet was greeted with a date, time, and location. The location was a quiet tavern in the city's merchant sector, and when their party arrives, Stephen and the two Cassomir women (and no more than two guards) are escorted back to a private room usually rented out for business meetings.

Jaime Whyte, a man in his late twenties dressed in merchant's finery, with even rings upon his fingers that drum the table impaitently as the nobles are escorted in, sits. The table is larger than those in the common room, with seats enough for ten. Beside Jaime on either side are two men, one younger by a handful of years and the other older by a score. A solitary guard holds up the wall behind the young Whyte scion, idly filing his nails with a dagger.

Stephen Sokar is making no secret of who or what he is, complete with the Lawkeeper medallion around his neck. Then again, it's all-too-likely that all the Syndicate families have had dealings with lawkeepers that were "amiable" in the sense of coin exchanging hands, but that's of course not why Stephen is here. He has spoken with his companions, and tried as best he could to instruct them as to the degree of courtesy that should be extended. They are not noble, and should not be overly fawned over, but roughly the same courtesy one might extend when dealing with a town elder or a City Mayor should be appropriate enough. As they are escorted inside, Stephen does nod his head towards the fellow that seems to be leading the Whyte entourage, speaking plainly, "Master Whyte, I presume? A good evening to you. I am Lord Stephen Sokar, a Lawkeeper of Riverwatch." Stephen's eyes take in the guards and the other men, briefly assessing, before his attention turns to Jaime, indicating his companions, "And allow me to introduce the Ladies Raelyn and Emilia Cassomir."

Raelyn is dressed in the garb of a Huntress, but has shunned her bow. Only sword and dirk are upon her, sheathed. As Stephen takes the lead, which Raelyn insisted he do in front of the three prior to their arrival. "Well met," she greets towards Jaime Whyte, nodding her head in greeting and some measure of respect being granted to the man. She, afterall, knows how sensitive this meeting is. She moves towards the table, but does not sit yet, but does make room for Emilia.

The tavern is taken in as they are led through it, and evenutally the room that they are lead along to. Emilia's dark eyes drifting over each of the men in the room that they are lead along to for the meeting, settling eventually on the man at the table with his drumming fingers. The young woman staying perhaps a half step behind her older sister and dressed similarly within that Huntress garb. Her head bows respectfully along towards Master Whyte, a gentle,"Good Evening," offered. Her movements bearing an etherael sort of grace as she keeps to her sisters side when the table is approached.

"My lord, my ladies," Jaime says, rising to his feet and bowing, his two companions doing the same. "Yes, I am Master Jaime Whyte, head of the Whyte Merchant house in this city. This is my younger brother Galad, and my uncle Horatio." His fingers flick slightly towards each of them as he introduces them. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, and how can our humble house serve?" He smiles. He will wait until the nobles are seated for himself and his two companions to sit, as etiquette dictates.

Stephen moves to settle into a chair across from Jaime, and waits for all to be seated before speaking once more, "So far as this meeting is concerned, we only wish that you will hear what we have to say. How you and your family choose to act upon it afterwards will be left in your hands." Stephen folds his hands before him on the table, looking Jaime in the eye as he speaks, "It would be difficult not to notice that mercantile traffic within Galenthia has been hampered of late. Not only from your family, but also the other two largest mercantile interests within the Kingdom." Well, common mercantile interests, but no need to belabor the obvious. "Our goal here this eve is to offer a new perspective on these events."

Sitting and settling into a chair, Raelyn offers, "We have recently come into some information during the retaking of Goldhollow that we believe you would wish to hear." She inclines her head, "We hope, also, that you may find we have a mutual interest," she adds, briefly. The smile she offers to Jaime is very brief, but sincere enough. Her expression is otherwise solemn, serious.

With introductions offered of the brother and uncle, Emilia extends a polite bow of her head in turn to each of the men before she takes her seat at the table. Her expression remaining solemn, no attempt to offer up smiles. For now at least seeming to defer and allow Stephen and Raelyn cover the talking, allowing focus to remain to the center of the table.

<FS3> Emilia rolls Perception: Great Success.
<FS3> Raelyn rolls Perception: Good Success.

Jaime's smile is brilliant and seemingly genuine. "By all means," he gestures openly with his hands. "I am eager to hear whatever you have to tell me." His brother leans forward eagerly, though their old uncle simply folds his arms across his chest, cocking his head to listen.

<FS3> Stephen rolls Perception: Great Success.

"While interrogating one of the prisoners taken at Goldhollow…the leader of the enemy force, as a matter of fact, it came to light that he and his forces had raided an Alchemical warehouse. While I realize such interests are more the province of the Narvaez, bear with me a few moments." Stephen requests before continuing, "Now, I do not know how these recent troubles with the caravans began, and I do not ask you share sensitive details of your family business with us. But I am going to venture a guess that the inciting incidents may carry a degree of…uncertainty to them, in terms of the culprits?" Stephen asks rhetorically, "It is our belief that the Thorn insurgents may have worked to turn you and your competitors upon one another." Stephen leans back in his chair, concluding, "Consider: The hampering of perfectly legitimate trade does not profit you, and it does not profit the Crown. The only organization that benefits from this chaos is in fact the insurgents themselves."

Seeming content to let the Lawkeeper speak, at least for the moment, Raelyn instead glances briefly at each of the three men, her gaze longest on the Uncle, though her expression belies no particular revelation, if any, is gleaned by scrutinizing the older man. Her eyes shift back to Jaime. "The timing," suggests she, quietly, "Of when Galenthia's trade started to become stifled, and following closely thereafter the sacking of Goldhollow, however brief, may then appear to be more than mere coincidence."

One hand lightly comes to rest upon the table, the other folding into Emilia's lap as she sits at the table. Those dark brown eyes taking in the three men across the table as the meeting gets underways. Taking some measure of them in the process. Half wondering how to feign such a brillant smile, she needed to learn that trick. Doubting that was a lesson she could inquire after. Her own head canting just a little as she listened and watched.

<FS3> Stephen rolls Presence+Presence: Good Success.

Jaime snorts. "You know more than you should, Lawman," he says after a few moment. "But perhaps not as much as you think." He leans foward, folding his hands together and lacing his fingers with each other. "But since you aren't here with a cadre to make arrests, I suppose you want to discuss Business— in a way that benefits you."

Galad's expression looks startled for a moment, and a flicker of fear crosses it, but the older man makes a slight gesture with his hand that forces the younger to school his face into neutrality.

Jaime's eye flit to his younger brother, and a grim expression tugs at his lips for a moment, a spark of anger and disappointment appearing before his attention settles back on Stephen. The women seem to be ignored for the moment, his gaze settling on the Lawkeeper intensely, as if locking into a contest of wills. There is silence in the room during these few tense moments, then Jaime breaks the staredown with a laugh.

"Trade war benefits no one, that includes your Thorns," he says finally. "They need supplies just as any man or women does. Then again, there are others who make a business of getting goods in and out of places that they shouldn't be and to people they shouldn't be getting to. If you want to know who started this, then I'd look to them, Lawman. Perhaps your enemies bought them off, I don't know."

"The Escarra are being spoken to, possibly right at this moment. The Narvaez will follow soon after, but I would note that the trade war does not seem to hamper these insurgents overmuch." Stephen tilts his head, "And the Escarra caravans are having no more success than your own of late." Stephen notes quite calmly, "I am aware that there was a considerable degree of business done with Anton Romante's faction in the past…but that was the past, and your family has not attained its' position by being short-sighted. If this pale shadow of Anton's forces had the resources to offer you profitable contracts, they would have done so already. Perhaps if they had taken Goldhollow…" Stephen shrugs a shoulder, "But they did not, and each fighter they lose is one they cannot afford. I do not say this to discount that they are dangerous. Griffon Point proved that, but we all know their chances for victory are slim to nonexistent. It is only a question of how much damage they do in their death-throes that remains."

Stephen pauses, then notes, "I cannot make promises I am not empowered to give. I would note, however, that her Majesty was quite generous with those that aided her cause in the Succession War. Galenthia, for all its' troubles, is still a land of great opportunity. We are not asking you to fight for us, though I'm certain if one of yours delivered Alphard Tarris' head there would no doubt be great reward in it, nevertheless, all we are asking is that you, at least temporarily…halt the hostilities against each other, allow trade to flow, and then…take a second look at what started this most recent conflict amongst you. We have come to you and spoken of our desires plainly. If the Thorns are playing you…wouldn't you wish to know for certain?"

"It would," conceeds Raelyn, gently, and with practical mannerism, "Be certainly something remarkable, and a measure of brilliant strategy. To stifle all of Galenthia, after securing their own measure of trade and supplies. It would also eliminate Her Majesty utilizing your family, as well as the others, to assist our endeavors against them by keeping you otherwise occupied. These are the points which we have considered long, and ultimately brought forth the decision to have these meetings."

Emilia certainly does not seem to mind that Stephen becomes the focus, she was well used to being ignored. It came with being the 'touched' Cassomir. Her mien remaining in that solemn turn as she took the general disinterest in her to continue to watch the expressions and reactions of the three men to Stephen's words, and through the continued discussion. A brief glance to the guard at one point. But the yonger Cassomir remains ever silent and solemn.

Jaime's face goes blank and cold. "Meeting with the Escarra, then, too? Don't trust them… grasping gutter rats that they are. I swear to the One, they were the first to attack our caravans— and theirs may not be as 'stopped' as you may think. Bastards have warrens all over the place."

He snorts. "Bring someone who can offer gold for Alphard's head, and we'll discuss terms."

Horatio smirks. "I wouldn't take the contract," he interrupts his nephew. "The Butcher's been butchered once," he says, "and naught came of it. Not enough coin in your realm to pay us what it would take."

"I assure you, trust is a commodity that is in short supply these days. I've little doubt the Escarra are likely telling our envoy the exact same thing regarding yourselves and their caravans." Stephen notes, listening to the rest of the men's words, "Fair enough. It seems we have nothing more to discuss." Stephen doesn't look happy, disappointed, or otherwise. "Unfortunate that this seems to have been a waste of all our time. Should we come across more concrete evidence of the insurgents involving themselves in your business, we may pass it along." He inclines his head to Jaime, "Understandable that you would be hesitant to act simply upon our word, but given the circumstances we felt it better to inform you of our suspicions sooner rather than later." He starts to rise from his chair, "Perhaps we will speak later, but regardless, we will leave you to your work."

Raelyn pauses, not quite standing even as Stephen moves to do so. She regards Horatio a long moment, then looks back to Jamie. She almost says something, then only remarks, "Perhaps we will speak later, Master Whyte," she agrees. She purses her lips, suggests, "I only know that my brother would be - gratified, if this problem could find a quick, and amiacable resolution for your house, and the others." Stephen did say to save that for a last resort, and it seems near enough to that for Raelyn. She hopes the seeds of the fact her brother is soon to be King, and such gratitude implied might offer new insight, or incentive, to the Whytes. "Thank you for meeting with us." Then, she too, rises.

With the meeting seeming to be wrapping up, Emilia's one hand draws up with the other. A faint glance towards her sister. With Raelyn finally rising along to her feet, Emilia moves to rise as well from her chair. A polite incline given towards the men.

<FS3> Emilia rolls Perception: Good Success.
<FS3> Raelyn rolls Perception+25: Amazing Success.
Raelyn spends 1 luck points on I can see for miles & miles ….
<FS3> Stephen rolls Perception: Good Success.

The Whytes all rise as well, out of courtesy. "Travel well my ladies, Lord Lawkeeper." Jaime smiles.

To the perceptive, it's a smile of promise. But what sort? That is yet to be seen. But it doesn't seem entirely… pleasant.

But still, none of the Whytes move until the nobles have left the room…

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