An Introduction - Red Wizards

Occasionally wading through the crowds, men heavily cowled and caped in red can be spotted. They appear in groups of no more than three, they are more often than not purchasing many finely crafted foods from the Ranzington market, bone wands, black scrolls, ornate crystalline potion vials and various strange plants.

They interact with everyone as little as possible, foregoing haggling in favour of silence.

One such group arrives at the towns centre, handing a note to a guard and then moving on without so much as a goodbye. The guard promptly hands the note to Sten; though not before reading it. Information is valuable these days.

Red Wizards.

Through a strange mixture of tyranny and commerce, they'd carved a name, a foothold for themselves throughout the realms. To the Faerûnian common folk, the Red Wizards conjured images of slavery, brutality, and duplicitous cruelty. Thay, in so much that it could be called a unified nation, comprised one of those groups that was simply not to be trusted.

It was not the wont of Anphillia's people, however, to dwell on mainland affairs. They were already preoccupied fighting "the enemy" and casting aspersions at "those wicked, thick-headed dissidents on the other side". Or, as it was in Ranzington's case, profiting through trade, carefully leveraged by an unrelenting facade of neutrality.

Lord Sten, for his part, was keen on opportunities. And this one seemed promising: what could prove more lucrative than trade with one of the most industrious nations on the mainland?

Still, he'd heard "stories". It would, he supposed, be prudent to investigate. Ranzington's libraries turned up little useful data, and his advisors proved equally fruitless. But Iron Hold's libraries seemed promising, if somewhat difficult to attain. He could, perhaps, hire a band of adventurers, bolster them with promises of fame, fortune and glory, and send them along on their ways in exchange for a mere tome or three.

No, no... that was a ridiculous idea.

He'd arrange a meeting. Send a representative to discuss matters openly, pose pointed questions, and come to a careful, if initially small arrangement. That was simply how things were done these days.