The Silk Wars
Connects to: 13.06, 29.14.35, 29.14.37 and 29.14.45.
Alvise Ettienne took over the family silk business when his uncle, also Alvise Ettienne, was exiled from the City following his transformation into the first ettin and related scandals (13.06). The gold that he could make in this profitable business did a great deal to restore his house’s reputation and wash away all of the annoying whispers about head theft.
That is, of course, until Weng Lo came to town. The easterner was able to produce his own silk and savagely undercut the prices that Alvise sold his imported silks for (29.14.45). Finally he found a solution: he would market the silks produced by Lady Alevari produced with the help of flesh-eating insects (29.14.37). He suspects, but cannot prove, that Weng Xiao produces her silk through the same means.
Thanks to his prodding, Lady Alevari has stepped up her silk production and the competition between the two of them and the easterners has stepped up. Many think that Alvise is behind Weng Lo’s death and his daughter has become increasingly paranoid and has gone to extreme lengths to safeguard her tower.
Also the competition has led to agents of Xiao and Ettienne squabbling over dead bodies that they come across in the street and even occasional blows. If matters escalate any more, Alvise is considering bringing in some of his ettin cousins to smash heads. The Necromantic Office takes a dim view of this and is debating what course to take.
Hooks:
- So now we have people fighting over who will get to cart off dead bodies and feed them to bugs, there has to be some good stories there. Does everyone who gets carted off want to get in the cart?