What do we do with the EIC?
The EIC's information network could have been a very useful tool for Spymistress Weber. It was significantly less useful to Loremaster Weber, and it might be even less useful to us now that we are based in a part of the Empire where it has no presence. But to the Grey Order it could be a powerful asset, and I agree that we should make sure that it is in good order if Eike does decide to inherit the EIC.
Something that needs to be considered is that once Eike inherits Wilhelmina's stocks the Grey Order will have a majority of shares (56%). This could be a problem: merchants are already concerned about the EIC's position as a trade organization that may or may not double as an arm of the Empire's intelligence services:
"There's currently no overlap between our interests, but that's likely to change in the near future as we extend westwards. What we'd like to know-" he pauses and licks his lips nervously, a stark contrast with his confident and likely practiced speech. "-is what competition between Ostermark trade interests and Stirlandian ones would represent, precisely. Considering that..." he pauses again, and you keep your gaze level on his as he fumbles his words. "Considering the, uh. Considering."
Considering that you are a terrifying snarl of competing powers and limitations, he might have been about to say. Or words to that effect. You lean back in your chair and consider him while you digest the question, trying to decide whether it represents a nervous query or a cunning threat. The - what was he, a Baronet? In the sense of the son of a baron, or as an honourary non-landed title? You can't remember which Ostermark uses. Whatever he is, he's clearly very nervous, but you can't tell whether it's the nervousness of someone who hasn't seen their comfort zone for months and is now talking to a wizard, or it's the nervousness of someone who's delivering a veiled threat to a being that could obliterate him.
The naive read on the situation is that a trade interest - which the nobles of Ostermark often cooperated as - might be nervous about going up against a rival backed by a Grey Wizard, and are asking permission to start competing without it being treated as interfering with an obscure wing of the Empire's intelligence apparatus. A slightly more thoughtful analysis might consider their question to be asking whether to lock swords with Shareholder Mathilde would also earn the enmity of Dame Weber, or whether competing with Loremaster Weber might by extension be working against Karak Eight Peaks, which might jeopardize Ostermark's relationship with Karak Kadrin. But the sufficiently paranoid wizard might take the question as a veiled but very real jab at Magister Weber, who is bound by the Articles of Imperial Magic and the oaths of the Grey Order. A warning shot to say that Ostermark is coming downriver, and if the EIC stands in their way, to a certain point of view that could be seen as a Grey Wizard interfering with the legitimate business of an Elector Count for their own personal profit. Which is the sort of thing that gets the Bursar very tetchy indeed.
Once it is not just a singular Grey Wizard but the majority of shareholders other merchants may decide they are better off not interacting with the EIC at all. On that note, this option
[ ] EIC: Reach out to Roswita, and have the EIC start passing on tips about any tax evasion or other naughtiness by the EIC's rivals.
is a truly terrible idea, in my opinion. Using the intelligence arm of the EIC to hurt its business rivals all but ensures that no one will ever want to work with the EIC or let it get a foothold anywhere near them. Everyone has something to hide, certainly any merchant big enough to be a rival to the EIC. This could seriously hurt the ability of the EIC to function as a trade organization, which is a problem for its ability to function as an intelligence network as well, since the network of merchants and such is what allows us to plant EIC agents in the first place.
I don't know if it is possible, but we might want to keep the fact that Eike is a Grey Wizard a secret. I imagine the Grey Order does that kind of thing from time to time, and that way the above problems could be avoided. If it's not possible, we might need to have a long and serious conversation with the Bursar about the future of the EIC.
[ ] EIC: Found an auditors division, to make sure the ledgers are in order.
I agree with your take. Also note that the spider silk business is another reason for an auditors divison, if we get any indication that it's going to start anytime soon we should go ahead and take that option.
[ ] EIC: Have the Hochlander set up a shadow headquarters for the EIC in the Sunken Palace.
[ ] EIC: Have the Hochlander set up a shadow headquarters for the EIC in your fief.
On the subject of the HQ, I've made
the case for the Sunken Palace as our shadow HQ and I can make it again if anyone wants to debate it. The fief should be left alone: we should visit, absolutely, but I don't feel any need to transform a peaceful community into a weapon for us to use. I would much rather let them live in peace.
[ ] EIC: Insert agents into a particular province, cult, company, or institution to start gathering their secrets. (specify who)
If something comes up we can use it, but at the moment I think there are no good targets for this.
[ ] EIC: Improve and expand the EIC's paramilitary river navy. (optional: specify how)
[ ] EIC: Have the EIC keep tabs on mercenaries so that they can be more easily hired if needed.
Have the EIC keep tabs on mercenaries isn't a terrible choice in my opinion but I feel like it's pretty low priority. If we have a shadow HQ and an auditors divison and there isn't anything to do with the EIC with the moment I guess we can do it.
The EIC's navy already exists, and I don't think there's any particular reason to expand it at the moment.
[ ] EIC: Investigate what trade goods the Eonir might be willing to import from the Empire. (NEW)
EIC trade with the Eonir is a double edged sword. On the one hand it could be really good to connect the Eonir to the Empire through trade: it could weaken the isolationist factions and make war less profitable and thus less likely, and once the EIC has presence in Laurelorn we can have our agents keep an ear to the ground and give Mathilde a better picture of the attitudes of the Eonir cityborn regarding the Empire. On the other hand this might not be so simple: Nordland's position is that Laurelorn is a part of Nordland, so they could heavily tax us and us refusing to pay could easily be painted as taking sides in a dispute between Electors, which would be a violation of our oaths. If we're not careful the EIC could end up stepping on some Eonir toes, and if any of those toes belong to Great Houses that voted for contact with the Empire that could make them change their minds and that's the end of the project right there. Also, the EIC has little presence in the vicinity of Laurelorn - I think the closest location with EIC presence is southern Middenland?
All that said, note that this action just checks what the Eonir want to import and doesn't commit to actually being the ones importing it. So we can take this action, I just think we need to be careful on how we follow it up.
On the Kurgan weapons: those don't belong in the EIC agents, I don't think. Those are spies, not assassination squads. That said, we should wait until we research them before we talk more on this.
