Landing at Hope

[Nephrite]

Moore offers a nod. "Yes, thank you. It's good to meet you." He flies over to offer a handshake to the older gentleman.

[Anastasia]

A firm handshake from a gloved hand, given to everyone. "Will," he introduces himself, "A friend of Celestia here and today, tour guide," he says with a faint uptick of his lips. "I understand you have business here, Duke Moore?"

[Nephrite]

Moore nods. "I would like to speak to Lord Grumbar about a... mm. I do not know how sensitive a subject it is for him, but I would imagine at least moderately so." Moore answers. "I can explain the details to you, if you would like."

[Anastasia]

"Once we are somewhere more secured," Will says, then taps the wall with his cane. A grumbling and a rumbling of stone, "The walls hear things. Quite literally."

"Elementals," Cresiel says with a severe look at the wall.

"Quite so," Will agrees, the tap tap tap of his cane as he continues on.

[Nephrite]

"Of course." Moore says with a nod as he goes to follow Will!

[Anastasia]

The passage soon merges to a bigger one, where elementals come and go - and as you go down, a richly dressed, tanned creature passes. He has fine features and wears many rich jewels, tall as Hanna and giving you a disapproving look. He wears white otherwise, robes of it.

"Will," he says coolly, "You can do better than that."

Without missing a beat, "Duke Moore and friends, this is the dao Saz. No title, but he's quite wealthy and with interests in Earth's trade with assorted realms such as Magma. He continually notes I could make far more money working for him."

[Nephrite]

"Trading is certainly a lucrative business to be in." Moore says with a smile as he does his best to keep things as neutral as possible as he offers Saz a polite smile.

[Anastasia]

"Cut throat, though," Kaja says, a hand on his scimitar's hilt. "So...cut throat."

Cresiel merely stares at him, no comment given.

Saz sniffs, "And I see the enemies of commerce are here. If you hate profit that's your business, but must you and yours meddle in our profits?"

Will smiles thinly at that, "You know the answer to that."

[Nephrite]

"I have no desire to make any more enemies while I am here." Moore says, with an honest smile. "Take that as you will, of course."

[Anastasia]

Gimme Diplo just to see how much you can pack into that one smile.

[Nephrite]

Oh ho ho!

Take 10 for 97.

[Anastasia]

The dao gives you a smooth look back but lets it go, "Another time," he says, walking past all of you at a fast clip.

[Nephrite]

"My apologies for any further discourse I cause while I'm here, Will." Moore says to him.

[Anastasia]

"The dao are all sour because of the war, it interferes with their trade - as do Celestia's attempts to meddle in what they view as their business alone." Will remarks.

Jetina sighs, "It's not just their business when they're trading slaves."

[Nephrite]

"Thankfully, we're not here to try and change anyone's minds on that particular front." Moore says with a smile at Jetina.