307. Alka’s Delvegardian Journey
Alka and the Delvegardian Yards
The dwarven kingdom of Ruthfyord was one of the powerhouses of Delvegard, and they were also the home of the legendary Delvegardian Yards, commonly referred to as the Yards.
Next to the Yards was the official capital of Ruthfyord, Kingsholds. To the locals, it is where the Dwarven King reigned, and the political, trade and administrative capital. But not military and magic, because the capital of that is the Yards.
At this point, Alka had seen so many capitals and cities that it didn’t impress him much. He glanced at the map provided by the spies, and then, double checked his documents. It is incredibly easy to get the right dwarven merchants to provide a recommendation letter, when the right amount of money exchanged hands. Dwarves were not incorruptible, though their price tags were often a wee bit higher than humans generally who would often sell out their friends and allies for less.
Alka’s appearance was one of a much, much more youthful version of himself. A change in their appearance didn’t take all that much of his strength, but worked wonders for espionage.
He would infiltrate the Yards as a craftsman. According to records and information gleaned by the spies, it would take about five to six years to rise through the ranks of the Yards, though, given his exceptional abilities, it’s likely to be shorter.
Alka’s goal for the next few years was simple. Weave himself into the Yards structure, get access or identify a range of classified documents and information, identify and recruit potentially talented craftsmen for the Order and if possible, usurp the Yards from within.
He wouldn’t be alone. The Order’s spies assigned a few other dwarves who would join over the few years at various levels, through different channels. There were also agents that would enter the other famous yards and workshops. Together, they’d form a hidden network of agents that would then work to redirect the Yard’s leadership.
One of the challenges and learning points from the Magisarian rebellion, in Alka’s point of view, was the lack of discretion.