[To Mr. Wajeeb: Isabella Fitzgerald]

[Empress of Neon]

Dear Mr. Wajeeb,

As you might have heard, I have left Ephia's Well for a time to see to matters of trade and fostering better relationships with the other settlements.

People tend to forget good diplomacy and trade often go hand in hand, so I've taken it upon myself to act as vendor from Ephia's Well in respects to our precious resource; water.

As you are the greatest supplier in Ephia's Well, I'd like to rope you into a business contract for exports.

I'm looking at a 60/40 margin split on profits (to your favor, of course) and would like to broker both individual sales and bulk deals if you can keep the supply going.

This is a good way for you to begin making a name for yourself among the foreign markets, but also a fine method to start attracting more traders to Ephia's Well to exchange for its waters.

Write back to me if you're interested.

~ Isabella Fitzgerald

P.S If we're going to do business, be sure to come up with a respectable or catchy name for our trade! Such as, The Orifice, or something.

[Warsor]

After the letter is read and slept on a response is penned and delivered by a Waradim travelling back toward Isabella a few days later.

Dear Isbella,

I hope this letter finds you in good health. I am sorry to hear of your departure from the well but perhaps getting away from the place will find you more happiness in the long term. Now down to business, I am quite happy to help franchise your selling waters for the profit divide you have laid forth. The prices I can afford to export at in quantities that other cities at this divide would be would arrange for is 125 Dinar for lightly aged, 245 dinar for moderately aged, and 465 dinar for well aged waters to the customers.  This is the barest profit margin I can offer while keeping up with the supply needs of the well's dedicated inhabitants. If you do the sums you will see that selling at those prices means you will make 50, 98, and 186 dinars respectively for each phial sold with my cut at the rate of 75, 147, and 279 dinars respectively. This makes me less then 10 dinar on the sales when taking into account the supply costs but will allow for large orders. You are welcome to of course negotiate higher or lower with your dinars to make bulk deals but my listed prices I must receive are the minimum I listed for my cut to allow for supply to continue.

Let me know if you have any questions but I look forward to doing business once you have negotiated for such water sales.

Wajeeb al-Sattar, Water Merchant, Guild of Alchemists

[Empress of Neon]

Dear Mr. Wajeeb,

I understand that you're taking the cost of logistics into consideration when you're formulating prices. Rest assured, such costs are something I can easily waive off from my other branches of business and trade. A caravan trip to Kha'esh, for instance, is a tithe I can waive off five times over in an evening. My success in trade has always been oriented around the volume of sales, not necessarily the value of the goods themselves. That said, I understand you don't have a monopoly on Ephia's water supply, so I'd like to propose the following alteration to any agreement we strike:

100-Lightly Aged
200-Moderately Aged
300-Well Aged

Margin of Profits: 80/20.

If you're wondering why I'm going for a deal that clearly favors both you and the customers above my own purse, it really comes back down to my statement in my previous letter. Attraction to the Well's own markets as well as fostering better relations with the outer settlements is my criteria, not profit. I make plenty of that as it is. It is important we affirm continued interest and investment in Ephia's Well from our neighbors; quenching their thirst satisfies that need. As well as The Mother's.

Write me back soon and let me know if you find this more agreeable.

Just be sure to prepare the vials and jars in their own boxes for safe transportation. I'll have your escort and protection readied in my Oathseekers when you're all set to export your first shipment.

~ Isabella Fitzgerald

P.S I just heard Sol Auk won the election as I wrote this.

My condolences.

[Warsor]

Dear Isabella,

I appreciate you offering to shift the profit margins to pass along the savings to the customers. The numbers work for lightly aged and moderately aged but not for the aged waters sadly as those I would be selling at a loss of 89 dinar per water. Further I looked into regulations selling outside the well to foreign interests and there are specific regulations that must be followed to set up a deal such as this. If you wish to establish this business I urge you to take a meeting with Legate Sol and myself at your earlier convivence in person here in the Well. Until such approval is given I can not enter into a contract to ship waters outside the well at this time.

Wajeeb al-Sattar
Water Merchant and Member of The Worshipful Guild of Alchemists

[Empress of Neon]

Dear Mr. Wajeeb,

Insofar as the aged water is concerned, I can easily set the price up to 400 dinars if the cost is so great to see it produced.

I was not, however, aware we had regulations on selling Ephia's Tears to outside the citadel. This is very much news to me that, perhaps, should've been stated clearly on my trade license, don't you think? Sadly, I won't be making it back to Ephia's Well anytime soon so I'm afraid I'll have to fold this offer and tend to other branches of my business instead.

I find it very strange and ironic 'free trade' is not on the Gold League's agenda. Feel free to write me back when this is no longer the case and we can resume talk of exports without the bureaucracy.

~ Isabella Fitzgerald

P.S Would you send me a copy of those regulations? I'd like to avoid any potential conflicts of interest between my purse and the law.

[Warsor]

Dear Isabella,

I do not have copies of the regulations but I was told to have you meet with Legate Sol Auk to discuss any such trade deals outside the well of water before doing so. It makes sense the Well would need to keep track of its precious water resource and who it is being sold to but as to the specifics thats something I urge you to send a missive to Legate Sol about. I am sure business can come to terms but I understand if your personal feelings for the Legate can not be overcome for this arrangement. I wish you happiness and prosperity in your business ventures and personally will continue my efforts to elevate the well and its citizens with my wares and waters.

Live and drink,
Wajeeb al-Sattar