Character Recap, Ep. 6

Lorraine is noticing a slow, but steady dip in sales between Newton and the other three city-states. As such, while Lorraine is in favor of expanding Newton, trade is her main priority and she does not want to jeopardize that by pushing the city-states away. As such, she has been conducting diplomatic correspondence with officials from all foreign parties. Nothing too overt, merely putting out feelers for who would be in favor of Newton's expansion and what she would need to do to placate those who want to keep Newton under wraps. I will note that Lorraine intends to play the piper's tune as well as she can, but pluck her strings one too many times and she'll break. (Don't tell me that a piper's instrument doesn't have any strings.)

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With the bandits dispersed, Eva (feeling that her job may be in jeopardy) has converted the militia into a standing army. The bandits may be gone, but tensions are running high all around and it's in Newton's best interest to be prepared at all times. She has enlisted 50 men to work in the militia year-round. Some of them have their own land and families, some live and eat in the barracks of Fort Newton. A few have lived in Newton for years, but most are mercenaries. As soon as the last snows melted, she began in-depth training including firearms, artillery, tactics, and drills. She has also contracted to have an outpost built on the western path going out of Newton. While not complete, the outpost's construction is well under way.

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Ophelia is realizing the price of working for Corwin. Being out in the field again has made her constraints clear. She is anxious to have her independence again, but she is not quite willing to give up her new source of income. As such her only option is to make Corwin dependent on her information network so much so that he doesn't have a choice. She won't betray him, strictly speaking, but she doesn't maintain any delusions of undying loyalty either. In her time out on the streets, she has found that her contact in Greer has gone missing with not a trace left behind. Thankfully she has managed to secure several other sources. As to how trustworthy those sources may be is questionable.