The Goldhand Lodge, another frequent opponent of the king’s, is a mercantile association that wants to raise the Gunworks’ production quota so that they can increase their profits. Goldhand agents regularly try to evade the king’s restrictions; several of them have been arrested for smuggling firearms and other contraband out of Dongun Hold. High King Arunak has recently received envoys from Hashim ibn Sayyid, the enigmatic Pactbroker of Katapesh, who wishes to open trade negotiations—the Goldhand Lodge is now pressuring the king to embrace the Pactbroker’s offer immediately, and the suggestion has predictably infuriated the Keepers of the Skyflame. For now, the king is trying to chart a middle course.
