Volgo Kyrinala (CN male gnome expert 5/rogue 5) is a former House Sivis heir who has established a communications link between his stationery shop and notary's office in Ardhmen and the Sivis message stations of Khorvaire. Volgo curses his former house incessantly, telling how he was excoriated after being falsely accused of selling sensitive military communications in the dying days of the Last War. Now, his operation is designed in some small part to complicate his former house's official dealings with the Inspired.
A staff of a half-dozen expatriate Sivis heirs (all with the whispering wind ability of the lesser Mark of Scribing) keeps Volgo's four speaking stones active around the clock. The great distance between Sarlona and Khorvaire means that messages often take up to three days to cross the sea, so Volgo does a brisk business with the sending ability of his own greater mark. Messages sent by speaking stone cost the normal 5 gp per page, though clients can pay a flat 20 gp surcharge to avoid the service's 1d4-day backlog. Volgo charges an inflated 350 gp for each use of his sending ability, which he can use once per day.
Some speculate that Volgo and his staff might actually be clandestine operatives working for House Sivis, not against them. The pretense of the gnome's hostile mercantilism could simply be a canny attempt to do an end run around the Thousand Eyes' close watch over Sivis's only official enclave in Dar Jin.
Adventure Hooks: Since Volgo began operations, one of his assistants has been keeping secret copies of any particularly interesting messages she sends. Though the young gnome has no overall goals beyond an obsessive interest in other people's business, agents of the Thousand Eyes have recently gained access to her diaries, which include knowledge of any messages the PCs have sent or received.