Claire Durand:
"Howler cultists selling Mandala tech. Now that is useful," said Claire. "A couple more questions. First, did your really serious people have connections to my creators, Bright Record? Second, do you know a Celias Triante? And third, do you know how they make contact with the cultists, and any timeline in which I could expect to meet these cultists?"
Claire grinned. "And fourth, I think you've earned an internship on my team, if you want in."
"Bright Record? They... produce... your music, right? They weren't exactly advertising who they were working for. I'm just a student in Vissio, right? The serious ones weren't super forthcoming about who they were working for. Maybe they are looking for old recordings?
I don't know that much about the republic's politics, but I understand they are a lot like Vissio, in that they got a lot of competing interests. It's hard to tell if they are working for their national military, one of the companies, or some government agency.
I've not heard of that name, though it sounds kind of familiar. Obviously a bright republic name, right?"
"As for meeting up with the cultists, nah, I'm afraid I don't know how to get ahold of them. If the collegium knew they might try and cut out the middle man. I got the idea from the non-serious people that it was a bit accidental though, a lucky find. I'd heard that tribes near the sea and further away from the borders are more open to trading. I don't know much about the cultists themselves. I know we have a professor who specializes in anthropology here.
Now.... what I've heard is that there are howler tribes by the sea have some way of signalling republican traders that they are ready to trade, and that they come to the shore."
I do know that howlers who live close to the sea tend to be way more hospitable and open to dealing with the Republic, with a few exceptions. My country and the Howler tribes are basically constantly raiding each other. But Howlers know that's not going to go well if they try it on the republic. Besides, the republic's big on art and music from the Howlers.
As for this internship.. this does sound interesting. I'll have to work it out with my current program head though. My family paid a lot of money for me to learn specific skills, and if I didn't I'd be disappointing them. But this does sound pretty amazing. I can get you a few students, at least, who'd be sympathetic, to help. I'll try and square it with my professors though."