So many replies after I went to sleep! I'm going to go ahead and answer all these together since there's a lot of overlap and I don't want to get spammy.
sadeysdragons rimesong benniesdragons felixitousrising
The Etherium's always on the lookout for plant/animal-derived toxins they can use in their research, like onyx cobra venom, blue dragon reef snail venom, and corpsemaker ivy poison. Also all sorts of difficult-to-obtain creatures with unusual or magical properties: unicorns, vulstals, radioactive slime, psywurms, relic eels, etc. While not necessarily what I would call illicit, these can be expensive, dangerous to collect, and risky to transport, and so fall in naturally with the types of black market goods Soultrader deals in.
Rare fossils and artifacts are even better, especially those from the Second Age. Emperor remains, yes! Enchanted objects, dangerous or just weird, even if of dubious provenance; cursed pendants, ensorcelled cloaks. Objects that emit strange energies, like pulsing relics. Other odd/magical materials: sacridite, magnetite, ice crystals, runestones, etc. The eldritch byproducts of horrifying failed experiments. Courtier isn't shy about snapping up things that have obviously been "misplaced" from other clans' hoards, as long as doing so doesn't establish a blatant criminal trail to the Etherium.
For now I'm avoiding Shade-related materials, because while I love reading about what other people are doing with the Shade I'd prefer to keep the Etherium's involvement minimal until FR's released more official lore/plot updates. For now the Etherium's just shady with a lowercase "s" (sorry, that was way out of line, I'll show myself out).
sadeysdragons
Hmm…what do you mean by illicit magical oddities? I have a two who do some…crafting with the Shade, as well as some rather illicit experiments. And they’d always be willing to sell what they do for a good price.
I'd be all for the illicit experiments bit, what sorts of things do they do? Whatever it is, I'm 99% sure the Etherium would be interested.
rimesong
Now, when you say “illicit,” are we talking official contraband, or experimental projects that may or may not go against the laws of nature, offend common sense, and involve just a touch of playing god?
Both. Yeah, both is good. All hail the Arcanist.
benniesdragons
Well, my lightning clan is busily digging up ancient ruins so they’re probably finding some magical stuff in addition to the tech they’re looking for (alllso if the etherium has any interest in equipment you can use when the arcane energies have gone wonky, my guys make a lot of stuff like that…) Mad scientists and mad engineers unite?
Also they totally find dead stuff from before the Arcanist screwed everything up which is way more relevant on the illicit magic front
This is perfect in every way; I was actually just considering the possibility of introducing some Lightning-style tech to the Etherium. I'll need to think about this a little more, maybe stuff for taking energy readings? Pipes that funnel more concentrated Arcane magic into specific parts of the facility? And Second Age artifacts are GREAT.
felixitousrising
-WAVES FRANTICALLY-
Well, Clan Persemarsh has just recently turned to trade as their primary source of income. Collectively, they have no issues with “morality” or “ethics” or other such nonsense words. Plus, Soultrader’s Erebus’ dad, they’ve totally got an in.
Nonsense words INDEED! Trade between our clans would work out fantastically well, any son of Soultrader and Void is always welcome at the Etherium. He might have to put up with some overexcited thaumaturges chasing him around with crystals and things, trying to take energy readings.
