As the food is brought in, Doul closes his eyes and hangs his head. He's working out the first few steps and once they are alone in the room, he starts to speak. "First, you need to ensure your survival. That is a matter of battlefield tactics and supply management - easy enough. Second, you cannot starve them out or beat them in war. They are too rich, too numerous, too connected."

"His head is what you need. Literally would work, but metaphorically could as well. What is a pearl so great that he would be willing to take an ill-advised risk?" Making note of his place in the scroll, he rolls it away and relaxes his posture. Not comfortable enough to lounge about, but he doesn't need to sit at attention. "You can tell a lot about a man by his books. I can know of all those he swore were in his personal library but that were too precious to be let out for sect use. Many were unusual, but few were that rare. There will be threads of connection. Skills and techniques that he wants to keep hidden."