Swamped

While you're thinking, Emilio glances up at you.

"Do you need us for anything now? Seems you're just going to be negotiating with the Protectors now. Don't want to speak for anyone else, but if I'm done, I'd like to get back to the camp..."

And that's when it hits you. The camp.

"The Protectors won't accept an alliance," you say, turning to Rider. "But I think we've got a pretty good relationship with this camp now, don't we?"

"They do have several avenues of research that could aid us, but I'm not sure they'd want to take sides in our fight with the Bogknights."

"Well, it'd be like how it is with the charities, where they don't give us anything for combat purposes. Get a good enough deal and we can give the mud to the camp, who can give it to the Protectors. It's a little roundabout, but it might convince the council."

Rider muses on this.

"I believe that we could craft an agreement acceptable to the Council." He turns to the Protector leader. "Would you be satisfied with this arrangement?"

The leader looks thoughtful, then gestures to the other Protectors to come closer. They seem to just be staring at each other for a good little while.

"If the mud is delivered to us directly, we have no objections to the concept. We would prefer not to negotiate with this camp."

"Would you be fine with having some of your people stay here to wait for its arrival?"

"That is acceptable. That said - what you have offered is only a possibility. I am willing to grant that you are sincerely promising to acquire the mud for us, but I must ask for a guarantee of some kind if your efforts fail. And I must ask for it now."

He could have just done that in the first place, but you decide not to mention that. Instead you focus on figuring out what you can offer.