A Simple Cup

There are many things that are more than they are simply because we've deemed them that way.

— William Ziay, Scholar

Overview

Cups come in many shapes and sizes. From goblets to a shot glass, these vessels have helped people the world over to drink and to toast. You would be forgiven for not thinking much of cups due to their rather ubiquitous nature. There is a certain cup however that is more than meets the eye. At least, it holds a secret meaning to those aware of it.

A Simple Cup

It has no official name, though those who are taught of its significance will rarely miss it. The cup in question is a simple wooden cup like those used by commoners for tea and the like. It's meaning is apparent not in the exact kind of cup, but in how it is presented: upside down over parchment with the handle pointing north. They say there is more to it, but this is as much as anyone in the know will tell.

Meaning

The simple cup is used by agents of the Mabara Guild of Cetrum as a way to identify themselves as well as to signal a specific persons at a specified time that they are ready to start a delicate negotiation. The kind of negotiation likely to end in an under the table arrangement.

Note(s) from the Archivists:

I don't exactly follow what's going on here. - Archivist Edward
I suspect that that's the idea. - Archivist Savitri