therookery | a report to project jeshavis re: venatori gone wild

SUBJECT: Tevinter movement through Orlais: where they're headed, what they're doing, and who assisted them
PARTICIPANTS: Bastien, Colin, Leander, Nikos
CLASSIFICATION: Confidential to travel party members, project leaders and above
DATE FILED: 9:45.07.15
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: Baron Mathelin Arcenaux of the Deauvin Flats reports: Baron Arnoul de Loutain of the Dales has granted a large group of Tevinters both travel supplies and free passage through his holding. Investigating Riftwatch agents discover: (1) the son of Baron Arcenaux is responsible, and (2) the travelling party are Venatori headed into the Arbor Wilds in search of some kind of temple.

REPORT:

The handwriting of this report is quite fine, and its author has carefully applied a small quantity of floral oil to the bottom edge of each page, so as to ensure a pleasant experience on receipt.

Addressed to:

Lady Alexandrie de la Fontaine
Leader of Riftwatch Project Jeshavis

9:45 Solace 14

Dear Lady de la Fontaine,

I am writing in regard to the latest mission undertaken by Project Jeshavis, as carried out by agents B., C., N., and myself. The four of us have returned in a condition similar to when we left, with new information, and are thus happy to report a success. No doubt you will have trouble imagining a certain family's smile—I'd describe one for you, but have never witnessed such an event personally. (No, not even then.)

The party travelled without incident to Baron de Loutain's estate, where we were warmly received and readily engaged in polite, mildly tedious discussion. We left with the knowledge that de Loutain was convinced he had lent assistance to a company of struggling "Antivan merchants"—which, as we later discovered, they were not.

We then paid a visit to Baron Arcenaux. He related a story involving a few of his tradesmen, a chance encounter in a tavern, and a thirteen-year-old runner—strictly relevant to the issue, I promise you—from which we learned little of evident value. On the other hand, the chairs were very comfortable—at least two of our party were sorry to leave them.

From there we followed a trail of gossip southward, into the Arbor Wilds. The sweltering air and long travel on foot combined to test our patience with one another—not surprising, given our party's collective makeup—but we pressed on. Once in the Wilds we soon arrived at a provisional camp abandoned by the "Antivan merchants", and there I discovered the map, marked with advice from "A." (later determined to be Arcenaux), which you will have seen by now.
Another discovery: party members N. and B. had quietly liberated written materials from not only one, but both estates. Both C. and I (that is, myself) were duly impressed by their subtlety, and for this they were awarded the largest portions at supper.

We soon encountered an "Antivan" in the woods, who turned out to be the runner for a company of approximately twenty (20) Venatori. These Venatori have travelled south in search of some temple ruins—which, from the sound of it, contain something of great interest to Corypheus. Furthermore, these twenty are merely scouts: should they succeed in finding the ruins, a much larger company of Venatori will be summoned to the site.
We later deposited the runner (his name was Linus—isn't that charming?) at a nearby Inquisition post.

From there, having compared the writing on the map to the borrowed letters, we decided to return to the Deauvin Flats and pay another visit to Baron Arcenaux and his agreeable furniture. While party members B. and C. further exercised their ingenuity, N. and I—with great effort—passed the time in as unremarkable a fashion as we could manage.
B. and C.'s efforts bore fruit: new proof that the Venatori company was able to cross Orlais unimpeded, at least in part, thanks to an unknown party in Tevinter and her/his romantic exploitation of the baron's own son. Baron Arcenaux must have known the truth well in advance of our arrival, as he had enough time to make a reasonably thorough attempt to conceal it and redirect our attention toward his rival, Baron de Loutain.

At the time of this letter's creation, Arcenaux the younger is being retrieved from a conveniently timed holiday with relatives. It is the recommendation of this author that both father and son be sternly penalized for their complicity in Tevinter infiltration of the south.

Material evidence has been submitted to the department for examination and archiving, as well as further notation of incidental information that we learned along the way—perhaps it will be of some small use in the future.

Respectfully yours,

Leander
Asst. Leader of Jeshavis

on behalf of B., C., N., and myself

NEXT STEPS: Find out what manner of dirty old ancient garbage the Elder One is looking for and get to it before he does, aka The Big Metaplot. Exciting.

NOTES & LINKS:
IC: mission log, verbal reports and discussion; OOC: mission brief and outcomes