SUBJECT: The Heart of the Matter
PARTICIPANTS: Wysteria, Ellis, Bastien
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: Early Cloudreach 9:46
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: A team accompanied a shipment of romance novels as an excuse to visit Merchant Prince Daniello Bassadoar and try to learn why he had recently adopted a much less helpful stance on Antivan neutrality.

REPORT:

[ Messily: ]

Byerly,

Prince’s son is being held some where in Tevinter. If there is any sign we are aware, he may come to harm. Prince trusts us to help him for now. Do not let anyone stupid talk to him.

I will write down the rest later.

Bastien

[ Later replaced by, or possibly just joined by, a much neater: ]

Dear Monsieur Ambassadeur Rutyer:

Agostino Bassadoar is being held hostage by someone in Tevinter to guarantee the cooperation of Merchant Prince Daniello Bassadoar in preventing Antiva from becoming more involved in the war. They have been given a ward to pass off for their child in the meantime. As long as we do not jepardize his son’s safety with a lack of discretion, Prince Daniello and his wife will speak with us further. But of course they will not budge on neutrality while their son remains missing.

For the benefit of whoever may work with them in the future. Prince Bassadoar does indeed love his romance novels as much as rumored. I would recommend not pushing him harder than necessary. He is a man who would like to trust an apparent ally but needs space to decide. I suspect his wife Tomasia of being the more resolute of the two and if opposed to us she would be the more formidable. While we are her allies that should not be an issue. Their nursemaid is well meaning but indiscreet.

Of course I must note that Mlle Poppell and Warden Ellis were both remarkable in their subtlety and charm.

With respect, sincerity, humility, etcetera,

Bastien

NEXT STEPS: Rescue a baby from Tevinter.

NOTES & LINKS: Log that I haven't tagged yet no one look at me.

SUBJECT: Join the Navy, They Said...
PARTICIPANTS: Darras Rivain, Bastien
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: Cloudreach 9:46
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: Crack team infiltrates the ranks of the Orlesian Navy to chase down leads on who might have sabotaged the Orlesian blockade of Val Chevin.

REPORT:
[ Delivered by messenger sealed in a damp, salty bottle, purely for effect. ]

Dearest Mme d’Asgard:

Dissatisfaction in the war weary Orlesian ranks is funneled on the Foudre through a sailor named Bruleaux. He claims to have a contact in the officer ranks who is sympathetic to their troubles and involved in coordinating the fleet’s movements. Whether this is related to the blockade or some other potential difficulty for the navy is impossible for us to discover. Someone else will have to take a closer look.

For our part we are trapped in the middle of the ship, which (I have been told) is where they place incompetent gurn fucking mottle dicked bastards to minimize their opportunities to knock things overboard or tangle the ropes, but they are not called ropes on a ship, did you know that? I suspect it is also where they place their most charming sailors, so more may share in the pleasure of their company.

All attempts to give the Lieutenant an excuse to relieve us of our positions without relieving us of our lives have been stymied by the Captain’s desperation for men in general or perhaps his desperation for these two men in particular. He is reasonably handsome and improved by his uniform. By the time this reaches you I will be either dead or his devoted lover.

Either way I hope you will remember me fondly.

Yours with all affection,

Bastien
Accompanied steadfastly and skillfully by Darras Rivain who I am sure would send his love to his wife if I asked him

NEXT STEPS: Follow the trail! Uncover the traitors!

NOTES & LINKS: Rookery post.

SUBJECT: DRAMATICAL CATS
PARTICIPANTS: Gwenaëlle, Sabine, Jenny Lou
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: March
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: A small team went to Starkhaven to endear themselves to a Madam Keating in order to gain access to her jewelry collection and authentication papers to confirm their provenance as shattered eluvians otherwise unaccounted for.

REPORT: Gwenaëlle's sparse report hits the following highlights:

Their performance was such a success that they were offered spots in a performing arts troupe passing through Starkhaven.

They encouraged the maid to wait a couple of weeks before taking advantage of that offer, and to remember Riftwatch in her future endeavors.

They got access to Madam Keating's jewelry collection. Jenny Lou had her hands slapped away from stealing any of it (or the good silver) by a tag team of Gwenaëlle and Sabine.

Authentication papers confirm that the majority of the eluvian pieces were crafted from the shattered remains of two unaccounted-for eluvians, the last known to belong to Lord Regnault Beauvau and a merchant named Beneta Figiovanni in the Storm Age.

NEXT STEPS: Theatre is a great underused fundraising opportunity.

NOTES & LINKS: Post | Assignment

SUBJECT: In The Nick of Thyme
PARTICIPANTS: Ilias Fabria, John Silver, Matthias
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: Cloudreach
STATUS: Ongoing / Complete
SUMMARY: Having received information about a shipment of supplies being delivered to refugees in Cumberland by Tevinter operatives, the team was sent to intercept the shipment. Some issue in timing meant that by the time Riftwatch arrived, the caravan had passed the ambush point and Riftwatch agents were at a severe disadvantage. To prevent Tevinter from reaping the benefit of delivering supplies, the decision was made to destroy the supplies instead.

REPORT:

Though we arrived at the proper time, it seems our information was bad. The point that had been selected for the ambush was no longer an option, and though we tailed the caravan until they made camp, it was clear three against the contingent of guards escorting the supplies would gain us nothing but capture, death or a retreat if we were lucky.

After conferring, the Speaker, Matthias and I came to a grim conclusion: as we could not allow Tevinter to reap the benefits of delivering the supplies, we would have to embrace the more difficult decision and destroy the caravan before they mobilized.

Utilizing Matthias' expertise, we mounted an assault on the caravan when they stopped for a rest at the end of the day. The Speaker was able to provide a compelling distraction on the fly, and that disruption drew the guards' attention long enough for Matthias to spark an impressive blaze. While the Speaker's distractions created havoc among the men, Matthias reduced the entirety of the supplies and the carts they'd been transported in to ash.

It's by no means the success we had hoped for, but it did prevent Tevinter from attaining glory or the means to influence public opinion. I'd suggest we keep a close eye on the situation in Cumberland, and perhaps make a second attempt at this operation or send supplies and aide ourselves.

NEXT STEPS: Get supplies to refugees!!

NOTES & LINKS: ooc information + relevant log

SUBJECT: In The Enemy's Grippe
PARTICIPANTS: Derrica, Nikos, Lino
CLASSIFICATION: Public???
DATE FILED: Cloudreach 9:46???
STATUS: Ongoing / Complete
SUMMARY: Three agents were sent to Nevarra City in search of magical artifacts stored in the Chantry. As it was in use as an infirmary, they decided to pose as healers and search after dark. They were able to find a working eluvian, though they weren't able to search further and locate anything else before a fire broke out and forced them to evacuate.

REPORT:

After learning that the Chantry was being used as a field hospital, Nikos and I disguised ourselves as healers and Lino posed as our personal guard. The Reverend Mother questioned us briefly, but we were allowed in to make ourselves useful. Lino observed as Nikos and I assisted the Chantry sisters until we had a moment to break away and start searching.

The actual search had mixed results. We did find a working eluvian, but we weren't able to search very thoroughly. While we were trying to decide on a way to smuggle the eluvian out of the Chantry without being seen, a fire broke out. [ some scribbles around this line, as if Derrica rewrote it a few times. ] It was fortunate for us, as the fire disrupted the soldiers patrolling. They ran to try and put the fire out, and we were able to get the eluvian out of the Chantry unseen—I assume anyone who saw us thought we were working on behalf of the Chantry to save the relics and if there were questions, they happened after we were long gone.

As instructed, we traveled with the eluvian to the wine cellar and secured it there. That leg of the journey was uneventful.

NEXT STEPS: Did someone recognize one of these three? Were they followed to the contact's wine cellar? Who knows!

NOTES & LINKS: ooc information + relevant log / we're gonna keep threading out these shenanigans.