REPORT: HEDGE YOUR BETS

[unshut]

SUBJECT: Hedge Your Bets
PARTICIPANTS: Fitcher & Richard
CLASSIFICATION: Public, but filed with the Scouting office.
DATE FILED: (Backdated, mea culpa) Wintermarch
STATUS: Ongoing in the sense that Caliara still needs to be dealth with, Complete in the sense that the hedge maze is definitely no longer Antiva's Largest Hedge Maze.
SUMMARY: Posing as judges for the Thedas Book of Records, Richard and Fitcher gained access to the estate of Ramondo Caliara, Merchant Prince and proud owner of Antiva's (allegedly!!! Pending measurements!) Largest Hedge Maze in an attempt to uncover the nature of his under the table business dealings. While there, they discovered that he's a secret mage with connections to Tevinter/the Venatori.

REPORT:

Yseult,

Orindarily I might write something charming about the results of our findings with respect to the dimensions of Prince Caliara's hedge maze, but in this case I'll defer to the seriousness of the actual intelligence we managed to collect. I trust you'll forgive my lack of trademark levity.

We managed to collect a number of papers from Caliara's personal records, included in this packet for your reference. They outline a strong connection to Tevinter, including the buying up of various debts and business deals in an effort to gain leverage over Merchant Princes who are already our allies or who mght be persuaded in our direction (Ramires, Nuno, Gonzaga, and so on). I've attached a few notes regarding the intricacies of the bookkeeping, and have called out instance where Caliara seems to have purposefully delayed or spoiled negotiations on deals which might have benefitted certain nations and organizations with which we've allied. There is also fairly unassailable evidence that Caliara has received and pass along intelligence regarding the shipments of weapons and supplies to and from out allies, and that those shipments have a habit of being set on by pirates before reaching their destinations.

There may be additional information of note in the papers—I believe I saw some mention of a special packet belonging to Bassador, for example—, but I'm sure you're aware that any good clerk sees numbers first and foremost.

There can be no question as to Caliara's motivation. He is a mage.

-SF.

P.S. Oh, but a large portion of the hedge maze was set ablaze.

NEXT STEPS: Thwart Caliara's business dealings, investigate some pirates and protect shipments that may be in danger, expose Caliara as a mage?

NOTES & LINKS: IC Log