SUBJECT: Halamshiral Visit
PARTICIPANTS: Bastien, Byerly, Alexandrie, Jayce, Lazar, Wysteria, Barrow, Julius, Petrana, Gwenaëlle, Strange, (Demon) Vanya, Evelyn
CLASSIFICATION: Public with some private additions (see below)
DATE FILED: Wintermarch
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: Riftwatch went to Halamshiral. The things that went wrong were mostly not their faults; some people made friends; and Research in particular earned a benefactor.

REPORT: ( Read more... )

NEXT STEPS: Various folks have various opportunities for follow-up, but none required!

NOTES & LINKS: OOC post, log post.

SUBJECT: Tevinter Outreach in the Silent Plains
PARTICIPANTS: Bastien, Benedict Artemaeus, Nina Zenik
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: Wintermarch 9:50
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: A small Riftwatch team traveled to Tevinter villages near the front to get a read on the atmospheres and likelihood of peaceful surrender. Aside from a brief violent interlude in a roadside inn and some fear among the Tevinter locals that the Exalted March would lay waste to their towns rather than accept a surrender, it went fine.

REPORT:

Esteemed Ambassador & Company,

While visiting the Exalted March our exploration of the surrounding Tevinter territory went fairly well. There was an incident with apparent Venatori (or Tevinter patriots only, who can tell) tailing us to an inn, or coincidentally winding up at the same inn in the middle of nowhere, but Monsieur Artemaeus and Mademoiselle Zenik were very competent (and I kept up) and we did not leave behind a mess. We did leave behind witnesses, the innkeepers and their son, but whether they would keep quiet or tell the Tevinters to preserve their own lives did not seem to matter. Tevinter knew we were there.

The general sense in the villages is what you what expect. In the smaller ones in particular, the villagers feel disconnected from Minrathous and do not care about who rules them so much as surviving to be ruled by anyone. The larger towns have stronger ties to the capital. In all places we noted a fear among the Tevinters that it would not matter whether they surrendered or not as they had heard reports, some credible and some clearly exaggerated, of the Exalted March destroying homes and executing civilians regardless of how they responded to the incursion. One leader in Capena also seemed to be having success fear-mongering over what would happen to their children under the Southern Chantry should they reveal magic. Artemaeus has explained that in Tevinter the lower classes hope for mage children to elevate their families' statuses, and it is a common and widely publicized occurrence, so even families with no sign of magic in their blood might feel like any given child could be the one. Any attempt to turn the Tevinter populace against the regime in Minrathous will need to keep that in mind.

To whatever extent the rumors of the Exalted March razing villages and killing noncombatants are true, it seems impossible that the Chantry does not already know, so in my opinion informing them would not do much more than make it awkward while they lie to us about it. But it does seem like we should do something, especially if we intend to continue assisting them. It is not something I would like to die knowing I enabled.

Humbly,

Bastien

NEXT STEPS: Decide what (if anything) to do about the war crimes, contemplate how to address Tevinter concerns about how the South will treat their baby mages if they surrender/lose, etc.

NOTES & LINKS: OOC info, IC log.

SUBJECT: Start Spreadin' the News
PARTICIPANTS: Vanya Orlov, Ellie Williams, Clarisse La Rue, Desidério Amanza
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: End of Fantasy!December
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: A team of griffin riders traveled to the Naderfels to drop propaganda pamphlets on the city of Hossberg. Despite some less than cooperative members of the party, the team was more or less successful in dropping most (if not all) of their pamphlets on the intended target.

REPORT:
A half eaten stack of undelivered pamphlets shows back up on John Silver's desk. The facing page has a note scrawled in the margins. It reads—

Messere Silver,

We believe the other pages were successfully delivered. Hossberg probably doesn't really need all the copies.

—Amanza, D.

NEXT STEPS: Continue spreading dissent among the ranks of the faithful in the Anderfels.

NOTES & LINKS: IC Log, OOC Info

SUBJECT: The Riftwatch Cultural Exposition
PARTICIPANTS: Jude Adjei, Wysteria de Foncé, Stephen Strange, Jayce Talis, Nina Zenik, Cosima Niehaus, Mobius, Viktor, Peter Parker, Joselyn Smythe, Tony Stark
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: Backdated to late fantasy!July
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: Members of Riftwatch's Research and Diplomacy divisions traveled to the University of Orlais to host a cultural exposition, showing off various Rifter- and Riftwatch-developed technology to win hearts, minds, and support from prominent scholars in the Orlesian academic community.

REPORT:

To Whom It May Concern, This Being a Formal Record of "The Riftwatch Cultural Exposition" Which Was Held at the University of Orlais in Early Solace 9:49

As both Provost Stark and Ambassador Byerly have closely monitored the planning of and subsequent rewards reaped from this Exposition, this record is largely for posterity. Therefore, I shall keep it brief. Please see the attached copy of the Event's programming, accompanied by an Appendix A (which briefly summarizes the contents and relevant presenters of each) and Appendix B (which refers to the present filing locations of various blueprints, schematics, and papers to be utilized as reference should the presenters in question expire, disappear, or come to quit their work with the Company).

I have also included a list of contacts curated during the Exposition (Appendix C, most notable being the Dean of Lydes College, a tenured professor of the Orlesian University, as well as a junior professor of the same), as well as a list of materials formally funded or gifted directly to Riftwatch by various donors (Appendix B, to be utilized in the production of a second Microscope; see file #594, stack C).

Formally,
Wysteria A. Poppell de Foncé

In addition to the above contents, a worn tract of a popular lady's fashion tract from Val Royeaux has been attached at a later date to the (exceedingly not brief) report. It features a variety of articles about the latest in hats, masks, a scathing review of an evidently once well regard clothier, and an extensive passage regarding the growing trend of wearing plaster casts. One young courtier is quoted as having boldly declared, 'This is the ultimate metaphor for bravery and commitment; in these trying times, we are all but morally obligated to staunchly demonstrate that we are resilient and adaptable survivors.'

NEXT STEPS: Leverage those connections!

NOTES & LINKS: OOC Info; IC Log; Points Distribution Chart

SUBJECT: Tales from the Rifts
PARTICIPANTS: Bastien, Cosima, Ellie, Jude, Wysteria, Tony (ish), Gwenaëlle, Abby
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: Cloudreach 9:49
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: Bastien compiled some stories and legends from rifters' homeworlds (on his own time and dime, but relevant to Riftwatch) and politely bullied his way into having them published.( Read more... )

SUBJECT: Tall Tales
PARTICIPANTS: Wysteria & Viktor, Gela & Laurentius
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: Harvestmere (oops)
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: In an effort to improve the reputation of and public sympathy for southern mages and Rifters, pamphlets are surreptitiously distributed around Orlais and Ferelden (with mixed results).

REPORT:

Messere Silver—

Regarding our recent propaganda efforts:

I've been informed by Serah Viktor and Madame de Foncé that their work was entirely uncontested. By all accounts, they seem to have had a lovely time following what appears to have been the exact letter of their assignment. I've included their remarks behind this cover page should you require additional information.

All this said, I hope you won't confuse me for being overly critical of either party when I say that, upon a very brief review of the material in question, I spotted what I believe to have been an entirely accidental oversight. Their notes make mention of a chance encounter with a Mother Natela who has been overseeing the care of aging Templars. While neither Serah Viktor nor Madame de Foncé saw any particular reason to befriend Mother Natela (though they seem to have asked her a great deal of questions regarding the long term effects of lyrium, which Madame de Foncé has recorded at considerable length; see attached), I find myself wondering whether someone here might see the value in sending a message along to the woman. Given the Conclave looming on the horizon, I imagine a member of the southern clergy evidently so sensitive to the troubles of Templars might find one or two relevant remarks worth speaking in front of that audience.

As for myself and Serah Baynrac (who was kind enough to do a considerable amount of the talking while we traveled in Orlais)— I'm pleased to report that, in addition to papering some of the local notice boards and so on, that we were able to slip a number of pamphlets into the newsletter of one of the region's local Chantries. As the Sisters had other concerns at the time, I trust the pamphlets to have gone unnoticed by anyone who might have removed them prior to the newsletter's distribution.

Pass word should you have any questions or require additional assistance.

Faithfully,
Brother N.L. Vesperus
(Beneath this proper sign off is a little circle, a smile inside. Gela’s handwriting accompanies it, scrunched up small along the bottom of the paper: Orlais is lovely this time of year!)

NEXT STEPS: Scramble an impromptu letter writing campaign to recruit Mother Natela since Wysteria and Viktor were too busy having a great time to recognize the political implications. Meanwhile, definitely don't follow up Orlais. Everything is fine there and went great!! No one was run out of town for being suspected Tevinter spies!

NOTES & LINKS: IC Log; OOC Info

SUBJECT: Upstairs, Mostly Downstairs
PARTICIPANTS: Mobius, Loki, Mado, & Wysteria
CLASSIFICATION: Public, filed with Diplomacy and Project Jeshavis
DATE FILED: Backdated to pre-Antiva
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: A team was sent to Antiva to investigate Prince Giannozzo's son, Marco, who is a contenter for Queen Anora's consort, and to make contact with lower class Antivans who have been stirring up anti-Tevene sentiments. The team successfully confirms that Marco Giannozzo is not an ally of Tevinter, and were able to form a contact with Vieri Fontana, a servant with connections to anti-Tevinter agitators in Antiva.

REPORT:

Sirs,

I'm most pleased to report that our efforts amount the Giannozzo household were of great success. Every credit should be afforded to my colleagues, whose names I would list here for posterity were you not already perfectly familiar. Further, I would describe the exact nature of our deception, however have found in attempting to draft this report twice before that managing to do so in a way which is both succinct and honors the cleverness of the trickery is impossible. Given the great many pages of paperwork that you both oversee (and the fact that I must copy this twice, once for the project office and once for the division), I have opted to simply skip the results. Should you require any further enumeration on the methodology, please don't hesitate to request an in-person brief from myself or any of my collaborators.

Firstly, we have confirmed that Marco Giannozzo has no associated with the Venatori. His suspicious activity—which we ourselves witnessed in the form of one or two unexplained absences during our stay, and the discovery of a few strange notes in his personal quarters—appears to be the product of a sort of gaming ring. One of the senior members of the household staff suggested he, or rather the persona he wears while running his betting books, has been successful enough to earn the ire of the local criminal underground.

While this may prove to be of some use should we wish to wish over either the man himself or certain members of the criminal underground, I see little relevance to our concerns regarding potential Venatori allies in the region.

Secondly, we have curated a contact with Vieri Fontana who is a relatively new member of the staff, highly devout, and in my opinion a fine if imperfect theologian. Messere Mobius and myself had quite a few thoughtful discussions with the man on the subject. Forgive me for broaching the 'hows'. Rather, know that important factor is this: Fontana evidently has connections among the Antivan lower classes who have been causing all sorts of trouble and unrest in defiance of Tevinter. I imagine that he and his associaties may offer more immediate possibilities given our upcoming trip to the region, and may prove a fruitful point of contact for work which may require doing there in the future.

Best Regards,
Mme. W. d. Foncé

NEXT STEPS: Nothing pressing, but there's an in should further work in Antiva arise which may benefit from connections among the lower classes and/or if there's a need to have a Merchant Prince's son on a hook.

NOTES & LINKS: OOC Info; IC Log

SUBJECT: Improving dissemination of information to newly arrived rifters.
PARTICIPANTS: Kostos Averesch & Petrana de Cedoux
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: Wave hands.
STATUS: On...going.
SUMMARY: per Ambassador Rutyer: My dear cousin Kostos Averesch has kindly agreed to draw up a plan to ensure that Rifters do not remain ignorant of their place in the world at large. I asked that he collaborate with a member of Diplomacy, and he requested you.

REPORT: The report submitted is a detailed proposal for a new system by which newly arrived rifters are paired with established volunteer mages within Riftwatch in order to supplement the existing orientation with individual assistance to help them better adapt and understand their new circumstances. It contains:

brief overviews of essential information to be initially imparted

e.g. the connection of Rifters and mages politically, what a Circle is and what that means, the specific Venatori targeting of anchor-shard bearers, that not all anchor-shard bearers are rifters, what's currently known about anchor-shards and the rifts themselves, where the rifts lead to if one goes back through one (it's the Fade, you guys), what is currently known about rifters physiologically and in relation to the Fade and Thedas

for a start.

the recommendation to avoid scripting information, but broach it with their paired rifters in guided conversation to make sure that the information is clearly delivered and absorbed most effectively for the individual

requirement the volunteers remain available as a point of contact for further questions and assimilation help with their paired rifters

requirement of the volunteers to have served with Riftwatch for a year or more themselves & have no disciplinary actions within the past year

regular meetings of the volunteers with project oversight (Petrana and Kostos obligatorily volunteering to take point on this, having proposed it) to discuss implementation and for any queries and support they may have and require

NEXT STEPS: It will be up to the division heads to decide whether or not to implement this project and if so, how many of the recommendations to follow.

NOTES & LINKS: petra + byerly, petra + kostos.

SUBJECT: Personnel Issues
PARTICIPANTS: Bastien + John Silver
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: August
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: Having offered the use of the Basilia to Alphonse Sideris, recently of Cumberland, in exchange for a cut of his profits, Riftwatch now needs a crew for the Basilia. John and Bastien headed off Cumberland to rustle up some recruits to build up a crew.

REPORT:

To our esteemed Commander and our most charming Ambassador,

Bastien and I are pleased to report we were able to secure a reasonably functional crew for the Basilia out of the available options in Cumberland.

You'll be pleased to hear we recruited a majority of our new crew out of the refugees seeking work, though Bastien and I both thought it best to entertain the idea of a few more skilled hands to steady the transition. The following five will require a marginally higher pay rate:

Ilyas Magdi had recently left his captaincy on the Triumph, and was tempted to accept our offer rather than lead the crew of the Golden Dragon
Vanda Vasilios agreed to depart her position on the Alliance to act as our boatswain.
Sokratis Botond left his position on the Favorite to become our surgeon
Cili Feri gave up his post on the Gilia to accept a position as our sailing master
Oszkár Andris resigned from the crew of the Icicle to work as carpenter on our vessel.

I know we are all eager to see a return on our investments, but in this case I believe the acquisition of such skilled sailors will work to our benefit, as well as keep Serrah Sideris from hearing off-putting tales of dysfunction. It's worth the loss of a little coin, yes?

You'll also be gratified to hear that I secured us a very skilled cook. Mr. Bertók knows his way around a stew pot, by all accounts.

Should Serrah Sideris require any details as to the make up of his new crew, Bastien or I would of course be happy to write him with some colorful stories of the recruitment process.

— JS

NEXT STEPS: Collect that sweet, sweet $$$$

NOTES & LINKS: ooc assignment | ic thread

SUBJECT: Spreading a little more anti-Tevinter-trade sentiment in Antiva.
PARTICIPANTS: Emet-Selch, Astarion
CLASSIFICATION: Public
DATE FILED: Late August
STATUS: Complete
SUMMARY: Emet-Selch and Astarion helped with the efforts to spread anti-Tevinter sentiment in Antiva by ensuring a banner against trade with Tevinter was displayed at an anticipated gathering.

REPORT:
I am pleased to report that your directive was, all things considered, successfully completed. With Astarion's assistance, one (1) decorative banner for Lady Evelina's festivities was replaced with one (1) message decrying the local trade with Tevinter; later mentions of the event confirmed those assembled were allowed additional time to discuss the topic due to some difficulty in accessing the room leading to that particular balcony. Given the nature of the assembly and the artistic inclinations of some of those gathered, it is our hope that they may have been provided with a bit of new material as well.

To our awareness, there should be little risk of establishing a firm connection between this incident and our organization, and I assure you the utmost caution was taken in its execution. No further concerns to report.

- Emet-Selch, Research.

NEXT STEPS: potentially following up on the general spread of anti-Tevinter sentiment?? but related to this specifically, there probably are not particular next steps.

NOTES & LINKS: mission info, mission log. Unreported: at least one of them definitely snuck into this party after the fact, they did not need any help getting confirmation, this is fine.