ACTION REPORT (email session)
Attn: #RadagastVonFigaro #Skae’phae #CountFerdinand #TreavorPendleton #Sensates #Sylvania #DirtyHabit #FilthyFrock #SavrinMoore #Lucius #Kruge
After spending a day shopping in the Ladies’ Ward in Sigil, I and Skippy returned to the Dirty Habit tavern to prepare for our dinner date with Count Ferdinand del Mar, a representative of the Sensates, running the Filthy Frock, a poor satire of the Dirty Habit, right down to the identical floor plans. I dashed off a letter to Lucius and Kruge, two associates in the Hive Ward, that I would like to retain their services for the evening, and to wait at the old Pelor church in the Hive.
I, Skippy, and one of my wards met Savrin Moore, who quickly dashed off a letter, then joined us for dinner with the Count. Dinner is pleasant, and cordial, if not exactly warm. After asking what it was I wanted, I tell the Count that I appreciate his prank, and appreciate his keeping this non-violent. The Count is absolutely gobsmacked, and reveals– via Thieves Cant– that he is tired of the farce, and wishes to leave everything behind. However, his patron, Treavor Pendleton, would likely seek revenge on the Count himself, and the Count fears the resources at Pendleton’s disposal, and Pendleton’s penchant for vengeance.
A sort of truce developed, and any suspicions I might have about the Count’s admission were allayed when we received a letter later that evening, written in cipher. A copy of the letter has already been filed by Savrin Moore, but I recreate it here, to avoid cross-referencing:
allow me to allay some of your suspicions before i tell you what i know.
first, am i using you? yes. in the sense that i want to untangle myself from the tiresome web of politics, i want you to dirty your hands so that i can be free to move on without having to look over my shoulder or ruining my career. but you stand to benefit as well, so this is hardly sinister.
is this a trap? no, but you have no reason to believe me. trust me or don't. helping a member of the enemy harm one of my own could be considered disloyalty at best, treason at worst, so i'm staying in a position to deny everything if a have to. you'd do the same to me if positions were reversed.
now, the man in question. his prison is a gilded cage, a sumptuous retreat that he can never choose to leave. it is an invisible badge of shame, but he wants for no comfort. his “vacation manor” is in the woods of arborea, a day\'s ride from the gilded hall itself. remote land, protected by the faction's own guards.
his wealth is under his nose, almost literally. he keeps every copper under lock and key in his own quarters, the key about his neck. he's allowed any visitors he wants, messengers, his own spies and agents come and go freely. only he is forced to remain on the property. a fact that must rankle him deeply. i visited him once in person, and spoke by message at all other times.
his jailer, such as it is, is the guard captain, watcher tickspring. a warforged soldier loyal to the faction first, his code of law second, and nothing else. his elite cadre of warforged guards oversee all the other guards in keeping danger out, and their ward in.
i will deny everything if accused of this collaboration. in a very worst case scenario, i will claim i was setting you up in secret. i hope it never comes to that.