For reference, here is the Count's last set of orders that we are supposed to be reporting on:
He looks down at the document you prepared for him, and considers the options. Uncharacteristic indecision twists his face into a grimace, and in the end he sighs. "Widen the local network. Wurtbad is the administrative center of Stirland, we cannot allow it to be compromised - especially with the Army of Stirland to be based out of the south."
---
Your now-customary post-council meeting with Van Hal opens as per usual, with him barely looking up from his desk as you enter. It seems like every time you come in here, there's more papers stacked up.
"So," he says, signing one document and putting it on a pile seemingly identical to all the others. "Will you have a chance to look into the replacements for the Professor, do you think?"
You nod. "One way or the other. I can write to the Grey College requesting intelligence on his new prospects, or I can personally travel to Altdorf to investigate them, though doing so would leave Stirland without a spymaster for a while."
"I'd prefer for you to do so in person, if possible," he says, pouring drinks for the two of you.
So.
[X] [General Report] "I've spoken to the Watch and convinced them to proactively report when they see cultists and other funny business, so that I don't have to spend weeks reading through their record-books again to find when something happened. I've also been to Munzhausen, Purgg, and Wörden to recruit informants, but I only found useful and cooperative people in the first two. Wörden was a bureaucratic tangle of 'I don't have the authority', 'This isn't my business', 'Who are you anyway?' and 'He's away, ask tomorrow'. Finally, I interviewed the palace servants and was attacked by one definite infiltrator, finding another likely infiltrator, and I wasn't even halfway through, which suggests there are several more. But I'll get to that in a moment. What I'd like now is for Van Hal, Wilhelmina or possibly Champion Markus to recommend me some trustworthy people I can start delegating to, because right now I need a loyal assistant more than I need a skilled spy."
[X] [Incident Report] "While interviewing the palace staff, one of them claimed to be related to one of my intelligence contacts. As it happens, said contact was a distant relative of mine and it was partly due to hearing his family tree that I'd won him over. So I started asking the staff about his relations, and noticed that his presentation of the family tree was inconsistent. When pressed on the point, the servant in question attacked me with vampire speed, though fortunately not vampire strength or resilience. I cut him open with my greatsword, he collapsed, and I cut off his head to be sure. That's the point where I ditched my bloodstained robe so that I'd only cause gossip rather than a panic, as well as not tipping off any other infiltrators there might be. Then I went to the courtyard to try enlist the aid of the Greatswords I had seen there previously. That was the point where I tried to fling a dart to tap Markus on the shoulder, missed, and knocked Berthold on the head. Since that was getting a lot more attention than I'd intended, I went to look for the Elector Count instead. On the way I saw one of the staff I'd interviewed earlier fiddling with the lock and trying to get into the room where I'd locked the first infiltrator, so I knocked the second one unconscious and left her in there too. Then I went to see the Count, Markus came to see the Count, and we barricaded ourselves in until the rest of the Greatswords came back. During that time, something very strong - probably a vampire - tried quite intently to beat the office door down and got nowhere. Allow me to say how much I appreciate that door, my liege."
(There's a fine line I'm not sure how to toe here, of trying to get Kasmir to own up to the fact that our double-check was useful without parading our superior skill too much.)
[X] [Marshal candidates] "All the candidates have significant flaws. First, Outrider Champion Gustav von Jungfreud is the one I favor the most. He's well-liked and undoubtedly skilled and brave, but perhaps foolishly brave and headstrong and liable to charging into danger. He's a front-line leader, not an army builder. There's a significant chance you'd have to replace him again in a few years. Second, Sir Berthold seems competent, but also overly zealous. I have not observed him
personally striking anyone, but the local chapter of his order has a nasty habit of beating people who don't confess Sigmar, and then sometimes still beating even those who do confess Sigmar but stumble over the words. That's bad company to keep. He might improve away from them, or he might start a feud with the Morrites. And then, of course, there's the fact that I accidentally knocked him unconscious with magic. If you select him, I must advise that you give him strict instructions to focus his attention on the Army of Stirland and not on the Morrites or me. Finally, Master Engineer Otto is everything you'd expect from a Master Engineer of Nuln. Grandiose visions and brilliant mechanical projects and quite eccentric. He could be useful for modernizing our armaments and giving us new tricks against Sylvania and otherwise being useful in the long term, but likely expensive and I don't think he's what you need right now. You might consider retaining him in a separate position."
[X] [Options] Infiltrators and Masterminds
-[X]
The servants. Is there even any reason to suggest any other course of investigation?
-[X] Drakenhof. The servants were pawns. You should study the hidden hand.
-[X] Your predecessor is still out there, doing gods know what, being in league with gods know what. And you've got a lead: Julbach.
-[X] The Stirlandian League is a cancer eating at Stirland's economy, and it must be destroyed.
-[X] You've got a whole bunch of friends now, but you could always use more!
On the grounds that the infiltration of the staff is indeed important, but there's also possible reason for investigating and catching people who might be responsible for such infiltration.
Man, this vote is getting long.
[X] [Private Report] "Item one, the snake. It's still lurking, but while I was in Altdorf, I was able to obtain a copy of one of Leonardo's books that should help me get rid of it. Item two, the barrow-swords. They're absorbing and draining magic; having lain in the barrow they've absorbed practically pure Shyish. Now that we have them outside the barrow, they're likely to absorb all the winds and eventually rot to Dhar unless we either seal them away in an appropriate chamber or simply put them
back in the barrow for the time being. It's not a structured enchantment, but a very volatile one, apt to destroy the weapon and injure the wielder as things currently stand, so they're no good to us right now. On the other hand, it's also a very unusual enchantment, doing things with Shyish that I can't recall enchanters ever doing before, which is very interesting and perhaps profitable. You could store them until a better time, sell them to the Amethyst Order, or, perhaps, depending on how much you need my other duties, simply have me look at them, as I studied enchantment. It would take proper tools, though, which brings me to item three. Would you consider allowing me to use part of my budget to set up a proper enchantment-laboratory, whether for the barrow-swords or other future projects? And finally, item four, I'd like to know what that business with the East Wing is."
