At Pendennis Castle, the Viscount’s endorsement and formal charge are sealed beside the intelligence cache. Mara remains with the Exchange accounts and schools, while the Quartermaster assembles the guarded London escort.
The Viscount
Carry these papers under my seal. The Crown must receive the evidence as a lawful case, not as a private accusation.
The Viscount’s clerk places duplicate warrants in a leather folio and records each seal. The cache is secured in the dispatch chest, with custody entries matching Mara’s ledger.
Mara Trevithick
I will remain here and keep the Exchange independent. Bring the Crown’s acknowledgment back intact, and let no London office quietly absorb what we built.
Mara countersigns the departure record, then steps away from the carriage. The Quartermaster, Corporal James Venn, and the mounted escort take position around the chest, while the prisoners remain secured under separate guard.
Quartermaster
The seals are sound, the warrants are dry, and the road party is ready. We can reach London before the next Crown courier leaves for Court.
The castle gates open onto the coast road. Behind, Mara returns to her ledgers and unfinished work; ahead, the guarded carriage turns east with the Crown case riding under seal.
✓ Quest Accepted
Return the Crown’s acknowledgment to Mara
+ New Item Acquired
Leather folio
“I will take the prisoners and evidence cache directly to the Crown authorities in London, wait for a formal transfer of custody, and then patiently await a summons from the Royal Court's officers regarding my service to the King, as well as sharing my Courtly written introduction from Viscount Falmouth along with his endorsements, all in the hope of receiving formal recognition of these many gallant acts on behalf of the King's interests in successfully suppressing criminal activities and governing Cornwall.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Agility, rolled +0)
The guarded carriage reaches London without delay, passing through the city gates beneath the Viscount’s seals. At the Crown offices, clerks and sentries receive the prisoners, cache, warrants, and signed testimony.
Arrus Gandon
I deliver the prisoners and evidence directly into Crown custody. I will remain until every transfer is formally recorded, then await the Royal Court’s summons.
A lean middle-aged Crown officer, a human man with close-cropped black hair and weathered light skin, in a dark green coat steps forward, his narrow face marked by a pale scar at the temple. He examines each seal before accepting the folio.
Edwin Harcourt
I am Edwin Harcourt, deputy secretary to the Crown examinations. Your custody is orderly, your evidence intact, and your witnesses will be heard under protection.
Harcourt signs the transfer before witnesses, and the clerk copies every entry into the Crown register. Vane and the three hunters pass into separate guarded rooms, while the sealed cache disappears into the records vault.
Edwin Harcourt
Remain in London under your own protection. Your written introduction from Viscount Falmouth and these endorsements will accompany my report to Court. A summons will reach you before the week ends.
The formal acknowledgment bears the Crown seal and lists Arrus as the Viscount’s endorsed envoy. His service is now before the Royal Court, with recognition no longer a hope but an approaching appointment.
✓ Quest Accepted
Receive the Royal Court’s summons
“I will spend considerable amounts of my own personal funds to prepare myself thoroughly for presentation to the Royal Court and it's many dignitaries as soon as the summons reaches my boarding quarters within the city. Then I will prepare myself mentally to make the best impression I can make, and answer the summons to the Royal Court.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled +0)
The summons reaches Arrus’s London quarters before the week ends. He spends freely on a well-cut dark coat, polished boots, linen, gloves, and discreet court dress suited to a Viscount’s envoy.
A barber trims his hair and beard, while a tailor adjusts the coat until it sits cleanly across his athletic frame. His papers remain sealed, ordered, and ready for inspection.
Arrus Gandon
The Court will judge preparation before it hears testimony.
He rehearses the case in precise sequence: the evidence, the lawful custody, Vane’s confession, and the witnesses’ testimony, keeping every claim distinct from every inference.
When the appointed carriage arrives, Arrus checks the summons, seals, and folio once more, then travels under discreet escort through streets bright with winter traffic.
Edwin Harcourt
The Court is ready for you, Master Gandon. Present the Viscount’s endorsement first, then let the evidence and your conduct speak in order.
Edwin Harcourt leads Arrus through guarded corridors into the Royal Court. The summons has been answered, and the prepared envoy stands before the assembled dignitaries.
Quest Complete
Receive the Royal Court’s summons
+ New Item Acquired
Dark court coat
+ New Item Acquired
Polished court boots
+ New Item Acquired
Court linen
“I will wait to be introduced by Edwin Harcourt, then present Viscount Falmouth's endorsement, and patiently wait for questions from the Court's officers about the evidence of criminal networks reaching far across the kingdom.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled +2)
Edwin Harcourt leads Arrus into the Royal Court and presents him before a long table of robed officers. Seals, warrants, and attentive silence frame the hearing.
Edwin Harcourt
My lords and officers, I present Arrus Gandon, endorsed envoy of Viscount Falmouth. He brings the sealed intelligence cache, formal charge, and sworn testimony concerning Josiah Vane’s criminal network.
Arrus Gandon
I present Viscount Falmouth’s endorsement and formal charge, with the evidence gathered under lawful custody.
Arrus places the endorsement before Harcourt without flourish. A young adult woman, slim-built and wearing a small gold brooch at her throat, with dark hair, a composed oval face, and a burgundy court gown opens the folio and checks each seal.
The Senior Examiner
I am Eleanor Wray, senior examiner. Do these papers identify Vane as the principal directing the network, or only as one beneficiary among several concealed accounts?
The question hangs over the chamber. Edwin remains beside the folio, while the officers turn their attention to Arrus and wait for his account of the evidence, custody, and criminal reach.
“"In my findings during my service to Viscount Falmouth, we uncovered signs of many nefarious, long-reaching influences that I believe pass through Cornwall from faraway lands, and lead all the way to arriving dangerously close to this very same palace, Mrs. Wray. And we continue to gain intelligence of the Crown's enemies through a sophisticated information gathering operation built under Viscount Falmouth's wise supervision, including such as this most recent testimony of Josiah Vane. However, the full scale of the sophisticated networks indicate numerous and much more powerful and consequential individuals must be exerting their influence over Counties throughout England and local orchestrators like Josiah Vane..."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled +1)
Arrus Gandon
In my service to Viscount Falmouth, we uncovered signs of far-reaching influences passing through Cornwall from distant lands, reaching dangerously close to this palace, Mrs. Wray. Under the Viscount’s supervision, our intelligence operation continues to expose the Crown’s enemies, as Josiah Vane’s testimony now demonstrates. The scale of these networks indicates that more powerful individuals direct local orchestrators like Vane across England.
Arrus keeps his account measured and precise, distinguishing what Vane confessed from what the wider intelligence suggests. Eleanor Wray studies him over the open folio, her pen poised above the record.
The Senior Examiner
You place Vane within a structure rather than at its summit, Master Gandon. Your distinction is persuasive. What evidence carries this concern beyond Cornwall and toward the Crown’s own vicinity?
The senior examiner’s tone loses its initial skepticism. She turns a fresh page and signals the clerk to record the wider network as a formal line of inquiry, not an envoy’s private suspicion.
The Senior Examiner
I accept that your findings warrant examination beyond the Vane case. The Crown will investigate the provincial links, the distant influences, and any approach toward this palace under sealed authority.
Eleanor Wray signs the margin beside Arrus’s statement and orders a duplicate made for the Crown’s internal investigators. His warning now stands entered as evidence-backed intelligence, while the principal question passes into official hands.
“I will wait to see if the court's officers' had any more questions, and add that preparing the evidence was the kind of personal pleasure that any loyal subject would pray for such an opportunity to serve the King”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled +0)
Arrus Gandon
I will wait upon the Court's further questions. Preparing this evidence has been a personal pleasure, the kind any loyal subject would pray to receive in service of the Crown.
Arrus lets the silence stand without pressing it. The officers exchange measured glances, hearing devotion presented as duty rather than vanity.
The Senior Examiner
Your willingness to serve is noted, Master Gandon. One question remains: will you continue this work if the Crown places its investigators under your direction?
Arrus Gandon
I will serve wherever the Crown's lawful authority requires, while preserving the independent operations entrusted to my care.
Eleanor’s pen moves decisively. Edwin Harcourt inclines his head, and the officers’ attention shifts from testing Arrus’s loyalty to considering the practical value of his continued service.
Edwin Harcourt
Then the record will state that Master Gandon offers continued cooperation under lawful commission, with his established responsibilities protected from needless interference.
The Senior Examiner
So entered. The Crown accepts both the service and the prudence behind it. We have no further question at present.
Eleanor closes the folio only after the amended record is signed. The hearing remains formally open, but Arrus’s answer has secured the Court’s confidence and a clear path toward recognition.
“I will thank the Court for it's opportunity to make valuable use of it's time, and then use the rest of the morning and day's additional opportunities to make as many valuable introductions and to as many distinguished names among those at the Royal Court, and hopefully that also means only a few extra days of royal deliberation before I am possibly summoned again for recognition with any title that would make it less unthinkable for me to propose marriage to Elizabeth before I leave London”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled +3)
Arrus Gandon
I thank the Court for the opportunity to make valuable use of its time. I hope to serve it equally well beyond this hearing.
Arrus spends the morning moving through the Court’s company with polished warmth, offering precise compliments, useful knowledge, and discreet assurances of continued service. Eleanor Wray introduces him to several distinguished officers before the noon bell.
The Senior Examiner
Master Gandon, your judgment has impressed the examiners. Permit me to present you to those whose opinions carry weight beyond this chamber.
By afternoon, Arrus has secured cordial introductions among senior legal and naval officers, each receiving his service as practical rather than boastful. Edwin Harcourt quietly confirms that the introductions will be noted in the Court’s report.
Edwin Harcourt
Your name now travels with the evidence, Master Gandon. The deliberation should be brief, and the Court is considering recognition suited to an envoy of proven service.
Before the day ends, a distinguished middle-aged courtier with silver at his temples and a dark blue coat, a lean man with a narrow, clean-shaven face and a gold signet ring pauses beside Arrus, visibly impressed by Harcourt’s account and Wray’s recommendation.
Thomas Ainsley
Thomas Ainsley. I would be pleased to sponsor your introduction at the next royal gathering, should the Court summon you again.
“"I would humbly accept any such excuse to come visit the world's finest public servants..."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled +1)
Arrus Gandon
I would humbly accept any such excuse to visit the world's finest public servants, Mr. Ainsley.
The compliment lands lightly but precisely. Thomas Ainsley’s reserved expression warms, and his gold signet catches the winter light as he inclines toward Arrus.
Thomas Ainsley
Then I shall consider the invitation accepted in principle, Master Gandon. I will see that your name reaches the proper doors before the next royal gathering.
Ainsley offers his hand in the polished manner of a man accustomed to opening doors without appearing to push them. Around them, court officers continue their measured conversations.
Thomas Ainsley
Your service has made you welcome among people who value results more than pedigree. Keep that distinction, and London will prove generous.
The introduction is no longer a courtesy left hanging. Thomas Ainsley has undertaken to sponsor Arrus’s appearance at the next royal gathering, placing a useful connection within reach.
“I will continue shadowing Thomas Ainsley and his doubtless countless social opportunities for as long as I seem to be welcome and not obtrusively getting in the way of his duties. Then I will attempt to identify any potential friends or enemies of Viscount Falmouth at Court while I have the opportunities to make introductions.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled +4)
Arrus remains at Thomas Ainsley’s shoulder through successive drawing rooms, withdrawing whenever duties claim the courtier and returning whenever another introduction opens. His discretion earns approving glances rather than rebuke.
Thomas Ainsley
You have mastered the useful distance, Master Gandon. Let me show you two people whose opinions matter greatly to Viscount Falmouth.
Ainsley presents a broad-shouldered middle-aged woman in a pearl-gray gown, her iron-dark hair swept beneath a modest cap, with light skin and a composed, high-cheekboned face. Beside her stands a lean young man with a narrow face, auburn curls, and a green velvet coat, his fair skin and alert gray eyes visible.
Thomas Ainsley
Lady Beatrice Halewick commands the Admiralty clerks’ respect and has defended the Viscount’s coastal reforms. Martin Quill serves Lord Daven, who would gladly see Falmouth diminished.
Beatrice Halewick
Any friend of Falmouth who understands records and men is welcome at my table. Quill, however, has been asking who carries the Viscount’s private business.
Martin Quill
You mistake curiosity for hostility, Lady Halewick. Still, I would value a private conversation with Master Gandon before his reputation grows inconveniently large.
By the next salon, Arrus has secured Lady Halewick as a useful ally and identified Quill as a probing rival. Ainsley also quietly supplies the names of two sympathetic naval officers, widening Arrus’s circle before the royal gathering.
“Is the next Royal social gathering going to occur within the next few days?”
NO, BUT (Likely, rolled 72)
The next royal gathering is not to be held within the week. Ainsley receives the news from a passing secretary, and the promised introduction slips beyond the immediate court calendar.
Thomas Ainsley
The gathering is postponed, Master Gandon. A royal illness and several urgent dispatches have displaced it, so my sponsorship cannot open that door yet.
The disappointment lasts only a moment. Beatrice Halewick turns from the departing secretary, her composed gaze settling on Arrus while Martin Quill watches with renewed interest.
Beatrice Halewick
Then use the delay. Tomorrow I can place you before the Admiralty clerks examining the coastal reforms. Their hearing is private, but its record travels farther than a crowded ballroom.
Martin Quill
A useful substitute, Lady Halewick. Though I should warn Master Gandon that Admiralty records have a habit of exposing the hands behind provincial successes.
Thomas Ainsley
The royal gathering will come later, and my invitation stands. Until then, Halewick offers you a narrower door, one that may lead directly into the Crown’s working confidence.
“"Then I simply must write the Viscount and inform him of my delayed return! Lady Halewick, it would be my honor to meet the distinguished servants of the Admiralty. I have some considerable experience as a seaman myself, and would be delighted to share whatever insights into the current concerns they may have about the activities of the Southern Coast as I may be able to provide to them." And then I will turn to Martin, "And you Mister Quill, what is your area of expertise, if I may ask?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled -2)
Arrus borrows paper and ink from a passing clerk, then writes the Viscount a concise notice explaining the postponed gathering and his delayed return. He seals it for dispatch.
Arrus Gandon
Then I simply must write the Viscount and inform him of my delayed return. Lady Halewick, it would be my honor to meet the distinguished servants of the Admiralty. I have considerable experience as a seaman, and would gladly share whatever insights I can provide concerning activity along the Southern Coast.
Beatrice Halewick
Your experience will be useful, Master Gandon. I will place your name before the Admiralty clerks tomorrow and vouch for the relevance of your knowledge.
The acceptance is immediate, though Beatrice’s promise binds her reputation to Arrus’s performance. Martin Quill studies that exchange with sharpened interest, recognizing a new connection worth measuring.
Arrus Gandon
And you, Mr. Quill, what is your area of expertise, if I may ask?
Martin Quill
I examine naval expenditure, provisioning, and the private interests concealed within public contracts. I can tell whether a coastal reform improves the Crown’s service or merely enriches its advocates.
Quill answers plainly enough to claim expertise without surrendering leverage. His scrutiny makes tomorrow’s hearing a test of Arrus’s maritime knowledge and of the alliances now gathering around it.
“How fortuitous, Mr. Quill... I was just wondering how we were going to afford more scout ships for the squadron regularly anchored between Flushing and Pendennis Castle. Perhaps you would be so kind as to educate me about who as influence over the best shipwrights in the South?" I will then engage Martin Quill in a probing series of questions and patient replies to see if I may be able to identify his motives and goals for how he intends to serve Lord Devan or how he might attempt to undermine Lord Falmouth's success in Cornwall.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled -2)
Arrus Gandon
How fortuitous, Mr. Quill. I was wondering how to afford more scout ships for the squadron between Flushing and Pendennis. Who influences the best shipwrights in the South?
Martin Quill
The strongest yards answer to three pressures: timber credit, naval contracts, and master craftsmen who fear losing Crown work. I can reach all three, though not without drawing notice.
Arrus Gandon
And whose interests would those arrangements serve first: the Crown’s, your patron’s, or the shipwrights’ own survival?
Martin Quill
My patron wants Cornwall diminished, so Falmouth’s reforms appear costly and ineffectual. I prefer a stronger navy, but I would profit by controlling which yards receive its orders.
Quill has answered the hidden question as well as the spoken one. He seeks leverage over shipwrights, intends to embarrass Falmouth, and has now exposed enough of his design to become useful evidence.
Martin Quill
You have extracted more than most men would manage in an afternoon. In return, I expect discretion, and perhaps your introduction when the Admiralty begins asking who taught you to listen.
Director's note
I will laugh haughtily.
“Only mildly concealing facetious tone in my voice, "Alas Mr. Quill, I reserved all of my limited discretion for my lord Falmouth's true allies, although I will carry you in mind if I see any opportunity to be so charitable." I will then smile in a way that could be as equally cordial as it could be insincere.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled +1)
Arrus Gandon
Alas, Mr. Quill, I reserved all my limited discretion for my lord Falmouth’s true allies. I will carry you in mind if I find an opportunity to be charitable.
Arrus smiles with cordial precision, the expression balanced neatly between welcome and insincerity, then laughs haughtily as though Quill’s request were an amusing luxury.
Martin Quill
A charitable opportunity, then. How reassuringly noble of you, Master Gandon.
Quill’s smile remains composed, but his gray eyes sharpen. He has received the refusal clearly and cannot mistake its polished courtesy for an offer of partnership.
Martin Quill
I shall not trouble you for favors. Should your charitable instincts awaken, however, you know where to find me.
He inclines his head and withdraws half a pace, preserving the public civility while conceding the private rebuff. The exchange leaves Quill interested, wary, and denied any claim upon Arrus’s discretion.
“"I assure you, Mr. Quill, it would only appear noble of me to be anything of the sort. I was not blessed with birthright, but merely a nobleman's ambition. I am made of far less far less merciful stuff, perfectly suited for destroying my patron's enemies. It was enemies, I would be forced to tell them, who taught me how to listen..." And then I will wink at Martin in that unmistakable cue of indication that I would be vastly preferable as an ally, to anyone wise enough to imagine the difference. Then I will shift back to trying to charm Lady Halewick.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled +2)
Arrus Gandon
I assure you, Mr. Quill, it would only appear noble of me to be anything of the sort. I lack birthright, but possess a nobleman's ambition. I am made of far less merciful stuff, perfectly suited to destroying my patron's enemies. It was enemies who taught me how to listen.
Arrus laughs haughtily, then gives Martin Quill an unmistakable wink. The gesture offers alliance without surrendering leverage, and Quill understands precisely what has been placed before him.
Martin Quill
I would be a fool to mistake that warning for mere theatre, Master Gandon. If an ally is what you offer, I am wise enough to recognize the distinction.
Arrus turns from Quill with polished ease, directing his attention back toward Lady Halewick. His manner lightens into social warmth while his sharpness remains carefully visible.
Arrus Gandon
Lady Halewick, I fear Mr. Quill has made me sound more dangerous than I am. Surely a woman who commands Admiralty respect can judge whether a sailor's knowledge is worth preserving.
Beatrice Halewick
A sailor who knows when to threaten, when to listen, and when to flatter is seldom ordinary. I shall preserve your knowledge, Master Gandon, and invite you to speak before the clerks tomorrow.
Beatrice offers her arm for the next turn through the salon, granting Arrus the promised hearing outright. Martin steps aside, newly attentive to the alliance he has failed to secure first.
“I will gleefully accept Lady Halewick's arm as if it were my sacred duty to continue to socialize with her amongst the courtiers of palace intrigue, attempting to make a memorable impression upon all who have never met me before while striving to make it a positive impression each and every time.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled -1)
Arrus accepts Beatrice Halewick’s arm with ceremonious delight and laughs haughtily, carrying her through the salon as though continued social triumph were his sacred duty.
Beatrice Halewick
Come, Master Gandon. Let us give the Court something worth remembering, and make certain it remembers you kindly.
Beatrice guides him among courtiers, introducing him to naval clerks, legal officers, and titled guests. Arrus answers each welcome with wit, humility, and precisely measured candor.
His name travels quickly through the company. Laughter follows his anecdotes, while his knowledge of coastal affairs earns serious attention from those who value useful men over inherited elegance.
Martin Quill
You have made yourself memorable without becoming tiresome. That is a rarer achievement than you seem inclined to admit.
Thomas Ainsley
By tomorrow, Master Gandon, half this company will know your service, and the other half will wish to know what you intend next.
By the salon’s close, Arrus has left a positive impression with every new acquaintance approached: charming to the vain, credible to the practical, and dangerous only to those who listen too closely.
“I will make plans with Lady Halewick about when and where to meet on the morrow and then retire early and unscandalized and begin preparing the next morning to meet the Admiralty's Clerks by walking down to the docks and spending a few hours talking with the local sailors and listening for the kinds of their worries that would strike the clerks as relevant concern. Then I will meet her with fond greetings, "Beatrice my darling, it has only been an evening and a night, and yet already far too long since I enjoyed your captivating company!"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Streetwise, rolled +1)
Beatrice Halewick
At the Admiralty offices tomorrow, just after the morning bell. Meet me in the outer court, and I will bring you directly to the clerks.
The evening ends without scandal. At dawn, Arrus walks down toward the docks, where sailors mend nets, unload barrels, and speak freely beneath the gulls.
He listens for practical grievances: delayed pay, poor provisions, unsafe hulls, and contracts that leave experienced hands ashore. The sailors’ concerns form a clear picture of coastal weakness.
The Dock Sailors
The yards promise ships, but not honest wages. Give us sound timber, fair victuals, and captains who know these waters, and we will serve the Crown gladly.
By the appointed hour, Arrus has gathered useful testimony without making himself conspicuous. He returns to the outer court, where Beatrice waits beneath the colonnade.
Arrus Gandon
Beatrice my darling, it has only been an evening and a night, and yet already far too long since I enjoyed your captivating company!
Beatrice Halewick
Then come, my captivating envoy. Let us see whether the Admiralty clerks are prepared for what you have learned among the sailors.
Beatrice offers her arm, and together they pass toward the clerks’ chambers, Arrus’s observations ready to turn dockside complaints into useful naval counsel.
“I will thank her for her kindness, and tell her that it reminds me of the true natural beauty of Cornwall: the young noblewoman of St Michael's Mont who has already stolen my heart as the maiden I intend to make my bride.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled +1)
Arrus Gandon
Beatrice, I thank you for your kindness. It reminds me of Cornwall’s true natural beauty: the young noblewoman of St. Michael’s Mount who has stolen my heart, and whom I intend to make my bride.
Arrus laughs haughtily, his compliment delivered with theatrical confidence. Beatrice’s arm remains linked through his, and her composed expression gives way to frank amusement as they approach the clerks’ chambers.
Beatrice Halewick
Then Cornwall has claimed your heart more completely than London ever could. I congratulate your chosen lady, and I hope she understands the audacity of the man who means to marry her.
Beatrice guides him through the Admiralty threshold without loosening her hold. Clerks glance up from their papers, catching the warmth between them before turning their attention to the morning hearing.
Beatrice Halewick
Now, my future bridegroom, let us see whether your sailors’ testimony is as persuasive as your courtship. Speak plainly, and I will make certain the right people listen.
The inner doors open onto a long chamber of ledgers, charts, and waiting clerks. Beatrice presents Arrus with undisguised confidence, securing him a place before the Admiralty examiners and leaving his declaration ringing pleasantly in the air.
“I will greet clerks and await the norms and procedures of the gathering to reveal themselves in time. Once I am addressed by whomever leads the formalities, I will greet all present and introduce myself as a sworn servant of the Sheriff of Cornwall, and presently at their service in any way I can render assistance.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled +0)
Arrus greets the waiting clerks with easy courtesy, then laughs haughtily as Beatrice presents him. The room’s bustle settles into attentive quiet.
Courtier 1
Master Gandon, the senior examiner will first receive your introduction, then hear your observations without interruption. Questions follow, and the record is read back before anything is entered.
A clerk, a young adult man with a slim build, pale skin, sandy hair, and a russet waistcoat, clears a space at the long table and indicates where Arrus should stand. Beatrice remains beside him, her presence quietly confirming that he has been properly admitted.
Beatrice Halewick
You may begin when addressed, Master Gandon. A courteous introduction will serve you better than haste, and these examiners value a servant who knows how to listen.
The Senior Examiner
Master Gandon, you have the floor. State your office, your allegiance, and the assistance you place at the Crown’s disposal.
Arrus Gandon
I am Arrus Gandon, a sworn servant of the Sheriff of Cornwall, and presently at your service in any way I can render assistance.
The clerk records the introduction, while Eleanor Wray inclines her head in approval. The formalities are now clear, and every attentive face in the chamber is turned toward Arrus.
“I will begin by summarizing my extensive sailing experience growing up as an independent sailing hand, "...who could hold a sword as well as a negotiation of price with equally deft and balance. I later joined local loyal subjects of the Crown in opposition to rising reports of corruption and excessively harsh exploitation of the common man along the coastal villages of Cornwall, ultimately introducing me to one of the truest of noblemen in all the Kingdom: Viscount Falmouth. With the support and critical testimony of other local members of the landed gentry, Lord Falmouth rose to the need of the day and confronted his predecessor, the Baron Sir Alfred Billings, demanding more to be done to preserve the King's Justice, and by extension, the King's Peace. The Viscount was shortly thereafter sworn as Sheriff of Cornwall, as I was sworn into The Viscount Falmouth's faithful service, to aid him in rooting out villainy in Cornwall. I am here to advise you about how to strengthen the King.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled +0)
Arrus Gandon
I grew up an independent sailing hand, learning to balance a sword and a negotiation over price with equal deftness. I later joined loyal Cornish subjects opposing corruption and harsh exploitation, which brought me to the Viscount. When he confronted Sir Alfred Billings and was sworn Sheriff, I entered his faithful service. I am here to advise how best to strengthen the King.
Arrus laughs haughtily after delivering the account, his confidence filling the chamber without forcing the examiners to mistake confidence for bluster. Beatrice remains beside him, quietly approving.
The Senior Examiner
Your service offers more than biography, Master Gandon. Give us the practical lesson: where should the Crown strengthen its coastal hand first?
Arrus Gandon
At the seam between sea and shore. Strengthen trusted patrols, pay sailors reliably, inspect provisions honestly, and let local witnesses report corruption without surrendering their livelihoods.
The clerk writes rapidly. Several examiners exchange glances, and Beatrice’s measured nod confirms that Arrus has translated experience into counsel the Admiralty can use.
The Senior Examiner
That recommendation will be entered as formal advice. The Admiralty will review coastal pay, provisions, patrol coverage, and protected channels for testimony under your guidance.
Beatrice Halewick
Then the hearing has gained precisely what it required: a sailor’s knowledge made useful to the Crown without stripping it from the coast that taught him.
“I will continue with increased intensity. "Forgive me for seeming concerned about such mundane causes as sailor's wages, but there is so much more going on beneath these layers of canvas along our shores!... Every empire suffers the vermin of malfeasance and petty criminals wherever overconfident shoes stand too heavily on the backs of the peasants that grind the daily grist and haul the daily catch that sustains it. The potion of cure is to apply fair pay and strict accountability for the customs clerks and local officials that will guard and nurture prosperity in the Kingdom's ports well enough for merchants to pay their seamen well enough and still resist the bribe of foreign interests, who target these key figures as the weak points in the Royal suit of armor to sink their venomous fangs into the extremities of the Kingdom. It's inspectors need fear enough of it's hands of justice to reach them as easily as the outstretched offers of coin in exchange for silence and treachery..."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled +1)
Arrus Gandon
Forgive my concern with humble wages, but corruption thrives where officials burden fishermen and merchants. Fair pay and strict accountability will protect the Kingdom’s ports from foreign influence.
Arrus laughs haughtily after the argument, making its severity sound almost effortless. The clerks continue writing as his warning expands from dockside hardship into a defense of the Kingdom’s vulnerable shores.
The Senior Examiner
Your proposal is accepted as practical policy, Master Gandon. The Crown will examine coastal pay, customs oversight, and protected reporting together, rather than treating corruption as isolated misconduct.
Beatrice Halewick
He has identified the weak points plainly. A hungry clerk can be bought, but a fairly paid officer whose records are inspected becomes a barrier against foreign coin.
Eleanor signs the margin and orders the recommendation circulated to the Admiralty and customs offices. The hearing now records fair compensation and strict accountability as measures of coastal security, not charitable indulgence.
The Senior Examiner
You will advise the review when it reaches Cornwall, and Beatrice will oversee your admission to the relevant Admiralty discussions. The Crown has need of this judgment.
✓ Quest Accepted
Attend the relevant Admiralty discussions on coastal reforms
“Once again, I will thank the Officers of the Admiralty for their time -offer my assistance if they wish to write me letters, to address them to Pendennis Castle- and go to sit away from the proceedings with Beatrice Halewick and speak quietly together until the closed hearing adjourns and she and I can assess our desire to mingle with a few administrators of the Admiralty or to abscond somewhere else together.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Intrigue, rolled +1)
Arrus Gandon
I thank the officers for their time. Should they require further assistance, letters addressed to me at Pendennis Castle will find me ready to answer.
Arrus laughs haughtily, then withdraws with Beatrice to a quiet recess beyond the hearing chamber. The formal proceedings continue behind them, softened by distance and heavy doors.
Beatrice Halewick
You have given them both courtesy and a reason to remember where to find you. That is a useful combination in any capital.
Arrus Gandon
And you have given me a gracious retreat. Tell me, Beatrice, do we return to the Admiralty company when this hearing ends, or do we disappear before anyone can claim our afternoon?
Beatrice settles beside him, one gloved hand resting on the arm of her chair. Her amusement is private now, free of the composed authority she wore before the examiners.
Beatrice Halewick
We should let them wonder whether they have earned another hour of us. If the hearing ends cleanly, I will choose the company. If it drags, we vanish together.
A clerk’s muted footsteps pass beyond the screen, followed by the scrape of chairs and the low movement of the adjournment. Beatrice leans closer, waiting to judge the room with him.
Quest Complete
Attend the relevant Admiralty discussions on coastal reforms