You wonder if something qualifies as a tradition just because the only guy before you did it and you thought it would be funny to inflict the same on potential successors. You suppose you've done it to enough people since and thus might as well count it.
Jules, you say, you're afraid you can't exactly promote him to the highest spying office of the land right off the bat. You're going to need to send him on some kind of quest to prove his worth.
Okay, he says, some kind of quest? Does he get more to go on than that?
Well, you respond, you don't exactly have-
The door to your office opens and you instinctively compose yourself as Assante walks in. It's quite regrettable how he remembers the way here sometimes. He smiles - good fortune to you on this day, madam, and may he say that you're looking quite wonderful with the tumor-child and what have you. You get demonically pregnant and suddenly everyone's so kind to you! really wonderful how the community comes together
Right, you say and glance briefly at the raven, which sits by the window lacking exactly as much majesty as Jules does in person. Thank you and all, but you're under the impression this isn't a social call.
Oh no, says Assante, there's been a development! Diplomacy with our friends among the gnomes, which has been somewhat formalized in these latest months due to a strategic push by yours truly, has brought along fascinating information! A vein of unusual ore is said to be found in the depths of Utterdark Cave over in the northern hills - terribly unusual ore, in fact. His friend - yes, yes, they're not technically friends but it's easier to say than 'two mutually self-interested partners with broadly aligned goals and vast troves of separate highly specialized knowledge that serve to endlessly fascinate' - his friend has told him that, were it to be properly harnessed, it could change Ortfast as we know it! It could change everything!
So why not send a team of prospectors, you ask.
Oh, well, Assante stammers a little, it's because the matter is, as you might expect with something of this importance, very clandestine. And potentially extremely dangerous to try and reach. Nobody's been that deep inside the caves and returned for centuries! Oh, and the royal retainers normally used for such purposes don't exactly appear to trust his mapmaking, don't seem to like 3D maps much for whatever reason.
And, he says after a few more moments, after he did manage to convince a team to go investigate, they don't appear to have come back in weeks either. And now the Queen's soured on the concept as well, could you perhaps help convince her?
A) Certainly, you'll have a talk with the Queen and vouch for the idea as an expert in extreme risks.
B) You don't know, what's in this for you if you manage to arrange it?
C) Sending your own people to die out in Utterdark Cave and needing to beg to do it? Not bloody likely.
D) No need to ask for permission, is there? Just send Jules to check it out!
Author
Topic: SPAMMASTER: Spymistress Kalja the Bewitched (Read 36857 times)