[Office of the Senator of Centripax]

[Venn Drega]

Located at the very furthest end of the section of the Concordia Incola that housed the offices of the Imperial Government were two large wooden portals, which required any visitor to walk the length of the great imperial hall populated by legionnaires who stood guard. Two crests were clearly visible on the double doors; the one on the left bore the Allerian coat of arms while the one on the left housed the crest of Centripax.

Beyond the double doors was a large wooden-panelled reception area. When one entered, a large banner of with the crest of Centripax hung on the left wall while a banner displaying the Imperial coat-of-arms hung on the right. Beneath each of the hangings were two long comfortable couches. Directly ahead was a large table where the receptionist sat. Behind the table, attached to the wall, was a large wooden carving of a dove in flight and a plaque with the words, “Peace and Tolerance Will Set Us Free” emblazoned in gold.

There were five armoured legionnaires in varying dress uniforms standing in each corner of the room. They served as the senator’s official guard and each represented a different provincial legion.

Two doors led to different sections. One, which was to the left of the reception desk led towards the area of the support staff. This office was a large room with many tables for those working on different portfolios. Adjacent to this was a of rooms that housed and fed the staff.

The second door, which was to the right of the reception desk led directly to the spacious senator’s office, a stately and luxurious room that had three areas. The first was a desk flanked by shelves laden with books regarding the empire and the province. Two comfortable chairs sat in from of the desk where visitors might meet with the senator. In the middle of the room was a sitting area where the senator could entertain and converse. At the far end of the room from the desk was a long table suitable for large staff meetings or official dinners, behind which was a double door that opened into a small private walled garden. Attached to the office was also a quiet bedroom, living area and second garden as well as a kitchen and serving quarters. Although dressed in serving uniforms, attendants in this area were in fact discreetly armed military personnel with the exception of the chef.

Anyone seeking an audience with the senator would be greeted at the reception desk by an elegantly dressed man who would smile courteously and say, “Serale. What is your business with the senator?”

[Venn Drega]

1st Brightening of Imperos, Era XII Post Fractum

The senator sat quietly at his desk, reading a report from the Bureau of Trade when Rashalla, his Silrosian assistant approached and cleared his throat meaningfully.

“Yes, Rashalla?” the half sea-elf asked, looking up.

“The report regarding staffing here in Primus Gaudeo, sir,” replied the elf, sliding a piece of paper onto the desk. Venn took it up and read through it.

Primus Gaudeo Staffing

Information Bureau Chief
Information Secretary for Primus Gaudeo
7 Field Researchers
Information Secretary for Natura
3 Field Researchers
Information Secretary for Zerdargia
5 Field Researchers
Information Secretary for Riparia
5 Field Researchers
Information Secretary for Acumin and the Heartlands
10 Field Researchers
Information Secretary for Midpoint
3 Field Researchers
Chef
Gardener
Receptionist
Housekeeper
Butler
10 Attendants

(Total:55)

“This many?” said the senator with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, your Excellency. About 28 however are transient field researchers who are abroad and do not spend much time here at all. Some report in only about once a month,” came the reply. “There are also several vacant spots at the moment however, but we hope to have them filled shortly.”

[Venn Drega]

13th Brightening of Imperos, XII PF, Dusk

The paladin dismounted outside the Concordia Incola and a liveried young man stepped up to take the reins of his horse. The emblem of Centripax was embroidered in gold on his surcoat and a smaller imperial crest on the right shoulder.

“Serale, Cranston. Please see to my companions mount as well,” Venn instructed.

“Yes, Excellency,” replied the young man who waved a companion standing by to attend to Marius.

“Come on Marius, we should get some rest before our journey tomorrow,” he said to the Halfling accompanying him. Up until this point he had made not mention to his travelling companion why they were at the governmental palace, only that they would be in the city for a single night before continuing on to Prime.

As they ascended the steps to a side entry to the Concordia Incola, the guards saluted. They made their way through the Hall of the Imperial Government and finally to the sizeable double doors of the Senator’s office. Again two guards saluted before opening the doors for the two of them. Venn’s boots rang off the marbled floors as he headed directed toward the reception table.

The man behind the desk stood and greeted the half-tėleris, “Welcome back, your Excellency…”

“Serale, Linius. Can you please see to Marius here? He’ll be staying the night. Oh, and please ready our mounts for travel again, put something in the saddlebags to get us to Prime,” Venn interrupted with a list of information and instructions.

“Yes, senator,” Linius bowed, quickly taking notes. “By the way, Quel’larin Rashalla wanted me to inform you that he had selected someone to join your personal staff. They are waiting in your office.”

Venn stopped at this last comment with a look of annoyance crossing his features for a moment.” I thought I told him I didn’t want bodyguards following me about. No offence to any of you of course,” he added, addressing the five ceremonial guards standing by. He sighed and placed his hand on the door to the office. “Hmm, Marius, why don’t you settle into the staff quarters and them come over to my rooms for something to eat before getting some sleep? I want to brief you a little on what I have in mind for you.” With that, Venn stepped into his office.

Linius snapped his fingers and an attendant just as smartly dressed appeared from the door to the left of the reception table. He gave instructions for Lyn’tel to settle Marius into one of the vacant staff quarters. He also reminded Marius that the senator’s office was right through the doors Venn had just entered. Lyn’tel led the Halfling through the work room where a few of the staff members watch him curiously and finally into a hall where the staff quarters were located. He also indicated to Marius where the bathing room was before leaving the newcomer be.

Meanwhile, Venn sat in one of the plush chairs in the sitting area of his office. Although Quel’larin Rashalla, one of his chiefs of staff asked if he would rather rest before their conversation, the paladin refused and sat down. “So what is the idea of adding to my personal staff? I thought we had settled it. I can’t do the job the governor entrusted to me with an entourage of body guards about!”

“Yes, your Excellency,” the Quel’anthan elf replied. “I understood your concerns, which is why I asked Gymalli Goe to meet with you tonight. I think you will find he meet your concern for freedom of movement as well as your office’s concern for your security.”

“Gymalli who?” the half sea-elf queried.

“Your Excellency,” came a low growl of a voice from the corner of the room. Venn turned for he had not noticed the tall lean Pantheri standing motionless in the shadows when he had entered. “You will find me very… discrete, senator.”

Venn’s surprised expression quickly faded as he looked back at his chief of staff with a look of appreciation and smiled. He was glad he had such resourceful people working with him.

(OOC: Marius, feel free to RP with the other NPCs in the office. When you’re through, just join Venn at his office.)

[Marius Thistledown]

With a polite smile and a thank you to the attendant, Marius went to the last door Lyn'tel had indicated before leaving the halfling. He reached up for the doorknob and let himself into the practically furnished room. He still wasn't sure what to make of the whole situation, especially trying to take in exactly who Venn was and the elevated status the elf apparently possessed. A senator, he thought, removing his pack and stowing it in the two-drawered chest that stood beside the bed. I wonder if Old Man Terrapin would believe it. He chuckled to himself. Probably so, if he heard how I met him. Well, he wanted to make at least some effort at a good impression, and that would necessitate getting cleaned up a little, if only to wash up his hands and face, and his bare and dusty feet. He left the little room and paused for a moment in the hallway, trying to remember which was the door to the bathing area.

As he splashed the refreshing water on his face and rubbed off the traveler's dust (after securing a chair to stand on so he could reach the basin), he couldn't help but start to think There must be a lot of nice things here in a senator's office. A lot of...portable things. I wonder what those candlesticks in the work room would go for...

"No," he said aloud, decisively, as he dried his hands, face, and feet with a towel. "I can't."

"Can't what?" said a voice behind him. "Is there something you need?"

Marius whirled around to face one of the ubiquitous staff members, who had apparently heard him talking to himself. How much had he thought aloud? "Nothing," he said very quickly, adding rapidly, "nothing at all. I--I've just been washing up; I've got to go and meet the senator. He's probably waiting for me right now--mustn't keep the senator waiting, you know." He put the towel on a nearby rack and said as he hurried out, "Nice feet you've got there. You really should try going without shoes sometime; it's really quite comfortable--"

He practically ran all the way through the staff quarters, back through the work room and into the reception entryway, not slowing down until he met (after several likely others) the unusual expression and slightly upturned eyebrow of the one Venn had addressed as Linius. "So, um--that's the door I should be going through to see Senator Drega." He cleared his throat a little uneasily and tugged at his collar. "Right. Well, I suppose that's where I'll go now. Have a nice evening."

Marius went through the doors preceded by an attendant who excused himself and said before going, "Your Excellency, the young halfling has come as you requested."

Marius took off his cap and began to turn it in his hands after discovering that he was now left alone standing a little inside the entrance of the office. "You, ah--wanted to see me, sir?" He felt that his voice sounded a bit too obvious, but it was too late to hide that now.

[Venn Drega]

“Ah, Marius, please come in.” Venn rose out of one of the chaise lounge in the sitting area and waved his hand toward the dining table which was set with the finest tableware for three. “Please join me for dinner.” As the senator sat down, a server came out and served them with leek soup. “Please don’t mind Gym, by the way,” the paladin said, his eyes flickering toward the pantheri that stood ever so quietly by one of the bookcases. “He tells me he already ate earlier. If the katta heard the comment, he made no indication of it.

After finishing much of his soup, Venn leaned toward the Halfling. “Marius, I have something I would like to ask you to do, which makes use of some of your… skills. It may mean that you will be staying in Primus Gaudeo for the next month or two, although you may want to bring reports to me in Prime.” Venn drained the rest of the soup and an attendant cleared his bowl away. Soon enough the server wheeled in a cart and uncovered a stuffed pheasant which he proceeded to carve and serve to Marius and the Senator.

When they were alone with the exception of Gym, Venn looked straight at Marius and spoke in a serious tone. “I have been asked by the governess to give a report on the state of the province. I want to be able to make a personal report on the state of affairs in a prompt and timely manner so this will mean that I will need to travel from city to city. Given the scope of the endeavour, I will need assistants I can trust to cover areas that will be beyond me. Primus Gaudeo is a city that will have nooks and crannies I would not be likely able to access given my time. My hope is that you would be willing to be my eyes and ears here. What say you?” The senator knew he was taking a risk on trusting the Halfling he barely knew, but then he sensed that Marius really did want a chance to change and to do something meaningful. It was a calculated and worthwhile risk.

[Marius Thistledown]

Marius paused with the spoon almost to his mouth when Venn indicated the presence of the wilderkatta. "Oh, hello!" he said cheerily, the contents of the spoon dumping out (fortunately back into the bowl). He gave a cordial grin. "I didn't see you there before." Speaking to Venn again after retrieving a second and more successful spoonful, he related, "Old Man Terrapin has several cheetari working for him--not that I think that mister Gym is--well, I know the difference, even though I've seen so many different kinds of people in my little life that I've lost count. Anyway, they can set up the entire grounds or take up camp faster than you'd believe, and it's always done just so, not a spike or a ropeline out of place. Some of my friends and I used to try to sneak around and move something just a little, nothing anybody else would take note of, to see if they'd notice. They always did."

As he finished his soup, he listened to Venn's proposal, his eyes widening considerably. "You want me to be a spy?" he asked incredulously before chomping down on a bit of pheasant. He chewed thoughtfully. "So, um--how exactly would you want me to go about doing that? I mean, I'm just a circus kid; I don't know the first thing about being a spy--that is--well, I guess you could count what happened the other day, but you know what I mean."

[Venn Drega]

Venn laughed good naturedly at Marius’ reaction. He hadn’t seen it the way the Halfling did. “Hmmm, that’s one way of looking at it, I suppose,” he said, cutting a piece of pheasant with his knife before spearing it with a fork and putting it into his mouth. “I wouldn’t say you work is meant to be so clandestine that you would be classified as a spy,” he continued after swallowing the morsel. “Unless you need to become one…”

Their glasses were filled with a fine red wine and the senator enjoyed a mouthful. “What I would like you to do, Marius, is to simply get to know what is going on in Primus Gaudeo. Get into conversations with people; find out what the undercurrent of the city is. Visit the taverns, the inns, the shops. I need to know where things are not working for the citizens so we can move toward addressing them. Your ability to observe others without being observed will be important if you find yourself in a sensitive situation. My hope is that you will be able to avoid such complications and just be as straightforward as you can.”

“If you accept this assignment, you will be attached to my office here as an official operative. There will be room and board for and I will arrange for you to receive a stipend for your expenses. Your job is not so much to spy, but to explore.” The half-tėleris had eaten much of the entrée between phrases which had been accompanied by wild rice and steamed vegetables. “I could give you some time to consider Marius. Hopefully you can provide and answer before I leave for Prime tomorrow? That is if you need the night to consider.”

[Marius Thistledown]

Gesturing with his pheasant-laden fork still in hand, Marius said, "So what would I tell people if they asked what I did for a living? I mean, would you want me to lie about it or just tell them? Somebody might get suspicious if they see me around too much. They might say, 'Don't you have a job or something? I've never seen anyone take such a long vacation.' Or something like that. Someone's bound to notice I haven't left town and apparently don't have anything else to do other than wander the neighborhood looking for something to steal; a lot of people get nervous around halflings for that reason, and I haven't exactly spent most of my life proving them wrong. It might not make much difference what I tell them, unless it turns out to be one of those sensitive situations you were talking about, and considering our first meeting, those kinds of situations can escalate really quickly, and not everybody's as reasonable as you are; they might not think twice about slitting my throat or worse if word got out that I might report them to someone. Not everybody's a big fan of the Imperial government, you know."

[Venn Drega]

The senator smiled. Marius wasvery intelligent, and a quick thinker, able to navigate the realities of life as well as evaluate the abstract moral ambiguities and challenges. Traits he had not expected in one so young but then a life lived among a well-travelled circus troupe that knew the seamy underbelly of society would quickly educate a person.

"That is a good point," conceded the paladin. "I will not ask you to lie, but leave it to you how you to wisely interact with those whom you meet. One need not reveal everything and still be truthful. You are a researcher, a civil servant, a consultant, an adventurer. Your governmental identity need not be spoken of if you feel it will endanger you." The half sea-elf pushed his plate away from him and dabbed his lips with the linen napkin. Dessert was presented in the form of crčme brulée.

Cracking the crust of carmelized sugar on the crust of his dessert Venn decided to give Marius a choice, an opportunity to decline. "If you are uncomfortable with the position, you may still accompany me simply as a retainer. I would certainly appreciate that."

[Marius Thistledown]

"Of course I'm uncomfortable with the position," Marius repeated before taking a good swallow of the wine. "And I'm not really trained to do anything in...particular." As he paused then, his eyes widened in the manner of sleepy people who are trying to stay awake, except that he was doing it because he was starting to feel a little funny. He warily set the glass down and gave it a little nudge in Venn's direction. "Begging your pardon, sir, but I...think I'd better...let you have the rest of that. Might I have a bit of water?" He then gave the tiniest of hiccups and a slightly embarrassed request to be excused. "But anyway, if you think I wouldn't botch the whole thing, I'm willing to give it a try. Is there a certain time you would like for me to rendezvous, or would I just find you when something came up or was suspicious? How would we communicate?"

[Venn Drega]

One of the attendant quickly poured Marius a glass of water. He did seem a little worried that the halfling might not be feeling well despite only having had so little to drink. The senator smiled and nodded as the glass was pushed toward him. As Marius did so, he placed a hand gently on his dinner guest's arm.

"Marius, I want to indicate to you that I have no wish to put you in danger of any sort. There is no espionage involved, you are not meant to be an informant. I am asking you to go to the citizens living in Primus Gaudeo and asking them their needs and how they might be better served by those in have the means to help them. If in fact you run into an undesireable element or something suspicious, simply place it in your report and it can be investigated by those who are equipped to do so."

"You can come and go freely from the offices here where you will be considered a part of my staff and provided with room and board if you so wish. You can write or dictate regular reports and give them to Mister Rashalla who is in charge here. If you have need of anything or advice, he should be able to provide that as well. I hope to be able to speak with you at least once a month if not more. You will always have my ear, for you will represent the voice of the people to me in this city. Just ask Rashalla and he will arrange for you to meet me if I don't find you first."

He stopped here and lifted his hand from the halfling's forearm. "I hope that is clear to you. No dangerous assignments, just the voice of the people." Venn nodded to the attendant who was hovering closely with a pot of coffee who filled a cup. "Thank you, Marius. I see you in the morning then."

[Marius Thistledown]

Marius nodded attentively at the senator's explanation. "I think I can do that," he said, "if you'll just show me who this Mister Rashalla is; I'm not sure I've met him yet." He finished off the last of his dessert, even resisting the urge to pocket any of the utensils (partly because he really didn't think he should have, which took care of the other part of him that wouldn't have felt any qualms about a little sleight of hand even with Venn sitting right across from him). Thanking the senator as well as he could for his hospitality, he bid him good night and headed toward his room, but not without a quick wave goodbye and a friendly grin toward Gym.

Back in his room, he tried laying down on the bed, but he couldn't get comfortable. Too soft. So he dragged all of the bedclothes off and dumped them on the floor; it looked clean enough, so he didn't think Venn would mind all that much. He bunched the bedclothes into a sort of sleeping bag like he was more used to and curled up amongst them. Being so tired, he went to sleep almost immediately and began to dream a collage of scenes, from his experience in Alleria Prime to his first meeting with the senator to what happened the last time he didn't bring the juggler enough loose change from his 'little walks' among the circus crowds...

[Venn Drega]

Marius' dreams were interrupted by a knocking at the door. He would find a well dressed elf there who introduced himself as Quel'larin Rashalla, the Senator's Chief of Staff. The senator was preparing to leave for Alleria Prime and had wanted to see Marius before his departure.

When Marius arrived at Venn's office, he found the half sea-elf behind the desk, scribbling on a parchment. The senator motioned for the halfling to take a seat in one of the comfortable cushioned chairs before him.

"Thank you for coming Marius. I have a few things to give you before departing for Prime. Allow me first of all to introduce Ichabod Frisk." A stongly built man with a chiseled jaw stpped toward the desk next to the Senator and nodded to Marius. "I have been informed that your primary contact here in Primus will be Mister Frisk and not Mister Rashalla as I had earlier indicated. I also want to give you this," said the senator, holding an envelope out to Marius.

Inside the envelope was a cheque written out to "Marius Thistledown" for sixty golden crowns, cashable at any Bank of Alleria. There was also a parchment that bore the Imperial emblem and the seal of Centripax. It read:

Marius Thistledown, bearer of this letter, is in the employ of the senatorial office of Centripax as a Field Researcher. All who are loyal to the Empire are required to provide reasonable assistance to the bearer to the best of their ability. Confirmation may be requested from The Senatorial Office in Primus Gaudeo.

By Imperial Authority, His Imperial Excellency Venn Drega, Senator of Centripax.

"You should find your salary and stipend, which will be reissued to you in the same amount from this office every cycle. There is also a little note that may be useful to you if you require assistance from local officials, militia or legionaires. It will however be dangerous for you if it is found on your person when you are interacting with insurgent or criminal elements."

"Have you any questions?"

[Marius Thistledown]

"Thank you, sir," Marius responded after the introductions and receipt of the envelope. "You are very generous." He looked over the parchment again, examining the identification script. "So...just to make sure I have this right, you want me to meet as many different people as I can, get a general feel for what does and doesn't work about the government from the everyday person's perspective, or whatever else seems important, and let you know what I find out?"

[Venn Drega]

"Aye, Marius. I beleive you understand me completely," smiled the senator. "I hope you will find it an interesting and rewarding experience to search out the nooks and crannies of the city from the hidden alleyways to the corridors of the merchants, perhaps even nobles." The senator rose from his seat and came around the desk to shake the halfling's hand. "Do be careful out there, would you?" he said with a wink.