Michael finds that he has mail from Gaspar dePettiebone, esquire. Postmarked Tregere with an address of the finest inn there, such as it is.
The letter is on expensive stationary and sealed with wax magiced to prevent tampering by anyone but the designed recipient.
Fleet Captain Stormwarden,
It is with some trepidation that I send this missive. Your situation in Tregere presents a most interesting challenge. The local aristocracy and judiciary is aligned in opposition to your interests there. The judges, while not outright admitting that they are hostile, none the less take every opportunity to place barriers in my path. They seem willing to entertain the most outrageous and spurious motions forcing me to spend countless hours writing briefs defending these basely and wholly unrelated issues. I have been attempting to achieve a change of venue to a more favorable court or to involve Imperial authority to at least keep the local judges honest, but have met with limited success. At least some work is being done on-site for the time being. Once the local cabal realized that I was serious in my intentions to fight them they resorted to baser tactics. I was accosted bodily by a gang of toughs who suggested that I had made untoward advances to their sister. Again a spurious and basely claim, which seems to be a hallmark of their modius. I had not in fact met the lady and am not sure she even exists. If not for certain powerful magical protections that I maintain on my person at considerable expense I consider it likely they would have rendered significant harm and perhaps even mortal wounds upon me. As it stands I escaped their ambuscade with hardly a hair out of place. I have taken to traveling everywhere in the company of a brace of the local chieftain's household guard. As odious and base a pair of fellows as I have ever had the displeasure to encounter. However, these are difficult times and I must make such sacrifices in the cause of our endeavor. It is of course early days, but I must admit I had expected to make progress more quickly. The late noble's sister has proved a worthy foe and I fear this will be a protracted battle. I will send further correspondence as new developments arise.
Yours faithfully,
Gaspar dePettiebone, Esquire