<em>What follows is a chronicle of events that took place in Ilriene in the year 794, beginning with the Spring social season, in which a newly formed coterie in service to House Bastien first set out to make their mark upon that most celebrated of cities. In accordance with custom and practice, the names of those who survived have been altered to prevent outside parties from conducting further investigations. Out of respect for the fallen, the remainder has been recorded precisely as it occurred.</em><br/><br/>The circumstances whereby House Bastien designated your current contact are still a mystery, and yet the arbitrator Esperanza has been diligent in building a reasonable justification for luncheon meetings with you over the past few weeks in preparation for this moment: a working meal at the Olive, in Gilt, at which you have been served a warm salad of arugula and persimmon with shaved peppered sheep's cheese and a red wine vinaigrette accompanied by a few bottles of Serralia 763. The irony of the contrast between the fancy menu with fine wine and the matters being discussed is clear.<br/><br/>"Let us be about this," Esperanza says at last, producing a packet from an inside pocket and placing it on the table where you can all reach it. "Nasty business all around, I'm afraid, but that is the way the world seems to work."<br/><br/>Departing soon afterward,  having paid the bill for comestibles and vintage both, your contact within the Banks allows you to peruse the opportunities and decide upon the best matters to pursue on behalf of Bastien.<br/><br/>First, there is a matter of funds designated for a badly needed orphanage by the Bank of Brass and Bone, but the land in The Groan designated as the build site is known to be haunted by angry spirits and thus unusable! T'would be a shame if someone were to clear the area and get the Bank to foot the bill for that as well as the promised construction!<br/><br/>Secondly, the al-Mari are stationing their foreign mercenaries along the Docks to keep the honest, hard-working Dockers in line. Officially they are there to reduce the smuggling of contraband, but according to these documents they are also seizing supplies meant for the humble shops and small grocers of the district as well.  Thus and so, some supplies would be a welcome thing for the smallfolk.<br/><br/>Lastly, and considering good deeds done, there is a band of vicious thugs preying on honest artisans and mercers in The Twist on behalf of one of the Six--Esperanza is still following the money trail on this one, but in the meantime something should be done about this, yes?