Part One

From the Velika Falcon:

Recent events in Velika have led the Falconeditors to wonder if some sort of secret large-scale military operation is being planned under the citizens’ noses. A number of key federation personnel have been hastily called back from the argon front, and other notables have been pouring into the city from all directions only to disappear into the lower levels of the Collegium Arcane. Repeated messages to the master arcanists have gone unanswered, and our reporters have been turned back politely but firmly by collegium watchdog Tysur. We’ve called on our ace investigative reporter, Gavrel, to dig deeper. His first report is below, and more will follow as his investigation continues.

VELIKA—The tension has been palpable in the quarter of the city that houses the Collegium Arcane. Military personnel have been stationed at all entrances, and only a select few arcanists are being admitted. My curiosity is piqued by the combination of military and arcane forces united to seal off Velika’s center of magical learning from all would-be visitors.

Well, not all—now and again, a hooded figure or two is admitted. If I’m not mistaken, the one I saw while standing outside in the shadows a couple of nights ago was Leander, brother of the Argon War hero Elleon, and a distinguished researcher and author in his own right. I suspected Leander’s cloaked companion to be none other than the celebrated Elleon himself, but maybe I’ve been covering conspiracies for too long. Or maybe not; I caught sight of Captain Dargarishas the doors swung shut on the pair. If he’s involved in this, chances are Elleon—his friend and partner in exploration—is in it up to his eyebrows. An anonymous contact inside the collegium told me, “All I know for sure is big doings in there. Someone has discovered something, and it’s got the whole place in an uproar—and as near as I can tell, it doesn’t have anything to do with the argons.”

I didn’t see the man I suspected of being Elleon again, but one of my associates managed to catch sight of Leander the next day leaving the flight line on a rapidly departing pegasus. Flight Master Adella wasn’t talking, but a few gold coins in the hand of the passenger bumped for Elleon’s renowned brother bought me some more information: Leander’s destination was Popolion, and his mood was one of extreme agitation.

So what’s critical enough to bring top military and arcane personnel to Velika at a moment’s notice, and secret enough to warrant barring the doors of the Collegium Arcane against the very arcanists it was built for? I don’t know yet, but I’m going to do whatever needs doing to find out.

—Gavrel

Posted from central Velika