#abheski

Yethara was born indeed to a Vilvan mother, but by an Erthani father. She was raised on a stinking vessel of that nomadic nation, learning from the cradle not of industry and toil and honest trade, but of treachery, mendacious dealings, and jealousy. Having spent the greater portion of her years aboard barges, she donned the guise of an Abheski only well into adulthood, and then only to pursue a plan of sabotage and dissent.

In her tour of preaching her agitations to the groundsfolk, she travels not by airship. The sky, beloved of all Abheski, is not her path. All true Abheski, undeceived by the glamour of dissent, recognise her beliefs as dangerous; understanding this, she sticks to the ground and the waterways, knowing she will not be challenged but instead receive aid from the disaffected and the hostile nations who share in her jealousy. Upon the sovereign decks of Erthani vessels, she is shielded from the bailiffs and constables and marines. In the deep forests, she is hidden from the sight of those vessels that protect our communities .

We wrote of the strife to be found in the wake of this orator. When she spoke in Lansk, she provoked a riot against the bailiffs, wherein dozens were killed. In Mirsvr, a mob stormed the Lesyan Tower and slaughtered another score of innocents. In Otvev, a fire claimed a Company Depot, though the docks and the Erthani fields were spared any such disaster.

It is clear to all that Yethara is not a mere orator, preaching a creed of justice. The inescapable conclusion is that Yethara is a vile conspirator. Whether she is among the leaders of the agitators attempting to bring our nation to ruin, it cannot be said, but she is certainly the most visible figure and the most dangerous.

Don't let this Agitator destroy us!

Protect your family, protect your prosperity: If you know of agitation or conspiracy, tell your bailiffs, and tell your bosses.

All my assets have been leveraged in the outfitting of a new vessel. Being found innocent in the affair of the Nomad, I am not without my supporters, Cousin, many of whom have used their influence and their wealth to assist me in this endeavour. The Fasaathi was outfitted with the greatest dvint and batteries I could afford. We did not lack for numbers to crew the vessel; some of my benefactors worried that my infamy as the victim of mutiny would attract crew seeking to foster further agitation, but every soul was thoroughly vetted and all are staunch opponents of anarchy. I am not strictly under the command of any of the Offices – though I am still within the Company. Having raised the financing for the Fasaathi myself, I am flying as a free agent, answerable to the military commission but not under strict orders. A curious arrangement, you'll agree, but with the backing of my benefactors and the need for extreme measures against this coming storm front of dissent, one that has proved desirable to the Commission.

I am taking the vessel on its maiden flight tomorrow. I have intelligence of a hidden portage route deep in the TransUssin region, oft used by the Erthani. Disrupting this route should frustrate that wicked nation in their ambitions to shake the Spires to the ground. I would dearly love to be in Mirsvr, finding those who burned our households and wrecked our businesses. But I know the Company agents and city bailiffs are better placed to seek that justice, and my skills are better aimed elsewhere.

I have sent a credit note to my representatives in Mirsvr – the remaining portion of my funds not invested in this expedition are at your disposal, dear Cousin, for your use in the care of our remaining family. I will return as soon as it is safe for me to do so, and together we shall mourn, but we shall know it is safe in Abhesk at last.

Yours,

No Company personnel shall approach within fifteen lengths of the barricades. Attempts to do so will be considered hostile.

No Company vessels shall dock at the Tower. Attempts to approach shall be considered hostile.

For the purpose of negotiation and parley, bailiffs and municipal personnel shall be permitted to approach the barricades under flags and forms of truce, in groups of no more than five. Any attempt to approach otherwise, or any breach of the forms of truce, will be considered hostile.

We call for the immediate resignation of Chief Bailiff Baurin te Eintov, on the grounds of corruption, abuse of power, and unsuitability for office.

We reject the imposed authority of the Companies; we call for the cessation of municipal contracts with the Temar, Valdjin, and Eltjin Companies.

Our struggle is the struggle of all groundsfolk in Abhesk and all workers in all nations. Though desiring peace, we recognise our existence in a state of war, and as such will not seek violence but will engage in violence where necessary to protect our liberties.

Many captains fear that, by giving freedom overmuch to our scouts, we risk losing them to the native land or native ways. This has been a tenet of the more conservative approach to scouting advocated for by many within this Company, as well as the guiding philosophy of our fellow-rivals in Eltin and Valdin.

It is not that this restrained philosophy is without merit. A more directed scout, tied closely to their command or their home depots, will seldom stray, and properly managed can provide many years' worth of faithful and effective intelligence on the affairs of foreign lands. Consider however the relative gains of our Company and those of our rivals in prospecting the Anshess. In the many years since our company's adoption of a more liberal approach to scouting, Temari holdings in that land have risen at a rate far greater than any other Abheski company. Thus its efficacy in the field can be considered proven. But why is this the case, and why should we consider our successes in Anshess more than a fortunate coup?

Our scouts are trained to an exceedingly high standard, and none are let loose upon a land that do not have a gift for self-sufficiency, survival, and the gathering of intelligence. They are each an impressive individual, and many owe a significant debt – whether fiscal or sentimental – to the Company. This debt, and an understanding of the benefits of what we as a Company can offer to foreign nations, makes them effective ambassadors for our mission, without them being constrained by the rigours of formal diplomacy. They themselves are often best suited to determine what course of action to take and which contacts to cultivate, and to do so immediately. Waiting days for such orders to be communicated to a superior officer – who is less intimately familiar with the environment – often results in the loss of fruitful opportunities.

It is true that, following our doctrine, many more scouts leave their posts or attempt to settle among their host nations. This is the chief argument made by those favouring a stricter variety of scouting. However, even those scouts who abandon their careers may very often act to the furtherance of our goals. Scouts who turn native frequently submit the greatest and most insightful intelligence before they abandon the Company, due no doubt to their deep attraction to the host nation. Further, they have a destabilising effect on the inhabitants and society they wish to integrate into. Their very presence either softens a nation's attitude toward the Abheski, allowing us to integrate our business more easily; or it creates a discord and mistrust which will often lead to violence, allowing us a more overt approach to concentrating and enforcing our commercial interests.