To: Jacob Van Nuys From: Agent Lucien Regarding: The Martelan Succession

Greetings, Master VanNuys, from Agent Lucien of the Revenant Blades.

Our mutual friend Mr. Morrow has requested that I provide you with a report on the dynamic situation in Marnes. My partner Courvelle and I have spent the last two months in Martel, and most of that time in the capital gathering information, in some cases with the help of a well-connected noble who I will not name here.

Since the unexplained death of Philip the Younger late last year, a number of possible candidates for succession have emerged, and to date King Philip himself has not openly selected an heir. That said, due to his increasing infirmity, there is a sense that even if he were to select an heir it would not necessarily be legitimized by the Martelan nobility as a whole. In other words, if things go poorly, we could be facing another succession crisis, something I'm sure the Imperial Corps is keen to avoid given that such crises inordinately cause suffering to the populace.

Below is a list of the five members of the royal family with reasonable claims to the throne, and where they stand on various issues that might be of concern to the Empire. We have done our best to investigate all claims made by these candidates and determine if they are being truthful in their convictions, but this isn't always possible.

Jean--As the oldest living son of King Philip, Jean has an excellent claim to the throne. However, his ambition is limited and he's known more as a career soldier than as a politician of any kind. His positions are largely quite populist due to his time among the common soldiers as a colonel in the Martelan army and as someone closely aligned with the Church of Palenous and its views thanks to his time in paladin training. His marriage to a Tintagelan landowner makes him popular among many from the neighboring province. Like most in Martel, he's strongly opposed to seceding from the Empire or renegotiating treaties. He's not interested in increasing trade with any foreign nations including Fianna, but he does believe that the dwarves have been unfairly vilified and would like to seek improved relations with them. He is in favor of increased rights for rural and urban workers, something that's likely to make him less popular with shipping concerns and vineyard owners, and is highly in favor of providing aid to those unfortunate soldiers who became Spire slaves during the end stages of the war. In what is an unpopular position, he has spoken favorably of Martel sending troops to Talar in the Spring regardless of Imperial promises of intervention in the orcish incursions there, and prior to his older brother's death he had spoken of the possibility of leading a division of troops there. He has the unwavering support of the Church of Palenous, which is also to say that other churches in the pantheon may be less enthusiastic about the possibility of his reign.

Thibault--King Philip's younger brother is a controversial figure at court, but is highly regarded among court regulars. Thibault is often generous with loans, gifts, and favors, and is what you might call a power broker. He stayed out of the succession crisis between Philip and his older brother Bastien, which prevented him from being sullied by that conflict, but helped negotiate the following peace that kept Bastien's head attached to his shoulders. As a proponent of free trade, Thibault is very public about his favor for enhancing trade relations with all foreign nations, and has worked for years to introduce Isshan merchants to the king, with very little success (The Revenant Blades are aware that the Imperial Corps is not terribly keen on some of the things available in trade from Issha that have been unavailable in the Empire to date). He has also spoken openly about the possibility of leaving the Empire, touting the notion that Martel is strong enough to stand on its own and that by maintaining the connections of trade, Martel could "grasp further prosperity while achieving greater sovereignty". That's become a catch phrase of sorts for him. It's worth noting that he has a number of allies in Tintagel, largely from rivals of the families Jean's wife Corrine is affiliated with.

Clovis--Thirty-one year old Clovis is the oldest son of the recently deceased Philip the Younger, and is the spitting image of his father. While it would make more sense dynastically to deliver the kingdom to Jean, Clovis is perhaps a more well-rounded candidate. Unlike Jean, he grew up at court, which endears him to some and is a black mark to others. His positions are less adamant, which I believe leads some at court to think they could influence him. He has not spoken publicly about his interest in the Spire slaves or trade with Duvrain, but is not interested in increasing trade with Issha due to the contraband issues it might create. While Clovis is, like Jean, interested in intervening in Talar, he is not as sympathetic toward workers as his uncle.

Doucelina--King Philip's youngest daughter is an odd candidate for the throne, especially considering that she has wavered on whether or not she wants the mantle of Queen. However, after a series of personal disasters, the princess is a widow twice over and loves and believes in her children dearly. The opportunity to put them in the direct line of succession does not seem to have gone unnoticed, and she has begun quietly campaigning for consideration. Like her uncle Thibault, she favors increased trade but is unsure regarding Issha, and is somewhat less forgiving of the elves than most others at court due perhaps to the circumstances of her second widowing. She favors rights for workers with equal fervor to her older brother Jean, but does not see the sense in providing military aid to Talar when they have seceded from the Empire. As a side note, I have it on good authority that Imperial Ambassador Petromilla Pladius has voiced her support for Doucelina to become Martel's first queen in quite some time.

Rainfroy--of all the candidates currently under consideration, Rainfroy is likely to be the least popular to the Empire and perhaps the most popular to the young and effete of Martel, as well as those who enjoy great leisure. Rainfroy, who spent much of his youth at his uncle Thibault's side, is famous primarily for partying and for attracting a following of young nobles. Oddly, however, he's recently gained vocal support from the somewhat reclusive Duke Trauvere de Terre of the Nescaux-Loire region. As far as his political opinions go, he has not said a word about either the Elves or the Dwarves, but like his uncle favors trade with Issha and Duvrain, and seems to favor secession from or at least re-negotiation with, the Empire. As a patron of the court and little else of Martel or even Marnes, he's opposed to aid for workers and former Spire slaves alike.

Please contact myself or Courvelle if you're in need of more detailed information. I hope what I have provided will assist the Corps in its mission, and I know that Mr. Morrow hopes to see increased cooperation between our organizations. As a man who grew up in Rorstad, may I also say--I hope for your sake that Spring comes quickly.