TO: ASHVALE GROUP

52 FIRST TRADITION BLVD.

ASHVALE CENTRE, THE ASHVALE

FROM: SEBASTIAN KLUGWYN

FOURTH HOUSE #201

INNER SANCTUM, SANCTUM CELES

I will be brief with the details of my report as I'm sure the numbers will convey our slowly eroding position better than I ever could. There has been a power shift at the Citadel which favors the big players. The Goblins and Trolls both forfeited their water rights in the prior year in exchange for forbearance on an ever-growing number of debts. Meanwhile, the Diggers have taken a more aggressive approach to extraction, which they feel entitles them to a larger portion of the yield. The Elves—as expected—use their martial prowess to continue dominating the scene.

The natural flow of the spring, I must confess is virtually non-existent. Through the clever use of steam pumps, we've been able to draw an increasing amount of the water, but there is speculation—doubtlessly seeded by the Frognari—that this increase will only serve to disrupt the natural process of the Fountain and subsequently drive future yields much lower. For now it seems the production is stable, if not a little less than one could have hoped. I suggest that we continue to leverage our relations with the Diggers, as a means of increasing our own supply.

We are still on track to meet the quota for the Akkadian Restoration Initiative, but the precarious political situation necessitates a constant vigilance on our part. None of the other races know what we are planning, but I am weary of the Frognari and the Kobolds. There was a rumor going around last year, claiming that the Frognari had found a second Fountain—if this is true, they might be hiding more.

I’ll continue to investigate the matter. In the meantime, I request a sum of three-thousand Guilders to employ a team of masons to build a storehouse outside the city. I was thinking Goblins; it would rough work, but unlike Diggers they don’t ask many questions.

Forever Yours,

Sebastian Klugwyn