Quarry Correspondences (BR)

Gage’s Instructions

Foreman Jack Foster,

Your appointment reflects our confidence in your discretion as much as your competence. This operation requires both.

This site exists to extract salt and potash. It must continue to do so in a manner that is utterly and totally unremarkable. It does not need to be profitable.

That said, you are already aware that our houses have carried with them an unresolved matter for some time now. Your secondary objective is to retrieve the Authoritative Copy of a trade agreement made between the former matriarchs Gertrude Goldfinch and Anastasia of Svanmarck. It is believed to be contained within a wax-sealed brass scroll case as was standard Undland practice at the time.

Enclosed with this letter you will find a document. It is a report of the failed Hunt by your wildfolk colleagues, commissioned at the time of the Undland Arbiter’s disappearance. Use it to determine where the Authoritative Copy was lost.

It will also make plain the degree to which the Svanmarck Estate has wronged us, and why I am so intent on seeing this noble dispute settled. They have won over us in court with a forgery of the agreement and demanded unreasonable tolls to use the roads on our own lands for many years now.

The Copy will allow us to force arbitration anew and strip the Estate of its standing.

House Svanmarck will continue to observe our operations. Treat their auditors as collaborators, not adversaries. Any overt conflict would defeat the purpose of this venture. If staff is lost and retrieval proves impossible without drawing attention, abandonment of the site is preferable.

With golden grace,
Gage Goldfinch

Arbiter Hunt Pawprint

Hard to miss this arbiter fellow, the way he was dressed. Spotted the scroll case on him right away and stopped the cart. He declined surrender and fled towards the Salt Mouth, some old swallow hole that water’s been disappearing into for years. Looks like it’s taken a liking to Undland lackeys as well.

Whether he broke his neck on the way down or drowned doesn’t much matter. He’s dead, and the sealed agreement went with him. No getting that back without putting our own lives on the line, and you’re not paying us enough to.

We dealt with the rest of them cleanly. Guards, attendants, the whole lot. Stacked the bodies in their own cart and sent it tumbling into the Salt Mouth too. Wasn’t anybody else on the road to see it happen.

We didn’t recover your document. Call it a failure if you like, but nobody else on God’s green earth will be able to get their hands on it either. Nothing that goes into that pit has ever come back out, not in living memory. No copy and no witnesses means no dispute. You can do what you set out to do all the same.

No further action is required from the Claw & Fang, and we expect full payment at this drop-off before month’s end.

Isaak of Koritok

Natalya’s Inspection Memo

Addressed to J. Foster,

I have completed my most recent inspection of the halite quarry and its surrounding works. I will admit to some relief at finding nothing of particular note. The operation is exactly as it claims to be; a modest halite and potash site, competently run, and of no especial interest to the Svanmarck Estate beyond its continued compliance.

I cannot help but remark on the figures. The costs of operation appear to outweigh the returns by a comfortable margin. I imagine this would be far more concerning if House Goldfinch were not so well-positioned elsewhere. Still, it is curious to see a noble house expend this much effort for so little gain. I can't say I miss the days where old Gertrude stood at the head of your House, but the Goldfinches were certainly more of a force to be reckoned with during that time. It's no matter. I know you have enough in your coffers to survive until Gage finally grows up.

The access roads remain in good condition, thanks in no small part to Svanmarck maintenance. Given the remoteness of the site, I would encourage a greater appreciation for the infrastructure that allows materials, equipment and workers to reach it all. Without our continued oversight, I suspect operations here would be considerably more difficult.

Conditions underground are adequate, if somewhat lax. Drainage channels have been cut with great enthusiasm and too little care, and several supports show signs of wear. I recommend addressing these issues in due time, though I trust you understand that any major improvements to access or reinforcement will require coordination with the Estate, and may not be prioritized given broader regional needs.

In summary, the quarry presents no cause for concern. It is dull, inefficient, and largely beneath notice. I see no indication of secretive extraction of rare metals as my superiors had suspected, and no reason for further scrutiny at this time. Do extend my regards to your workers. They seem diligent, if perhaps overly optimistic about the future of this venture.

Under eye of the Crown of Undland,
Natalya of Svanmarck
Auditor in service to the Svanmarck Estate

Unsent Letter

To Gage Goldfinch of the House Most Splendorous,

I am writing this for the sake of record, if nothing else.

The storm damage is worse than expected. The lower shafts are flooded beyond what the pumps can manage, and the exploratory cuts we discussed have been compromised with workers inside. A recovery effort would require additional hands, additional time, and additional movement across the access roads.

Given the Estate’s continued oversight, I cannot see a way to proceed without inviting questions we are not prepared to answer.

The men trapped below were working sections not listed on the primary survey. Any attempt to retrieve them would require admitting to those works. I assume you understand the implications better than I do.

I will do what I was appointed to do and see the site closed cleanly.
Natalya already considers the quarry unremarkable and the storm makes a perfect cover.

J. Foster