To: Sergeant Carl J. Winslow, Ret. From: Dr. Minerva Sedgewick, Regent, Department of Arcane Affairs Re: Provisional Field Contract – Murmansk Inquiry Date: 20 April 941 A.M. (late evening) Sergeant Winslow, Your name came to me by way of three separate colleagues who all used the same words: “calm under fire, incorruptible, and never loses a civilian.” Those traits are exactly what I require. I am conducting an unsanctioned investigation into certain activities surrounding Viroc Industries’ waterfront warehouses. My regular staff cannot be spared—or trusted—for field work, and official channels will only tip off the very people I need to observe. You, however, have no ties to the city and no blemish on record that could be leveraged against you. Assignment Make contact with a small freelance team currently operating in Murmansk (you’ll know them by the out-of-place armour and the way the dock hands keep a nervous distance). Provide security, eyewitness corroboration, and crowd control as they gather evidence. Should violence break out, your standing orders are: protect civilians first, the team second, and evidence third. Compensation 8 gp per night, paid anonymously through the Iron Ledger Exchange. Hazard bonus (12 gp) on any night gunfire or lethal magic is involved. Full medical coverage at my clinic for the duration of service. Cover Story If questioned, you are off-duty harbour security doing a favour for “an old university friend.” No more details are required. Should anyone demand credentials, present the enclosed Arcane Affairs badge—it will pass a casual inspection but will not withstand official scrutiny, so use it sparingly. Rendezvous I have sent the aforementioned team to Warehouse 23A, rendezvous with them there at approximately 2am tonight. I appreciate the short notice. Your reputation suggests you thrive under it. Stay sharp, **Dr. Minerva Sedgewick** Regent of Arcane Affairs Dept. of Arcane Affairs, Viroc Industries PS: This letter will self-conflagrate at precisely midnight tonight and is capable of serious injury if care is not taken.