[color=rgb(0,128,0)]By Lord Teric[/color]

[color=rgb(0,128,0)]After the undercover agent from the Kingdom of Carina had taken a brief interim to build his network and send an important communique to Carina's Intelligence Office, he proceeded under an established criteria to enter the Royal City's Trade Guild chambers where he would penetrate a ficitious organization or cult.[/color]

[color=rgb(0,128,0)]Entering the meeting chamber was accomplished with ease as the agent recognized visual call signs presented to him and the visual signs' order of precedence. The agent was able to establish the order of calls on the day of the meeting when certain "marked" supplies entered the Royal City during the early morning hours.[/color]

[color=rgb(0,128,0)]At each of the three security checkpoints prior to entering the meeting chamber, the agent was shown a list of symbols and impromptu markings used on past Trade bills. These were presented by the security detachment; the symbols and markings were placed on a piece of rough parchment. The guard simply showed the parchment's contents and proscribed to entrants wanting permission to enter the chamber to select the correct "mark" or they would not be allowed into the meeting. Although the guard's proscription was a latent self-admission for the agent, because why would he be in the Trade Guild for a meeting to fail the test to enter, the agent carefully inspected the parchment's symbols knowing that he could easily change his network's frame without drawing too much suspicion about his covert activities.[/color]

[color=rgb(0,128,0)]The parchment was decorated with more symbols than other marks, such as strikeouts and rewritten or substituted items. The items presented in this manner all appeared to be a newer type of exported goods, while the symbols for the other goods were more prolific but of older, more war-orientated trade items, such as stock wood and metal fittings. It occurred to the agent that one symbol appeared similiar to the symbols used on the Trade bills for the early morning register, which might mean that entrants and personnel were being tipped as to what symbol to employ for entrance.[/color]

[color=rgb(0,128,0)]Since the symbols were of older nature and the other goods of newer type of nature, it would seem appropriate to open a meeting based on past-to-present rather than on present-to-past associations, opting for a symbol to honor entrants and Trade Guild members, so the agent selected the symbol with pertinent agility. The waiting guard immediately confirmed that it was the correct mark. A senior guard, however, wanted to confirm the selection and asked the agent to re-select the symbol once again. It was during this instance the agent discovered a dagger firmly place in the senior guard's belt on his backside.[/color]

[color=rgb(0,128,0)]The agent proceeded to the meeting chamber only to be surprised by another security checkpoint . . ..[/color]