Spying Devices

Table of Contents

Classroom help: Spying devices

Information is an essential part of a good defence, and fiefs cannot solely depends on their wards but have to constantly be aware of what their neighbours are doing and be ready to move against them!

The wards

Pressure
Can detect the moves of the neighbouring wards against them, and from that a lord can deduce their state and what is happening in the other fief.

Travel
Can detect the magic coming from the neighbouring fiefs and that are going through them, although most magic is simply stopped by the wards.

Magic instruments

Magicometre
Magicometres are turned towards the neighbours to survey the magic going on directly inside their fief.
All magic is detectable, and any powerful magic such as rituals is sure to be widely visible to all neighbours.

Precision
More precise instruments can focus on specific rooms inside neighbouring fiefs and bypass all magics standing in between.
They are best focused on enemy lords' personal laboratories, offices, or even bedchambers.

Magicless methods

Binoculars
It is important to have very high towers to have a very good view of what is going on in the neighbouring fiefs.
Nevertheless, information gleaned that way is limited to the state of the towers and to what is going on at their surface and roof, and so it mostly concerns farming.

Balcony gossips
Most fiefs have balconies reaching out of the towers at their borders, allowing people of different fiefs to get close to each other without crossing.
This is the perfect place to gossip and try to outsmart each other and to spread propaganda and false information.

Spies
People directly travelling below the wards through the cave system stays the best method to gain information.
The inhabitants of the fiefs are used to see spies walk among them and are generally tolerant of them and happy to exchange information and learn about the world outside of their fief.

Informants
Travelling traders, travelling healers, and heralds all carries valuable information as the only people able to freely move between fiefs.
The Diviner Fief also welcome all visitors and do its best to get them drunk, and so is also a nest of information.

Stay vigilent of the enemies walking among you, spreading false information and propaganda to manipulate you!

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Related articles

The City of the Hundred Fiefs

Territories The City of the Hundred Fiefs · Geography (The world's strongest magic hotspot, The cave system under the city) · Fiefs (The Fief of Glass, The Diviner Fief) · Neutral areas (The Council's Palace) Politics Government system (Lords and Ladies of the Fiefs, The Council) · Conflict (The ongoing Elantian civil war, Lord Adélème's fanclub, The Resistance against the New Empire, Water sickness, Previous inhabitants of the Fief of Perfumes) · Lords & ladies (Lord Adélème of Spinner, Lady Olénie) Magic Dangers (Seasonal magic flood, Magical corrosion, Are the magic currents under the city expanding?, Basement kraken) · Technologies (Tower wards, Ward pins, Tasty Treat) · Magic system (Runes, Glass and Magic Lenses) Culture History (The Return of the Empire, Dragonic magic manifestations, The Last Emperor's Experimental Notes, The Ruins of the Ancient city of Elante, Anti-imperial sigil) · Travellers (Trading caravans, Travelling healers, Divination Sessions) · Others (Lord Adélème's Tower, Tower cats, The Worship of the Imperial Family, Election of a Tower Leader, Spying Devices)