Felip's manor is easy to find; a tall Mendevian woman opens the door and welcomes her inside, and a servant disappears to fetch the Duke.

"Duchess! To what do I owe the pleasure?" He's confused. She invited him to dinner at her mansion, not his manor, right? And it's far too early.

"Duke! I am here to deliver my apologies in person, as I am going to have to reschedule our dinner. - you saw the Badger?"

Ever since his review of the 3rd showed that paying attention to the pamphlets could have helped, Felip has had a dedicated member of his staff reviewing every pamphlet they can find and forwarding them as quickly as possible if they could be relevant. He's seen the Badger.

"I did. I fear its relevance to our dinner escapes me." Did she... use the earlier Badger's food preservation spell?

"Well. I consider myself to have assured the convention, this morning, that a law that didn't shutter the bookstores could keep pamphlets off the streets. And - it mostly did do that as intended, aside from a lich who seems to have fixated singularly on discrediting the convention. I'm sure people were planning to kill her anyway, but -" Confidentially, with her voice lowered. To convey that they are allies temporarily at odds on a minor matter, not adversaries. "We're going to do it tonight."

Every morning, wizards have to decide what sort of a day it will be for them. He's a sorcerer; he's always ready for anything. She can see the switch flip.

"I am with you, if desired," he says, voice lowered as well. "Vidal is a monster-hunter of some renown who could be easily called upon. My house cleric is sadly not my old companion from Mendevian days, and a lich is too much risk for her. Melina," he nods towards the woman, "is an archer of some great skill, though I doubt our resurrection insurance extends to her as well."

She snorts. The best resurrection insurance is not dying.

"It is the Lord Marshal's operation but I imagine that he would be very grateful for the aid of brave men. As would I. You are invited to my manor as originally planned, then, but with anyone who you recommend who can fight with us - we are in particular need of anyone that can contain her without destroying her, but every ordinary advantage will help - and of course take great care, it would be catastrophic were she to catch on to the movements of our men. - the dinner I shall reschedule for tomorrow, if Isidonia is amenable."

Knowing the Lord Marshal is leading the operation makes him much more confident. He scans his tactical options again.

Wait, Carlota is a wizard, though, and if this had been planned she wouldn't have accidentally put it on top of a dinner. "Not to question your bravery, but are you prepared for a fight tonight?"

"Prepared to escape one, more like, as that seemed the likelier problem this morning and these last few days. If the Lord Marshal can use my spells he's welcome to them, but - we haven't worked together before, and at some point a third circle wizard's as much a liability as an asset. I do not know whether I will be called on to join you or not, and if I had to guess would guess not."

"Then I think the dinner should go on as planned. It's no good to fret alone, and Isidonia and the children are old hands at this sort of waiting, and can help you entertain anyone who remains at the mansion. If we are being watched, it'll look more like another dinner party if my family comes along, and extra guests will not be that much of a surprise."

"You're right, of course. But you will have to forgive my dreadfully inadequate hosting. I have to go track down a wizard who claimed to me that he knew where the Badger lived, and shall return around dinnertime at the soonest."

"Already forgiven; the needs of the realm come first. I wish you success; I will see who else I can discreetly recruit."

 Then she will gratefully but in a hurry depart.