Oribasius Giafranco Paolo Reuven, better known as Ori Reuven, was the personal assistant of Sigismund Dijkstra, the head of the Redanian Secret Service, for 19 years. He had a master's degree in law and was credited with having "an infallible memory".[2]
Biography[]
Assistant to Dijkstra[]
Ori Reuven began working as a personal assistant for the Redanian spymaster Dijkstra in 1249. His work consisted of being the spymaster's secretary, scribe, and confidant, often having to write letters directed to Philippa Eilhart, and helping with his vast historical knowledge and "infallible memory".[2]
In July 1267, after Triss Merigold helped the wounded Geralt flee the Thanedd coup, he was instructed by Dijsktra to write to Philippa informing her of the witcher's safe arrival and healing in Brokilon, "Ciri"'s arrival in Nilfgaard, and finally of whether she believed Yennefer had allied with the Imperials. Ori then told the spymaster details of the dryad-allied woman Milva. A few weeks later, he sent another letter to Philippa on Dijkstra's behalf, explaining ambassador Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen had given Dijkstra notice the knight Cahir aep Ceallach was to be captured, despite the Vicovarian being under previous instructions from Emperor Emhyr to find Ciri.[2]
In 1268, a plot to assassinate Dijkstra marked the end of his service, as the spymaster anticipated the murder attempt and exiled himself, leaving no trace behind. The mercenaries spared Ori's life, though some unspecified time later, Ori was incarcerated, interrogated, and tortured for six years. By the time he was released, all the fingers in his hands were broken, and he suffered from scurvy, anemia, glaucoma, and asthma. Less than a year later, he died in poverty in a temple hospice, forgotten. The manuscript he wrote while working for Dijkstra, Shadow People, or the story of His Majesty's Secret Service, mysteriously disappeared.[3]
The Witcher[]
In 1270, Geralt can meet a bootblack in the alley outside Detective Raymond's place in the Temple Quarter. He is a good source of general information, and Geralt quickly notices that he seems rather well-informed for a bootblack. When you challenge him on this, he clams up and will not speak to you again until you have left the area completely and come back.
If you have previously engaged in a drinking contest with Thaler, you have a seemingly useless book, Shadow People, or the story of His Majesty's Secret Service. If you speak to the bootblack a second time, you will notice that you now have the option to give him a gift. Give him the book.
At this point, he says "You know who I am... ahem, I thought that scroll had disappeared for good.", which confirms that he is in fact Ori Reuven. After a bit more conversation, he gives you the Prophet Lebioda's signet ring, which will help Geralt get past Grandma at Shani's place.
Notes[]
- Ori was described as "eternally sniffing" and always coughing, probably due to his asthma. He also had myopia.
- In The Witcher, he'd have likely been in prison when Geralt visited Vizima. It should be noted though that is only based on him being arrested soon after the Peace of Cintra was declared. The Lady of the Lake doesn't specifically state how much later it happened though.
- In The Lady of the Lake, his manuscript supposedly "vanished without a trace". In the first game, however, the Temerian spymaster Thaler has somehow acquired it.