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Commander Willowood
As you know, I received a distressing letter from Aliman Cubworth one week ago. Aliman's mental state has been declining for some time, but this message shows the situation to be more dire than I anticipated. Cubworth claims the Ancients have told him that Valenntenia is 'obsolete'. He says that he has constructed 'divine weapons' that he aims to wage war against us with, unless I step down from my position and the Guardians are immediately abolished.
I am worried about Aliman's well being, but more concerning is that his daughter, Aria, is in the home with him. Any attempts to reach either her or her father since the initial letter have been met with silence. Aliman is aging and ill, but Aria is but a young woman, about to begin service in the Vanguard in only a year. I pray he would not do harm to his daughter, but I can wait no longer for him to come to his senses. You are to infiltrate the Cubworth Estate, rescue Aria and arrest Aliman.
Normally, I would offer the assistance of The Guardians for such a perilous task. Unfortunately, I am unable to provide such help, as most of them have dispersed across the world now that Homecoming has come to a close. This being the case and as our ranks are thin, I have spent the last week sending out requests for aid across the continent. I'm authorizing the aid of any foreign entity or bounty hunter in this assignment.
Be careful, Commander. Aliman is a renowned tinkerer. I fear he may have methods of deterring entry and navigation of his home in place. May the Ancients guide you.
-Solomon Regis.
"Commander Willowood? What does it say? When are the reinforcements arriving?"As you know, I received a distressing letter from Aliman Cubworth one week ago. Aliman's mental state has been declining for some time, but this message shows the situation to be more dire than I anticipated. Cubworth claims the Ancients have told him that Valenntenia is 'obsolete'. He says that he has constructed 'divine weapons' that he aims to wage war against us with, unless I step down from my position and the Guardians are immediately abolished.
I am worried about Aliman's well being, but more concerning is that his daughter, Aria, is in the home with him. Any attempts to reach either her or her father since the initial letter have been met with silence. Aliman is aging and ill, but Aria is but a young woman, about to begin service in the Vanguard in only a year. I pray he would not do harm to his daughter, but I can wait no longer for him to come to his senses. You are to infiltrate the Cubworth Estate, rescue Aria and arrest Aliman.
Normally, I would offer the assistance of The Guardians for such a perilous task. Unfortunately, I am unable to provide such help, as most of them have dispersed across the world now that Homecoming has come to a close. This being the case and as our ranks are thin, I have spent the last week sending out requests for aid across the continent. I'm authorizing the aid of any foreign entity or bounty hunter in this assignment.
Be careful, Commander. Aliman is a renowned tinkerer. I fear he may have methods of deterring entry and navigation of his home in place. May the Ancients guide you.
-Solomon Regis.
The black-clad silhouette gripped the parchment with silent fury as he read the words of the Absalon written finely on the page. The nerve of that fossil of a man. First, he was dragged out into the field because the local kook had finally fallen completely off of his rocker, and then he had the gall to hire mercenaries to help him?
Rhenn Willowood did not need help from strangers. He was a Vanguard Commander, a former Guardian of The Rune. Only a few years ago, everybody in this damned city spoke of 'The Disease Darkwalker' with reverence and fear.
"There are no reinforcements." Rhenn tossed the parchment aside in disgust, the vitriol in his voice enough to cause even his own soldiers to shrink away from him. "We're on our own, unless somebody looking for a payday shows up."
Rhenn stood with two Vanguard recruits in front of a large iron gate surrounded by tall, stone walls. Beyond lay the Cubworth Manor, one of the largest in the city. It sat ominously under the cloudy dusk sky, a fog embracing it like a silent omen, a sullen hint of the darkness that was festering inside. Getting inside would be a task in and of itself, but even once they managed that, finding Aria and Aliman would be an equal chore.
It was one of the few times he'd been hoping for extra hands.
"Well... what do we do, then?" Asked the other recruit, a young woman. "I mean, it looks safe enough. Do we just walk up and kick down his door?"
Willowood quickly shook his head, leaning in close to the bars of the gate and motioning towards the dense fog that covered the path to the manor. "No. That fog isn't natural. He's using it to cover something up, I'm certain of it. Traps, probably. What kind, I don't intend to find out, but--" If it were anybody else, it would be the last words they spoke. Rhenn caught the gleam of light just before it reached him, quickly ducking back behind the wall as the bolt of a crossbow threaded through the iron gate and buried itself in the ground.
"What a warm welcome..." Rhenn scowled down at the projectile that had nearly taken his life. "Aliman better hope one of you find him before I do..."
