Following the road mapped for you, you sneak in the direction for your well deserved prize while quietly attempting to avoid drawing notice of several large cambrinth suited guards patrolling about. As several approach you sneak down an alley onto a street of cobblestone. The area is in ruin, obviously picked clean long ago. The only sound is the rambling of a figure shrouded in a dark hood seated against a marble pillar tightly grasping an ebony cane capped by a black pearl the size of your fist.

Flanking the figure you slowly approach ... Perhaps this was your reward for all your unpleasant work after all. You slide along the walls of a crumbling church with a shattered marble ceiling.

The cloaked woman babbles and rants,

"Unfortunate, but every war has it casualties. A casualty she says. Of course, who knows this better than you! It is all you know. This is different though, much different."

"Fight and fight and fight, what is the result? There are no more orders, no more pride, only pain. Every war has it's casualties she says."

You sneak closer, ready to snatch the cane in full sprint and make your getaway. The cloaked figure continues having her solitary conversation.

"Miriel the wise advises, return to your god in the light. She has always been good to me. " The woman chuckles, "Such an unexpected response, the unicorn turned black. It has to be true that every shadow must be cast by light. Every war has it's casualties!"

You eyes grow large, running and making a leaping grab for the cane and it's pearl only to find yourself nose first into the gravel with blood leaking from a nostril. The woman points the cane at you and demands, "Who sent you?" You scramble to your feet to run only to see a flash of golden light topple you back to the ground. Rising to one knee you plead forgiveness detailing your standard farce of a poor starving family at home.

"Starving family is it? Perhaps you would do well to earn a sum doing some proper work."

The milky-white eyes of the woman fix you with a frank, even stare from underneath her hood. She slips 25 platinum lirum into your hand.

"Feed your family." She laughs softly, "If you care for a real stipend you will do what I assign you and I'll have it done quietly in the night. You will do well for your own health not to be seen or heard doing it." She hands you six vellums in a small snowbeast pelt sack, then removes and opens a large coin purse to reveal more platinum than you can estimate at a glance.

"Pin these to the door of the Empath Guild in Ratha, Aesry Surlaenis'a, The Rivercrossing, Riverhaven, Shard, and Inner Hibarnhvidar. Afterwards return to me for your payment and I'll know if it has been done or not."

The unnerving shivers you get from her words gives you the sense that she's not joking. She motions to you, sending you away. You stroll back up the cobblestone path, tucking the map away for another time. As you reach the Barge, you can't help but look over your shoulder and quickly unseal one of the letters. Scanning through the letter you slowly shake your head, wondering what you have gotten yourself into carrying this written insanity.