The deputy director of the Greenstone branch of the Adventure Society bows to the duke arriving for the emergency council. „Your highness, the director and director Finn are already present.“. The bishop of Knowledge steps out of the elevator, exactly on time.

The room in a tower of the Adventure Society has no windows. The door being closed the deputy director touches a crystal next to the door frame and a strong privacy screen seals off the room. The bishop bows to Ernest Geller. „I am sorry for your loss.“. Ernest answers something noncommital.

Deputy director Genevieve Picot calls the meeting to order.

Genevieve Picot: Now that everybody is present and everybody is familiar with the loss the Geller family has suffered I propose that we let the bishop report.

She is met with a murmur of agreement.

I need not remind anybody present of Emir Bahadir’s contest. With a bit of consideration it ought to be obvious that a gathering of so many adventurers and especially their entourage were bound to and have indeed added a lot of money to the villages around Sky Skar Lake. Again it should surprise nobody that so much wealth not guarded by a formal police force or a branch of the Adventure Society has attracted unsavoury elements.

Eventually the local essence users holding up law and order have requested aid from the Adventure Society, which director Arella has granted in the spirit of neighbourly support. The mission could not be one of mere protection, as that would not have solved the issue, as for as the factor ultimately motivating the bandits is not desirable to be removed. Nevertheless even while a team with tracking abilities was working to track down and eliminate the bandits the civilian population had to be protected. The Adventure Society also found it necessary to protect the fortress towns, which were undermanned. The travesty of fortress towns abused to shelter bandits against adventurers had to be averted. Hence in addition to teams hunting the bandits, teams to hold the fortress towns were sent. That also allows villages to be emptied, depriving the bandits of the support of any potential collaborators.

Ernest clears his throat.

EG: Our fallen family member led the hunting team. We assumed until now that, him being the only casualty, he led from the front and paid the price haning tracked down bandits.

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I was about to come to that. Let me remind you that my goddess will not tell you everything. Nevertheless be assured that Chodhen fought and died valiantly.

However, there has been an additional development. An epidemic has broken out in fortress town H27-D.

The duke directs an inquisitive gaze towards director Arella.

Yes, your highness, anybody entering a fortress town is scanned for infection. In fact so are the herds taken in. However the scanners are good for one species at a time only. Regulations do not require adventurers to dismount when entering a fortress town.

Elspeth Arella: Crap.

Duke of Greenstone: Are we at least fortunate enough that the outbreak is limited to the fortress town?

So far no cases have happened outside the fortress town, although in that town people have been dieing. The town the adventurers got their mounts from has been evacuated including all livestock.

Ladies and gentlemen I will now leave you alone to discuss these events without my presence. I can, however, offer you Knowledge’s willingness to let one of her priestesses having met adventurers observing H27-D inform those adventurers of your decisions should you so decide.

He bows and withdraws.

Duke of Greenstone: Splendid. Well, at least we can be sure that he knows the way out.

Elspeth Arella: Do we know whether Bahadir’s people found everything under the lake? Could we be dealing with a relict of the Cult of the Reaper?

Pochard Finn: If it wasn’t camouflaged, our probes would have found it. However, that is hardly a safe assumption when you are dealing with a group of religious assassins. So, no. Does it matter, though? We have an epidemic. One that is as yet confined.

Duke of Greenstone: Indeed. We have to keep this confined. I am closing that road and will inform the Duke of Hornis.

Genevieve Picot: We have people there.

Elspeth Arella: Yes, and them we will support. But indeed it is clear that our priority must be containment.

Ernest Geller: I see. Under these circumstances I request that you do not consider my family for sending support. They would be emotionally involved. Yet, I must ask, is this a coincidence?

Duke of Greenstone: If you have a weapon like that, why waste it on a remote village?

Elspeth Arella: There is that. If this hits more towns, our chance of containing this goes away. We will have to assue for now that this is confined. Whom have we assigned to that fortress town?

Genevieve Picot: Derrick Stelline.

Elspeth Arella: Then his cousins are the logical candidate to send. We’ll include a lot of potions. I just cannot spare a silver rank healer.

Duke of Greenstone: Yes. We will need to prepare for an outbreak in the city.

Pochard Finn: In the worst case, does Derrick Stelline have the stomach for …

Elspeth Arella: I believe so.