A week had passed, and much had happened.
Shortly after the battle of Tamberle, the original queen of Erlad, Maren Trevoste, vanished. There was no sign of her disappearance nor her death. No one in the city has seen where she went or what happened to her. The only person to have any idea was her personal guard, Cassius, and even then all he found was a note written by her telling him that his services would no longer be needed. With the note was the rest of the promised payment she owed to him and a key.
When word of Maren's disappearance reached the orcs, Malakaus and his clan left Tamberle. But the world was not at peace. Though Mago sat on the throne of Erlad, many lords within his domain rebelled against him, and just as many took up arms to defend him. The kingdom of Erlad was split into civil war. The lords mobilized their armies and agents to defend their lands and to attack their rivals. Worse still, the chaos from this fighting awakened all sorts of monsters that once were asleep. Vicious trolls and ogres left their forest dens and would attack outlying villages, killing livestock and eating villagers. The orc tribes, who were once peacefully living in their mountain homes, now attack human settlements in large warbands to take back what was once theirs. Deserters and brigands join forces to elude the armies of the lords to raid and pillage as they desire, amassing enough wealth and treasure to potentially compete against lords themselves. The sheer speed in which the kingdom was tearing itself apart was alarming, almost as if there had been some cursed placed upon the land.
Those who fought in Tamberle or arrived would have very little reason to stay. While Maren's presence once brought an army at it's gates, the Fire Fens and Tamberle's isolation fortunately kept it away from the chaos further north. The lord of the city however desperately wished to build up his own forces in preparation to commit to the battle ahead; he still supported Maren as the true leader of Erlad, and he knew it won't be long before his enemies will arrive to try and take his city to secure the sea route he controls. There were also rumors of strange sightings within the Fire Fens of an unusual creature, not an animal in any way shape or form. Fearful that these rumors may house a monster, the Merchant's Guild has sent a bounty on this beast for anyone brave enough to hunt it.
Additionally, Hark would've received a coded message via raven requesting him to return to Bernard Dowson, as the civil war would require Hark's expertise. The letter stressed that Maren's death or disappearance was no longer a priority; with the uprising of lords it was more important to quell the rebellion and ensure that the rebelling lords are not able to form an alliance that could rival the throne or worse, ally with nations who are enemies of Erlad.
Monika would also find evidence of something amiss among her home. Or rather, a certain lack of evidence; had her master truly left his home why was it that he took nothing with him? His books were all here, all his worldly possessions, even what little wealth he had was exactly where he had hid them. If he had truly gone on some journey he had taken no supplies nor any means to secure supplies. Not to mention that upon closer examination, the paper in which he wrote his message on was not one common in Tamberle; it was some sort of parchment that was oddly resistant against heat. Certainly high quality material, but not one she's ever heard of. Not here at least. But perhaps with this little bit of evidence, she may have a trail to follow.
Cassius and his mercenaries would have their pay from Maren, but beyond that they were released from service and had no current clients. He could always swear his sword for the lord of the city who was more than eager to accept Cassius's skills and abilities. However there was something else he and his men could follow up on; the strange key that he had received appeared to be made of a dark steel, sturdier than any steel he's had before. Rumor has it that this is an ancient metal known as Adamantine, and that for a key to be made out of a valuable material like this would surely lead to treasures great and powerful. Additionally the key had a small but faded emblem on it. It was hard to make out but Cassius would vaguely recognize it. It looked like that emblem on the banner that the orcs had carried during the night they fought against the Karsusians mercenaries.
Change was coming to these lands. Many will die, but many will rise during the chaos. Be they peasant or king it was anyone's call now. All it would take to change the winds of fate was for one person to step forward and take action.
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