Heavy with items to sell and bleeding from several roughly-bandaged wounds, Karl trudged back toward Ivory Tower Town, his faithful husky at his heel and nudging him gently on. Distracted with calculating what this day’s hunt would net after supplies and ammunition had been restocked, he hadn’t noticed Dog stopped on the side of the road, snuffling in the bushes.

“Whatcha got there, Dog? Give it here, that’s a good boy…”

Karl turned the sodden mass over in his hands; it was a letter, written on tattered parchment and barely legible, but bearing the official seal of an Ivory Tower Acolyte! He gently brushed off as much muck as he could without further destroying the paper, and read aloud:

“…went well, as expected. We’ve a few more promising sorcerers ready to join the Order, several of whom you’ve already met as I’ve sent them to the Tower with this letter… …matter of great urgency… …ill-timed, and far too close to All Hallows’ Eve… He’s set His eyes on us… …angered… …plotting… …very little time left to warn… Illusina”

Karl’s skin prickled with fear -- he carefully tucked the letter into his backpack and raced off toward town.