The Robber Was Slain

To Grand Master Blackstone:

As ordered, I have dispatched twenty of my knights to Seres in pursuit of the fiendish witch referred to as Annette Skye. I shamefully admit to my skepticism that it was necessary to send so many and am humbled to report that of the twenty men and women I have sent, only one has returned. There is solace in the report of the lone templar to return from this mission, which is that not all of them were killed in the attempt to apprehend their foe. It seems that the many months of practice we have allowed the Robber in Robes have caused her power to grow to the point of corrupting even some of the most devout men under my command. Per your instructions, I hereby relay the report of the knight, Sir Reginald Hawke, who shall be commended for his exemplary work in the Gods' names in accordance with the Southriver Charter.

The company reached Seres little over an hour past the dawn of the second day which followed their dispatch. Their leader, Knight-Commander Gerald Marle ordered a stay of our customary purge protocol out of misguided concern for innocent civilians. There was some disagreement from another Knight-Commander in the unit, one Elizabeth Winstrom. She felt compelled to remind her colleague of the dangers of dark magic as well as the very necessity of the purge protocol. For the record, I must express that the ensuing discord was quite understandable for it is unclear which idea is more entrenched in our order: the sanctity of Crane's holy city or the absolute prejudice with which we must handle dark magic. An accord was reached on the premise that to purge a holy city required acknowledging that the gods could not protect their most favored settlements, which would be a stain on the honor of us all. However, this dispute was all that was needed to alert the witch to their presence; a sad punishment for their sin of imprudence near the seat of Crane.

Sir Hawke was the knight who was dispatched to gather information on Madam Skye's whereabouts. It was only through this miracle of happenstance that he happened to be separated from the group when the Robber in Robes saw fit to ambush them. Upon returning with knowledge of the heretic's location, he arrived just in time to witness what transpired. Before Hawke could intervene, the witch used her dark magic to corrupt Knight-Commander Marle with an uncontrollable lust for her, which she exploited to manipulate him into turning his blade on his own men. Sirs Ronald and Bartholomew Whitetree, Sebas Gold, and Lady Martha Desmond were all felled in the initial attack. In the heat of the moment, Knight-Commander Winstrom struck down Marle before he could harm anyone else. Unfortunately, it was she who was selected as the next victim of the witch's magic. She was afflicted with a powerful rage and unable to stop herself from striking Sirs Harold Midas, Grant Harret and Ladies Reina Midas, Victoria Whitetree, and Gloria Desmond with this unnatural wrath. It took the combined efforts of Sir Matthew Blackstone and Lady Pomona Clark to defeat the second Knight-Commander, but they both sustained mortal wounds in the process. In a fit of desperation, Lady Rosaline Gold tried to finish off the witch only for the latter to afflict all five of those who remained in the room at once with an unholy tide of magic. 

Screaming her disappointment at this embarrassing failure on their part, she left each of them groveling pitifully for the touch of her flesh. This included Sirs Anthony Winstrom, Red Desmond, Wendell Clark, and Ladies Clara Gold, and Emily Clark. Sir Hawke, who remained unseen up to this point managed to strike the witch down unawares with a blow to the back of her head with his mace. He then rushed to check on the survivors, but their corruption was sadly so complete that they could do little more than flee at the sight of him. He enlisted the help of the Town Guard to apprehend these corrupted templars and deliver them into the Grand Temple of Crane where they are currently being treated. The body of the witch was also taken by the clerics of the temple, citing a desire to study any trace of residual dark magic in hopes of developing an effective countermeasure into the future.

The only thing that troubles me more than the tragic loss of fourteen of my greatest knights is the result of Hawke's search of the witch's home. There he found a second set of bedding, but no clue in regards to who had previously used it. I have dispatched more men to watch the house in secret in hopes of spotting this potential accomplice, but no one has been seen going in or out all week. While we do not intend to leave Seres without a templar presence in the near future until we discover who was staying with Madam Skye, the fact remains that the Robber in Robes is no more. Thus, I am happy to declare the Gods' will has been carried out on this twelfth day of Serda in the thirty-first year of the post-war age.

With Both Pride and Regret,

General-Commander

William Skye

I Know What You Did

Dear Mother,

You must be surprised that I have chosen to write to you. The truth is that, despite everything, I am not sure why I am even bothering to do so. It may be true that I accepted all of your lies when last we spoke, but surely there must have been a reason you asked me to write you only in times of desperation. Perhaps this is a desperate letter. I cannot truly hope to accomplish anything by writing to you, but the smallest part of me wishes for any of what I have learned about you to be falsified. I hope that the irreparable damage you have done to our family, and now Auntie Deidre's, was the worst of your crimes. But, as I understand things now, this may be hope against hope.

You see, I have heard rumors that seemed to follow you back west. Stories of lives ruined by violence and base depravity that defy explanation. People have started to change in this land and the most damning thread to connect each of these events is the fact that they all began after you left. Once I began to consider this fact, which should be little more than coincidence in a fairer world, what happened to us began to make more sense. You told me you had to leave because father was unfaithful to you. I didn't want to believe what I heard, knowing what I did about the good man I knew my father to be. From the lips of anyone else, I wouldn't have. I now suspect there may have been some truth to that. Father has brought many women to his bed since you left while professing attachment to none of them. What one could interpret as the acts of a philanderer who was liberated by the revelation of his true self seemed oddly similar to these haunting tales from across the country. Such a condition seems to be an isolated case in the capitol, but placing him at the fore of the list of the warlock bandit's crimes works a little too well.

Of course, this is a purely circumstantial claim, so I had to find out more. Thus I decided to look through that trunk you left behind. You did well to hide it considering what was inside, but you did not do well at hiding it. I discovered all of the notes you had collected as well as the documentation of your earliest experiments. There is an entire book's worth of secrets about "dark magic" here! I am horrified to now know what this is and you should be ashamed of the interest you took in it. You can't just meddle with the Gods' designs however you please and expect there to be no consequences! We were all made to perfectly suit their needs and what you have been doing perverts their goals. I cannot look the other way!

That is why you will no doubt be seeing knights of the Blackstone Order soon. In fact, another reason I am sure the writing of this letter is futile is that I am writing it after I have made them aware of your malicious deeds. Thus, you may never find this letter. On the off chance you do, however, I want you to know that I am ashamed to call you my mother. To me, you are now only Annette, the Robber in Robes. It is with some hope that I expect the clergy can undo what you have inflicted on Father and all of your other victims. But for me, things can never go back to normal because I can't stand the idea of ever seeing you again. If you come near Father, Ronald, or me again, I will not hesitate to summon the templars again. May you burn in the Forge for this!

With regret,

Cecilia Skye

What Have You Done To Me?

Deidre,

I would have written sooner, but I was only just released from the stockade today. I was arrested for breaking a man's jaw in anger. I have never stricken another man before, but so much has happened in my life lately that I never thought possible. I never thought a friend would turn to ridicule me for failing as a provider and husband. I never thought you would leave us to fool around with that slut you call your "friend". I never thought I would forget about our children because I was blinded with rage.  Our world has changed so much this year and I can't help but blame you for some of it.

I was lost when I found your letter. It took you just fifty-two words to explain why you left. Fifty-two words to justify forsaking me, Jonathon, and Emily. Looking back, that was where my unyielding anger began. The idea that the past fifteen years we have spent together was worth only fifty-two words was a slap in the face. I have never hurt you, but have worked hard to keep you and the children as happy and healthy as possible. I have given my soul to make your life as easy as I could and I have given you experiences that have paled in comparison seemingly only to whatever you have with Annette. I deserved better than to have lost you, never mind to have it explained away with the paltry sum of only fifty-two fucking words!

With that in mind, I wasn't about to give up on you. I left the children with poor Clara thinking she could use some wholesome company after what became of her husband. I then took to the road when I should have been resting from my last hunt. If nothing else, I wanted to get the explanation I deserved. I wanted you to look into my eyes and tell me that this was how little our family mattered to you. But along the way, I ran into the magic-wielding brigand that destroyed Edward and Clara. I gave him everything I had so he would let me pass. I thought that was the end of it, but now that I think back, the righteous anger I felt seemed to deepen after that encounter.

That was when I found my first deer in months. What irony it was to have struggled for so long to provide for you only to find this damned creature after I had already failed. I fear this wasn't the most logical thread of thought to follow, but I became infuriated nonetheless. I chased that animal deep into the woods and may have crossed into Tanis at some point. I wanted that unlucky bastard's hide, and to take its meat to my children. But before I could catch it, we both ran afoul of a larger predator. The deer rightfully belonged to the bear at that point, but I couldn't accept that. With nothing but my bow, I fought the beast and lost.

I woke up back in the village, embittered by my foolish mistake. Within days I had become an even bigger village fool than Edward, who looks more and more like a wanton wench by the day. That was when Joseph made the remarks that caused me to hit him. The most terrifying part was the satisfaction I felt when I sent him sprawling to the ground. It was as if my mind rewarded me for indulging my anger. I don't understand what's happening to me, but I know the anger isn't going away. But who is to blame? Is it you for betraying me so carelessly? Was it the bandit's sinister magic that did this to me? Or has this anger been hiding within me my whole life, waiting to be expressed? I don't know, and I'm starting to wonder if I even need to.

So, instead of continuing my journey to confront you, I am writing this letter to express the feelings you have left me with. I'm not sure I can even trust them after meeting the Robber in Robes. But here is what I can tell you: I'd better not see you ever again, for your own safety. I will never see the children again, either. Clara is good with them and she needs them a lot more than I do at the moment. Although you certainly don't deserve it, you can rest easy knowing they're safely out of the way of the man their father has become. I can't promise myself that I won't hurt anyone again, and a growing part of me looks forward to it. If only you could see what's become of me thanks to you, you would recoil in terror and I'd welcome it.

Sincerely,

Avery Hawke

The Solution

My Dear Deidre,

I apologize for having taken so long to respond to your letter. In truth, it was initially received by Norah in the home we were to have made in the capitol, but that isn't where I am. You know how I have grown sick with disgust toward Francis for quite some time. Well, I have finally left him and followed a druidic coven back west to put as much distance between us as possible. I would have written to tell you as much myself, but my life has been ever busier since I left my family. Thankfully, my ever dutiful daughter was able to pass your words to me once I sent word that I have settled in Seres.

Life in Crane's holy city is not as grim as you describe Shaville's outlook to be. There is a food shortage here as well, which is why I do not regret leaving my children with their father. However, there is a sense of hope here that seems to come with the reasoning that these poor harvests have a cause. The Blackstones who govern these lands are certain they will find it in time and they have consistently reported every test they have attempted so far along with their results. They have so far taken credit for cleaning the waters of Lake Whitetree, bred hardier seeds for the next season, and begun to investigate the soil itself. While they still cannot guarantee a more typical harvest quite yet, everyone here understands that they are making great strides toward this goal.

You would love it here in Seres! Everyone seems to take responsibility for everyone else's well-being. My new neighbor Barton is always willing to trade meat for the cloaks I make, which he then shares with the townspeople. With their gratitude earned, I have been able to share in his bounty of whatever apples and grain they can spare. Things are still lean, but no one starves here. The only thing we seem to be lacking for here is your beautiful voice. I am certain Barton and Old Josette would happily trade a bushel of apples for a song. Bring your family if you must. Your presence is the only thing that would improve life in this city.

As for your wizard highwayman, I've never heard of him. I have been fortunate to avoid the attention of even ordinary bandits on my trips both to the Capitol and to Seres. I shudder to think what sort of evil lurks on the road now, but you can rest easy knowing that my own travels have been nothing but pleasant. Now that I am in Seres, I'm not going anywhere unless you need someone lucky to escort you out of your doomed village. You asked me what you should do and my answer is that you should get out of there before the famine claims the lives of you and your family as well! I am safe here and I am waiting for you.

With much love,

Annette Skye

The Robber in Robes

It seemed inevitable between the uninspired false start I had and the long stress-induced hiatus eating up much of the summer, but the time has come to take a break from the tale of the original Summer Festival. I will expand and conclude this story next year. For now, here's the first taste of autumn in Comalan!

Dearest Annette, 

The famine has taken many more lives since your family left for the capitol. The waters of Lake Whitetree have been deemed pure for quite some time. But while we don't feel much in the way of thirst, none of the water we have put into the ground has produced anything edible. Prayer has failed us. Nothing we say has stirred the sympathies of Chaos or Crane. Some of us have even tried praying to Serenity and Salica, to no avail. But diligence hasn't made a mark on our problems either. Avery assures me that what he brings in from his hunts will be enough to keep us and our children fed, but those trips seem to take longer and longer. I fear that he has been straying westward into elven territory for new game, but he denies it. Even deer and birds need to eat, after all. But how could they with the vegetation scarce and even the smallest creatures of the earth vanishing? It is laughable that he expects me to believe that everything is fine.

The Curse of Suffering has killed this land. There are still those too stubborn to admit this, but you and Matthew had the right of it when you decided to make a new life for yourselves with the Malorans. How I wish my husband could have listened to yours and spared us the fear and sorrow that has afflicted every day in this forsaken place. He is a foolish man whose pride will someday kill us both and leave our children to starve. 

While I certainly want you to know my regret in staying in Shaville and how I long to be with you under the king's care, I write this letter to ask of a rumor that has followed the men who come and go to hunt. Surely you must have heard in your travels of the Robber in Robes! I am told he is a man who dabbles in a most sinister magic, which he uses to extort travelers of their valuable possessions! Those who leave him a satisfying offering reach their destination poorer, but unaware of his most dangerous proclivities. Those who refuse or fail to turn over anything of value have far more reason to despair. I have told you many times of my fear of highwaymen, but to be slain is a rather common fate compared to what befalls those who meet the Robber in Robes! He uses his evil magic to twist the bodies and minds of his victims until they no longer resemble who they once were!

You may call this tale hearsay, but I have seen proof of it with my own eyes. I did not meet the Robber, thankfully. But Clara told me in shocking detail of the encounter she and Edward had with him. Clara is the most honest person we know, so I can believe her word on the Robber's existence. But I needn't have taken her word for the results of his magic, for Edward is forever changed. He who was once a decent man has taken to wandering naked through the streets, whispering flirtatious offers to all that would make you of all people blush. Women, men; it doesn't matter for all that is left of him is a wanton miser who has forsaken his poor wife and promised his body to all who would take it. And his body has changed drastically the longer this has gone on. He now lives in a form that anyone would find alluring if not for the fear his drastic changes have inspired in the village. Changes like that shouldn't be possible, but Clara assured me that he treasured only her until the day he met the Robber in Robes.

I dearly hope you have never met this man, for although I am one to talk about honoring vows of marriage, it would pain me to see you losing yourself to the influence of this brigand's magic. If you haven't seen him, you should praise the gods for such luck and if you must travel again, do not stop if you see a man wearing dark grey robes. The safety that Sunburst Keep provides is an enchanting prospect, but I am afraid to reach for it with that man wandering the roads.

What should I do? For now, I can only pray that you are safe.

Ever Yours,

Deidre Hawke