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The Thieves Guild

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by Jake Kerr

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(dramatic music plays) . Episode 114:

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The Golden Apple.

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Karch lost his horse near Trader's Bridge.

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A new Merchant Guild captain had instructed his
guards in the lower quarter

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to conscript any horse or wagon for repatriation
efforts, and a

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pair of guards approach Karch, demanding his
horse.

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Don't be foolish. I'm the assistant guildmaster of
the Knight Guild.

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I bear a message from Guildmaster Sax and
Guildmaster Orion to Guildmaster Polo.

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Karch spurred his horse forward, but the two
knights didn't move.

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The young guard's companion spoke up.

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You look familiar,

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but there is

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no such rank as assistant guildmaster.

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He lay his hand on the pommel of his sheathed
sword.

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Certainly you know your own guildmaster was
previously an assistant guildmaster to Larsen.

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Karch tried not to have his impatience for the two
idiots enter the tone of his voice.

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Of course, we know that.

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The younger one exclaimed.

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Caeris himself had us join the guild from our
previous positions in the Craft Guild.

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And that was special position that was only
created by Larsen for Guildmaster

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Caeris, due to Larsen's own deputy being
incompetent.

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There are no other assistant guildmasters.

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Karch bit his tongue. He had a mission.

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His life and future depended on it. He considered
their words.

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Their being former Craft Guild members explained
why they didn't know who Karch was

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and his former role. They were low-level Craft
Guild members that

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Caeris is moving over to bolster his hold on the
Merchant Guild, thought

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Karch. Smart.

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That changed things. He was dealing with the
paranoia of Caeris and

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whatever tales he spun to his trusted flunkies,
and not common sense.

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Be that as it may, I have a message from two
guildmasters that needs to be delivered.

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Karch stared at the two, who seemed uncertain as
Karch's own clothing

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and bearing indicated at least some level of
importance.

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Finally, the younger one spoke up.

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Let us see this letter.

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The older one nodded as the younger one spoke.

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Karch considered his options. He did not trust the
two guards before him

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not to grab the letter and take it to Caeris, nor
did he trust them not to

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open it and read it right in front of him.

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In fact, he didn't trust them at all.

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Fine.

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He sighed.

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Take the horse.

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The two guards seemed surprised as Karch swung his
leg over and dismounted.

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I'll have Sax send someone to retrieve it later.

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Hopefully that would put a scare in them, Karch
thought as he started the short

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walk to Trader's Bridge.

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The trip into the upper quarter was without
incident, and Karch pulled the letter

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out, examining it as he walked. What he did with
it depended on what it

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said, so Karch decided to read it and then make up
his mind.

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To that end, he made his way to an old tavern, the
Golden Apple,

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which was an icon in the upper quarter.

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It had the added benefit of mostly catering to
lower level Harvest Guild

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members, most of whom wouldn't recognize Karch.

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Of course, the downside was that he was wearing
Knight colors, but the tavern was

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open to all and he hoped he wouldn't have too many
uncomfortable

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conversations, as while the Knights didn't help
the Harvest Guild during the

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clearing of the lower quarter, they didn't assist
Larsen either.

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Karch had only been in the Golden Apple once
before, and it was quite the

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experience. This time was no different.

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It was full of bustling Harvest Guild members with
ale and

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conversation flowing to such a degree that he
wasn't sure how anyone could even hear

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each other.

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As he made his way to the bar, the conversation
quieted as a man in

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Harvest Guild colors stood and talked.

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He was thin and beady eyes. He wore standard
working guild

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clothing. His expression, however, was animated,
and Karch approached

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listening.

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And he relieved himself on the mantle my own
father carved from a tree in the foothills.

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There were gasps and cries of outrage.

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The entire tavern quieted as people pressed
themselves forward to hear

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their guildmate's story.

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Indeed, my guildmates, I objected and the money
counter laughed and

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said that even if my father returned, the house
would need to be razed to the ground anyway, so

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why not save him a trip to the public house?

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There are newcomers.

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An old woman yelled out.

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Tell them about the painting!

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The man relayed a story of his family's cherished
portrait being all that

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was left of their charred house, and some other
money counters burning it in front

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of him for no reason other than to amuse
themselves.

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Karch wasn't sure he believed the stories, but the
entire tavern certainly

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did. He could feel the growing anger at the
Merchant Guild the more the man

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spoke.

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Karch decided to have some fun and yelled out...

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Was this before or after he soiled the mantle?

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The man turned and looked at Karch. He gave him a
look that was pure

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malevolence. The look of a man not to be trifled
with.

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Just as quickly, his eyes went wide and he looked
closer at Karch.

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For a moment, Karch wondered if the man recognized
him, but he turned to the

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crowd and replied...

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It was after.

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He presumably felt insulted that I would object to
him using my family's home as a

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toilet.

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Karch couldn't get a handle on this guild member.

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There was something about him, something dangerous
and not to be trusted.

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He decided that it was time for him to leave the
man to his stories, and

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Karch went to the bar and got the attention of the
barkeep, who wandered over.

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I need a private room, a silver plate, and a
candle.

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The bartender shrugged.

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Nothing available, sir. Uh, the only room we have
free is currently being

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used to store things for the kitchen.

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Reaching into his pocket with one hand, Karch held
up a finger

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with his other. As the bartender watched, Karch
pulled out two gold coins

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and slid them forward on the bar.

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One table, one candle, one silver plate.

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30 minutes.

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The bartender looked left and right, and swallowed
hard, but he reached forward

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and took the gold as he did so.

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Meet me at the rear door in a few minutes.

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He motioned his head toward the back rear wall of
the bar, where a

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door near the bar led further into the tavern.

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As Karch walked back, he heard murmurings of
taking up arms and not

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standing for the Merchant Guild outrage.

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If the man's goal was to stoke the flames of
violence, he was doing a good

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job.

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Karch didn't wait long near the rear door.

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The bartender walked over and, pulling out a key,
unlocked it.

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He handed a thin candle without a holder to Karch
and nodded toward the

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door.

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First room on the right. Now, don't be going
anywhere else, or you'll be limping

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back to Night Tower. 30 minutes.

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And without waiting for a reply, he turned and
walked

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back to the bar.

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The door opened to a short hallway. The sounds of
the kitchen were to the left,

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while there were three doors on the right.

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Karch immediately entered the first one.

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The room was indeed full of random kitchen
equipment, burnt and stained

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pots, dull knives, and assorted other things.

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It looked like the inn had recently upgraded its
equipment and was storing the

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old things in the room until they could get rid of
them.

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There was a table stacked with chipped plates,
mugs, and other dining ware.

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Off to the side was a small pile of silver plates.

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"Ah, no wonder he didn't give me a silver plate
like I asked,"

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Karch thought. Shoving some cups and saucers out
of the way, Karch

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pulled out the envelope and sat down. He turned
the letter in his hand.

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It was thin. Whatever Orion wrote was not in any
great

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detail. Red wax sealed with the Craft Guild seal
held the

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flap opening down to prevent prying eyes. Karch
smiled.

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Guild tradition always took precedence over
practicality, or

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security. He pulled out his knife and placed it on
the table.

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Next, he grabbed a silver plate and placed the
letter on it with the wax seal

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facing up.

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Then he pulled out a flint strike mechanism
recently

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invented by some enterprising Craft Guild member.

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Using his thumb to pull a switch that struck the
flint, a small fire

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sprung forth. He lit the candle.

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Putting down the flint device and picking up the
plate, Karch held it over the lit

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candle. Luckily, the plate was large enough that
his fingers weren't going to get

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too burned as he heated the letter from below.

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Setting the plate down and grabbing his knife,
Karch gently attempted to pull

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the flap of the envelope and the intact seal up to
open the letter.

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It was painstaking and delicate work.

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Get it too hot, and the wax would melt, indicating
it had been tampered with.

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Not get it hot enough, and the letter would not
open.

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After five attempts, the flap of the envelope
opened with the seal

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attached to the flap and intact, yet not sealing
the envelope.

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Karch gently opened the flap and pulled out the
letter. It read...

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Guildmaster Polo,

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My apologies for the circumstances that have led
to this letter.

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It appears that my friendship with Larsen had been
poorly placed.

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While I considered him a friend, I did not truly
know him.

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I'm a simple man,

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as you well know. My guild makes things for
others, and the use of those things

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is its own reward.

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I foolishly expected him to be similar, yet he
shocked me

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with his recent actions. I don't need to tell you
that, overwhelmed with his own

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failings, Larsen ended his own life by leaping
from his

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tower. What you don't know is that this was most
likely due to a conversation

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I had with him.

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I outlined to him his moral failings, and I
expressed to him

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my deep disappointment.

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This must have affected him greater than I
intended, but it is perhaps for the best.

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My own nephew now runs the Merchant Guild, and he
has every intent on

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bringing Ness together once again.

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I have talked to Sax, and while he has his own
failings, he is a zealous defender of

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Ness and its citizens.

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It is my understanding that you are gathering
forces in the outer fields.

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It is also my understanding that your guild
members are not returning to their homes in the
lower

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quarter, preferring instead to stay in the
wretched quarter.

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I do not understand either thing,

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and I would like to discuss this with you.

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As I said, I am a simple man, and perhaps you can
explain it to me.

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We are friends, and I believe that we can bring
Ness together again....

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if only we can discuss this and work together

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to do so.

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To that end, I invite you to my guild tower for a
meeting.

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You will, of course, have access to my guest
suite, if you so desire.

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Your colleague and friend,

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Orion.

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Fool, Karch thought. Playing the simple-minded,
good-natured Guildmaster

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still. Didn't Orion realize that things had
changed?

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It was a disastrous letter, one that Polo would
see as an indication of

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deceit and malfeasance.

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Karch thought over what he had just read as he
reversed the previous process,

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putting the letter back into the envelope and
reheating the seal so that it would

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be secure. The pure arrogance of sending such a
letter was breathtaking.

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Karch knew Orion had revealed himself as, perhaps,
the most brilliant and ambitious

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man in Ness, but the letter struck of naive
desperation.

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If what Orion wrote was true, and there were
forces gathering in the outer

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fields, then there were few options for him.

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It was civil war or... what? Orion didn't
seriously think

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Polo would be foolish enough to visit him, did he?

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Unfortunately, there were few options for Karch as
well.

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He knew Orion would kill him on sight.

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Actually, he would be lucky if that was all that
Orion did to him.

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If he didn't deliver the letter and returned to
Sax,

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he would be banished to the dungeons or, depending
on how drunk Sax was,

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perhaps sent to execution as Hollow.

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As Karch tapped the envelope against his palm,
thinking over his lack of any good

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choices, a voice came from the doorway.

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Deputy Karch. What a truly spectacular surprise,
especially as you

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now wear the white.

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Karch whirled and looked at the door to the room.

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It was the man from the tavern standing inside the
room, the closed door

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behind him. "How did he enter and close the door
without me

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hearing him?" Karch thought.

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It was, perhaps, not a surprise that he was
recognized, but sneaking in

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without his awareness? That indicated not just
someone who recognized him,

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but someone with formidable and dangerous talent.

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I fear I am but an assistant guildmaster now.

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Guildmaster Sax already has a deputy.

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Karch remained in his chair, feigning nonchalance
as he measured up the

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invader.

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Ah, John. Yes, I believe he was chosen, as he is
the only one

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00:14:58,479 --> 00:15:00,699
who can outdrink your dear guildmaster.

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00:15:00,699 --> 00:15:04,759
"He knows more than most," Karch considered.

230
00:15:04,759 --> 00:15:06,379
"Is he a captain?

231
00:15:07,039 --> 00:15:07,979
Something else?"

232
00:15:08,719 --> 00:15:11,639
Karch smiled and decided to simply ask.

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00:15:11,639 --> 00:15:12,939
"Who are you?"

234
00:15:13,839 --> 00:15:17,720
My dear Karch, I am your worst nightmare and your
greatest hope.

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00:15:18,219 --> 00:15:20,519
I am your death and I am your salvation.

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00:15:20,519 --> 00:15:25,219
The man walked over to a chair at the side of the
room, dragging it

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00:15:25,359 --> 00:15:26,579
closer to Karch.

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00:15:26,999 --> 00:15:29,659
And it all depends on how our conversation goes.

239
00:15:30,020 --> 00:15:34,859
He sat down with the rear of the chair against his
chest, and with a wide

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00:15:34,940 --> 00:15:36,199
smile, added...

241
00:15:36,199 --> 00:15:38,680
I am the Blade of the Guildmaster Craft.

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00:15:40,279 --> 00:15:41,819
But you can call me Vesper.

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00:15:41,819 --> 00:16:13,219
(instrumental music plays)