The sun is only just peeking its flickering halo over the high sandstone walls of the capitol when a young mare brushes up against Roshan on the streets. She doesn’t much acknowledge him, – barely makes eye contact, in fact – but, in her haste, still manages to thrust a letter in his face with her telekinesis. It is up to him to snatch the piece of sand-worn paper from mid-air before it tumbles to the ground, for the mare is gone as quickly as she arrived, ducking into the nearest winding alleyway and disappearing from sight.
If he chooses to pick up the letter, Roshan will find it blank…but there is something strange about it, a slight bumpiness to the texture that cannot be explained by the sand and grit that it had collected in its passage across the desert. If he holds it up to the light, faint, faint letters will become visible, as brief as they are meticulously neat…
HAWK,
I have need of your services. If you are interested in striking a deal, meet me at the edge of the Elatus Canyon that borders Denocte when the sun sets.
Burn this message.
-A Friend
Should Roshan decide to follow this ambiguous message out into the canyon at Dusk, he won’t immediately catch sight of his mysterious contact. Rather, nothing will seem to be out of order, and he might wonder to himself if he’s arrived before his contact. A scan of the rocks on the edge of the canyon’s entrance, however, will reveal something strange slashed into one. An arrow points him along the left side of the canyon.
If he follows the arrow, he will find more rocks of a similar design strewn across the maze-like walls of the canyon. As he walks, perhaps he hears the occasional shifting from the high ridges of the canyon above him, as though something - or someone - is following his movements, but, if he happens to look up, it becomes immediately evident that no one is there.
It will likely be dark before he reaches the cave that the arrows lead him to. The entrance is dark, and gaping, but, if he squints, he might be able to see the flicker of a fire from deeper inside, and, if he listens closely, he might hear the clink of metal and the shift of fabric.
It could easily be a trap of some sort, but adventure beckons from within – what will Roshan choose to do?
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