The Chase of a Swift Messenger

"*Our forces are divided. My husband is most likely dead. The Baroness and her ilk will hunt us until we are thralls in her army. Hope may yet be lost, my dear, unless you can get word to the Rogue Monastery. You must go now, at full haste, for nothing else matters. Nothing else. Carry this message swiftly!*"
—Executrix Iseult bestows a mission to Maria.

**The Chase of a Swift Messenger** was a mission carried out during To Unseat a Conqueror. After the Battle of the Fallen Tower, in which the Eternal Companions were forced to retreat, Executrix Iseult tasked Maria Johann at swiftly returning to the Rogue Monastery to warn their allies of the Baroness and her whereabouts, as well as send reinforcements. The mission, though small in scale, proved to be pivotal to the climax of the war.

## History

### ***The Chase***

In the early morning of April 20th, Maria and the Rune Rogues ventured through the mountain ranges of Torrance, the path leading them toward the Rogue Monastery. While passing through a vast canyon the group stopped upon Tree Top Hill where they faced a sudden barrage of arcane missiles cast by the undead Jeffrey recently thralled by The Deadman. At Jeffrey's side was a dozen skeletal warriors who pursued the group, and upon discovering their whereabouts they chased the the messenger and her group deeper into the canyon whilst they raced toward their destination.

During the pursuit Ladislav was tackled off a cliff one of the skeletal warriors, but Lupita saved him from a certain demise by splitting away from the group and following rescuing him. With the group divided, Maria lead her companions down the cliff by road to aid Ladislav and Lupita, with the latter fighting off several skeletal warriors. Eventually, the group reunited but Jeffrey released another barrage of arcane missiles, injuring Horvath.

The group found safety deep within the canyon and were able to rest for nearly an hour next to a stream. While tending the injured, a skeletal archer shot and injured Lupita in the chest and Horvath in the shoulder. In that moment Krea managed to kill the skeleton and proceeded to scout the perimeter. Now desperate to get to safety, Alec and Maria lead the injured by foot toward the path to continue their journey toward the Rogue Monastery. Lupita continued to bleed out in the arms of Ladislav as her injury grew dire.

Maria proved a capable leader in the following hours by keeping morale high and avoiding detection for sometime, all while informing Alec that the mission was pivotal to the success of the war; Alec understood that getting the message from Iseult to the Sisterhood was of paramount importance. Maria was reluctant however to leave Alec and the injured members of his group behind, believing that the group would prevail against Jeffrey if the moment came to fight again.

The group fell under attack once more when Lupita's groans of pain were detected by Jeffrey and his minions. As the undead neared, Maria handed over the message written by Iseult over to Alec and persuaded the others to flee, alas staying behind in an attempt to delay her enemies. Alec ignored her wish to continue without her and passed the message to Isham to continue before he rushed to aid Maria in her last stand.

### ***The Skirmish***

   In an attempt to block the road within the canyon near one of the riverbeds, Alec and Maria faced difficult odds in their defense as skeletal warriors engaged in a skirmish. Alec and Jeffrey clashed in a one-on-one dual in might and magic; both combatants wielded immense power in the use of their spellblades as they struggled in a tug-a-war to gain the upper hand. Alec ultimately defeated Jeffrey through the use of agility and magic to overwhelm his opponent by pinning him against a trunk with his own blade.

Meanwhile, Maria released her war cry before engaging against the remaining eight skeletal warriors. Maria made quick work of the first three before being overwhelmed and thrown down into the riverbed. Her ferocity and stamina remained vigilant against the skeletons however, her blade and body dancing through the grass and water as she picked off one-by-one. Her fight against the warriors went on for several minutes, and each time she killed one they would pause and taunt. Maria's anger at the death of her kin during the Battle of the Fallen Tower had her yelling out the names of her fallen friends.

As the skirmish drew to a close, Alec and Maria formed together to retreat; Maria regretted losing her sword in the end. Meanwhile, the remaining skeletal warriors stayed behind to protect the injured Jeffrey and recuperate. As the duo ran to catch up with the Rune Rogues, Maria embraced Alec as a means to catch her breath and to thank him for coming back to aid her; Alec responded with a kindly nod. The undead Jeffrey, meanwhile, was forced to remove the sword from his torso and leave behind his inner organs that spilled out.