"That's me", I nodded, checking her out. Nice outfit she was wearing. Blue Yaroi Plate. All metal, "You're not from around here are you?"

She pulled one of my old faded business cards. "It says here you're Anti-PK", she stammered, "and that you do investigations."

I nodded again. "That's right. As Anti-PK as they come, and I wasted skill credits on Forensics and Investigations if that's what you mean."

She looked at me with pleading eyes. "My name is Francesca. I came all the way from Frostfell to see you. I need your help investigating a crime."

Frostfell. That explained the all metal armor. She had my interest now.

"What kind of crime?", I asked.

Francesca looked like she was about to cry. "I think there's been a murder."

I blinked hard, holding back a snort. "This is Darktide lady. I'm sure there's been a murder. Lots of them."

"This is different", she sobbed, tears running down her cheeks, "It's my brother. He's been killed…and replaced!"

Hmm. That was a different kettle of fish.

"If you help me find out what happened to my brother, I'll give you this." Francesca pulled out a small black statue of a bird from her pack and showed it to me.

I'd never seen anything like it. "What is it?"

Francesca wiped back a tear, and pressed a button on the bird statue's back. Suddenly a glowing portal appeared on the other side of my office. "It's the Frostfell Falcon", she explained, "It opens a one-way portal to Arwic on Frostfell."

She handed me the Frostfell Falcon. "He had a shop in Ayan Baqur and was doing ok…until his letters…changed."

"Ok, I'm portal tied near Ayan Baqur", I told her, "It's about a 3 minute run, follow me."

We arrived at Ayan Baqur without mishap, and I let her lead me to where her brother's shop was supposed to be, and we went inside.

He was a typical Archmage too. Wearing some cheap-looking tattered robe instead of real armor, and showing off his magic by floating about 2 feet off the floor.

"That's not Claude!", Francesca mindspoke to me fiercely.

I looked around the small shop-tent intently, nothing unusual at all as far as I could see. There was the usual dried puddles of blood all over the floor, but that's a given on Darktide. Hmmm, I knelt down a moment.

"What is it?", Francesca mindspoke.

"It looks like someone actually tried to clean up some of the blood. That's odd. Most shopkeepers on Darktide know enough to not even bother trying to clean up blood stains.", I mindspoke back to her.

We heard a commotion, and several screams outside the shop-tent. I rushed out with my Atlan Claw at the ready, with Francesca following right behind. There were several bodies crumpled lifeless around the shop-tent.

"What happened?!", I shouted at several of the armed locals.

"Sabrewolf X and some others just raided", the local shouted back, "And we hear that a group of 20 Bloods and Shollos are gathering to raid again."

I turned to Francesca, as dozens of defenders including CeD and HoS were recalling in to the Lifestone and starting to buff. "This is no place for you now Francesca, you'll need to get to safety, I'll continue the investigation after the raid."

I pressed the button on the Frostfell falcon's back, and a portal opened. "Go home Francesca."

"Come with me Zang", she shouted over the sounds of mass buffing, grabbing my hand, "Come away from all this destruction…with me."

"No, I can't do that, my place is here on Darktide, fighting Evil PKs", I responded, "And stacked up against that, the problems of two little people aren't worth a hill of pixels in this crazy world."

"I'll stay then, with you!", she shouted.

"No, if you don't take that portal now you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tommorrow. But someday, and for the rest of your life. Darktide isn't for you."

Francesca gave my hand a final squeeze, and leapt through the Frostfell portal just before it winked out.

I vowed to myself to continue the investigation into her brother's disappearance..…just as soon as we'd fought off the Evil PK raiders, and cleaned up the bodies of Sabrewolf X's victims near the Archmage's shop-tent.

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But, the forces of Good are faltering on Darktide...and division, and bickering among Good guilds weakens our cause. I believe that our joining the ranks of the Dragons will strengthen the Anti-PK cause that we always fought for and that our sacrifice will make the difference.

I hope that we can bring the same idealism and Anti-PK fervor to our new guild, and become equally as proud that we are now Dragons.

I may no longer be your monarch, but I remain your friend. Never hesitate to call upon me.

General Zang, CeD

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"Have the devices been prepared?", Zang asked, as it stood atop a very tall crag with a small army of tinkerers and engineers.

The Eshlar Engineer nodded. "Yes, oh Claw. The devices have been prepared. Each Shap has a small device that measures air pressure, so that when the Shap goes below a certain altitude the device will know."

Zang nodded its approval. "Good, very good. Do they know the route to each sector of the target?"

Another Engineer, this one a Lokai, answered. "Yes, oh Claw. The Shaps have been flown along this route 12 times each. Six times on their own. They have been rewarded with treats each trip, and will fly directly to their individual sectors of the target City expecting more treats on arrival."

Red Mon'Ka, an Unarran Pilot-Officer pointed to the scale model. "As you can see oh Claw, the target City is located upon a river bed near the level of the sea. Air pressure is low here atop the high crags, but grows steadily higher as one approaches the level of the sea."

Zang nodded, smoothing back its head-tentacles, "Go on."

"When the air pressure reaches the setting of 20 Unarra-Heights above the level of the sea", the Pilot-Officer continued, "The pressure ball will burst along its seams and trigger the pitch-torches. The pitch-torches will flare up, igniting the 50 liter waterskins of liquid-tar that each Shap carries."

The Engineers and Officers gathered about the test table, as the Shap-tamers prepared the Shaps for their final flight. A few tamers shed a tear or two as they fed some last grass-stems to their doomed animals.

The Head Engineer, a burly Eshlar with brown skin, pointed to the scale model on the test table, "Here's how it should work. As the Shaps descend towards their various landing spots throughout the target City, they will each ignite as they descend below 20 Unarra-Heights above the level of the sea."

The burly Eshlar pulled a lever, and the 70 miniature Shap models suspended above the test table each burst in flame, and fell upon the scale model of the target city, instantly igniting the small paper buildings.

"As you can see", the Head Engineer continued, as everyone took a step back from the flames, "the target City should be completely destroyed by fire."

"Very good.", Zang said, turning to a black-furred Tyrusin in the group, "First Claw Svenn, what effects will this have on the strategic situation?"

"Good ones we hope", the Tyrusin chuckled, "Basically, the target City is the only source of enemy resupply along the Karsh River Valley for a full two days march. With that source of supply gone, the barbarian army along our Northern flank will have no choice but to withdraw back towards their source of supplies."

Zang nodded, "And with our forces on the Northern flank freed up....hmm...."

"Exactly oh Claw", interjected a youthfull Cavolon Officer,"with the added weight of the Northern forces shifted to the Southern flank, we'll be able to break the barbarian lines, and free the globe from barbarism and ignorance!"

"Are our agents out of the target City?", Zang asked.

A small non-descript Lokai in average-looking clothing with a normal-looking shell nodded. "Our agents withdrew this morning."

"Send the Shaps, and pray that Allmighty-Glurg guides their path." Zang commanded, nervously smoothing its head-tentacles.

A signal was given, and orders relayed, and the Shaps were aloft. 70 unknowing messengers of Glurg's wrath flapped into the night to hopefully be delivered hours later as flame upon the barbarian Northern Army's source of supply.

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