<strong>Prologue:</strong><em>Among the city of lights.</em><br/><br/>The sun barely peeks through the overcast sky, come morning time, casting the city in a dim grey light. Bleary eyed, the populace of Lahearth stumble from their dwellings to face another day. Even in the taverns, the light seems to have a sobering effect, drawing forth those who drank the night away.<br/><br/>Fires are rekindled, an effort to ward off the unseasonable chill in the air, and breakfast is cooked as the people go about their daily routines. Within an hour of the dawn's first light the city begins to bustle with activity. In the lower district the people mull about, traveling up higher towards the keep to the market, or simply working away in their meager stalls. In the marketplace, people begin to call out to those that pass by, eager to make their first sale of the day.<br/><br/>The city guard goes about their business, the knackered night shift switching out for fresh pairs of eyes and hands. The patrols are steady and regular, a calming presence among the city folk who grew up among their watchful eyes. The sound of them marching across the stone roads rings out among the steadily rising din of city life.<br/><br/>At the top of the city, the Lahearth Keep is a veritable hornet's nest of activity. Even in the early morning travelers come and go on their own business. Soldiers march across the ramparts, a show of respect for the position more than anything, and bleary-eyed squires run laps in formation. Workers of all ages and genders rush about clutching sheaves of parchment, coordinating between various facets of the government.<br/><br/>Most of all, the steady stream of adventurers continues to trickle in at all hours of the day. Those heeding the call, for fame, for wealth, or simply to lend their aid, are all welcomed and directed into a waiting room near the grand hall. It's well furnished and comfortable, if nearly empty at this time of morning. A single guard stands watch in one corner, more to act as a liaison than any sort of watchman. These are trained adventurers, after all.