On the twelfth day of Forsmonth in the Year CXII of Hane, Lord Delme pursued the recovery of the Crest of Vizeal, a priceless heirloom representing the founders and longstanding rulers of the city of Haciol. One year prior, the well-liked Grand Duchess Piira of Vizeal was raped and brutally stabbed to death by an unidentified individual while resting alone in her chambers. Her Crest was then stolen by the same individual, who escaped the keep unnoticed. This incident has become a source of great shame for Lord Delme, trusted Vizeal authority and resident of Haciol Keep.

Lord Delme enacted a citywide search for any suspicious peoples who may have been involved or had knowledge of any individuals involved in the attack. Many of Haciol’s people were brutally tortured into confessions that lead to false blame and gradually the townspeople, once passionate in their desire to solve the heinous crime, grew largely distrustful and unhappy with their lordship. After nearly a year of constant, fruitless searching and sleepless deliberation, Lord Delme, low in public opinion and desperate for leads, decides in desperation to covertly betray Vizeal’s opposition toward mysticism to consult Hel’vony, seer and renowned mystic of Wyle.

Hel’vony describes a vision to Lord Delme of a young man living in seclusion in the Gendane countryside. He depicts him as a quiet and educated young store clerk who has no living relatives. The mystic describes the man as having a full head of long, curly blonde hair and often dons a maker’s cap. Lord Delme paid the mystic what he was owed and warned him that if he told anyone of his visit, that he would have him strung up and burned in Haciol as an affront to humanity. The mystic agreed to a vow of silence.

A young book-keeper’s acolyte by the name of Diacan is pursuing a passionate interest in written word and regional history and is working hard for his employer, the owner of a bookstore located in the village of Gendane. Diacan is a well-liked individual who was born a bastard from a dying mother and brought up by the people of the village.

Lord Delme of Haciol Keep traveled south to Gendane to find the individual Hel’vony described in his vision. Delme arrived dressed in plainclothes so as not to attract attention to his status or place of origin. He visited a local inn and rented a room while he conducted his search. A week passed and Lord Delme had been living off a small pouch of silver that he brought with him from Haciol Keep. While attending a local festival, he spotted a frail young boy sitting by himself on a shaded bench and reading a hard bound book. Lord Delme noticed many similarities the boy shares with the man described by Hel’vony of Wyle. Three days passed and Lord Delme had been tracking and closely observing the young boy. He discovered many things about him: His friends, his place of employment, his dwelling, and his name. He worked at a book shop in town. Delme became obsessed with his mark and would seldom retire to eat or sleep. On the twelfth day of Lord Delme’s temporary residence in Gendane, he followed the boy into a forested area just outside the eastern edge of town. He watched the boy retrieve a lockbox from a tree stump that was covered in loose foliage. The boy opened the box and pulled out a small object and clutched it tightly to his chest. Lord Delme recognized it as the Crest of Vizeal and concluded that the boy was the murdering burglar that he’d been searching for. Lord Delme, mad with rage, seized the opportunity and accosts the boy. What followed was described in a written record that was penned by a townsman named Gywendin, a fencemaker and day laborer who lived nearby and witnessed the attack. “The towering man approaches the boy from behind and bludgeons him at his head, knocking him to the ground and bringing from within the boy a sharp gasp. He pulls the waif up by his neck and lifts him to the bark of a tree just a few steps off. He shouts at him, ceaselessly, accusing him of terrible deeds and treasons. The boy expresses a tearful denial and begs for a calmer disposition and a moment to explain from the man. The man tightens his grip and strikes the boy further and thrusts his head against the bark of the old oak. The boy bleeds from the cheek and mouth and coughs and struggles to speak. The tall man unsheathes a short blade from his waist which bears the symbol of Haciol and claims allegiance to Vizeal and utters a word of vengeance. He throws the broken boy to the ground, lays his boot upon his head, and drives his blade into the boy’s throat. The boy chokes and sputters blood from his mouth, wide-eyed in shock.” Gywendin did not intervene in the attack, fearing retaliation from the imposing Lord of Haciol. His record was not discovered until many years afterward. Lord Delme left town in the early morning to return to Haciol Keep, bringing with him the Crest of Vizeal and the head of Diacan. Upon arriving, he showed the Crest to Alauno, Haciol Keep’s grand Historical Scholar and Artifactist, with intent to verify its authenticity and have it cleaned and placed back into the chambers of the Grand Duchess from where it was stolen. Alauno informed Delme that the Crest is indeed genuine, but that it came from another member of Vizeal royalty, a now-retired man named Nessick who was a bishop of the royal clergy one generation ago. Later that evening, Lord Delme held a formal announcement for the people of Haciol. He claimed that the Crest of Vizeal was retrieved untarnished from a murdering vagrant, the very man who slayed the Grand Duchess, and the people of Haciol cheered and praised him. He hung the head of Diacan from the archway at the city’s entrance.