Northern_Lights_2014

An Odd Contract By William Holler Cindro, the City of Eternal Night. Cindro is the largest city on the continent of Gheed and is one of the busiest cities in the world. While it is a major trade city, most people come here for entertainment. There are some who say that there is no sight that compares to looking upon Cindro from the viewing terrace on Kragg Mountain. Aldous Royce thought those people were a bunch of pretentious, untraveled, uncultured dumbasses, who should try to get out of their sheltered lives once in a while, and see something that actually was amazing, like the Floating Ruins of Minken. Royce was in Cindro more than any other city, because that was where he got most of his work, it was where most of his contacts and targets were, and because it was easy to blend in, even for someone like him. Aldous Royce was not his real name, but he had forsaken his other name when he had been exiled. He was the best and most feared (and respected, for that matter) assassin in the world. He never failed a contract, he rarely asked questions, he was quick and best of all, he was efficient. Skills like his were a commodity, and he was in high demand. Royce was a sand elf from the Shiilkor Desert, in northern Gheed. His people were typically quite solitary, keeping mostly to themselves, and only interacting with outsiders when absolutely nec- essary. When he was young, Aldous had gotten into a dispute with another boy over a matter of honor. They agreed to duel, as was the custom of their people. The other boy yielded, but Aldous was overcome with rage, and ended up killing the other boy with his bare hands. He was exiled, and would be killed if he ever returned. So, he joined up with a trade caravan crossing the desert, and eventually made his way to Loten, the capital of Gheed. He became an assassin, and made a name for himself. He was famous for being one of the few elven assassins, and never using poisons or magic in his assassinations. After several years of building up a reputation, he tried to retire for a while, to get out and see the world. It worked, for a couple years, at least, and he got around to travelling all over Gheed and seeing the Ten Wonders of Minken, the continent west of Gheed. What he didn’t realize was how much he missed his old life, so he went back to it. He got back in touch with his old contacts and informants, and, after a few years hard work and eliminating some competi- tion, rose to be the most feared and respected assassin in the world once again. He only had one rule: No chil- dren, under any circumstances. So, here he was, in Cindro again. He had been here more times than he could count. In fact, most of his contracts involved coming here, whether it was to meet the contact, or find his mark. Cindro was just a popular city. He made his way through the city towards the Temple District. He was always somewhat sur- prised when a priest would request his services. Surprised that they would actually hire an assassin, and also surprised that they had the amount of coin he required. Being the best assassin in the world was expensive, and priests didn’t usually have too much money. He was supposed to meet the man in front of the Temple of Gol, the water god. As late as it was, there were still many people milling around the Temple District. It was true what they said, apparently. Cindro never slept. He recognized the contact the second he saw him. A somewhat fat man, wearing the robes of a disciple 29