Correspondence from Marshal Crowhel to Consul Vergo
To the Honorable Imperial Consul Vergo,
It is with grave urgency that I write to inform you of a most dire and unprecedented event that transpired last night within the halls of Duke Samuel Greeve of Virensha. What was intended as a celebration of unity and imperial triumph was turned, by treachery most foul, into a massacre.
At the height of the banquet, agents of the criminal organization known as the Syndicate infiltrated the Duke’s household under false identities. Their plan was precise, their execution merciless. With the aid of arcane trickery, poisoned courses, and a summoned fiend of unnatural strength, they struck against the assembled nobility and officers of the realm.
Despite the valor of the Duke’s household guard, two of the Black Knights in attendance, and my own intervention alongside several capable allies, the outcome was disastrous. Duke Greeve himself was assassinated before our eyes. Magistrate Helena Voss was abducted by unknown means, her fate presently uncertain. Scores of nobles, retainers, and servants lie dead. Those Syndicate agents not slain in the hall fled into the night, leaving fire and grief in their wake.
I will not gild the truth, Consul: this was no common act of brigandage, but a deliberate strike against the very foundations of Imperial order. The Syndicate has proven that its reach is long, its discipline keen, and its willingness to shed blood without limit. Worse still, they have shown themselves capable of targeting the highest servants of the Emperor’s will.
For this reason, I urge you to convene with me in Viren, at the earliest possible hour. We must coordinate our response before the Syndicate is allowed to vanish into shadow once more. Virensha now stands leaderless, its nobility shaken and its people fearful. Only swift and decisive action will restore confidence in the Emperor’s justice.
I await your summons and will hold Viren until your arrival. Should you require further detail, I will present my full report in person.
In loyalty and service to the Emperor’s Truth,
Marshal Remus Crowhel
Commander of the Imperial Army in Tycho
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