The Life-Taker Must Be Stopped!

“If ever a man, anywhere in all the lands, should be brought to justice…it is him. Kurzhon, the Life-Taker!“

~ King Tandy IV

A Matter of Utmost Importance

My Lords, and other esteemed men of worth,

This letter is issued from the very hands of your Lord and Master, King Tandy IV.

Forthwith, all reasonable measures within your resources are to be taken to capture or kill the man so depicted in the letter you hold.

His given name is Kurzhon, from parts unknown. Dubbed “The Life-Taker” by unwashed commoners. He is held in fearful regard by those of low station, but to us of higher rank we know him as nothing more than a cowardly, lone troublemaker.

Though alone, this man has managed to foment chaos of a most disagreeable nature. His actions have been known to disrupt the normal operations of our good Kingdom and also cause irreparable harm to the good names of our men of Noble stature.

No more. The call has gone out not only to you, but to those men of lesser repute who are known to deal with these types of miscreants.

Below is a list of the known crimes committed in our realm:

• Good Hiram Blacke’s farm was burned to the ground. Although Good Hiram had a rocky relationship with those of his own station, he never failed to deliver a more than honest deal to the crown -its loss will be sorely missed. Due to the fire, Farmer Blacke’s livestock were set free to wander the fields. Many were lost to wolves and some wandered over the border into the lands of Myosia, never to be reclaimed.
• The villain took advantage of Earl Stendon’s wife, Lady Tabitha – apparently on numerous occasions while the Earl was out with the King’s hunting party. Although for some reason Lady Tabitha begged us to let the matter go, honor was at stake! So the good Earl, your peer and friend, set out after this man to exact justice.
  
  He never returned.
• Sir Derek Stendon, younger brother of the Earl, set out after the villain soon after. He also has never returned.
• Count Radduc set a party of his finest Knights and archers after this man. Their mangled bodies and their live (but frightened) horses were found some 5 nights later.
• In fury, Duke Herron unleashed an entire company upon the brigand. They chased him through the Mountains of Mircea for over a month. Sadly, as time passed many of the Duke’s company fell victim to untimely accidents, and some simply became lost in the snowy cliffs. After the company had been whittled down to naught but a handful, the Duke’s men thought it best to return and report their findings.

As you can no doubt surmise, though cowardly, he has a coward’s guile, cunning and luck. We must not take this for granted. Your King demands this filthy wastrel be caught or killed within the fortnight!

Sad and alarming news

The King has been in contact with the Elven Patriarchs. Those of you who have been privileged to meet an Elf during your lifetime will know that they are wise, kindly and benevolent beings, always eager to impart the wisdom of their long lives to us.

Unfortunately, the man whom we discuss has committed an almost unthinkable act. He has taken the life of a harmless female Elf who held the position of High Warden to the Elven Kingdom to the east. Elven High Wardens act mostly as envoys and ambassadors between the human and Elven realms.

In any event, the Patriarchs inform us that she was set upon and killed as she made camp one dark evening. To think that she was murdered almost on our very doorstep by this vile example of our species is unbearable!

As many of you know, the good Elves have had rough treatment of late at the hands of our most disagreeable neighbor, King Myos. If it were possible, I would suspect the Elves dislike the petty, criminal King even more than we do.

The presence of this “Life-Taker” so close to us, Myos, and now this incident with the Elves could mean a possible alliance between him and Myos. It just may be that the man is an agent of Myosia and therefore an enemy to freedom everywhere!

We have promised the Patriachs a swift resolution to this embarrassing situation.

In Conclusion

Your King demands you take the following actions immediately.

• Have your scribes duplicate the pertinent sections of this letter, including the depiction of the villain, and post it everywhere men of action might see it.
• Any Bards or Fools singing of the deeds of this man are to be arrested immediately, then publicly hanged in the Center Square. This human refuse will not be glorified within this Kingdom!
• You are to allow the King’s Questioners to poll any household members of your family or staff, lest they mistakenly withhold information that we should know (sometimes men do not know what they know until asked in a particular manner).

Thank you for your cooperation and your hand in the destruction of this pussing sore of a man!

~ Father Harrold, Arbiter of The King’s Affairs