"The swords you don't see are the ones already behind your back."
—Rialt, former Shadow Cartographer
+5 Days After the Ashen Vault Defense
Stormwatch had expanded its borders, but with growth came roots, and with roots came pests.
The spy-boy was kept in a repurposed storage room. Ashra watched him day and night. He ate. He didn't talk. But he listened—too well.
Jag stood beside Rialt in the war tent.
"Any matches?"
Rialt nodded toward a flickering illusion map. "The boy carries a southern dialect. Not from the highlands. From the drought routes. There's one faction down there that recruits young, starves them, and trains them fast."
Jag narrowed his eyes. "The Vultures."
[System Quest Triggered: Eyes of the Sand]
Origin Investigation: Active
Target Region: Riverbind Valley
Faction Suspected: The Vultures (Southern Trade Mercenary Guild)
Faction Status: Hostile/Unknown
Primary Objectives:
• Identify if The Vultures are probing northern military assets
• Secure any recovered maps
• Avoid open war if possible
Reward: 1 Strategic Token + Access to Southern Smuggler Route
Scouting Route - Riverbind Edge
Ashra, Jag, and two elite scouts traveled under moonlight. The further south they rode, the more the forest thinned, replaced by red clay and black canyons. Carrion birds circled ruins. Bones dotted the fields—beast and man alike.
By the third day, they reached an outpost burned half to the ground. A symbol was carved into the remaining stone.
A hooked beak. Etched in blood. The Vultures had marked it.
Jag dismounted.
"Scouts were right. They're expanding north. But not as conquerors. As information brokers."
Ashra crouched near a corpse.
"They flayed this one. Took skin, not armor. Identity theft. They're replacing scouts."
Jag whispered, "Then they already know more than we do."
Underground Cavern - Entry Point Echo Nine
The scouts uncovered a hatch near the base of a shattered aqueduct. Inside: tunnels. Braced in metal. Cooled by wind channels.
They entered silent.
[Skill Activated: Shadow Cloak - Ashra]
[Temporary Stealth Enabled - Party Camouflage +28%]
Voices echoed below—southern accents, soft whistles, and code clicks.
Jag listened from behind a pillar.
"Stormwatch has expanded too fast. They'll drown in territory. Let 'em. Vulture eyes just need to be the last to blink."
Ashra threw a dagger. It landed between a pair of boots.
The speaker froze.
"Step forward," Jag commanded.
A man appeared—scarred, sunburned, but smirking. A tattoo on his neck read: Ruin Trades Faster.
Interrogation Sequence
The Vulture agent spat blood. "You think you're building a kingdom? You're building a menu. Someone will eat you."
Jag replied, "Better men have tried. Worse ones have failed."
Ashra raised her blade.
"The boy you sent?"
The agent smiled, teeth gold-rimmed. "He's one of hundreds. Names don't matter when the contract burns their past."
Rialt's voice echoed in Jag's mind. The Vultures aren't a faction. They're a habit.
Escape Attempt - Tunnel Collapse
Ashra sensed it first. A rune-trigger had been etched beneath the Vulture's seat.
"MOVE!"
The tunnel exploded.
Debris rained down. Jag shielded a scout. Ashra dragged the prisoner out with one hand.
Only half the tunnel remained.
The agent was gone. Buried or escaped—it didn't matter.
Jag stood, coughing, his blade still drawn.
"Send word to Stormwatch. The Vultures are operating under our soil."
Ashra sheathed her dagger. "Then we salt the ground."
Vulture Network: Partially Exposed
Southern Smuggler Route: Unlocked
New Side Quests:
• Secure Echo Nine Ruins
• Identify Vulture Scout Cells
Spy-Boy Status: Has begun to speak. First word: "Rain."