While lounging around the Main Hall between adventures, you got to know a young novice adventurer named Maya. She comes from the Duchy of Virrat, a nearby agricultural region which has experienced a recent trend of religious fervor. One day, she finds you in the tavern and pulls you aside.
"Have you heard the news from Virrat? The Duke has issued a decree outlawing all magic in the entire land. My grandmother, Ainha, is a healer in the capital city. She sent me a letter a week ago, saying she was worried about the bands of religious fanatics that were starting to roam the town. They're arresting all the magic users they can find, accusing them of witchcraft. She was talking about leaving town, but I haven't heard from her since then."
Maya continues, "I'm worried something has happened to her. I'm leaving in the morning to go there to try to find her, and I could use a spare sword for defense. Will you join me?"
You have really taken a liking to your young adventurer pal, and she certainly doesn't have the training to take on a band of fanatics by herself. You quickly agree and pack your bags to head out of town.
It takes three days to reach Virrat City. As you ride, you see more and more armed men wearing blue religious tabards over their armor. They act more like an army than a band of fanatics. You start to see signs of struggle and burned houses in some of the farming and fishing villages along the Tovesi River. It only gets worse as you approach the capital.
At the gates of the city, freshly painted signs have been posted warning, "No mages allowed, by order of the Cobalt Front. Magic use is punishable by death!"
You arrive in the city square to find a crowd of townsfolk and a large band of white-cloaked fighters. Four women and one man are being led to the stocks by the inquisitors. As one young woman is brought forward, she struggles free of her bonds and shouts some arcane words. You sense the tingle of magic growing in the air. Before the spell completes, an inquisitor lands a swift kick to her ribs. Gasping for breath, she is forced into the stocks. As the latch closes, the magic dissipates from the air as if a switch has been thrown. The crowd of onlookers cheers riotously.
You grab Maya's arm and the two of you slink away to the south end of the square. "I don't like the looks of this place," you say. "Let's be very careful."
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