An Excerpt From an Article in the Wavecrest Newspaper, Dated on the fourth month of the Year of Rolling Thunder:
The Runners first grew out of The Decline’s twilight.
Demand within the Eight Accorded Kingdoms had begun to exceed supply. The kingdom of Narcre started to lack the means to continue supporting the amenities that their people had come to rely on. Amidst social unrest and panic, some saw an opportunity for profit. The first Runners were desperate vagabonds, disorganized adventurers who ventured into ancient Imperial ruins to loot them of the precious resources left within, risking their own lives in the process. Though these first Runners only returned with meager gain from their historical first excursion, the idea caught on. The efforts of a few foolhardy souls had planted the seeds of a modern way of life for many across our continent. The modern Runners are far from disorganized, with Guildhouses in many large cities, and a whole network of support from historians to healers. A modern Run involves dozens of people, including forward observation agents, emergency recovery agents, and of course, those chosen to make the Run itself. The ultimate goal? To pry apart the workings of the ancient Empire, peel apart the cadavers of their ancient arcane cities, and return, laden with the relics and supplies needed to power the engines of industry and development.
Critics often speak of increasing scarcity. Of Runs growing less fruitful in the past fifty years. They argue that the jobs of the Runners are not a sustainable in the long term, and that at times even must destroy relics of our shared history. They even complain of the uneven distribution of the ancient imperial ruins, that some nations have far greater supply than others ever could. Yet they have yet to produce a feasible alternative. It is largely through the tireless efforts of the Runners guild that we are able to live in the comfort afforded to us in this, the Age of Enlightenment. The Runner’s Guild holds considerable sway throughout the Eight Accorded Kingdoms and even without them. With each year the Runner’s Guild grows in prestige and esteem, as their services become more and more necessary within the Accorded Kingdoms.
With that in mind, the events of last evening can only be seen as an enormous tragedy. An act tarnishing the storied and honorable reputation of a noble organization. What should have been one of the most celebrated runs in the past twenty years of Narcre’s history took a dark turn when one of the returning agents, a young hare known as Lise Thornpad, attempted to smuggle a specific treasure away from the collection. In an altercation of unfortunate consequences, she had to be subdued and the object, a metal urn, taken from her by force. In the following evening, Lise Thornpad was witnessed fleeing the Runner’s Guildhall in the capital of Narcre, hours after the hall had closed. City Watch discovered the unconscious bodies of two evening guards inside the Guildhall, as well as the corpse of Guildmaster Thorim Thornpad, who died by blunt trauma to the head. In addition, several relics from the most recent run, including the urn in question, were purloined from the Guildhall itself. It is believed based on investigations of the incident that Thorim died attempting to reason with his daughter. There has been no evidence indicating that Lise had any collaborators in this crime, despite some muddled and unfounded witness testimonies to the contrary.
If you have news regarding the whereabouts of the rogue Runner Lise Thornpad, please contact your local constable immediately.
The Accursed, a furry fantasy serial, coming later 2016!
