A Courier of Fortune

In the sweltering heat of a July market in the French town of Morvaix, townsfolk of every class gather under the shadow of the great Cross of St. Jean, their faces marked by anxiety and anger. At the center of the crowd a handsome, sober‑dressed cavalier watches, his sharp blue eyes scanning for a missing figure whose delay threatens his plans. The atmosphere is electric, a mix of fear, whispered rumors, and the restless murmurs of soldiers and merchants alike. As tension builds, the cavalier moves toward two cloaked monks, his demeanor shifting from impatience to wary caution.

The younger monk, Pascal, jokes with a faux‑military salute, while his elder companion, Dubois, urges discretion, hinting at a covert operation already in motion. The cavalier, who has adopted the alias Gerard de Cobalt, reveals a tangled web of deception involving a fabricated request to the governor and a phantom army of friars. Their conversation suggests a larger scheme that could reshape power in the region, setting the stage for a dangerous game of secrets and loyalty.