Authors

Briefing

(sequel to Your Last Breath)

After struggling my way back to the surface from the icy ocean depths, I strove for what seemed like ages to paddle my raft back to shore. I made it back just at daybreak and got the hell out of the area, unnerved by the sinister things I had discovered...

I obtained some information down there that told me something big is up, the Mechanists are now fighting on the Island of Iron against the undead hordes that stalk there in order to obtain the island for themselves, something the Hammers tried and failed to do. Unsure what to do next, I decided to take a little vacation from the City. With all the Wardens currently skirmishing for power and the City Watch out in force, I felt it would be a wise thing to do while I considered my options.

I arrived in Lithscon, a small town just outside the city, and took up residence at the local inn for the last couple of days........ Now new horrors await me... A group of Hammerites under the leadership of the legendary fighter of the undead Thoren along with a band of hired mercenaries, have been fighting their way deep into a massive underground complex of tombs that had lain quiet and almost forgotten deep under the town's cemetery. Quiet until a mysterious wizard stirred things up and paid for his meddling with his life! (Good thing, I thought, the fewer warlocks, in my opinion, the better... Magic is nothing but trouble in my book!)

I paid a visit to an old friend who ran the local pub; we had collaborated together on a previous job at a nearby Hammer chapel (he just got some information; I took all the risks!). It turns out that the story about the existence of a thieves' hideout in Lithscon is true! He told me the place isn't far from here, the entrance is in a cave on the side of the deep river valley beside the old dam. The thieves had taken residence in the caves and rebuilt them with

brick and mortar to suit their needs through the years. Not long before the 'incident' they broke through to the tombs....

The boss, a man named Willy who was a good friend of my associate, had explored the tombs and even found a secret way into the basement of one of the local nobles named Linus (a real jerk from what I hear, I cased his place a while back and decided it wasn't worth the trouble, the guy's got that it sealed up like a fortress!) My friend says Willy found all kinds of valuables down there, but he forbade anyone from grave robbing on pain of death! Guess he was scared something like this might happen… Smart move... too bad it didn't work! When the shit hit the fan, the thieves were able to seal their hideaway off from the tombs to keep the zombies out.

Despite their good fortune, with the Hammers now reaching the lowest level of the tombs, Willy is planning to leave, but not before he stages a little expedition of his own to see what he can grab for himself before fleeing. Seeing an opportunity to make a SUBSTANTIAL donation to my retirement fund, not to mention my desire to find out more about the Mechanist presence in the area (they've been spotted running around Linus's estate for the last few days, coincidence perhaps? Yeah, right!)

My friend just got back from Willy's place, and I now have a plan... With all the Town watch

patrols between here and the river, it would be too risky to go there right now, but there's a different way....

In the center of town, there is a fenced in area which has a shaft that leads straight down to the deepest point in the tombs! (apparently the Lithscon Town Council doesn't keep good records, my pal said they thought it was just an old access door to the sewers!) I'll slip in the place at dusk, and go down to see what I can steal, plus I'll attempt to find that secret tunnel to Linus's place myself and see what the Metalheads are doing there...

When I'm done, I'll make my exit to the river valley through the thieves' hideout. My passage has been granted by Chief Willy in return for a share of the profits. There's just one thing that bothers me, it doesn't make much sense for Willy's thieves to go roaming around later tonight, when I may have already stolen everything not nailed down. I guess they think I'll end up as zombie chow or a practice dummy for the Hammers...... Time for this Master Thief to prove them wrong!