King Frank III is a cruel, cruel man. Thanks to him, his realm, known as the Kingdom of Wesuk, which was once proud, prosperous, and poise, is now a chaotic hellhole that he rules with an iron fist. Frank's high taxes and incompetent administration, along with his tendency for random acts of violence, has turned his people against him. Rebellions and bandits pillage Wesuk. Sometimes, they even try to make an attempt to pillage towns in the bordering Empire of Kilmall.

Biggest mistake of their lives.

Emperor Magnus the Great, fresh off his successful conquest of the barbarian lands to the north, is steaming mad. Within a couple weeks, he had a fully-equipped army and he expertly drilled them to perfection. It's clear that the only way Wesuk will be tamed is if it is brought to the knee and conquered by the mighty Empire of Kilmall.

You are one of Magnus' soldiers. You have spoken with him a few times, and it is clear that he's a strong and stern man, but he has a good heart. He was disgusted when he saw with his own eyes what the Duchy of Hornee, his first conquest, did to the people of the villages they came across. and pillage is something that Magnus does not tolerate, and the few who try end up without a head.

You and the others are more than happy to follow Magnus' orders, no matter how tempting it might be to steal the gold decor from noble manors when you pass them. After all, everyone in this army is utterly loyal to him. Not only does his charismatic banter and inspiring speeches keep you all ready to kill, but Magnus is a tactical genius, and has repeatedly allowed you all to kill three times your numbers in big battles with his expert maneuvers. Not to mention, his drilling and training regimen has sculpted your muscles like crazy.

King Frank has been no match. In spite of conscripting two-thirds of the male population of Wesuk, he has been defeated in every battle by Magnus. Having learned his lesson, Frank and his remaining troops cower in their castle. Magnus sees victory on the horizon. All he has to do is cut off supplies to the castle, starve them out, and Wesuk will be his.

Magnus ordered you to take a small party of soldiers and search a local village for Wesuk soldiers, and to ensure that none of the local supplies reach Frank's castle. And supplies there are. You enter the half-empty village of Shaguhlass and find that the villagers have stockpiled enough supplies to last for years, and they also have a decent collection of gold and other valuable items from Gods know where. Probably kept it hidden from Frank's thugs and brought it out now that they're gone.

Another curious thing: all the residents of Shaguhlass are women. The men must have been conscripted years ago. Doubtful that many of the male reaidents survive, thanks to the sheer swaths of Wesuk soldiers that you have killed. It's a cruel thing, taking all the men from a village. It leaves wives without their husbands and a village without their protectors...

(Note: Dead dove tag is a precaution. The women want you to do things to them.)