[Merchants and physicians from Lamordia bear some disturbing news from their homeland -- Gerta von Aubrecker, daughter of Baron Vilhelm von Aubrecker and regent of Lamordia, has disappeared without a trace. They say a handsome stranger had arrived at Schloss Aubrecker a few weeks ago, and Gerta found herself smitten, the man somehow melting the most well-known Lamordian spinster's frozen heart. Now, neither this courtier nor the regent can be found, no matter how hard the Lamordian authorities look.
In Ludendorf, Neufurchtenburg, and indeed, all the major settlements of Lamordia, all is well in spite of this, as the mayors and schultebott continue to quietly govern these towns as they always have -- Vilhelm and his daughter always ruled the country with a light hand. A feeling of malaise can certainly be felt among the populace, but they continue to go about their daily lives regardless.]