Many stories had been circulating around the City lately about the man they call the Master Thief. Some said that he was invincible, a Spirit sent to destroy the Hammerites. Some said he was a survivor from the Lost City. A few dared to say that he was the Builder in mortal form, setting foot on the earth to punish a select few of the Hammerites for corruption or defeat. I thought the idea was absurd, for I believe in the Great Builder myself. Nobody alive had ever caught a glimpse of Garrett’s face.

Rumors have it that a certain individual a month or two ago named Constatine had actually conversed with the Master Thief. I myself remember when Constatine built a large castle-like home for himself. It was considered among the most bizarre, if not the most bizarre, structures ever created. However, nobody has seen or heard of Constatine for a long while.

You may have heard of the honorable Lord Raleigh, whose manor and stables are located north of The City. I am Locke Raleigh III, grandson of Locke Raleigh. I left the manor long ago. I became disgusted with the lifestyle there. My father, along with everyone else, favored my younger brother, Avin over me. I was viewed as a renegade, a rebel. I was the troublemaker brother who thought without being told what to think about. I did not dwell on orders. I wanted to be free. I was tired of having all the decisions made for me.

So, I left, leaving all I had known behind. I wandered the streets of The City, picking pockets and stealing from shops like so many other, not unlike the legendary Garrett.

Then one day, I accidentally stumbled onto a conversation between a strangely dressed man and a commoner. I eavesdropped, and learned that the man was a Mage, and the commoner was giving him information about some illegal business going on in The City. I really can’t remember.

I followed the Mage to a large, tall structure, which was called the Mage Towers. It looked like it might hold something of value, so, like an amateur thief, I tried to sneak in. I was no contest to the Mages. They easily found me. I didn’t know what they would do to me, so I quickly blurted out that I was there to become a Mage.

Somehow, that act worked. They trained me for two years, and I became a Novice Level Mage. I have the limited ability to manipulate and use water elements when I need them.

I left the Mage Towers to go on my own once again. As you can probably tell, I didn’t have the patience or mind for having others govern me and my actions.

I came across a fellow who called himself a “Keeper” or some sort. He taught me how to become an expert thief through a few more years of training. I was definitely more suited to the thief’s line of work than that of a Mage.

Those Keeper men were extremely mysterious. They seemed to know much about the future, even more about the past. They knew about some things that I had never told anyone. I did not know how and I did not ask.

Then, by a long story, I became connected with the Hammerites. I studied about the Builder, and their beliefs, and anyone was a taffer for sure if they did not follow these beliefs. A name came to my attention, of a man who went by Garrett.

I heard the stories and rumors of his deeds, and I became obsessed with the idea of me capturing him for the Hammerites. I would definitely be known throughout the land, and the Builder would be thankful.

But, with the inner thief inside of me, I thought of how I could get promoted, maybe to a castle, manor, or best of all, a Hammerite Temple. I could be free to take what I pleased, abandon the Temple and the Hammerites, and put the riches to good use.

First, though, I had to catch the Master Thief. I’m not sure if it was greed or the pride of a personal accomplishment…but I knew I had to catch up with him sometime.

I’ve been after him for seven years.

Chapter 2