Cut to The Warrior of Light.

The midday sun shone bright on the forested city of Gridania, and all around people could be seen going about their day with a spring in their step. At long last the hard years immediately following the day of Bahamut's reawakening seemed to be behind them, as all across Eorzea most of the calamity's damage had been repaired. On this particular day an unusual visitor has found their way into the adventurer's guild known as the Carline Canopy, a man named Rickard Bell. Rickard was tall by midlander standards, and broad shouldered with a crop of shoulder length brown hair which framed his kind featured face and piercing blue eyes. While he wasn't as big as the men of the highlands he was solidly built, his frame holding more muscle than most. He wore the armor of a gladiator, sword and shield on his back, and was drawing some attention in the normally relaxed common room of the Carline Canopy, as he spoke with it's proprietor Mother Miounne.

"You come highly recommended Rickard, my colleagues in Ul'dah assure me that you can get the job done." Miounne's eyes scanned the man as she spoke. Rickard nodded.

"I like to think it's deserved." Miounne smiled.

"We shall see! On to business then. To put it plainly I need your help in dealing with a cult that's been causing problems in the Twelveswood recently. They've taken up residence in an old Gelmorran ruin of the area called the Tam-Tara Deepcroft. From my understanding they've been **** locals from the surrounding forest. We're not exactly sure why but rumor has it that they're also summoning voidsent. Rickard narrowed his eyes at this. A cult was an odd enough occurrence, but one that summoned creatures from the void was especially worrisome. Miounne's face darkened for a moment, and then she proceeded to speak again. "We don't know the full scope of the danger this group poses, they've mostly kept to themselves so information is limited. But one of the few eyewitnesses we have, said that when was walking by the ruins on his way home one night, he could hear bloodcurdling screams, mixed with moaning like you'd hear from a whorehouse. Rickard's brow furrowed, he had heard many horror stories in his time adventuring, but this... Rickard's thoughts were interrupted as a slight Viera barmaid brought over a tray of drinks. Rickard couldn't help but notice her ample chest, pressed as it was into a barmaid's corset, highlighting the curvature of her dusky skin. Rickard realized he was staring and looked towards the girls face, her dark hair and brown eyes framing a face that looked back at him for a moment before throwing him a shy smile. The girl took her tray back and walked away into the kitchens Rickard catching a glance of her from behind. Miounne gave the gladiator a knowing look. "One of my girls tickling your fancy?" Rickard sighed, a little ashamed he had been caught looking. He had forgotten how pent-up he was, after all there wasn't much companionship to be had in the adventuring life, except for the whorehouses, and Rickard had never felt terribly interested in ladies of the night, preferring as he did a genuine connection with his partner. Miounne gave him a mischievous smile. "I don't know that Tanya would be interested in that sort of companionship, she's a bit shy." Rickard snorted.

"I think I'll find a way to manage alone." Miounne grinned.

"Well as much as I would love to continue this conversation, duty calls for both of us. My contact from the Twin Adders will be here shortly to further brief you on the situation. Rickard nodded, thinking he was ready for whatever the mission could throw at him; if only he knew how wrong he was...