[13th day of Rhaan, 998YK]
"You must stop this at once, Balthazar! Or I will be forced to stop you...and you may not find that so pleasant," the warforged says grimly.
"You mistake me for the villain in one of those ridiculous telescryer shows, monologuing for the audience's benefit while the hero foils my dastardly plot," the tall, robed figure says with a chuckle in his voice. "We've known each other for years; do you really think I would have explained anything were there the slightest possibility that you could affect the outcome? No, my old friend, you of all people should know that I leave nothing to chance. This chamber has been harvesting the fruits of my labor for years, and those energies will be released automagically in," he checks his timepiece, "20 seconds now, more or less."
As the warforged charges toward the chamber, a blue nimbus builds around him. Saint Elmo's fire crackles across his arms and chest as he lunges at Balthazar, knocking both to the floor. Blue lightning sprays outward from the figures on the floor, and when it has ceased, the chamber is empty. The telescryer flickers and goes dark as the security recording ends.
"That concludes the background briefing. Unfortunately, this was all our forensic team was able to recover of the recording, so we have no idea what Balthazar was plotting. Apparently agent Thrum does, though, so locating and debriefing him is priority one. Begin your investigation in Balthazar's lab." The Breland Investigative Service captain's tone leaves no room for debate.
