Run: 2026-03-11-01KKFMG2BKEV22VYBZXA5PJKNM

<nc-section data-title="The First Meeting" data-color="red"> The stone arches of the stables loomed ahead as I slowed Thunder to a walk, the scent of hay and leather filling the air. A man with a scarred visage and a polished silver pauldron emblazoned with a griffon stepped from the shadows of the doorway. "Hold there, boy," he said, his voice a gravelly command that left no room for argument. "State your purpose before you bring that beast further into my courtyard." His hand rested casually, yet ominously, on the pommel of his longsword. </nc-section> <nc-section data-title="A Warm Welcome" data-color="green"> I had just dismounted, my boots hitting the packed earth of the stable yard, when a cheerful voice rang out. "Well met, traveler! You've arrived just as the hour turns to supper." A broad-shouldered knight with kind eyes and a sun-weathered face approached, his gait easy and welcoming. He offered a firm handshake, his grip strong but not crushing. "I am Sir Roland, captain of the garrison here. And you, by the look of your banner, must be the new squire we've been expecting. Let me help you with that." </nc-section> <nc-section data-title="A Knight Distracted" data-color="blue"> Before I could even begin to unsaddle my weary horse, a figure burst from a side door of the stable, muttering to himself. He was tall and thin, his plate armor polished but covered in a fine layer of dust, his hair a wild shock of grey. He looked right through me, his eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the walls. "The eastern pass is snowed in, the King's taxes are late, and now the well is acting up again," he sighed, finally noticing me. He blinked, as if I had appeared by magic. "Ah. Another one. Sir Roland. Mind your business, try not to get eaten by the rats, and if you value your neck, you won't go near the old tower at night." </nc-section>