The tranquility of the Order of the Green Thumb was shattered not by thunder or storm, but by the clatter of armored hooves and the glint of steel beneath a late afternoon sun. A contingent of the Baron von Hess’s personal guard, a motley crew of mercenaries and brigands, surrounded the monastery's outer walls. Their presence was a stark violation of the Order’s self-imposed seclusion, a deliberate intrusion that sent shivers of unease through the usually serene gardens.