This bizarre challenge soon arrived on Aaron's desk.
At the time, Aaron had been studying magic with the young lady. Although she could no longer teach him anything more about magic, they could exchange their insights and advance their research together.
But when news of three gravely injured people reached Aaron, he knew he had to intervene.
This was the greatest challenge to his authority as a lord.
The Realms had rules much like those of the Middle Ages: commoners paid taxes to their lords, and lords protected the commoners, forming a dynamic balance. Since the Realms were a fantasy world, commoners sometimes held considerable leverage when they could protect themselves, while powerful lords left their subjects in a weaker position.
Whatever the circumstances, however, a lord who could not protect his people would not remain in power for long.
That was why many great nobles did everything they could to find legendary champions to serve as guardians of their cities and territories, providing them with top-tier military strength.
Of course, the best solution was for the noble lord to be powerful in his own right.
Examples included Alustriel, Queen of Silverymoon; the Blackstaff Lord of Waterdeep; the Soaring Dragon Emperor of Kara-Tur; and the Lich Queen of the Gith in the Astral Plane.
Aaron quickly left the castle, taking only a few personal attendants as he hurried to the scene.
By the time he arrived nearby, Grand Inspector Ian Hutson was already there. Seeing Aaron appear sooner than expected, Ian raised an eyebrow. "Boy, someone has issued you a challenge."
Aaron noticed four bodies laid out in the clearing. The first person was emaciated. Every scrap of muscle tissue had been completely stripped from his body, leaving only skin, nerves, bones, and organs.
The second person had been pumped