Warrior
I’m sorry to hear that your mentor died.
Witch
This Faustus. He’s dead then?
Sorceress
You learned much from this Faustus fellow before he passed away?
Ranger
What became of this Faustus you mentioned?
Huntress
I’m sorry to hear your teacher, Faustus, is no longer with us.
Monk
Faustus, your mentor, has left this world, I take it?
Mercenary
So this old fella, Faustus… he’s dead then?
Druid
This Faustus… I gather he’s no longer with us.
Ange
A rather unwilling mentor, almost unaware he even was one actually… but thanks.
Ange
Oh, yes. Been dead a few years now.
Ange
I did. He was a complicated man, to say the least.
Ange
Well… he’s dead. That’s the short of it.
Ange
Wish I could the say the same! Between you and me, he could be quite grumpy in his later years…
Ange
You mean… he died? Yes. He’s well and truly dead.
Ange
Very much so. Not a massive turnout at his funeral, I must say.
Ange
Afraid not. Not for a few years now.
Ange
Died of natural causes they say, but I’m not so sure… He left Kingsmarch around a decade ago. No one was entirely sure where he went. But when he got back… gosh. He really had changed. He’d both softened {and} hardened. You never quite knew which you’d get. But I could tell… it was caused by fear.
Warrior
And you didn’t ever ask him about it?
Witch
You didn’t think to enquire about it?
Sorceress
Age can change us all. Why didn’t you ask him about this?
Ranger
Just sounds like another grumpy old man.
Huntress
I’ve met an Elder or two like that. Not so uncommon in their older years.
Monk
Perhaps he saw something in the world he wished he hadn’t.
Mercenary
It’s always like that when you come back from holiday. It’s hard to get back into the routine.
Druid
Fear shapes a soul like water shapes stone.
Ange
Oh yes. Very grumpy!
Ange
Certainly, but he still had his mind. It was something else…
Ange
I believe you are right.
Ange
That’s… not exactly what I mean.
Ange
Yes… that’s exactly it. Wore him down, but left sharp edges too.
Ange
I asked him once. It took all my courage to do so. ‘What happened to you, Faustus? Where did you go?’ I asked. He looked me dead in the eye. I still remember the look he had on his face. He was looking at me, but also through me. Like he was somewhere else. Reliving something. He said nothing. Got up and left. They found his body later that night on the dock. Under his coat, he was clutching a small Vaal artefact. I heard he held it so tightly, his hands were bloody… All very strange.