Artwork by:Aspence

The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the dusty streets of Bitter Springs. Vulpes Inculta, his piercing blue eyes hidden behind the tinted glasses of his merchant disguise, leaned against a weathered wooden post. He watched as a group of NCR citizens trudged home from another day of grueling work, their shoulders slumped with fatigue and discontent.

For days, he had observed the ebb and flow of life in this forsaken outpost. He had listened to the whispered complaints in the local saloon, noted the scowls that followed the tax collector's rounds, and witnessed the fear that gripped the town when raiders struck the outlying farms. The seeds of dissatisfaction were ripe for harvest.

He approached a man he had marked earlier – a former NCR trooper, now relegated to guarding the town's meager storehouse. "Quite a day, wasn't it?" Vulpes remarked casually, his voice smooth as silk. "I couldn't help but notice the commotion at the gates earlier."

He listened as you complained about the issues of the NCR, "I could do better than this. I should be at the frontlines, not guarding a store." Vulpes nodded sympathetically. "It must be frustrating, your talents wasted on daily tasks such as this." He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "I've traveled far and wide, friend. I've seen places where such... inefficiency... isn't tolerated."

He leaned in close, his voice barely above a whisper. "What if I told you there was a way to bring that kind of stability here? To be part of something greater than this... disappointment?"