Plans of an Old Man

Once upon a time, there was a man. He was not an important man, but he did his duties faithfully. Spending his days laboring in the fields, he toiled to produce grain and vegetables for the rest of the town. Important a task as it was, it seldom went noticed, except by a few. But this man cared not, for he possessed a kind and noble heart, and he required no reknown for his deeds. Many maidens took a fanciful gaze upon the man, but he was also wise, and he knew not to rush into things as important and powerful as love. One day, he would find the right woman, and, until then, he was content to wait. And so he continued his work, going for the most part unnoticed, until some seasons went by.
During one late summer, in the castle overlooking the town, the Count, quickly aging in body and health, faced the last days of his life. But the Count was an evil man, knowing only greed, lust, and hate. His life, seldom containing happiness, made him cold and bitter. And now, with his life quickly drawing to a close, he wished that life on everyone else. But time was quickly fleeing away, so he called a meeting of his highest ranked knights, the Shadows, who numbered only four. To these knights, the Count said, "My life, loyal knights, is quickly drawing to an end. My misery and grief is unbearable, and the only solace I can think of receiving before my end is to see someone fall worse than I. So to you I give this task. Though each of you will have your own part, you will all be working together. Your part, Roussillon, most loyal and skilled of all my knights, is to go to the town and find the most kind and noble man, and find a way to lead him on a quest to his death. Let it be a quest that offers him whichever reward you deem that he seeks the most. And after his quest comes to it's end, it will be you, Roussillon, that will shatter the Wayfarer's hopes."
To this, Roussillon laughed in mockery. "And here I thought you were going to give me a task worthy of my skill. I will not only do what you ask, but I will make it so that he experiences such pain and sorrow that he will curse God for putting him on the earth. He will cry tears of blood, and his screams of anguish will tear the hearts of all those around him. But in order to do this, Count, I will need a little time, and free access to whatever resources I need."
The Count looked to Roussillon and smiled. "You, Roussillon, will have access to whatever is in or of my house. Everything I have, you can use for your quest." Roussillon nodded in approval.
"For you, Alsace," said the count, "I give you another part. You are a master of disquise and deception, and you are going to use these skills on this task. You will follow the Wayfarer on his quest, and when he starts to lose hope, or he loses his way, you will be there to offer guidance. Only give him enough to continue his travels, so that you can lead him to his end."
Alsace stared at the Count blankly, and he didn't say a word. He was always like that, however, and he always did as he was told. The years in the Count's service made him unquestioning, and unemotional. The many years using his skills to torment the Count's enemies had shattered his psyche, and now he felt nothing. Fear, pain, anger, jealousy, doubt, and love, all emotions were lost to him. The only time he came close to feeling them was when he was acting them, a skill he had gotten quite proficient at in order to feel the hint of emotion. Knowing that nothing else was to be expected from Alsace, the Count continued.
"To you, Loire, I give the easiest task of all. After Roussillon has dashed all hopes from the Wayfarer, it will be you who ends his life. Your mastery of the bow will allow you to follow far behind and reward you with an instant kill. I apologize for giving such a skilled hunter as you such a boring task, but I could trust no one's aim other than yours."
Loire's sense of duty, especially to his Lord, was great, and he replied simply, "I will do as my Lord commands."
The Count looked at Loire hesitantly, and said, "Of all my knights, Loire, I know you least of all, and your time in my service has not spanned long. I hope your reputation as a hunter will not fail me."
Loire replied, "Sir, my time outside of your service and in the wild has taught me everything I know. If not for that, I would not have the skills you seek."
"Your point is well made, Loire. I have faith that you will do the task I have appointed to you."
"Whatever my Lord commands," said Loire.
Finally satisfied, the Count looked upon the last Shadow. "To you, Aquitaine, I give the most important task. Without the satisfactory completion of your task, all other tasks are meaningless. Your skill in telling stories is known throughout the land. That is why I am giving you this task. You are to follow the Wayfarer with Loire and chronicle the Wayfarer's travels. Tell everything of note in the story, including his trials, torments, false hopes, and anguish. Then, tell me how far a man can fall. You will then bring your story back to me, so that I may have some joy before I die, knowing someone has suffered worse than I. If you give me this joy, I will leave you with everything I own, and you shall be the new count of this land."
And Aquitaine looked at the count, realizing the importance of his task. "Count," said Aquitaine, "I will give you a story better than you have ever heard, and one unlike any other."