The story starts in Tix.

You are in Tix, a traveller with intentions of your own.  Tix has always been
a friendly city to outsiders, and has excellent accommodations.  You stay at
your favourite inn, and take a rare opportunity to relax.  You've heard the
rumours of the impending conflict with Thessaly, but they seem to be unfounded.

After a few drinks of your favourite beverage, and a hearty meal, you retire to your
room for some much-needed rest before continuing with your plans.  That night, you
are rudely awakened by sounds of fighting and yelling in the streets.  Grabbing
your things, you rush to the window and throw open the shutters, seeing as you do
so several other travellers doing the same thing in other windows.  In the streets
below, bearing torches, is the Tix army.  They appear to be going door-to-door,
searching for something, and you see large numbers of prisoners being taken away
toward the palace.

Not wishing to be a part of this, you gather your things and head out into the
hall, again joined by many other of the inn's residents.  As you rush down the
stairs, the door to the inn bursts open and a captain in the army steps inside,
holding a crossbow.  He looks at you and the others, and speaks as more soldiers
enter the room behind him.  "Good morning, travellers.  I regret this
inconvenience, but the Governor has ordered all foreigners be detained for
questioning, in order to find a spy.  You will be released in the morning if you do
not resist.  The city is locked down - do not attempt to escape."

By this time, about ten soldiers have filled the tavern that makes up most of
the inn's first floor, and the innkeeper has appeared behind the bar, keeping
his hands where the soldiers can see them.

At this time, everyone has a choice.  Surrender, or try to escape.  You are
not all in the same inn, although one or two of you may be.  To make things
simple, you don't know any of the other travellers with you when the soldiers
entered, and most of them appear to be surrendering.

You are efficiently but politely herded out of the inn and into the cool night air.
 The streets are filled with soldiers moving about with loaded crossbows, or
sheathed swords, and often both.  Squads of about ten soldiers are escorting groups
of 5 to 10 travellers of various races toward the palace.

You also notice that a large number of mages bearing the Tix military uniform
are moving back and forth, occasionally using this spell or that.  You are
unable to determine what they are casting, but it usually at the request of
an officer.

After a relatively short march across town, you find yourself within the 
gates of the palace compound.  You are moved single-file into a door at the
base of the palace, and led down a wide stone hall to a holding room.  Inside
you find a table and a dozen chairs, and some fresh hay, apparently to be 
used for bedding.  The room is lit by a single glowing stone on the centre of
the table, obviously magical in nature.  The door is closed behind you.