An older Gruff leans back in his chair - once bare, it is now padded and covered in leather - in a secret, but lavish hideout near Oxford and surveys all that he has created. Parchment falls across his desk on an hourly basis, bringing reports from his operations in England and across Europe. The early days of Thieves Guild in London, and the dark times following the destruction of the final hideout in Palermo are now long gone, and the meticulous nature of the reports that Gruff is putting off poring over demonstrates how organised and streamlined the guild has become. He takes his pen, and spends the next few moments rolling it between his fingers, trying to think of how to reply to the news that the Guild Hideout in Alexandria has been utterly wiped out. They will rebuild of course, they always do, but it is an irritating set-back, and in his older age Gruff is getting less patient. Grumbling, he drops the pen and decides to go for a walk instead.
Heading out into the main chamber of the Guild's headquarters the sound of the green recruits being instructed in the necessary tools of the trade: Gruff's own trademark spell, Touch of Weakness, now being a common standby for the magically inclined thieves. He paces around the room, making a show of observing the training drills, even though his mind is truly elsewhere. Eventually a messenger runs through the door dressed in colours that seem very much different from the blacks and muted browns that the thieves prefer - it was time for the weekly report to the Masons. This was always a much easier task, in Gruff's mind: the guild goes in and breaks down a castle for loot, then Gruff sends the Masons to fix what they had previously broken. Money flows to the guild from the theft, and then also to the Masons from fixing their own problems, and both times money flows up to Gruff. It was quite a ruse, even if he does say so himself. Forwin Griff hears coin clink in his pocket, and smiles.
Forwin Griff staggers through the streets of Alexandria, bleeding from a wound in his side. “I'm getting too old for this shit.” he thinks, while trying to hold the blood in. Alexandria had been a trap - he should have know that the staggering pace at which they had managed to rebuild was suspicious. That's what he gets for being trusting… still, he had managed to get out with his life: if he can make it to a doctor as soon as possible. Fortunately for Griff, he stumbles across an apothecary two more streets towards the docks. As Gruff convalesces, he comes to the conclusion that it's time to get out of the game, he's getting too old, and too slow, and he's manage to earn enough money to last him the rest of his life. Still, he never saw himself as spending his last years just sitting around in a house somewhere. But soon, a plan comes to him.
Valentina is sitting in her office in the Merchant's Guild House in Venice, when there is a knock on the door; in walks in an old bearded man who is nevertheless still recognisable as Forwin Griff.
“Hi there, Valentina. I've got a business proposal for you: wouldn't you like to know how all of your stock has been going missing these last few years, and how I can fix that for you… for a price.”