Main Session

The party found themselves wandering in the woods, sunlight speckling through the trees to colour their attire as the hard dirt roads grazed against their boots. After a few minutes, the town came into view.

Beneath a soft clouded blue sky, the inviting town of Emberwynd sat along their sightline. There were no towering buildings but a well crafted stone chapel stood proudly among the others constructed almost entirely of wood. The church had a bell tower that began calling out to them, welcoming the party as they recognised the symbol detailing the brick work that suggested the worship of Lyren which was not uncommon among humans.

Around the perimeter of the city was a 8ft blackened stone wall and a few guard towers – nothing major but the town was somewhat defended. As they stepped passed the wall along the main road, they saw a few buildings off to their right that eventually lead to a stables meant for transport but eager shouting quickly stole their attention.

"Ember Tea! Get your world famous Ember Tea!" The rich scent of ginger and cinnamon filled the air, steam lazily drifting from the right side of the road, inviting even on a mild weathered sunny day,
"Grilled skewers! 5 for just a single Gold! Buy 'em now before they're gone!" The stall to left called out, displaying mouth-watering skewers of beef, chicken and pork, likely locally sourced from farmed animals.

"Silks, leather, cloth, all of your tailouring needs!*" The street was lined with market stalls, a clear road into the town with only a few buildings either side, it was clear Emberwynd was well aware it was a bit of a tourist town and they were making full use of it.

Up ahead, the town seemed to grow busier, forming into more densely packed houses and stores, taverns and craftshops. The streets had people casually walking by, though even for a lively town it wasn't exactly bustling, it was a comfortable amount, the streets wide enough for people to come and go without crowding.

She stops just short of the stalls, turning around with a smile "Smell that? That's how you know you're in Emberwynd!" She laughs, looking pleased to be back, "I'm thinking we just go straight for it, check out the building that's got every one fussing! What do you think?"

Nezryn's eyes catch on the stalls advertising food, especially the one boasting a cinnamon scent. "Mhm!" She hums, either completely missing or ignoring the latter part of the question, "Smells great - 5 skewers for a gold doesn't sound too bad? When have we last eaten? When have I last eaten..."

The answer, realistically, is not that long ago.

"What's your favorite things to eat?" She asks the locals, Leona and Elric, "And of course, if it can be obtained here. Otherwise that'd be an absolute tease-"

He rubs the back of his neck, letting out a sigh, "I have to admit, my favourite is always the fish. Emberwynd is known for it's river fishing. Up until recently that is. There's been local reports of fishermen going missing when heading out to the river and thanks to that a lot of the locals are refusing to risk it. I'm not sure when the last time I saw freshly caught local fish on the market stalls, actually." Elric replies as they step through the streets together.

"That's not all, you didn't even tell them the scary part!" Leona chimes in whether it was wanted or not, "There's also been rumours and gossip of those lost fisherman haunting the river, not letting anyone else near it. There's an old cave down by the river which they're said to be guarding!" She gives a laugh, "Ooo~ I haven't scared all of you, have I? It's just townsfolk being bored, making up some stories to spice up life around here." Leona shrugs dismissively

"Actually...I had thought the same. Now, after seeing those things in the forest I'm a little less likely to agree. We've also been getting more reports of monsters in the area acting increasingly violent, less territorial like before and now out right aggressive instead. Maybe it's something to do with that strange black mist we saw?"

“It’s… plausible.” They didn’t know much about the black mist just yet, but Eldric’s words did ring something with Ophelia. “I wonder if that’s why you were attacked by the squirrels,” she directed at Nezyrn.

“You mentioned you hadn’t done anything to threaten them or their territory; perhaps it was less personal than I thought.”

Nevertheless, their focus shouldn’t have been on woodland creatures. “We’d like to see the building now,”

She shared a glance with Ardira before adding, “please.” At the end of her sentence.

Nezryn saddens slightly at the thought of food waiting until later, but nonetheless, nods in understanding, "building it is, then. Is it far?"

Unless anyone is paying Vaeri any particular attention, no one quite notices that she (unintentionally) slips away as they enter the town.

One moment she’s toddling along at the back of the group, head snapping in every direction, eyes wide with awe- and the next, she is simply gone.

It’s only when they hear the frantic pitter-patter of someone sprinting up the road behind them that it is made clear she had ever wandered away in the first place.

Vaeri skids to a stop back behind the crew, chest heaving from running, arms overflowing with meat skewers. Ten to be precise.

“I have never seen people selling things just… outside!” she declares. “What a what a novel concept! And for only two gold! I thought it was a trap at first, but no- look! They just happily took my money!”

She immediately begins handing skewers out to anyone within reach, practically pressing them into hands whether asked for or not. She keeps two tucked aside for herself. Well… one for herself, and one she tucks carefully into her satchel.

“Anyway! What were we talking about? The building, right?” She lifts her skewer like a baton. “Lead the way!”

The street looks as normal as any other in Emberwynd but at the end of the street was the very obviously ruined house. The surface materials have all been stripped away, eroded by time. The wood had been stripped bare, revealing exposed darkened stone weathered by time, As the party get up close to inspect it, a soft whisper of uaahh radiates from it, an unnerving presence just like what you experienced from the undead at Emberwynd Pass.

Unlike the undead though, the building didn't seem to be suffering from the same aging that you witnessed, instead the building seemed just fine- it just seemed naturally old, you could imagine this building was a 1 to 1 replica of the one that apparently stood here just days before. Ophelia can't help but let her curiosity overcome her, tracking closer to the building.

Ardira protectively tails her, just in time for Ophelia to trip, stumbling forward. She clatters against the front of the building and hears a rumble, she glances up, just in time to see a cobblestone rock wobble dangerously. It steals her breath away as it suddenly falls, her instincts only just snapping her back into scurrying backwards.

Ardira turns around, wondering if Ophelia was alright, unaware of the falling rubble. Ophelia pushes her out of the way, the feeling that she'd endangered her friend causing her to panic and act without thinking. Ardira being a skilled combatant gracefully slid with the push, catching her footing with ease just in time to see the rubble shatter against the floor where she stood just moments ago.

"Guess that's a sign not to get too close, this thing looks like it could fall over at any minute." He says, pressing a boot to one of the stones that used to be a window, pushing it through with very little effort, "Even the ground beneath this place is grey and ruined, just like what was happening with that strange magic back in the forest. In a rather round about away, it seems like we have some form of clue at least."

"But if that mist was anywhere in town, people would've reported it." She folds her arms, "Besides, this building has been like this for a few days and hasn't gotten any worse...well other than a few new falling bits of rubble. Surely if it was so drenched in that magic, it'd still be getting worse. This place looks like its been here like hundreds and hundreds of years and then some!"

She trailed past the party, moving closer to inspect the building that’d suddenly become so brittle—darkened, a strangeness radiating in waves that Ophelia couldn’t help but wander toward.

She wished she hadn’t.

Her boot caught on something just enough to make her stumble forward. She glanced up at the stone bricks and debris; their uncertainty warned her as the cobblestone rattled. A breath escaped her, and Ophelia reacted quickly enough to step aside—her eyes widening with alarm when she noticed Ardira so close.

Her arms shot forward along with her body, stumbling into the elf, who caught herself just as the stone clattered to the ground.

She let out a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry,” Ophelia apologized, guilt and contemplation seeping into her tone just as they did her features.

“Sorry.”

Ardira blinked, the sharp crack of stone against earth still ringing in her ears. For a heartbeat she simply stared at the shattered rubble, then at Ophelia — wide-eyed, breath uneven and shoulders tight.

Stepping closer, her voice steady despite the sudden surge of adrenaline still humming in her limbs, she reached out — brushing a stray bit of dust from Ophie’s shoulder.

“You don’t need to apologize for saving me. You acted before I even noticed the danger.” Ardira let a small, reassuring smile tug at her lips. “Just… next time, perhaps warn me before you hurl yourself at me?” Ardie joked warmly with a quiet giggle.

She glanced at the building again, the uncanny stillness of it settling over her like a cold veil.

“Whatever this is… we’re here now. Might as well keep going!!”

Ardira’s laugh eased the conflict on her face and a blush crept on the edges of her cheeks. “… next time.” She assured her. Ophelia kept a careful eye on her friend during, but noticeably created some distance.

“It does,” she spoke, replying to Leona without glancing past her as she continued to examine the building. “Look hundreds of years old, this kind of rapid aging…” the scholar shook her head.

“Assuming it was intentionally done by a magic user—chronurgy—while not something I’ve studied myself—you’d have to be… extremely practiced, overtly powerful to speed—or slow down time enough to…”

Age a building?

Ophelia ran a hand over the cobblestone, history that hadn’t been was etched every inch. “I don’t believe that’s where your assumptions laid to begin with. So, my point may be irrelevant and we’re still at square one of an unnatural occurrence.”

She glanced back at their guides.
“Undead, creatures abnormally aggressive, and hadn’t you mentioned disappearances?”

He rubs the back of his neck, the action looking more like a coping mechanism for stress now that he'd done it a second time, "Well you see, the problem is also one Emberwynd's biggest strengths." He waits to see if the others are following before continuing.

"Tourists."

"Lots of people come and go from Emberwynd, day in day out, most without any form of record and even more without any family, relatives or co-workers. Rumours of those going missing by the lake feel like a story you'd tell children to stop them messing around by the fast flowing water."

"Its been reported to the guard captain though! If that's what you mean." She looks disatisfied, "It's not like we have the man power to launch an investigation over there, though."

"The guard here are on duty mostly just to watch the streets, keep things sorta civil, yknow? They watch the stalls, entrances and some even get paid by locals to watch busy taverns or resteraunts which helps fund our operations. Stuff like keeping equipment in good shape, maintaining the walls, paying the guards, that kind of thing."

"The town does budget for us but believe me, the extra helps. I think what Leona is trying to say is that if there really is something so dangerous by the river then sending over underprepared town guards in groups of 2 or 3 might end up in dead town guards in groups of 2 or 3."

Elric heaves a sigh at the prospect, "Emberwynd is doing well, there are some extra guards in training but they're still young lads n lasses. The locals usually aim for things that bring in the money — can't blame them, but learnin' a craft or selling hospitality is almost an obvious choice. The turn over for a busy tavern here probably makes more in a single night than a guard might in a week or even a month!"

She folds her arms, "Here we go..." Leona can't help but roll her eyes, "Ranting about this again, even in front of newcomers, it's not like they're going to give you a pay raise." She jokes, though her expression looks like she may share his frustration.

"Usually we aren't assigned to the town, we'll visit other places, maybe pick up work similar to how you adventurers do – again it's about bringing in money for the guard service."

"This whole, oh your regular old building has turned into a dusty pile of rocks thing has people so worried that we can't afford to ignore it." (edited)Sunday, 30 November 2025 00:01

"Oh! But don't worry, the guard does have a good amount stowed away, our captain is just the type of woman to be spinning plates and planning ahead, so it's not like we're going to struggle to pay you for your hard work or anything!"
30 November 2025

As Leona and Elric take over the conversation and the party gathers around the building, the clunking of metal boots against the street's dirt road, interrupting the pair explaining the situation. A woman with long black hair wearing an ornate set of silver and black full plate approached the group.

"There you are! I had expected a report by now." She says to the pair before addressing the party, "Ah- You must be the new hires. I'm Thea, Emberwynd's guard captain with a thousand other things to be doing right now." She jokes, offering a smile before shaking her hair loose from her shoulders, "I wasn't aware you'd all arrived already."

"There was a bit of a situation in the forest, this is their first time seeing the building. We were going to fill you in the on the details after." Elric says, looking towards Leona who gives a nod of agreement, "This thing feels like it might fall over at any second..."

"That's fine." She squints in thought, "Maybe you'll figure something out we can't, so take as much time as you'd like...though, I'm not sure what good standing around this old ruin will do other than prettying up the place." She folds her arms in front of her chest, "I caught the back-end of your conversation. You may have a lead in the occurrences at the lake, if you feel like the information isn't reputable, maybe consulting locals who can provide more information on them would be a logical next step."

"Taverns, the local craftsman or even other fisherman, maybe there's something we can find out."

Nezryn, dumbstruck by the series of events that occurred before her, quietly gnaws on the meat skewer she was handed. She listens intently to the conversation being passed between guides... No... Guards? She tries to follow - tries. She's not used to being told so much new information in such a short amount of time.

"So, we can socialize as per our job to learn more? Taverns?" More snacks? She thinks, as well. "Oh, I've forgotten to introduce myself again, my apologies, Thea. I'm Nezryn, and I will fully admit I am mildly jealous of your coolness- Was your armor forged locally? Are there woodcarvers here along with smiths?"

She gives a soft smile at the compliment, "That's awfully kind of you to say, don't get many compliments like that in my line of work, it's usually dealing with lines like "*it won't happen again." so it's a nice change of pace." She looks down at her armour, dusting it off slightly with her hands, "It was forged locally, yes, we've plenty of smiths here if that's your interest.

As for woodcarvers..." She thinks on it for a minute, wrapping an arm over her waist while the other sits neatly upon it, using the side of her fist to support her chin, "There are definitely carpenters - usually they're more focused on things like furniture and wood working but I wouldn't be surprised if one knew their way around a crafting knife!"

"Oh, I am not one to wear armor or anything," she adds, "Just trying to think that if there were local smiths who often work closely with the guards for their armor, that they would hear a lot of the going's on. Seamstresses and those sorts of creatives get all the gossip - especially the ones that are interacting with people of all sorts of backgrounds like the incoming guards Elric mentioned." Though the girl might not be well versed in the arcane studies or nature, she sure seems to have a grasp on socializing and the spread of information, "Was curious about the woodworking because I'm a little familiar with music, too. And should a craftsman be up for smoothing out a few nicks on my violin, that'd be a perfect time to strike up conversation. Woodcarvers have to get their materials from somewhere... And that somewhere means wood... And trees... Therefore forests... Therefore potential spooky magic sightings?"

She blinks. "Gods I've rambled on- apologies," she says just before biting into her last little hunk of meat on the skewer.

"You've definitely got the enthusiasm, I'll give you that!" Thea gives a small laugh, "They're all ideas decent enough, if fishermen are going missing maybe there's other happenings going on I'm not aware of." She looks up, her eyes tracing the ruined building behind all of you, "Even if they don't necessarily know anything about how the hell a building is fine one night and barely standing in the morning, maybe they'll give us some threads to follow."

“Yes, I’d imagine we’d want to follow up on any leads possible.” The woman removed her glasses, handing them to Wisper.

The townspeople were promising in question, anything they knew would likely point them in a direction—or a theory they hadn’t yet dreamt up.

“Where is your nearest tavern? Hm, maybe not nearest, but most frequented.”

"There's quite a busy one nearby, it's a few streets away, I'm sure Elric and Leona can take you there." She replies, "It's called The Firepit, I doubt it'll be as rowdy as it gets on a night but there'll definitely be a few locals in there. even at this time." Thea adds, her tone suggesting she wasn't overly impressed by the day drinking.

"Now, we've got our things in order, I shall be at the guard quaters if you need anything of me." She looks at Elric and Leona, wordlessly instructing that they take care of things.

"Oh it's pretty nice in there! They do these really good steak pies with gravy, they're huge, I can barely get through like half of it before I feel like falling asleep. Let's head over there, I'll lead." She says, all but dragging the party towards the tavern that was only a few streets away from the ruined building.

Leona enthusiastically turns around to address the party, "We're here!" she says, placing her hands on her hips with a smile, as if gauging how impressed everyone was. From the outside, the tavern looked homely. A small black lantern hung by it's entrance, it's walls painted white with pretty wooden beams decorating their surface. Everyone was familiar with a building like this, except for Vaeri who was still adjusting though she'd definitely seen a tavern before, her's always looked a little different.

"Let's head in, Thea will probably get grumpy if we don't get any leads." She scoffs, pushing open the sturdy oak door with a satisfying creak of effort.

As you enter, a warmth passes over you along with the smell of spiced ale, similar to ginger beer, there's a wide range of home cooked meals filling the sizeable tavern with scents. An older woman can be seen working behind the bar, smiling away at customers as if they were her own family, a younger woman worked besides her who looked similar enough to be her daughter.

The tavern was still rather busy but not enough to make the party feel unwelcome, there was plenty of space, the place was just performing well. Mixed groups of different races gathered at tables enjoying food and drink while the party quickly taken note of anyone who might seem willing to chat.

Sitting close to the entrance was an elven woman, she was casually shuffling playing cards while eyeing the newcomers like a free meal ticket, a glass of red wine half full by her side. In the corner of the room was a studious man, a small ferret on his shoulder as he looked up from his book in interest.

A world weary, older gentlemen with deep creases on their face sat at a bar stool, he gave a gruff noise of recognition before raising his drink to his lips, it was likely he knew who came in and out of the tavern if the near empty glass of ale in his hand could be trusted. An elven male looked to be on their lunch break, digging in to a simple meal of soup and bread while scribbling down notes into a small diary-like book, the man looked to be a craftsman, still dressed in work clothes.

One of the waitresses was leaned up against one of the beams of the tavern, looking bored. With everyone currently served or mostly drinking, she seemed to be free to chat. Across from the bar was a noble looking man, his arms were folded across the table making him appear impatient or troubled as he stared out of the window. Finally, the party spotted a well dressed man in casual clothing, the cloak draped around him more a fashion statement rather than the cloak of an adventurer, he'd managed to sneak his feet up on the opposite bench at the table he was sat at, lounging into a booth with a glass of ale.

A light nudge found Ophelia's side, followed with a dip of chin towards the tavern's patrons. "Which do you think might have something to tell about the missing, if you were to guess?" Eris asked, though the question was posed for the party at large.

She glanced over at the subtle nudge. The hustle and bustle of the tavern seemed a tad overwhelming for the young scholar. “Um.” Ophelia eyed the few patrons scattered around the room.

The woman playing cards, who seemed to be eyeing them back. The quiet man scribbling away, who piqued her interest. A noble-seeming man whose body language felt stand-offish. “The card player, the craftsman, and the noble.”

“I would choose one of those three, but—” She adjusted the hood of her cloaklet, wiggling Wisper free. “Any of them could have viable information."

“I’ll have a word with the handy looking fella,” Ardie decides, crossing one arm over her middle and resting the elbow of her other arm on her wrist and casually gesturing towards the bar. “But I think it would be rather strange to accost the patrons without a drink, no?” she grins, a mischievous chuckle escaping her lips.

Ardira’s arms swing loose as she steps into a swift spin that puts her in front of the rest of the group, slowly stepping backwards as she addresses them. “Besides, I can chat with the barkeep, get some more information…” she shrugs, raising a brow suggestively, before continuing with a more serious tone ,“and of course— those who want to join me are free to do so.”

Another few paces of backwards footsteps quickly turns into another spin that sets her forward, soon making her way to the bar and courteously finding a space among the hustle and bustle — flagging down the barkeep with a graceful wave of her hand.

“Good afternoon, I’d love a glass of the house red, please.” Ardie smiles politely, laying one hand over the other as they rest atop the bar and sighing softly. “We haven’t long set foot in Emberwynd— and I’m hearing about… missing fishermen?” (edited)Monday, 1 December 2025 04:28

Vaeri bobs her head enthusiastically as Ardira speaks.

“Sounds like a plan!” she chirps, clapping her hands once. “Divide and conquer, yes?”

After glancing over the options, she declares, “I’ll go talk to the noble gentleman, if anyone else wishes to join me!”

She bounces after Ardira just long enough to mimic her posture at the counter. Her palms neatly folded, polite smile, an attempt at refined composure that lasts approximately three seconds.

“Hello! I’ll… also have the house red,” Vaeri parrots, “Whenever you have a moment!”

She plops down a couple of gold pieces and then spins on her heel, clearly assuming table service is the norm, and makes a beeline toward the stern nobleman by the window.

Eris hummed, lips pursed in light contemplation as the various options were sighted, measured, and even some claimed. She left the party to their own angles and headed for the cloaked man in all his propped up glory- but not, in following Ardira's advice, empty handed. A brief divergence towards the bar found her two drinks heavier and two coin lighter, before she continued towards her mark.

"This seat taken?" She asked, tone and smile as friendly as the pinky nudged towards what empty space still existed beside the taveller's resting boots. (edited)Monday, 1 December 2025 06:18

Nezryn heads towards the counter and finds a spot close enough to one of the barmaids so she wouldn't need to shout. She offers a smile and curiously looks down the bar at what the other patrons have gotten, then pulls her gaze back to the keep, "What would you recommend? Have to say, I do love to be warmed, and I've not been disappointed by this town's use of spices. What's a local staple?" She asks, hoping to open up the line of conversation.

Key NPCs

Key Locations

Important Info

Recap

The party enters Emberwynd. They inspect the mysteriously ruined building, discovering it radiates the same unsettling energy as the undead mound, though it appears ancient rather than actively decaying. Discussions with Leona Nightbloom and Elric Blackburn reveal missing fishermen, aggressive monsters, and the difficulty of tracking disappearances in a tourist town. Guard Captain Thea Belfort meets the party, suggests pursuing leads in the town, and directs them toward the tavern The Firepit. Inside, the group splits up to question various patrons.