Tracks one way, a scream the other—and a dead run into hard choices. The bears fall, the traveler doesn’t, and the true trail leads to a ruined temple where the Oracle sits behind a shimmering cage. Plans buckle under fire and mud as a young white wyrm crashes the field; parley turns to prayer, then to steel.

Help vaults the treeline—radiant blades, crackling force, and a barrier that finally breaks. The Oracle answers with flame, the wyrm falls, and the city breathes out: honors, coin, and keys to deeper stacks. Two quieter weeks follow—craft, research, and preparations for darker roads—while something small and wrong still gnaws at Cliff’s gear. The council’s summons looms.

Music: Charterhall by Sydney Fabel https://bradowens.bandcamp.com/album/blades-in-the-dark-by-john-harper-unofficial-ttrpg-soundtrack

Licensed under Scrybe Quill Context License

https://www.scrybequill.com/license