A warm, eerie treehouse district with rope bridges overhead and amber leaves drifting through the air. Boris, Sundr, and Edid stand on a suspended wooden platform, looking up at a towering firbolg—Ash—who gestures accusingly at Edid. The trees shimmer with latent magic, and a rope ladder sways in the background, leading to the canopy.
Inside the Bastion armory, Kiet recoils in horror as his hand, gripped by a sentient ring, curls involuntarily. Floating beside him, a ghostly image of the halfling wizard Kenazaro smirks. Scattered scrolls and a magical sigil pulse on the table nearby, suggesting an interrupted identification ritual.
The party gathers in a tactical chamber where a smaller version of the Concord Jewel hovers above a pedestal, glowing faintly. Magical annotations swirl around it. A parchment map of Tepest lies beneath, marked with “Victal,” “Brig Darrow,” “Khali,” and “Viraja Vale.” Haru or Sundr explains the attunement process, while tension mounts in the air.
A dramatic city wall poster features cozy depictions of the Wintertide festival—feasting, games, and sweets—juxtaposed with bold red letters: “ALL CITIZENS MUST REMAIN INDOORS AT NIGHT”. Below, a subtle symbol of Mother is hidden in the shadows.