In the cold gray light of early morning, villagers silently plant crops into frozen earth outside Briggdarrow. Their eyes are downcast. Some cast no shadows at all. In the distance, the party watches from a nearby ridge: Boris adjusting his frog hat, Kiet peering with his x-ray ring, Haru clutching a new longsword, and Edid surrounded by three ghostly raven spirits.
Inside Briggdarrow’s communal hall, a sudden explosion of motion: the party ambushes a Mother’s Minder, a pale figure in black robes with glowing shadow tendrils. Kiet moves first, leaping in with trident drawn. Boris’s crossbow is already mid-shot, while Sundr casts a dazzling hypnotic pattern in the background, subduing nearby civilians. Edid delivers the final blow, radiant energy surging from her hand.
A dim stone basement lit by flickering lanterns. The party confronts Hitch, a mute goblin crouched beside old crates. He taps out coded messages on a beam. Behind him, maps and stolen documents clutter a makeshift camp. His expression is accusatory as he glares at Boris. Yellow light glints from the stairwell, hinting at eyes still watching from the shadows.
Near the icy edge of the lake, long shadows slither from a decrepit house. Black, unnatural tendrils stretch across the ground, reaching toward the party. One is dragging the corpse of the slain Minder across the frozen earth. The Concord jewel glows faintly in someone’s pack. The air is tense as the party prepares for whatever is coming from the lake.