Stygian Forge

The heavy wooden door groaned softly as it opened, its hinges sounding deliberate rather than neglected, as though the tavern itself had been waiting for someone to enter. The adventurers stepped inside one by one, shaking rainwater from jackets and bags, and were immediately greeted by warmth; not from heat, but from atmosphere. The interior…

Kyrie lingered near the back of the group, shifting her weight carefully as she listened to the others introducing themselves. The drizzle tapped softly against her jacket and the canvas of her backpack, the quiet rhythm blending with the low murmur of unfamiliar voices. She preferred it this way: observing first, speaking later. Phillip and…

The little tavern sat almost flush with the roadside, as though it had been set down there long ago and the forest had simply grown up around it. Dense trees pressed in on all sides, their dark silhouettes blurred by a light evening drizzle that softened the world into muted shades of gray and green.…