Prologue: Stories Born in Silence (Part 2/3)

Some say in places like Eldridge, stories are born from desperation. They cling to the edges of whispered rumors, forged in dark corners where hope has no place. These aren’t tales of heroes or noble quests. They’re stories woven from hunger, need, and the cold realization that in a town like Eldridge, survival sometimes depends on holding onto even the smallest thread of belief; true or not. Tonight, around one such fire, the air carried the weight of those stories…long forgotten by most, but not by all. There are places in the world that few dare speak of. Places hidden beyond the edges of old maps, whispered in taverns by travelers who swear they’ve heard of them, but have never seen them. Forbidden lands. Lost to time, perhaps, or buried by those who knew too well what dangers lurked there.