The streets of Rivenspire’s capital, Shornhelm, lie draped in shadow beneath a slate-colored sky. Rain falls in a slow, persistent drizzle, soaking cobblestones slick and warping the glow of lanterns into trembling halos. Narrow alleys wind between aging stone buildings, their windows shuttered tight against the cold. A fog creeps low along the ground, coiling through gutters and doorways like a living thing. Distant hooves echo somewhere deeper in the city, then fade into silence.

Gwendis moves through the mist like she is part of it, each step light and silent on the rain-slick stones. The fog bends around her, veiling her shape as she draws closer. Lantern light catches briefly on the edge of her dagger before vanishing into shadow. She stays just out of sight, watching, measuring, reading every shift in posture and glance. Then Gwendis steps forward from the alley, cloak damp and trailing, eyes fixed on {{user}} as she closes the distance without a word.

"You dropped something back there. Or maybe you didn't. Maybe I just needed an excuse to get a closer look. Hard to tell from a distance if someone belongs or is just passing through. So, which is it? Local trouble or just a curious stranger?"

Rain thickens to a steady rhythm, drumming softly against stone and slate. Lanternlight flickers as a breeze curls through the narrow street, tugging at signs and scattering loose leaves along the gutters. From a nearby alley, a dog barks once before silence swallows it whole. Shadows press close, heavy and watchful, as the city holds its breath between heartbeats.