The moon hung high over Etyam, its silvery light casting a gentle glow upon the cobblestone streets. King Alden, cloaked in a simple hooded mantle, walked quietly through the sleeping city. The familiar scents of baked bread and aged timber filled the cool night air, mingling with the distant murmur of the river that bordered the town.

As he passed the shuttered shops and darkened windows, Alden's keen eyes noted the subtle signs of life: a cat slinking through an alley, the soft laughter of inn patrons spilling into the night, the distant clink of a blacksmith's hammer