[Peregrine]

The village of River's Edge is located in an area of steep mountains, icy rivers, and dark forests. It's on the edge of the civilized areas, as north from the village is little but trackless mountains and forest occupied by monsters, outlaws, and the occasional tiny settlement of foresters. To the south across the river is the two day journey to the nearest large town. The springtime floods hit the village hard, as the southern river floods almost every year and blocks access to the south for weeks at a time. Currently the floodwaters are subsiding a little, but continued rain and mountain thaw keep the river well over its banks and flooding the road, making access to the south impossible. It is expected that the road will clear in a week or so, perhaps a little less. Most of the population of the village went south before the floods, to trade and find work around the prosperous town.

The village has long heard the rumors about the evil cult of magicians somewhere to the north, and in fact some in the village have done well in providing supplies to their isolated cliffside compound. Though many knew or suspected that the magicians, who call themselves the Dark Pact, were up to no good, no harm had ever come to the village from them. Recently, however, disturbances from that area of the mountains have been hard to hide, it is said that vast magical destruction has been wreaked, with whole forests falling to ash and some of the few roads in the area blasted to ruin. It is not known what has sparked the destruction, however quiet whispers now say that some of the magicians have infiltrated the village, though their purpose is unknown. Some of the villagers believe quite strongly that they are evil, while others are unsure. Around the same time, mysterious deaths were reported in the village area, for the first time in many years. Disappearances were reported, but also corpses were found, some seemed to have no obvious cause of death but others were mauled as if by animals.

Many in the village wanted to flee the place and escape south, but the flooded river has made that impossible. Most of the people now huddle in their houses and wait to see what will happen next, though there is a growing anger and desire to find and kill those responsible for the deaths. The only hopeful sign for the village is that there are rumors that men loyal to the King have come to the town in secret, knights sent to protect the town and investigate what is happening. Whether or not that is true no one knows. The town has always been a magical place, and if strangers have come they have taken the shapes of villagers you have known all your lives. Will the mysterious deaths continue? Will the villagers act to protect themselves? Will anyone leave the village alive or will you all be swallowed by the River of Darkness?