Two days earlier…

As Book and Sword wandered down the dusty path they pondered Sword’s vision. Sword — a grizzled, yet charming young paladin with a yearning for the alehouse — found himself in the odd position of a clairvoyant. His visions had led the pair to leave the church in search of a macabre scene.

He had dreamt of a small town with streets littered by corpses. The skies were filled with swirling grey clouds and the earth was dead all around the tiny village. He would wake in a panic just as the sky opened up and a pair of yellow eyes gleamed from the darkness.

Book and Sword met while training at the church in Mardûn. While Sword prepared for a life of combat, Book studied to become a priest. Book was a grumpy old dwarf who refused to share his past, but his penchant for helping the sick and wounded was second to none. When Sword told Book about the visions, Book didn’t hesitate to join his quest to save the world.

“And you’re sure this is the first time you’ve ever had such a vision?” asked Book as they continued down the dry, barren path, wondering if he’d made the right decision.

“For the last time, I’m sure.” replied Sword. “Trust me, I’d remember if it had happened before. I’ve never seen anything so vivid. The bodies… I could touch them. I could feel them. It doesn’t get much more real than that.”

They continued down the path toward an outpost called Bucket. They’d heard that Bucket was governed by a trio of churches, including one which worshipped Selûne. The town had recently hit hard times as the river dried up and the generosity with which Bucket once overflowed was now gone. The two hoped to find clues in the town to help them with their search for the village in Sword’s dreams.

Suddenly, the vision returned. Sword could see the streets lined with bodies and the eyes stared at him from the abyss above. The town seemed to move away from him as he collapsed to the ground. When Sword came to Book was attempting to resuscitate him.

“What happened?” asked Sword.

“You started screaming just before you collapsed. Everybody has been staring at you like you’re an idiot. C’mon.” Sword climbed to his feet and steadied himself before noticing they had arrived in Bucket. He stood still for a moment, visibly shaken. This was the town from his visions.

“We’re here,” Sword exclaimed as he looked around. The townspeople were milling about between the few small shops that sat at the bottom of the hill. The sky was a brilliant blue. The only thing that matched his dream was the dead earth. It looked as if the soil had been drained of life.

“I need a drink,” said Sword. Book watched, bewildered, as Sword stumbled off in search of a tavern. In a town ruled by religion, Book fit in well. While Sword got to know the townspeople, Book decided to introduce himself to the church.