Over a decade ago I met many talented people, and we role played together for many years. This story is loosely based on that experience and is my attempt at tying it all together with a focus on a handful of characters. I've been slowly working on this for quite some time and will gradually upload it piece by piece.

For anyone who may stumble across this and used to play with us, thank you for all the wonderful memories. I only hope I can do your characters justice.

This chapter is dedicated to Aunna for serving as one of my biggest inspirations.


Suddenly air entered her lungs, and she was breathing again.

Everything that was silent before filled with the sounds of life. The murmuring voices of the spirits drifted through the air and tickled at her ears. She sat up in a soft patch of sweetgrass and opened her eyes, drinking in the early morning sunrise.

I'm alive.

She looked down at her hands in astonishment. Fully flesh and blood, a true body—her body. Every little wrinkle across her knuckles and the small mole at the base of her thumb were comfortingly familiar. If this was a dream, it was remarkably accurate down to the tiniest detail she could recall from her original body.

Spirits, what is the meaning of this? What of the soul-sending ritual?

But the whispers of the spirits had nothing to say of her circumstances. In fact, they seemed entirely disinterested in her miraculous rebirth.

She slowly rose to her feet and wobbled in place. Her clothes felt tight. Had she grown? Was it even possible to somehow grow while previously deceased? After a moment of unsteadiness she turned and surveyed her surroundings. A gentle breeze rippled across the grassy plains, and her nearest neighbor—a single boulder—stood silent.

"Where...am I?" the young woman tested her voice. A little dry, but otherwise it sounded the same as she recalled. Even after speaking aloud, the spirits continued to ignore her questions and taunted her with their unrelated chatter.

"I see," she murmured, "is this your way of telling me I need to figure this out for myself?" The woman began walking across the grassy plains. She wasn't accustomed to being outright ignored by the spirits, but if they were refusing to reply, there was surely a reason. And the only way to find answers was to move forward.

Her rebirth slowly began to feel more real with each passing step. The sun rose higher in the sky as she made her way across the plains. Exertion, exhaustion, and even a bit of sweat at her temples were all signs of truly being alive. "Does this mean the soul-sending ritual was a failure? But…" she paused and wiped the back of her hand across her forehead. How long had she been walking? How long since she died? What happened in her absence?

"Excuse me, miss?"

She turned around at the sound of the voice and came face-to-face with a cloaked man. He pulled back his hood and brushed away the fair hair covering his forehead. "Do you know which way Budehuc is? I'm… a bit lost," he squinted his eyes in the sunlight. His aura was clear and nonthreatening.

"Bu...dehuc?"

"A merchant I passed on the road said it was the closest place for a decent rest. And I'm long overdue for one," he mumbled. "Damn Viki sneezing me off in the middle of my mission…"

A faint memory from long ago tugged at her. Didn't Chris Lightfellow once mention a castle by the name of Budehuc? "Actually, that does sound a bit familiar..."

Finally the spirits acknowledged her, but only to answer the most recent question. Visions of an unfamiliar lakeside manor flooded through her mind.

Ah, so you'll answer this question of mine, but not the others? Curious...what do you have in store for me, spirits?

The traveler cocked his head to the side as if sensing the wind, the gun at his side catching the morning light. "I'm guessing it's probably further along this path. Are you headed the same way? If we're going in the same direction, might as well travel together."

"Apparently I am," she smiled. "May I ask your name?"

"It's Clive," he replied. "And you?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Clive. My name is Yun."