((Let's start the IC))

There it was, the village of Rosashire. It wasn’t exactly what Leo imagined, it seemed more… grim than he has thought. The weather didn’t help either, it had been stubbornly overcast since that morning. As he sat in the wagon, he could make out some details of the place. Around the outside of the village were several farms, complete with various kinds of plants and animals being tended to by weary looking farmers. Near the fence of one of these farms were some goats, busily grazing. 

The density of buildings gradually increased as the wagon drew nearer to the town centre. At first it was just a few houses, which were crafted out of bricks and wood. The road had changed from dirt and gravel to a cobbled street. A few stones were missing in places, which caused the wagon to jump whenever it ran over the holes. The wagon slowed to a stop and Leo climbed down onto the street. He thanked the driver as he made his way to the town centre. 

The town centre consisted of a cobbled square with ancient buildings huddled around it. In the centre was a small garden, where some extra-thorny roses were growing. There were no flowers to be found, but that was not a surprise. It was the wrong time of year for them anyway. In the middle of the garden bed was a small stone pillar. There was some writing on its side, or at least there used to be. Years of being left out in the elements had made it completely illegible. 

There were a couple of stores in the square. One of them, a bakery, was currently undergoing roof repairs. The largest and most ancient building appeared to be the town hall. It stood two stories tall, with a pair of stone columns by the door. One of the columns had a crack in its side. It was a fairly simple structure, made mostly of wood and stone. It was clear that it had recently undergone repairs, some of the stones around the base appeared to be new.

Leo stood in the town centre, taking a deep breath of the fresh, cold air of Rosashire. He was here with a purpose, to investigate what was happening to this distant town.

“I suppose I should go to the town hall,” he said to himself, “and see what the town officials know about the rumours surrounding this place.”