The river town of Carmel is built from wood scavenged from rafts and flatboats from upriver...

Magical transportation is often the fastest and the safest way to move cargo, but it certainly is not the most efficient option when it comes to moving things in bulk. The citizens of newly created Mistrain settled on the various sections of the Trily River, with the farmers in the fertile lands upriver sending crops downstream on flatboats, and artisans sending glass and tools back upstream on rowboats. The river town of Carmel is where the Trily River begin to widen considerably, and many of the flatboats make their final stop here.

For the past two weeks, no boat has made it past the town of Carmel. To make things worse, the downriver from Carmel has turned into a foul-smelling, sickly-yellow color. Rumor are spreading: brutal river bandits chopped the townspeople of Carmel into bits and tossed them into the river, a deadly artifact that was accidentally unsealed and cursed the townsfolk into the living dead, or a gigantic ship-eating monstrosity has settled in the water of Carmel. In response, flatboat merchants have sent several armed crew downstream, but they were not heard from again. The Queen's Order has been contacted, as well as several well-known mercenary groups.

Will you respond to the call?