The whispers started subtly, slithering through the village like shadows. A traveling merchant, his cart laden with exotic spices and dubious remedies, spoke of a powerful sorcerer dwelling in the Whispering Mountains, a recluse who commanded ancient magic. This sorcerer, the merchant claimed, held the key to neutralizing the plague—or, perhaps, exacerbating it. The ambiguity in his words, the gleam in his eye, fueled the uncertainty already gripping the community.
Rox, ever the skeptic, initially dismissed the merchant's claims as mere speculation, another layer added to the growing anxieties. But Jett's visions, growing more frequent and vivid, corroborated the merchant's tale. He saw not a single sorcerer, but a coven, nestled within the heart of the mountains, their magic tainted by a
