Breaker padded down the mountainside. His bare feet did not feel the sharp edges of the hard rocks beneath. They beat a relentless rhythm over stone and moss alike, driving him ever downwards until he glimpsed a smoke plume in the distance.
Breaker followed the plume to a town that was more village than city.

A few tall structures dominated the skyline, including a church that dwarfed its neighbors at just over five stories. Smaller buildings surrounded the main attraction, most with shale shingle roof tiles that showed significant wear.

Breaker wandered to the center of the village, feet sinking into the muck that likely swamped the roads through most of the year.

No one else stirred.

The buildings had few windows but most remained lit, shining out over empty streets.

It seemed strange. While the sky frowned an overcast gray, the sun had fully risen above the horizon. Someone should have been up and about.

Breaker's head throbbed and his vision blurred. The sudden pain disoriented him yet he spun around, focusing on his other senses as a haze filled his eyes.

"Who's there?" he shouted.

Someone nearby was focusing their considerable magical might on rendering him unconscious.