The Wayfinder's Burden
FantasyDark, atmospheric, determined3 audio scenes
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1 chapter • 3 scenes
Summary
When a rockslide blocks the ancient corpse road she's sworn to protect, young Wayfinder Elara must clear the treacherous path before the full moon rises—or watch her village be consumed by the vengeful souls of the trapped dead.
Characters
Elara Thornweave
The First Wraith (Essence of Cora Ashenmere)
Father Silas
Maddox Briar
Settings
Greystone Abbey
A weathered stone monastery perched at the corpse road's terminus, where centuries of funeral rites have stained the threshold with an otherworldly patina. The ritual library's vaulted ceiling echoes with whispered prayers, and candle smoke forms patterns that Father Silas reads like omens.
Blackridge Village
A cluster of stone cottages clinging to the mountainside, where firelight no longer keeps the darkness at bay. Windows remain shuttered even in daylight as wraith-touched villagers begin seeing their dead loved ones in mirrors and shadows, madness spreading like frost.
The Corpse Road
A narrow mountain path worn smooth by centuries of funeral processions, bordered by ancient cairns marking the boundary between the living world and the realm of the dead. Pale moonlight reveals spectral blue flames—corpse candles—hovering where the road should continue beyond the massive rockslide.
Story Structure
1
The Hero's Journey
Elara discovers the corpse road is blocked by a rockslide, trapping souls who begin corrupting into wraiths. She must journey to Greystone Abbey to learn the ritual that can clear the road, confront the First Wraith's temptation to let the souls remain, and return with the knowledge and courage to restore the sacred path before the full moon transforms the dead into monsters.
1
The Hero's Journey - Complete
Elara discovers the corpse road blocked by a rockslide, encounters the First Wraith's cryptic warnings, journeys to Greystone Abbey where Father Silas tests her worthiness, and returns to confront the wraiths with the ritual that clears the path before the full moon rises.
1
Discovery at the Corpse Road
Elara discovers the rockslide blocking the corpse road and encounters the First Wraith, whose motherly warnings reveal the trapped souls are beginning to corrupt.
2
The Trials at Greystone Abbey
- Story ID
- story_8eNqHagqVuSMvghh
- Created
- December 30, 2025
- Art Style
- dark-fantasy-illustration (artistic)
- Status
- published
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