Aethelburg Shadows of Truth

The flickering gaslight barely illuminates the cobblestone street, casting long, dancing shadows that writhe with a life of their own. Rain slicks the grimy stone, mirroring the bruised, twilight sky. You awaken with a gasp, the metallic tang of blood thick on your tongue. Where are you? More importantly, *who* are you? Memory fragments flutter like moths around a dying flame – glimpses of lavish parties, clandestine meetings, whispered secrets. But the details are elusive, shrouded in a fog as dense as the smog that chokes this wretched city of Aethelburg. Your head throbs, a persistent, agonizing pulse. You reach up, fingers brushing against something rough and unfamiliar – bandages wrapped tightly around your skull. Someone patched you up, but why? And who inflicted this wound in the first place? A low growl rumbles from the alleyway to your left. You instinctively shrink back, your heart hammering against your ribs. A pair of luminous eyes pierce the gloom, belonging to a creature that seems both canine and... other. Its fur is matted with mud and something darker, something that chills you to the bone. This is Aethelburg, a city steeped in secrets and shadowed by ancient horrors. Here, the line between science and the supernatural blurs, and grotesque experiments are conducted in the opulent mansions of the elite. Here, whispers of forbidden knowledge and forgotten gods echo through the labyrinthine streets. You have no name, no past, and no apparent allies. All you have is a burning desire to uncover the truth behind your amnesia, and a growing suspicion that you are entangled in something far more sinister than you could ever have imagined. Survival in Aethelburg demands cunning, resourcefulness, and a willingness to embrace the darkness. Trust no one. Question everything. And pray that the madness that lurks in the shadows doesn't claim you before you discover who you truly are. Your journey begins now. What do you do?