Aethelgard's Forgotten Shore

The salt hangs heavy in the air, a constant reminder of the bargain struck and the price demanded. You awaken, not to a sunrise, but to the incessant screech of gulls circling overhead, their sharp cries echoing the emptiness in your own skull. You are adrift, not on a raft, but on a forgotten shore, the sand clinging to your soaked and tattered garments. You remember nothing. Not your name, not your purpose, not the sins that led you to this desolate place. Only the gnawing, inescapable feeling that you owe a debt. A debt etched not in gold, but in something far more precious. The island, they call it Aethelgard, is a tapestry woven from whispers and shadows. Legends of ancient kings and forgotten gods cling to the moss-covered stones of crumbling ruins. The locals, what few remain, are wary and close-mouthed, their eyes holding secrets older than the gnarled trees that claw at the sky. They speak in riddles and veiled warnings, hinting at a power that sleeps beneath the island's surface, a power that has claimed more souls than the raging sea. You are not alone in your amnesia. Others have washed ashore, each bearing the same empty stare and the same suffocating sense of obligation. They are your only companions, your potential allies, or your deadliest rivals. For on Aethelgard, survival is a zero-sum game. Resources are scarce, trust is a luxury, and the truth is a dangerous commodity. You will need to scavenge for food, build shelter, and learn to defend yourself against the creatures that stalk the shadows. But more importantly, you must unravel the mystery of Aethelgard, decipher the cryptic messages left behind by those who came before, and understand the nature of the debt you owe. Failure to repay that debt? Well, let's just say the island has a unique way of collecting… one that involves a slow, agonizing slide into oblivion, until you become just another whisper on the wind, another lost soul claimed by the hungry earth of Aethelgard. Now, take your first shaky steps, and pray you remember enough to survive. Your journey begins.