The morning after their reunion at the Stone Bell Tavern dawned with overcast skies and the smell of dew-soaked moss drifting from the nearby river. Cain rose early, the whisper of the system gently pulling him from his sleep.
[System Notification: Temerian Quest Region Unlocked] [Active Commission Hub: Captain Farwin of the Northern Outpost Keep]
Available Quests:
"Swamp of Screams" (Rare)
Objective: Investigate disappearances in the Fetid Mire southeast of the keep. Reward: 100 Crowns | Swampborn Hide x1 | +1 Alchemy Skill Progress, Commission Holder: Farwin
"Missing Alchemist" (Uncommon)
Objective: Locate the alchemist Vesrun, last seen near Temple Hollow .Reward: 75 Crowns | Random Potion Bundle | + Codex Entry: Vesrun's Tinctures, Commission Holder: Apothecary Lyene
"Ghost in the Grain" (Normal)
Objective: Cleanse the haunted grain silo outside the southern village of Dunnhar. Reward: 40 Crowns | Farmer's Amulet | + Reputation (Dunnhar)Commission Holder: Mayor Wyllen of Dunnhar
"Ruins Beneath the Bell" (Rare)
Objective: Explore the crypt beneath the broken bell tower; magical anomalies reported.Reward: 90 Crowns | Silver-etched Rune x1 | +1 Stat Point (if completed solo)Commission Holder: Archivist Mallin
Cain whistled low and sat at the edge of his bunk, rubbing sleep from his eyes as the details registered. He pulled out a blank parchment and jotted notes quickly: locations, times, and possible combinations of tasks. Some could be linked. Others would need specific tools.
By the time Callum walked into the common room, his usual mess of red hair only slightly tamed, Cain had already spread the information across the table.
Callum blinked. "Did you even sleep,?"
"A little," Cain said. "We've got four commissions tied to Temeria. Two could be handled together."
Callum scanned the list. "The swamp one and the missing alchemist? Both in the southeast."
Cain nodded. "You read my mind."
Calanthe strolled in shortly after, yawning and stretching in a robe far too expensive for the military keep. "Going Commission hunting already? You two are exhausting."
"Only one of us is allowed to nap in keeps like a princess," Callum quipped.
She smirked. "You could try. You might like it."
Cain stood, adjusting his mantle and sliding his blade into its clasp on his back.
"You staying behind?"
Calanthe picked up a peeled apple and nodded. "Today, yes. I'll do some light reading and ensure the mages here aren't complete fools."
Cain grinned. "Try not to start a duel."
She blew him a kiss. "No promises."
The smell hit first.
Cain and Callum covered their faces with thick scarves soaked in herbal mixtures. Even so, the stench of rot and sulfur clung to the inside of their throats.
The Fetid Mire was a wide basin of sinking reeds, oozing algae-covered water, and thick mud trails that tried to swallow their boots. The Witcher medallion on Cain's chest began to vibrate softly.
"Something magical," he murmured. "Old, not wild. Cursed."
Callum unsheathed a short sword and held a flask in his other hand. "Visibility sucks."
They moved carefully, weaving between reeds until they spotted it.
A corpse half-submerged in the mire, mouth frozen open mid-scream.
A soft croak echoed nearby.
Then another.
Then twenty more.
Cain's eyes narrowed. "Frog fiends. No—those aren't natural."
A ripple in the water revealed the truth. A grotesque creature crawled forward—a Swampborn, half-man, half-toad, covered in warts and black boils. It screeched and charged.
Cain cast Aard, blasting the beast backward, while Callum lunged to its flank, slicing at its knee. Another Swampborn burst from the muck, and then a third.
Cain dropped a flask of Moonflash Oil and set it alight, lighting the edge of the mire with bright blue flame.
[Quest Progress: Swamp of Screams - 2/3 Enemies Neutralized]
The third came fast, claws outstretched—but Cain ducked and stabbed upward, severing its tongue before finishing it with a clean throat strike.
[Quest Complete: Swamp of Screams] Reward: 100 Crowns | Swampborn Hide x1 | +1 Alchemy Skill Progress
They stood still for a moment, catching their breath.
"Remind me to never live near swamps," Callum muttered.
"Agreed," Cain said, cleaning his blade.
Temple Hollow – Afternoon
The old chapel loomed from beneath crumbled stone and wildflower-covered hills. Vines had overtaken much of the outer shell, but the runes still pulsed faintly beneath the surface.
Cain knelt near a circle of ash, examining the ground.
"Recently used. Arcane. A gate spell."
They followed a trail of bootprints, half-covered by time and erosion, until they came upon a stone grotto hidden behind a collapsed wall.
Inside lay the alchemist—unconscious but breathing, surrounded by shattered vials and warding runes.
Callum hoisted him carefully. "Got him. Let's get out of here."
[Quest Complete: Missing Alchemist] Reward: 75 Crowns | Random Potion Bundle | + Codex Entry: Vesrun's Tinctures
Cain tucked the man's satchel into his pack. "We'll let the apothecary know he's safe."
They returned to the keep by sunset, boots muddy, clothes torn, but spirits high.
Calanthe greeted them from the steps with a smirk. "Good to see you survived your swamp bath."
"You missed all the fun," Cain replied.
"I read three spell tomes and argued with a mage about Elder glyph syntax. My day was very productive."
Cain rolled his eyes.
That evening, the trio sat down again at the Stone Bell Tavern. Plates of roasted duck, buttered carrots, and fresh bread covered their table.
Cain raised his cup.
"Two commissions down. Two to go."
Callum leaned back with a yawn. "Remind me again why we don't take simple contracts? Like rats in a cellar?"
Calanthe rolled her eyes. "Because we have standards."
Cain smiled.
And somewhere beneath the tavern, something ancient stirred.