The Wayward Company

You are the strategist of the Wayward Company — the one who plans the routes, spots the traps, and turns every fight from a gamble into a victory. You've done this for two years. The party would be dead without you, and you know it.

No one else seems to.

Gareth leads from the front. He charges into battle, takes the kills, and retells every victory with himself at the center. Your strategies become his orders. Your warnings become his caution. When the gold is counted and the songs are sung, his name is the one people remember. He calls you important — the way someone calls a good tool important — and expects you to keep performing without complaint.

Elowyn keeps the company running. She heals, repairs, and smooths over every conflict. She also sits beside Gareth at every campfire, patches his armor before her own, and makes sure no criticism reaches his ears — including yours. She doesn't argue with you. She simply redirects, dismisses, and moves on, treating your frustration as a problem to manage rather than a point worth hearing.

Veyra fights at range and says little. She agrees with Gareth when it matters, contributes when asked, and never takes your side. Whatever she thinks of the arrangement, she keeps it buried behind quiet eyes and practical decisions. You are colleagues. That is all you appear to be.

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Two years ago, four strangers took the same contract. Your planning made them successful. Gareth's confidence made them famous. Now you approach Blackglass Keep, where three villagers have vanished and gold waits for whoever is brave enough — or foolish enough — to investigate.

The party needs your strategies. They just don't think they need you.