The Ember Road

The great Ember Beacon on the far ridge has gone dark, and winter is coming down from the north. You are the last wanderer on the road. Cross the wild country — through pine forest, over the cold river at the Old Crossing, past the Sunken Shrine — and relight the beacon before the frost takes the valley.

Survival is a balancing act. Hunger, thirst, warmth and stamina drain with every step, and each night brings freezing cold and the Hollow Ones — gaunt hunters that fear only fire. Gather berries, mushrooms and healing herbs, drink from rivers, chop wood and chip flint, then build campfires to warm yourself, rest until dawn, and keep the dark at bay.

Fight when you must — a well-timed spear thrust fells a Hollow One in three strikes — or stand in the firelight and let them circle, unable to come closer. A living compass and the old dirt road itself guide you toward the far ridge.

A full run is a single evening: a hand-built valley with a living day/night cycle, music that turns cold after dark, four landmarks on the road, and an ending that burns.