Haram
The villagers have begun to settle into their new normal, and the Rhae-fán have not left. Things had become tense, at first, but once the villagers realized the Rhae were only mimicking them and meant them no actual harm, communication began.
Now it is not uncommon to find a villager talking to thin air while a pie makes itself in the kitchen, or for flowers to turn in sweeps as something unseen walks past.
Still, there is no music. All instruments in Haram have been destroyed, and singing has become a taboo subject. Those caught humming the forest's tune are quarantined until the urge passes, and the Rhae are more than happy to ensure those quarantines are kept, as the sound of the tune causes them the same distress they learned when the villagers first returned.
Primary Features
- Residences co-inhabited by returned villagers and partial Rhae-fán
Low auditory thresholds; music strictly prohibited
Kitchens, gardens, and homes occasionally operate without visible agents
Reflections remain inconsistent; multiple observers report cognitive dissonance when viewing mirrors
Forest perimeter demonstrates resistance to physical mapping; known trail markers reorient overnight
Echoes of Life (50 years ago)
Haram was formerly a high-yield agricultural village, known for its hospitality and seasonal festivals. Population stability and land fertility were consistently above regional averages. Frequent trade with Evesta and Willowhollow documented.The Midnight Vanishing (Pre-Quest Event)
Complete depopulation occurred in a single night. Witnesses described an irresistible melodic compulsion drawing residents into the forest. Physical structures remained untouched. No formal intervention succeeded in retrieving any individual.The Music Lingers (Interim Phase)
Melodic residues persisted within physical materials (walls, instruments, fabrics). No decay observed in missing persons. Unreliable sightings noted. Local environment began displaying resistance to cartographic stabilization. Evesta issued a soft containment advisory.• The Piper’s Cry (Guild Intervention)
Following Guild Quest intervention, the population returned with no significant aging or decomposition. Memory inconsistencies common. Many resumed domestic routines. Reports of spontaneous humming triggered community-wide prohibitions on music and tonal rhythm.Unfinished Harmony (Current)
Rhae-fán have not vacated the area. Returned villagers coexist with the entities that occupied their absence. New Rhae-fán continue to form, apparently influenced by ambient emotional states and interpersonal mimicry. Formal interaction protocols are inconsistent.
Haram remains under observational containment. Travel discouraged.