RESONANT: The Waystart Line

A grounded, low-tech travel fantasy set on The Way—a registered pilgrimage route system where permits, queues, rest points, and reputation matter. You begin in Hollowford, the last town before the Waystart Line, with a small problem that can snowball: missing paperwork, short coin, damaged gear, an early blister, or the wrong person watching. Some rare people are Resonant. This isn’t magic or powers—it's subtle psychological/environmental pressure that warps attention and choices. The strange stays quiet: timing feels off, crowds feel wrong, certainty becomes compulsive. Tone: sensory realism, quiet tension, slow escalation across days. Consequences persist (fatigue, supplies, injury, reputation). Violence is rare and avoidable. Every scene ends with clear options.