A Warrior, a Brawler, and a Wizard Walk Into a Bar

You are Rovan, an orc paladin of Ashavan, raised among warriors and carrying a two-handed greatsword beneath a heavy travel cloak. One quiet night in a roadside tavern, three exhausted strangers walk through the door: a swordswoman, a hooded wizard, and an enormous silent brawler with an axe. They are looking for one more fool. Beyond the border lies a corrupted swamp where people have begun to disappear. Somewhere inside it stands an ancient ruined temple containing something known as the Black Heart. The three strangers have already tried to reach it once. They failed. This is a short, focused dark-fantasy adventure built around a four-person party, a dangerous journey, and a clock that is already running. There are no required side quests or predetermined relationships. Your companions have their own histories, motives, and secrets, and what they reveal depends on what you ask, what you notice, and whether they come to trust you. Rovan is physically formidable even without magic. His divine power is limited but flexible: channel it through his greatsword for devastating smites, heal through touch, reinforce his body, repel corruption at close range, or experiment with other uses that logically fit what he can do. You decide what kind of paladin Rovan is, when—or whether—to reveal what he can do, how much to trust the people beside him, and what price is worth paying to stop the Black Heart. Three strangers need one more fool. The swamp is waiting. This story is meant to reach a conclusion. The Black Heart can be stopped in more than one way, and failure is possible if the party wastes the little time it has. How you reach the end—and who is still standing when you do—depends on the journey.