20th day of Withergrasp, 1366

The merchant Roderick found himself weaving through the verdant expanse of the Eldergrove forest. He was on his way to Ebonheim, a remote village shrouded by the lush embrace of the ancient woods.

His mode of transport was as awe-inspiring as it was unusual: a gargantuan mechanical spider, a fusion of magic and technology that stood as a testament to the ingenuity of the age.

The mechanical arachnid was an imposing sight, its body the size of a small house, crafted from plates of shimmering metal adorned with delicate, swirling engravings. Its abdomen, a bulging capsule of reinforced steel, served as storage for Roderick's vast array of wares, while a plethora of cogs, gears, and arcane conduits hummed beneath its segmented exoskeleton.

Atop the cephalothorax, Roderick occupied a plush leather seat, his hands expertly guiding the spider's movements with a series of levers and dials. The mechanical beast responded to his commands with fluid ease, its eight legs working in perfect synchrony as it navigated the forest terrain.

"Why must you insist on stopping by that village every time we journey through here?" asked Roderick's masked bodyguard, Simon.

"It's a matter of faith," Roderick said with a shrug. "The villagers have never been unkind to me, and I find their ways of life refreshing and comforting. They've been displaced from their homes because of some trouble with a god or gods, and I find that very intriguing. I like to stop by once in a while and learn more about the situation."

Simon sighed. "They're not your friends, Roderick. They don't want you around."

Roderick scowled as he looked back at his bodyguard. "They are my friends. They just don't know it yet."

Simon snorted. "Roderick, they're not your friends, they're your customers. Even then, you don't gain much profit from them. You only barter with trade goods since they don't use any currency."

"Trade goods are the backbone of any business. They have value, and I'm a merchant. What's wrong with trading with people?"

"Nothing, but I'm sure most of them don't want you around."

Roderick let out a hearty laugh and looked out at the forest. "Bah! They've been nothing but friendly and cordial to me. I know at least a few that I'm on good terms with. But, for some of the more wary ones I suppose I can't blame them, really. A merchant is a hard thing to trust."

Simon leaned back against his seat. "Hard, but necessary."

"I suppose you're right," Roderick agreed.

As the mechanical spider made its way through the woods, it moved with a grace that belied its immense size. Its eight articulated legs, powered by a combination of steam-driven pistons and intricate enchantments, stepped deftly over roots and rocks, leaving nary a trace of its passage. The sounds of nature—the rustling of leaves, the distant call of birds—were accompanied by the soft hissing of steam and the gentle whir of gears.

Roderick steered the giant arachnid with practiced precision, manipulating an array of levers and dials that responded to his touch with a satisfying click. Above him, an intricate web of copper piping fed steam and magical energy to the spider's limbs, the pipes occasionally releasing puffs of vapor that shimmered with a faint, iridescent glow. The air surrounding the mechanical marvel seemed to crackle with arcane energy, a palpable reminder of the potent forces that coursed through its metallic veins.

He had spent years tinkering with the arachnid's designs, and he was very pleased with its performance. It had taken him a great deal of effort to make it work properly, but the results had been worth the effort.

Roderick eased his foot on the pedal to halt its forward motion. The spider's legs unfolded, the gait of its body returning to a crawl.

He scanned the trees for signs of the markings the villagers had used to navigate through the woods and also served as a means to lead him to their village.

"Help me look around for the markings," Roderick instructed his bodyguard. "I've a good memory but sometimes I can't quite recall where those markings are."

Simon nodded and stood up from his seat.

The two men quickly scanned the area, moving from tree to tree in search of a particular set of markings.

"Here," Simon said, pointing at a small colored band laced with feathers tied to a branch. "Is that the marking you're looking for?"

Roderick nodded. "Yes, that's the one. I remember now. These markings are quite distinctive." He pointed to a nearby tree trunk. "This was the first marking, and that one over there is the second."

"They're easy enough to spot once you know what to look for," Simon said. "I'll take care of finding the rest, while you go on ahead."

Roderick nodded and took hold of a lever, adjusted it, and began cranking the legs of his vessel into motion again. It lurched forward and resumed its trek through the forest.

The dense foliage parted around them, granting the mechanical arachnid passage into the glen beyond. Roderick relaxed in his seat as he watched the trees pass by, taking in the sight of the magnificent woodland vale.

It was beautiful, as always.

As the sun dipped toward the horizon, casting its golden rays through the canopy above, Roderick caught his first glimpse of Ebonheim in the distance.

A small clearing emerged from the trees and gave way to a collection of thatched houses and modest-sized stone buildings. A few people strolled the paths connecting the various homes, their children dressed warmly playing with wooden swords and shields.

The villagers, hearing the approach of the mechanical spider, gathered at the edge of their settlement to welcome the merchant

"Roderick! Welcome back to Ebonheim!" said one of the villagers, his face beaming with delight. "Come in and rest your weary limbs."

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With a final hiss of steam and a soft whir of gears, the giant arachnid came to a halt at the outskirts of the village. Roderick descended from his perch, a broad smile gracing his weathered face as he greeted the villagers who had come to meet him. Simon followed suit, descending from the other seat.

The villagers clustered around the mechanical spider, gazing upon its unusual construction and marveling at its peculiar nature. A few children poked at the spider's metal limbs, trying to find a way inside, but they failed to do so. They soon grew bored and returned to their games, though the adults remained fascinated with the mechanical marvel.

"I brought you some trade goods," Roderick told them, "and I'm willing to barter with anyone who's interested."

"I'll let the elders know," said one of the villagers. "Almost didn't realize that it was that time of the year again, but here you are."

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A short while later, Engin approached Roderick with a big smile on his face and his arms outstretched for a hug.

"Roderick!" Engin said. "You're here! I'm so glad you came."

"And I am glad to be back," Roderick said as he hugged Engin. "You've done well, my friend. Your village has grown so much since I last visited."

"Thank you," Engin replied with a smile, "but you've done plenty for us too. Your wares have become invaluable to our village."

"I'm glad it helped," Roderick said. "Do you need anything?"

"We've been fine this year, but we would like to trade for more iron tools," Engin replied.

"I can supply you with plenty of those," Roderick said. "I've been selling a lot of them lately and brought a sizable amount with me."

Engin smiled and clapped his hands together. "That's all I need to hear. Come then, let's speak with the others first, and we'll see what we can work out."

Simon and Roderick followed Engin back to the center of the village as he led them to the feast hall.

Roderick glanced at the shrine of their 'supposed' goddess along the way. It was a simple structure, consisting of a small altar surrounded by several rocks, and adorned with a few colorful flowers.

When Engin first told him of a deity adopting the village over a year ago, he was skeptical of the story. He couldn't imagine why any god would care to root themselves into governing a remote village, let alone a village that was only erected no more than a year prior.

Any god would naturally flaunt their image and stature to visitors in their domain but when he pressed to meet this 'goddess', Engin and the rest of the villagers were reluctant to show him any sign of their deity.

Roderick had eventually given up on the idea and chalked it up to some inside joke, but he couldn't shake his sense of unease.

They entered the feast hall and Engin took a seat at one of the tables, motioning for Roderick and Simon to take theirs.

Roderick saw a few familiar faces already waiting for them inside. Bjorn and Thorsten were already seated at the table, looking as formidable as always with a flagon of ale in their hands. Roderick recognized the other two men at the table as well: Sven, a middle-aged man with a weathered face and beard who looked as though he was dressed for the fields, and Ionus, a younger man wearing heavy but practical clothing that matched his dark skin.

"Ionus, Sven, Thorsten, Bjorn," Roderick said with a smile, "it's good to see you all again."

"And I you, Roderick," Ionus said in a thick accent. "I'm glad you're here."

"Roderick!" Thorsten barked. "I've been waiting for your arrival. You did acquire what I asked you to last year, aye?"

"Aye," Roderick said as he sat down and poured himself a cup of ale.

Thorsten's face immediately brightened and he beamed at Roderick, his arms reaching out to embrace him. "I knew you would come through for us."

Roderick accepted the hug and returned the smile. "I'm glad to be back," he said.

"What brings you here this time?" Sven asked.

"I brought a shipment of iron tools," Roderick said. "As well as a few more wares that this village might fancy."

Sven's eyes lit up. "Good! We could use more tools than we have now. The last batch you traded wasn't as plentiful as it should have been."

Roderick smiled at Sven. "Of course, Sven. I'll bring you as many of them as you need."

"I'm glad to hear it," Sven said.

As the five of them chatted, the main door of the feast hall slammed open. A young girl rushed to their table and vaulted over Roderick in a blur of white, silken dress and iridescent hair. He noticed Simon reaching for the large sword strapped to his back.

The girl landed atop the table and marched towards Engin without breaking stride.

"Engin!" the girl bellowed. "Did you see that huge iron spider outside?! What is that? It's not moving and I tried poking at it but it didn't react. Where did it come from? Do you think there are more of them out there? Should I be worried?"

Roderick chuckled as the girl barraged Engin with question after question.

Simon's hand, which was wrapped around his sword, began to relax as the girl continued speaking without pause.

"Calm down," Engin finally interrupted, rubbing his temples. "That thing that you saw is no creature. It is a vehicle, much like a wagon."

The girl didn't seem convinced. "That? A wagon? Are you drunk already?"

Thorsten burst out in laughter.

"That's what we call a mechanical spider," Bjorn spoke, holding up his ale glass. "It's the latest marvel in travel."

"Mechanical spiders?" the girl said, her gold eyes wide as she turned to look at Bjorn.

Wait...gold? Roderick blinked and rubbed his eyes. Yes, the girl's irises were certainly gold in color. Not only that, her long iridescent hair was even more unusual. It seemed to be composed of fine strands of silver that seemed to shimmer in the light, almost as if they were reflecting the colors around them.

Bjorn nodded and motioned towards Roderick. "He's the owner of the vessel."

The girl turned to look at Roderick, her eyes widening in surprise. "You own that thing?"

Roderick nodded. "It's mine."

She walked over to him as he remained seated.

Roderick took a sip of ale as he looked up at her. In any other circumstance, the girl's behavior would be rather uncouth but since she hailed from this remote village, it was best not to reprimand her.

The girl's hair fell over one shoulder and Roderick marveled at how perfectly she matched the color of her dress.

"Well, hello there young one," Roderick said, offering a friendly smile. "Um, I'm sorry but I don't think we have met."

The girl placed her hands on her hips and smiled back at him. "Welcome to Ebonheim! I am Ebonheim."

Roderick let his mouth hang as he was about to take another sip of ale.

He glanced over at Engin, who was staring at him with an amused look on his face.

He glanced around the room, but everyone else wore the same expression.

"I'm sorry," Roderick said, looking back up at the young girl. "Ebonheim?"

The girl's smile grew even wider. "Yes!" she replied enthusiastically.

"You...do realize that that's the name of this village, right?" Roderick asked.

"Yes."

"And your name is Ebonheim?"

The girl furrowed her brow at him as if she was somehow offended by the question. "I am Ebonheim."

Roderick took a deep breath and exhaled loudly as he glanced back over at Engin. "Engin, this girl does not look like she was born just yesterday and had her parents name her after the village so...did you allow her to change her name?"

Engin shook his head. "Of course not. She has always been Ebonheim."

Roderick set his ale mug down. "What do you mean? I'm not following what you're saying."

Engin leaned forward with a bemused look. "Well, you always said you wanted to meet the goddess of this village." He nudged his head towards the girl atop the table. "This is her."

Roderick looked back at Ebonheim and she stared back at him with curious eyes and a big grin.

"Wait, I..." Roderick stammered, unsure of what to say. "Seriously?"