North of Feytale Forest, north of the towns Klepper, Lantop, and Croydon. Squeezed in between the Lake of Jovolon, capital of the elves, and the great sea to the east. There lies The Edge

There lies The Edge. An ancient forest dividing the human kingdom Grypites down south, what remains of the elven kingdom in the middle of the continent, and the Rusted Plains of Oldorhem where dwarves rule with only a single city under their name.

The edge is neutral ground but it wasn't always that way. Before the vile plant life that thrives there took root and way before the elves and humans had grown enough to clash with each other in battles over the remaining territory. Where The Edge would take root stood a single city with a name no one remembers. No one remembers if there lived elves or humans or even dwarves. Perhaps they were ogres, vampires or centaurs? No one can tell, and those that do are most likely lying to you. What they can tell you, however, is that in that old city lived a girl who was deaf.

The deaf girl was not always deaf. Her first years of life had been filled with music and laughter cause her parents owned a tavern just outside the city. Every night was filled with joy and excitement as travelers and citizens blended and shared the stories life brought them. The girl was happy.

Then a band of bandits raided the city's outskirts and the girl no longer happy. Her parents died and the tavern was burned to the ground. Everything was taken from her in a single night, her hearing among the most precious things lost.

What is an orphaned girl to do after her world is turned upside down? She lived on the streets, begging for scraps and warmth. It was a cruel time to be alone, but even more cruel for those who were deaf. She could not hear people tell her off, warnings that would turn into violence. The strong prey on the weak they say? That might be true but most often it is the weak that prey on the weaker. Other orphans and homeless turned hostile against her. She was a rival in their search for pity and help. Why help the old man when there is a girl who is deaf? Why give coin to the group of starving children when there is a girl who sits alone, unable to hear even her own sobs?

To the outskirts of town she returned, chased out by the poor and selfish. The wind was freezing and as in all sad stories the rain soon began falling. Thunder roared and the sea threw itself against the cliff the city stood on, again and again, and again. The girl shivered in her rags. So sad it was. And had this been a normal story meant for you to cry over then the girl would have frozen to death on the spot. But our world is not quite so dull.

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The girl wailed at the sea and it answered her in a way only the sea can. With salt and water and music even the deaf can hear. The girl grew silent and the sea sang for her. White faces with black eyes emerged from the water and as she stared they sang.

A siren's song is special. It tells us of what we want most and each verse is a promise that beckons you closer. Serrated teeth and mouths so rotten and black are the only things that can spin such beautiful tales. And a siren's song is magic.

And a siren's song is magic. It travels as far as it needs to reach someone who listens. Nothing can stop it. Not even a deaf girl on the brink of death.

But sirens sing to prey and prey follow their lies to their doom. The girl yearned for the song of the sirens just as any other creature would, but her desire took another shape. While the creatures of the forest turned from their safe homes to follow the song, the girl cried in joy. While squirrel, hare, deer, and bear threw themselves off the cliff towards the sea, the girl sat still. While salt water filled their lungs and clawed hands dragged them down below, the girl began singing along. The music moved her, filled her up. It touched her very core, sending shivers down her spine and making her head spin. She felt the music and she cherished every second of it.

The song didn't stop until the waves turned red by the sirens meal. Once again the sea was the only thing heard. The thunder and rain had stopped and soon the sun would rise. The girl rose from her spot and stared at the sea. The pale faces reappeared in the waters below but this time they remained silent. The girl hesitated. Then she took a trembling step and plummeted down the cliff into the dark waters.

The old city without a name stood for another day before the storm returned. All the citizens and travelers rose from their beds as it arrived. They left the city and walked to the cliff as the sea rose into the sky and covered the along with the clouds. The sirens were singing again and not a soul could ignore them. A new voice sang louder than all the rest and the sea rose higher and higher. The wind carried it to the outskirts of the city and the sky thundered and crackled at each rising note. The choir rose to a climax when the sky turned white from lightning. The flash blinded all who looked and the thunder blew eardrums bloody. The sea came rushing down upon the city without a name and the sirens sang.

When the song ended, not a soul remained. Not a house were left behind. Every sign of civilization was gone and the sea was red.