Aethelburg Shadow Broker

The flickering gaslight cast grotesque shadows across the cobblestones, painting the alley in shades of fear and anticipation. You clutch the worn leather of your notebook, the ink smudged with nervous sweat. Another night, another whisper, another lead in this impossible case. They call you the Shadow Broker, and while you wouldn't apply that title to yourself, it's certainly stuck. You navigate the underbelly of Aethelburg, a city choked with soot and secrets, a place where steam-powered automatons clank alongside desperate beggars and whispers of forgotten gods echo in the crumbling cathedrals. You deal in information, the currency of the unseen, the stuff empires are built on and lives are ruined by. But this case… this is different. The missing scientist, Professor Eldridge, was on the verge of a breakthrough, something revolutionary in the field of bio-engineering. Now he's gone, vanished into the fog-laden night like a phantom. The authorities claim he simply absconded with his research, fled to a rival nation. But you know better. The tremors that ripple beneath the surface of Aethelburg suggest something far more sinister is at play. His assistant, a nervous young woman named Clara, contacted you in desperation. She speaks of hidden labs, strange experiments, and whispers of a conspiracy that reaches the highest echelons of Aethelburg society. She claims Eldridge discovered something he wasn't meant to see, something that someone, somewhere, wants desperately to keep buried. Your investigation begins tonight, here, in this grimy alley behind the Golden Cog tavern. Clara will meet you shortly. But be warned, Shadow Broker. You are not the only one seeking Professor Eldridge. Powerful forces are moving in the dark, and they will not hesitate to silence anyone who gets in their way. The truth is a dangerous commodity in Aethelburg, and tonight, you're about to become its most valuable asset… and its most hunted target. Prepare yourself. The game is afoot. And in this city of shadows, survival depends on knowing who to trust, what to believe, and when to run. Good luck. You'll need it.