You nearly order the Golem forward but stay the command at the last moment. They are fools to raise weapons against the mark, but the Deepwood is a capricious place and fond of tricks. Who knows what they have seen from those walls.

You raise your voice and using the full weight of The Pact, remind the guards of the inevitability of their circumstance. You will gain entry to the village, one way or another. The guards hesitate, their eyes flit from you to the Golem and back again.

You can see the conflict and you see the moment to assure them. "We're here to kill your monster," you say.

From within the Deepwood something groans, fell and horrifying. The guards visibly shrink back, but whatever it is, it seems to convince them at last to allow your entry. One disappears from the wall, and a moment later, the gate creaks open, its mighty hinges groaning.

You are welcomed by a crowd of suspicious faces and the guard captain, who quickly orders the gates shut again. The villagers gathered around the gatehouse keep their distance, yet there is an odd defiance in their eyes that you are not used to seeing from the peasantry. Something seems off. Approaching the captain you ask him to take you to the leader of the village. You need to find out why this village has gone dark.