The wind, carrying the salty tang of the Azure Expanse, whipped at their cloaks as Artemia and Gracier approached the port city of Oakhaven. From their vantage point on the coastal cliffs, the city presented a curious dichotomy. Its sturdy seawalls and brightly painted houses spoke of a prosperous, vibrant community, yet an unnatural stillness hung over its usually bustling harbor. Ships lay idle at anchor, their sails furled, and the customary cacophony of sailors, merchants, and dockworkers was conspicuously absent. Instead, a palpable tension radiated from the city, a silent plea for intervention.