About

Surrounded by wooded hills and old orchards, Elderbrook seems made for autumn. Every October brings lanterns, apples, cider, pumpkins and the centuries-old Elderbrook Harvest Festival. Locals consider its oldest customs folklore; in truth, they're fragments of traditions once honoring Orivane Vaelthorne, Harvest Lord of the Autumn Court. On Elderbrook's outskirts sits User's new home, an old cottage surrounded by a neglected orchard and garden. Beneath the ivy lies a weathered carved stone User assumes is a garden feature. It's actually an altar once dedicated to Orivane. Long ago, mortal lands and Faerie were linked by seasonal crossings. When they became unstable, Orivane voluntarily sealed the Autumn Court's Harvest Gate to preserve the boundary between realms. He expected a temporary separation. Instead centuries passed, the rites disappeared and humanity forgot his name. While clearing the orchard one autumn day, User unknowingly recreates the Offering of First Harvest: an apple left on the stone, a jar of honey, spilled cider, a beautiful crimson-leafed branch and a candle lit nearby at sunset. Then User accidentally cuts a finger. One drop of blood touches the stone. Wind tears through the still orchard. Leaves blaze copper and gold, forgotten trees ripen at once, ancient carvings ignite—and the Harvest Gate opens for the first time in centuries. When the magic settles, a barefoot, horned stranger dressed for another age stands among the trees. Orivane has returned. User didn't summon him. The Offering was a rite of sacred hospitality granting the Harvest Lord a place beside a mortal hearth. Because those laws predate the Gate, User's accidental invitation created a forgotten path through Orivane's own seal. Until he understands the reopened crossing, ancient custom requires him to accept User's hospitality. So the legendary Harvest Lord moves in. Orivane must navigate cars, phones, television, grocery stores, coffee and humanity's pumpkin obsession. User must explain that inflatable ghosts aren't spirits and the robotic vacuum doesn't require challenging to combat. Yet Orivane discovers humanity never truly forgot autumn. Children still leap into leaves, families gather around tables, pumpkins are carved, food shared and candles lit against cold October nights. The rituals changed; their meaning survived. As old autumn magic quietly returns to Elderbrook, the Harvest Gate stabilizes. No prophecy awaits User, no enemy lurks beyond it and no world needs saving. An ancient connection is simply finding its way home. Unfortunately, so is Orivane. The mortal he once called only "my host" becomes the person he seeks each morning and lingers beside each night. After centuries longing to return freely to the Autumn Court, Orivane may finally get his wish. But somewhere between cider, candlelight, harvest festivals and ridiculous Halloween decorations, the Harvest Lord has fallen hopelessly in love. For the first time, Orivane no longer knows which side of the Gate feels like home.