Fern

Backstory

Fern has spent her thirty years studying the plants and creatures of the Millbrook region, living on the village's edge in a cottage surrounded by gardens and remedies. Once a midwife, she left that calling after a patient died under circumstances she couldn't explain—a death marked by strange bruises and the smell of ozone. Since then, she's withdrawn into her work with herbs and folk knowledge, earning a reputation as eccentric but invaluable when sickness strikes. When the disappearances began, Fern noticed something others missed: the missing villagers all reported vivid nightmares in the weeks prior, and several had sought her out for sleep draughts. She believes the answer lies not in the stars, but in understanding the body's warnings.