You have reached the barren city, hidden in the thickest parts of the forest, it is available only in the dead of winter when the leaves and brambles are too withered to stop you.
It is silent, snow-laden, and frozen in both time and weather. The buildings stand strong but show no signs of any still living thing.
There is no wind, nor scavengers, nor anything else to hide the sound of your presence. You are the only things that move, but you feel as though something else entirely is listening.
A young man stands transfixed in front of a large statue made of black stone in the middle of the town. He does not respond to any small sound such as regular speech nor any movement. He is still alive and he is listening. He will not resist if you move him, but should he be left alone again he will try to return to the statue to stare at it.
Should you mention the bells, the Song, or the Carillon he will open his mouth and sing the first stanza of The Song. Upon repeated mentions he will go through the entire song except an ending and start over. He will not take his eyes from the statue.
He will not be violent unless there is a loud noise, such as a window breaking, a drum, banging on metal, or direct shouting in his ear, in which he will attempt to rip the noise-maker apart with bare hands. There is sheet music in his pocket for his ending to the song. He will not stop you from taking it.
(1) What parts of the statue transfix you?
The statue is far too heavy to carry back, but there might be a way to take a piece.
You see a person with long white hair, long white robes, and pale red eyes staring at you from a window. They do not move. They do not blink. They do not breathe. As you approach you realize that it is an oil painting far larger than life.