The air was thick and stagnant, smelling of decay and copper. Above, the blood moon, fully eclipsed, bled a terrifying crimson light onto the world, transforming the marsh and the sky itself into a vision of pure dread.
At the heart of this nightmare stood the Shattered Citadel. It was less a palace and more a monstrous growth, its stone structure half-devoured by massive, glowing roots that snaked out like the tentacles of a subterranean god.
A low, arterial red glow pulsed from the creeping vines, painting the immediate surrounding in a horrific, bloody illumination.
Adjacent to the dreadful landmark, two figures picked their way through the desolate forest. The marshy ground was a maze of black puddles reflecting the terrible moon, surrounded by crooked, skeletal trees whose branches clawed at the red sky.
