Role

Chapter 3

Floating over the pile of rubble, Zah comes to land in a strangely silent
clearing. The journey here had taken longer than expected, but he had finally
found the mighty Village.

As Zah approaches, it becomes clear something's not right. The stench of
death fills the air, so thick it threatens to choke him the closer he gets.
The surrounding walls, which once must have stood tall and strong, now lie in
ruins. Stepping through the rotting gate, Zah is confronted with a horrific
sight.
The village, like the walls, are little more than pile of rubble. It
is clear that nothing has lived here for centuries. But it is not the ruins
that shocked Zah, it is the enormous throne built of skulls. Towering up
within the ruins, the morbid throne appears to be the only structure to
survive the ravages of time. Zah cautiously steps closer, examining the
skulls in detail, as an uncomfortable chill runs down his spine.

"MORE SKULLS FOR THE THRONE OF BONE!!!"

The powerful warcry echoes throughout the Village. Heart racing, Zah draws
his weapon and drops into a fighting stance. Staring about himself, he sees
nobody and nothing.

Zah was finally beginning to relax, thinking perhaps he had imagined it, when
another warcry erupts from behind him. Spinning quickly, Zah barely has time
to ready his weapon before a savage looking Dwarf is on top of him, their
wicked looking mace raised. Moving too slowly to block the strike, Zah braces
himself for the blow. But as suddenly as the Dwarf appeared, they vanish into
a cloud of rapidly evaporating mist.

Looking about himself in confusion, Zah barely has time to dive aside as
another ghostly figure lowers their wand at him and unleashes a bolt of
deadly energy. The bolt slides past, barely missing Zah and slams into
another unseen barbarian behind him. The blast tears into the warrior,
sending the now limp corpse flying across the ruins. Zah turns back in
anticipation of another assault, but the ghostly figure is already gone.

Panicking, Zah picks himself up and once again drops into a fighter stance.
In the distance, sounds of combat ring out. A huge fire giant is slamming
equally massive axes into a slim figure. The unarmed figure has their hands
raised, causing the axes to send showers of sparks flying off an invisible
barrier. Roaring in outrage, the giant raises one axe in a wild overhead
strike. Slamming the axe down, the barrier shatters like glass, before the
mage is split completely in two. The raw brutality and gore makes Zah's
stomach churn.