The soft tinkle of snow rings against your ears as you encroach upon the ruins of a once magnificent city, black pillars of crystal jut from the ground, buildings, and streets whereupon littering the ground you see the snow-covered remains of soldiers that once fought in a massive battle, many wearing thick featureless masks with orange- and cream-colored uniforms mottled with soot and ash. Beside them lies the bodies of soldiers wearing thick leathery helmets with gasmasks and matte grey uniforms covered in a thin veneer of black mist or soaked in fallen snow dyed red with blood. Broken weapons line the ground and as you all get closer, the wind begins to pick up, and the clouds grow grey as the wind picks up, sending a flurry of snow though the air which buffets your face and visors.
entering the plaza within the center of the remnants of the conflict, a figure made of wrought granite stands, it looms and towers over an imaginary figure, hand outstretched as if to crush that which stands before it. you glimpse upon the rusted and dented armor seemingly fused to its form, the creep of stone crumbling and rusting the metallic armor adorning the statue, atop its head lies a helmet made of the skull of a foreign creature, elk like in appearance with a sharp crown of horns atop of it. A tattered cape lies on its back and begins to flutter, a sudden gust of wind blowing around which picks up as you begin to move closer. the sound of shattering and crumbling stone echoes strongly in your ears as a pulse of shadow emanates from the statue, granite crumbles and shatters as the slits in the eyes of the skull glow a bright crimson and fiery red. as if through willpower alone this creature moves while petrified, its foot cracks and impacts the ground as it turns to face you all, this monster's hand is outstretched and with the cracking of stone and metal it closes, looking down and towards you all. Its other hand moves to reach to the side, a broken halberd floats in the air, sparking with magic as it fuses and flies into its hand, with a flourish it smashes the haft of the halberd into the ground, wisps of black smoke emit from the weapon as it becomes empowered. It looks towards you, a single hand pointed and raised in a gesture, asking, no. Demanding you to step forwards in turn. Shadows emanate from the weapon as it becomes empowered and spectral forms of soldiers adorned in thick leathery armor with crossbows and axes form behind it, a similar eerie glow in the slits of their helmets staring back. shadows pour forth from the moving statues body, the ground seared, blackened, and corroding with its presence. the creature raises its halberd, silent and towering. it begins its march forwards with the speed and ferocity of an avalanche.