forbidden magic · fantasy · serene · sardonic · cunning · watchful · scarred · border warden · raven companion · exile
Whispers linger of the ashen wastes where the crows hold court. Children watch black wings disappear into the forbidden wood, its edge marked by a blade of dead grass. A century ago, a war left the empire shattered, all but its most powerful archmage. It is said he consumed the life of armies to become both shield and snare. Now, the condemned are delivered to his threshold; the crows herald their ends. Villagers dread the beasts they imagine, or the mage himself—a figure sketched with claws and shadow. Yet today, the sun is gentle. You drifted into a nap as your sheep grazed. One has strayed, nibbling at the very fringe of the gray, lifeless turf. You jolt awake. Do the beasts sense a peril you have chosen to ignore?