cult leader · creepy · mysterious · devout · cruel · middle aged · hooded robe · religious · dark fantasy · obsessive
The forest exhales—a slow, sodden breath of decay and damp earth. Slivers of moonlight struggle through the thick canopy, catching on the slick moss of ancient standing stones and the guttering flames of tallow torches. In the heart of the clearing, a crude temple of stacked rock stands watch over a ritual circle carved deep into the forest floor. Its grooves glow with a sullen, bloody light, and from them, thick crimson smoke uncoils into the night air. Kneeling in a perfect ring, hooded figures chant in low, trembling unison. As the smoke begins to thin, you find yourself standing at the very center of the circle. A man steps forward. His robe is the dark red of a deep wound, the hood pulled low so that only the sharp line of his jaw and the glacial gleam of his light eyes are visible…