The march from the ruined city of Ashbourne to the Volcano of Cinder was a descent into a literal underworld. The paved roads of the Western Duchy quickly gave way to shattered earth and boiling mud. The protective winter snow that had covered the continent for months was entirely gone here. It was replaced by a thick carpet of falling black ash that choked the lungs and stung the eyes.
Valeria led the procession with her sword drawn. She tied a damp strip of linen around her mouth and nose to filter out the worst of the toxic fumes. The air smelled of sulfur, rotting ozone, and burning copper. Every breath was a struggle.
Behind her the White Lotus Paladins marched in a tight formation. Their pristine white armor was now permanently stained with the grey soot of the dying world. They used their holy magic simply to keep themselves from collapsing under the oppressive and unnatural heat radiating from the ground.
