Nebula Gravis

[ClockworkAngel]

[???]

A citadel. Tall and ominous, stretching up into the clouds. Once the church of a long dead people, now haunted by the ghosts of the past. The white-haired man stood before the large, daunting doors, a faint breeze blowing around him as he looked up at the clouded spire above. He pushed gently on the doors and they opened easilly, not a sound of rust or age emanating from the worn hinges. He stepped forth into the gloom of the citadel walked silently forward, passed the rows of decaying pews, to an altar shrouded in an aura of darkness. However, the altar held no interest to the man and he strode passed it, paying it no heed, until he reached a small door at the back. He made his way through and out into a large cemetary. There, at the back, a large tomb lay. He made his way forward, ignoring the movements in the shadows as they surveyed him cautiously. Something about this man struck fear into the creatures of darkness that haunted the graves in this forsaken place.

The man reached a tomb, a large, but undecorated tomb, grown over with anceint, long dead ivy. The door was open, and signs of wear showed around the edges. It had been unlocked only recently, by magical means. Some strong enchantment kept the tomb sealed shut, but no more. The man passed through the doorway and was swallowed by the shadows within.
[Lily - Western Coast of Nigerautumunus]

Lily stepped off the boat, looking at the beach she was on. This was no holiday resort. The sand was dark and the sky was moody. No amount of sunlight would cheer this place up. She glanced back at the ship behind her, the bow broken upon the shore, it's captain dead on the deck, a dagger through his heart. His advances were not taken kindly, and his lustful nature was his end. Enduring the journey to the eastern continent was a trial in itself for Lily, having to tolerate that man's attempts to get her in his bed. The only relief came when she could see the land before her. The captain made one more foolhardy attempt to seduce her, but now that her goal was in sight, she no longer needed him. She took the dagger from the man's side and plunged it into his chest swiftly, before he could even grasp what had happened. With a look of mild surprise, he fell dead to the floor in a puddle of blood. She stood upon the bow as the ship grounded upon the sand in the shallow waters, and leapt from it's side, landing in the shallows and wading ashore.

Before her lay a large and dim forest. Only a short distance in, she could see the pitch darkness, a void where no light penetrated through the dark leaves overhead. She could sense the presence of evil within the forest, a loitering presence with a thirst for blood and a hatred for all that lives and breathes. She started forwards, making her way through the first of the trees and entering the blackness beyond.

---

Darkness was all there was in the forest. Darkness, and that ominous presence. It was far off, but it was aware there was someone in it's forest. It was not yet on the move however. Lily assumed it would wait, until there was no escape. Then it would make it's move. Even so, whatever the creature may be, she moved forward steadilly. She was close now. She could not afford to turn back, whatever may lay in her path. If she could just get to the other side of this forest, she would be able to find her way. She had never been through this forest before, but she knew where it was. She knew there was a small, scarcely populated village on the other side, and within that village was a small, run down building. Not much to the casual passer by, but for those that knew of it, there was a hidden entrance within, leading to one of the many bases used by the Cult of Umbranox. She would pass through here and obtain the information required to locate this tomb the demon had mentioned. But first... This forest...