Multitudes gather at the mouth of the pit. At the borders of the place that was once Wuuheim.
Though the din of the masses is frightful, they all walk forward with singular purpose.
And yet some faces glance back, their grim expressions illuminated by the unearthly glow on the horizon.
The Phantasm, its dread aura towering above the world, outshining the sun.
You near the center. Yet, the further you go, the more difficult it is to move on, and soon you see why.
The great bowl of the pit is lined by hapless mortals, as far as the eye can see, and nine massive rope bridges connect the earth to a black stone structure in the very center.
It swings gently, but with clear power, as if it were some leviathan thrashing in the deep.
Massive iron chains anchor it to the wall of the pit, littered with the bodies of
those who gave in to despair and threw themselves into the abyss. And those are the lucky ones, the ones who don't miss the chains and tumble deeper and deeper into the unknown.
That is the Descendant Tower, constructed by the very first Explorers. A tower built in reverse, aimed downwards rather than at the sky.
But something has gone wrong, and the crowd halts. Moans of worry are replaced by screams of agony as those
who attempt to cross the bridge are mercilessly cut down by... something.
It looks to be a man's shadow, but cast on reality instead of on a wall.
Free of a source, it writhes and walks
and kills under its own power, wielding a shadowy sword and shield, both indistinguishable from its flesh.
You approach the abomination, and unsheathe your blade. The crowd struggles to make room, knowing better than to get between a knight and their prey.
Your encounter is a short but violent one, as you parry its blow and run it through, spattering its black insides onto the wooden bridge.
You put your sword away, only to stagger
as the world shakes below your feet. Now the whole crowd is screaming, like a hellish symphony.
The ground shakes again, and the bridge sways. The footsteps of the Phantasm ring out, weightier than any mortal step.
You dash across the bridge as the multitudes pile on, trying to escape
their fates.
Several bridges snap, and most who make it across are slain, by still more of the shadow creatures, emerging from the tower's peak.
You push through, flailing through the shadows, and tumble down the stairs. The sounds of outside are muffled, and for a moment, there is relative calm.
Though your body is bruised, your armor is breaking, and your equipment is on its last legs... you are alive. And you intend to stay that way.
The Tower is crawling with the shadows, but you manage to scrape by with your life. They're like nothing you've ever seen... striking with repetitive
thrusts and swings, never tiring. And when you strike one down, more seem to rise from dark corners. On your last legs, you descend the final staircase of the tower, leaving its black walls and stepping onto a metal elevator.
You get your first real view of the Aeon Ruins, and the view strikes you with awe. Below the tower, a pale stone island lies, with 6 of its own towers, sitting on a vast expanse of water with four wooden docks stretching past the horizon in all directions.
The biggest one in the center is clearly a lighthouse, and its light sparkles over the glass-like still of the sea. Is this place... truly beneath the earth?
However, you have little time to enjoy the scenery. A strange sound from behind you catches your attention, like dripping water, and as you turn, you see droplets of shadow oozing from the tower above, fusing into a misshapen
mass on the elevator. A bizarre chain scythe weapon materializes in its chunky hands, and it lumbers towards you, its weight having set off the elevator's slow descent. You ready
your blade once more... but what good will it do against such a monster?