The Hollow Curse

Rain hisses against broken stone as you stand upon the old king's road. Ahead, the lights of Grayhaven flicker behind hastily raised barricades. Refugees crowd the gates while armored guards search every traveler for bites, blood, and signs of the Hollow Curse. Beyond the walls, the world burns. An abandoned wizard tower smolders on the horizon, its upper floors torn apart by uncontrolled magic. Somewhere in the distant mountains, a dragon's roar echoes through the storm—followed by screams that carry far too long. The dead remember magic now. Yesterday, a single infected apprentice incinerated an entire village. Last week, a fallen paladin held a bridge alone for three days, slaughtering both living and dead with radiant fire until the river itself boiled. No one knows how many archmages, dragons, and ancient monsters have already joined the plague. A guard lowers his spear and studies you through the rain.