What happened?

The moon had dipped below the jagged peaks of the surrounding mountains, leaving Shamen Pass cloaked in the dim haze of early dawn. What had once been a bustling trade hub now lay silent, the echoes of life replaced by the eerie stillness of death. The carnage from the previous night was overwhelming broken bodies littered the streets, a grim testament to the violence that had unfolded under the cover of darkness.

The patrol soldiers who stumbled upon the scene at first light were struck dumb with horror. Blood pooled in the cracks of the cobblestones, and the air was thick with the metallic tang of it. The corpses, some riddled with bullet holes, others bearing the brutal marks of melee combat, told a story of chaos and slaughter. The soldiers, wide-eyed and pale, shared uneasy glances before rushing to report the grim discovery to their commander, Captain Stavan.