Stairway to Heaven

As they ventured further east, the Moonriver Plain started to change. There were fewer and fewer canyons in their way, and the air grew a little warmer. At night, the three beautiful moons seemed more distant. 

The wind carried with it swirling black flakes. Rain did not need to touch them to know what they were… ash. It was as if they had returned to Ravenheart, but also different. 

Back in the stronghold of Clan Song, the ash fell from the frigid sky because of the raging volcanoes. But here, it was somehow different, making Rain feel uncomfortable. 

Eventually, the members of the survey team stopped. No one had given the command, but they simply froze in place, looking at the horizon in stunned silence. 

'...Wow.'