Awar lay sprawled across what appeared to be a dark, shifting cloud, its surface a swirling mass of shadows and mist. His body sunk lazily into its depths, his tired eyes half-lidded as he gazed at the sky, which was as black as the abyss, only interrupted by flashes of distant lightning. A faint glow emanated from a rift in front of him—an otherworldly tear in space itself, hovering several feet away. Through the rip, monstrous, grotesque creatures spilled out, their twisted forms emerging with bone-chilling howls and guttural growls. They came in droves, a nightmarish tide of misshapen limbs, teeth, and claws.