A huge grassy field stretches out around you in all directions, and heading westward, you descend down the hilltop to explore your surroundings. The tall wind-whipped blades of grass reach to your hips, and the farther you walk from the village, the stronger the wind seems to become.
You stumble over something in the darkness as you walk, and looking down, you realize you have stumbled upon a man's body lying in the field, a soldier's cadaver. Recently dead. Straining your eyes in the darkness, you suddenly realize you are standing in the middle of carnage, of numerous corpses strewn about, the bloody aftermath of some gruesome battle.
There are carcasses everywhere! What's happened here? You survey the grisly scene around you and note that these were moderately armored soldiers, individuals who must have been called into battle for some larger cause. Yet no matter whether they were on the side of the victors or vanquished, these men and women all lay defeated, bathed in dried, encrusted blood.
You try to ignore the overwhelming stench of death and bend down to examine one of the corpses closer. Barely a youth, he's clutching a large sword, reminding you of your own limited arsenal.
Thinking this tragic carnage could turn out to be a strange blessing for you, you turn your attention to another corpse. A young man in his prime, more mature than the first with a full mustache and beard. Perhaps a father, too — you almost feel a moment's pity for his unknown family. He was perhaps in the front line, as to his arm you find a thin shield carefully strapped.
The questions race through your mind as your hands and eyes search the bodies in the darkness. What caused this bloodshed? What battle was fought, and why? The obvious question only comes to you slowly: Were you involved?
Continuing your macabre foray, you notice that another corpse has a small sac of what may be coins tied to its beltstrap. This could prove useful.
Amidst your examination, you glance up briefly yet just in time to glimpse a strange bright orbital flash illuminating the western horizon.
The fact that you cannot remember what you were doing, or whether you were even involved in this carnage near which you came to your senses begins to worry you deeply. Did you kill any of these people? What has happened??
The stench of the carcasses proves overwhelming, even as your eyes espy a suit of armor, relatively clean and unspattered with gore, amidst the putrid remains.
Even brighter than the first time, another vividly enormous halo of pale light rises and fades in the distant horizon. What is that?
Halting in your search for a moment, you stand up straight to look around.
Surrounded on all sides by wild dark grassland and starlit sky, you stand for a moment to examine your surroundings. Even in the darkness, you realize that the corpses number in thousands, and you begin to develop a feeling that you were somehow involved.
Suddenly overwhelmed with both physical and mental exhaustion, you feel a sharp burst of pain tear through your innards. Your eyes open wide in horror as the pain rips through you, making you double over in agony...
You try to ignore the pain and continue searching for items that may prove helpful, but another terrible jolt of pain seizes you, causing you to grip your middle and collapse!
Overcome by the agonizing spikes of pain shooting through your body, you lie amid the corpses, vaguely hoping you do not become one, yourself.
Perhaps you lose consciousness (again?) because you do not know how much time has passed when you suddenly hear a voice above you: "Ah, so we haven't lost you yet, have we,
The voice is unfamiliar but soothing in its deep gentleness, and you open your eyes to see an old man sitting beside you. Only you are no longer in the field, but lying on a cot in a room of some sort.