The moonlight passage slowly faded behind them.
Tarnished scuffed the dry grass beneath his feet, producing a faint crunch. He looked up at the dense field of spectral gravestones ahead, then at the enormous tree on the horizon radiating a dark glow, and drew a deep breath.
"So this is the Land of Shadow?" the soldiers whispered.
The grizzled veterans of the Redmane Army started cursing. This damned place felt even creepier than Caelid. The formations from the Royal Capital of Leyndell remained orderly and solemn, but their tight grips on their weapons betrayed their nerves. The warriors of Volcano Manor, on the other hand, seemed delighted, pointing at the spectral gravestones and discussing how much treasure might be buried here.
"Stop standing around!"
Morgott's roar thundered across the plain. "Set up camp! Send out scouts! Mages, start constructing defensive arrays! Did you come here to fight or to sightsee?!"
The soldiers jolted and immediately got to work.
Tents sprang up, barricade stakes were driven into the ground, and watchtowers rose at a visible pace. The Redmane Army's veterans expertly dug drainage ditches, complaining as they worked that the soil in this lousy place was even tougher to crack than General Radahn.
The mages and scholars of Caria scattered throughout the camp, carrying all manner of strange instruments. They collected samples of soil, plants, and air, carefully placing them in specially made containers. These containers were covered in runes that supposedly blocked "interference from external factors" to ensure accurate measurements.
Tarnished rode Torrent through the camp on patrol. As he passed a gathering of mages, he spotted Sellen.
His teacher was crouching on the ground, holding a crystal vial full of soil, her brow tightly furrowed. The soil inside was an eerie grayish white, with occasional flickers of faint light.