Snow fell softly from the gray sky, covering the land with a cold white blanket throughout the region. The air was sharp and hard to breathe, and the wind howled between the snow-covered pines and the towering mountains that surrounded the valley between the large, partially white peaks.
In the middle of this normally inhospitable landscape was a ghost village, abandoned long ago. The wooden houses were in ruins, windows broken and doors collapsed. Some still contained furniture and personal belongings of the former inhabitants, but they were covered in dust and ice. There was no sign of human life, only the footprints of wild animals in the snow. Normally, the silence of the place was disturbing, as if something sinister lurked in the shadows, but on the day of the tournament, the sound of clashing blades could often be heard from all directions.
