The expedition group moved eastward, the rhythmic clinking and clanking of armor and weapons resonating through the barren landscape. The desolate field stretched out before them, a vast expanse of cracked earth and withered vegetation that seemed to go on forever under the gray, overcast sky. The air was thick with a sense of foreboding, a silent tension that hung over the group like a shroud. Each member of the party was lost in their own thoughts, their minds focused on the mission ahead, until the monotony of their march was broken by a subtle shift in the atmosphere.