Something strange has appeared in the mountainous Skull Crags. Something strange, but beautiful.

It hangs in the large valley where the trolls roam, yet high up on one of the upper clifffaces where it cannot be torn down by the vicious monsters. A large, large canvas, perhaps the size of a few carts, or even bigger. The entire surface has been painted with an unusual mural, a work of art amongst the savagery of the Crags.

The mural depicts a battlefield; a dead, barren battlefield. The ground is brown and lifeless, opposing the stormy sky hanging above, threatening to open and pour rain upon the scene below. The ground is littered with corpses, soldiers of varying races. Human, elf, dwarf and halfling alike lie dead, slaughtered. Their horrible wounds and injuries are depicted in startling realism, as if the red blood could roll right off the canvas.

Standing amongst the carnage is a lone figure. Tall and imposing, there stands a dark angel. He is equipped with the blackest of heavy armour, yet it is unscathed, despite the battle it was supposedly in. The being wields a huge greatsword, splattered with blood and gore, which currently rests its tip upon the ground. A pair of black and purple, feathery wings are spread behind him, as if he were preparing to take flight into the storm, to escape the slaughter of the battlefield.

But most haunting, or awe inspiring, is the expression upon the murderous angel's face. Clearly depicted, he is in utter anguish, his mouth twisted in woe, tears streaming from bloodshot eyes. Whether he is despairing for what he has done or that there is nothing left to kill is unclear.

Down the bottom, in one corner, a word is scrawled in sloppy, messy writing, the same colour as the blood colouring the flesh of the dead. 'Hollow'. A title to the disturbing artwork. In the other corner, in smaller, less conspicuous writing, are initials. 'V.R.'

The canvas hangs from the rock, held tight against the elements , with sturdy steel pikes driven into the wall. The sharp, dark contrast to the nature of the Skulls Crags ensures that it stands out well, even from a distance.

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in my dream i am the star.
its me