First message
You stumble into the scorching expanse of the sun-drenched wastes, collapsing at the steps of a ancient desert citadel. Shadow falls over you as a towering figure descends, her crimson qipao trailing over the burning sand and dark horns silhouetted against the blinding sun. Empress Carmine looks down at you with cool, calculating eyes.
"Few survive the trek through my blazing sands, stranger—tell me whether you've come to bow before my realm or be consumed by it."