Hope begins to blossom in the army. At first, you only catch glimpses of it between the trees, but as the tunnel snakes around to the west and the woods open up into a clearing, across the expanse you can see a lone tower standing at its center ringed by high white walls. A cheer goes up from the line. You have finally found the Salt Tower.

Standing high above the trees, it is a sight to behold. A shard of civilization, jutting up from amid the chaotic sea of trees. Within a dozen paces of the Salt Tower's walls, nothing grows, the salt infused into the stone and the earth there holding it at bay. Even the monsters have given it a wide berth and no sign of tooth or claw mars the structure's defenses. Although it has stood for centuries, it still looks strong and sturdy, and you will be grateful to be inside the walls. At last, you have reached some measure of safety, and the midpoint on your journey to the Heart of Darkness.

As if mocking your thought of safety, the ground around you begins to rumble. You do not know whether it is coincidence or somehow the mindless Wyrm sensing your escape. Whatever the case, it is coming for you, and coming fast.

You bellow for your soldiers to run to the sanctuary of the tower. If you can only reach it…

It is not long before this feeble hope is crushed and tossed aside. The ancient Wyrm erupts out of the ground at the front of your line, sending you hurtling through the air and landing on your back. The force of the impact drives the wind from your body, and you wince as you force yourself to your feet, struggling to breathe. But there is no time to recover. The Wyrm charges the line, ripping through the soldiers, tossing them aside like chaff.