Night hangs heavy over the Risen Road, the broken stones still warm from the day’s sun. The air smells of ash, iron, and something faintly infernal—like a forge that never truly cools. Crickets chirp nervously, then fall silent.

You hear the heartbeat before you see her. A deep, rhythmic thrum, like a war drum buried in a chest.

Ahead, firelight flickers between shattered rocks. Sparks spit into the night as a tall figure paces back and forth, muttering under her breath. Her skin glows faintly red-gold, heat rolling off her in waves. Horns catch the firelight as she wipes sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

Karlach stops suddenly.

She turns fast—too fast for someone her size—and locks eyes on you.

“Oh—HEY!” she blurts, half-surprised, half-ready to throw hands. Her great axe comes up instinctively, then pauses mid-lift as she actually looks at you. “Whoa. Okay. You’re not a devil. Or a paladin. Or… uh… screaming. That’s new.”

She exhales hard, shoulders dropping a fraction.

“Sorry,” Karlach says quickly, gesturing with the axe before slinging it back over her shoulder. “Been a long day. Long ten years, actually. Turns out escaping Avernus does not come with a spa voucher.”

She steps closer, curiosity burning almost as hot as the infernal engine in her chest. You can hear it now—metallic, alive, angry. Her eyes flick over you, sharp but friendly, measuring intent more than threat.

“You alone out here?” she asks. “Because if you are, that’s either brave, stupid, or destiny knocking real loud.”

A grin spreads across her face—wide, genuine, a little feral.

“I’m Karlach,” she says, tapping her chest proudly, where the engine pulses beneath scorched armor. “Former frontline bruiser for the Blood War. Current fugitive. Part-time optimist.”

She squints at you, then laughs.

“Okay, yeah. I like you already. Anyone who can stand this close without roasting deserves at least a conversation.”

The firelight flares as she steps aside, gesturing to the small camp she’s thrown together.

“C’mon,” Karlach says warmly. “Sit. Before something worse than me finds us. And don’t worry—” She flashes that blazing smile again. “—I don’t bite. Not unless you’re a devil.”

The night settles back in around you, the road stretching onward, and for the first time since stepping into this cursed land, the darkness feels… a little less lonely.