The beasts came without slowing down.
No attempt to assess the situation, no hesitation. Just a relentless, unrestrained advance, as if the wall of flesh and steel awaiting them were nothing more than a temporary obstacle rather than a defensive line.
The adventurers didn't waste time. Those in the rear opened with ranged attacks, abilities, and projectiles crashing into the first wave before it could even reach melee range. The frontliners surged forward, weapons already in hand.
The first clashes erupted almost simultaneously along the entire line, and within moments the sound of battle spread everywhere, steel, roars, impacts, screams.
Then came the first casualties.
One adventurer fell. Then another. For each of them, two, five beasts lay dead, but not because the adventurers were overwhelmingly strong. It was because the beasts didn't defend themselves. They didn't attack with method. They didn't retreat when wounded.
