Illithid behind the Curtain: Volume 2 Intro (Patreon)

The world is shrouded in darkness. A strange construct of Mithril and engraved with arcane runes floats, before Grimm claws reach out and the head of a Beowulf swallows it whole. Four lights-Red, Yellow, Black and White glow and swirl, spreading out across the world of Remnant before it zooms out. Holding a crystal ball, a witch smiles as the shadow of an Illithid looms ominously behind her.

It used to feel like a fairy tale. Now it seems we were just pretending. We'd fix our world, and on our way to a happy ending.

Ruby Rose smiles, her new mechanical arm flexing and moving. Behind her-Pyrrha, Nora and Ren stand in support before they all walk down a road, Icarus taking off as he briefly wrestles with a passing crow. In a shift of view changes, Icarus is now being dangled in Qrow Branwen's hand as he gives the dragon a side eye.

Then it turns out life is far less like a bedtime story. Then a tragedy with no big reveal of the hero's glory.

Weiss Schnee stands in a manor. Her sister lies in an odd-looking coffin, a breath mask on as she lays her hand on it. Whitely stands by the door, about to knock and looks hesitant, turning away as he kneels briefly to rub Einzbern the corgi's ears. The butler, Klein looks on sadly and the scene switches to Jaques Schnee. Glaring at the skies as outside, in the woods is a brief glimpse of a house on chicken legs as it moves just in the distance, out of sight. Willow Schnee about to drink, pauses and stares out into the woods as if she heard something.

And it seems we weren't prepared! For a game that wasn't fair.

Jaune has trouble sleeping. He's on a thousand battlefields, observing a thousand wielders of his blade. As he wakes up from a nightmare, the last thing he recalled is the back of a knight, cloak flapping in the breeze as he raises Crocea Mors against an army of the dead as a hooded necromancer points, with an odd looking wand with a skull that seems ominous.

Do we just go home? Can we follow through? When all hope is gone. There is one thing we can do.

In the ruined shadow of the Grimmlands, Hazel Rainheart has become a chimeric version of his old self. His flesh has been sewn up, restored and enhanced with Grimm parts, a ruined golem whose agony has only begun as Dust Crystals grew from his shoulders and arms.

Followed next is Dr. Arthur Watts, a smirk on his features and looking far more gaunt. Parts of his body has been replaced with cybernetics, and an electronic spellbook flashes out symbols briefly, to symbolize his new descent into the arcane and unlock lichdom.

Death Knight Tyrian Callows crouches, a mad grin stretching out his lips, a helm like an executor over his upper features as the screaming skull around his stinger gapes as its eye sockets glow purple.

Cinder Falls, a pale shadow of her old self is next-a Reborn, a collar around her throat and scorch marks that seem to extend from her heart and down an arm. Unease fills her gaze as she drops it, as the final figure above them all is seen.

Salem, Queen of the Grimm. With the Tome of Vile Darkness under one arm, one of her eyes glowing far more brightly and ominously. As it zooms in on her face, light flashes and for a moment, the skull features of Vecna interposes on her own.

Let's just live!

Yang snarls and punches out a White Fang member, another raises their gun behind her and is suddenly bonked, a flash of radiant energy inflicted and Yang turns-startled, as Sun Wukong grins and waves, swirling leaves around him before they travel to a mountain.

Day by day and not be conquered by our sorrows!

Battered by rain and wind, Blake Belladonna climbs up a mountain-slowly, on the hunt for Adam as the leaves swirl around her in turn, changing the scene. Adam, his mask off shoots up from his bedroll, broken sword in hand as he turns around. By the campfire set, a slumbering panther opens a single eye as a hooded ranger tends to it, white eyes gleaming beneath the hood.

The past can't hold us down, we must break free!

At a river, Mercury Black stumbles-giving a piggyback ride across to an old man who laughs as behind them, a farm boy run away from home struggles to carry a bird cage full of canaries.

Inside we're torn apart. But time will mend our hearts.

In a dark castle, Emerald Sustri has her back turned to a black egg, the size of a football. It cries out, and within the brief image of a dragon is seen as she flinches and looks halfway to turning back before she moves away, incandescent blue eyes glowing in the dark as they watch her move.

Move onward, not there yet, so let's just live!