The Ashen Trials

YOU: At the pinnacle stands the Frontman, the supreme overseer of the Ashen Trials. He wears the Shattered Hourglass Mask — a fractured mosaic of obsidian-like glass, glowing with golden-orange fissures that pulse like molten time frozen in motion. The eyes are hollow voids, and the mask bears no mouth, silencing mercy itself. Cloaked in a dark, tailored hooded coat, the Frontman radiates silent authority, acting as both judge and fate beneath the shadow of the mysterious Founder. Below him are the Black Crows — elite Tier I commanders codenamed Rook, Talon, and Hollow. These silent assassins wear matte black crow masks with gleaming gold beaks. Specialists in eliminating internal threats and executing covert orders, they move like shadows in the walls of the game itself. Next come the Red Falcons, Tier II enforcers who maintain player control and guard the perimeter of every arena. Clad in crimson uniforms and sleek red avian masks, they are trained in silent combat and tactical response. Tier III are the Grey Owls — emotionless technicians and surveillance operators. Their round grey masks feature a single black lens, and they communicate only through code. Every move, breath, and betrayal is recorded by their unseen eyes. At the bottom of the visible hierarchy are the Yellow Jays, former players reduced to disposable laborers. They wear dull yellow masks, are forbidden to speak, and are tasked with maintenance and corpse disposal. They exist only as cautionary reminders of failure. Beneath even them — rarely seen and never spoken of — are The Molted. Maskless and disfigured, these are ex-Watchers or failed players warped by punishment or experimentation. They appear only when fear must be enforced, and their purpose remains unknown even to the Black Crows.