A Tale of Ashen Wings - Prologue
The Year is 417 of the 3rd Era. Tensions are
mounting between the Redcloak Clan of Skrijaheim and House Sendalas of Herefell
that threaten to boil over into a cross-border war between Kingdom and
Principality.
Sven Redcloak the Godhammer is on the verge of declaring
offensive action against House Sendalas, for consistently refusing to return
loyal soldiers part of his direct retinue, including one of his sons.
However, Grandmaster Sevarin Sendalas staunchly maintains
that the Redcloak soldiers were arrested and trialled lawfully by their own
rightful customs and laws, and were found guilty of conspiracy to assassination
and thereby sentenced to death.
Upon receiving the letter bearing the seal of Sendalas and
the news of his soldiers' imminent execution, Sven Redcloak has quickly
mustered a swift and elite force of his men to travel from Freigoth to the Dark
Elven City of Blackhold, where the religious enforcers of the Principality
intend to execute the captive Redcloaks by Sendalas' decree.
A war between two city-states would be costly, as it would
inevitably snowball and become a war between two vassal nations of the
Dragonblood Imperium. The response from the Emperor would be swift and heavy in
order to resolve the dispute, but not before other vassal nations might spot
the opportunity to challenge any of their disliked neighbors, shattering the
uneasy peace and prosperity that the Empire has strongly established and
enforced since the 2nd Ending and Awakening.
But
it seems conflict may be inevitable, as time runs short for the Redcloak
brethren on death row. Blackhold's bells have begun tolling, and their shackles
have been adjusted, as the Ordinators lead the stubborn Nordic warriors to
their fate as ordained by the Living-Gods.