Llorden, the furthest city from the capital of Argodia, is a city in name only. In truth, it was a vast fortress built as a bulwark against the creatures and beasts coming from the Southern Wastes and the Plains of Death. However, a little more than a 100 years ago, the beasts of the south gradually decreased in number until there were hardly any sightings between years at a time. To investigate the cause, a great expedition was sent out under the cooperative banner of five Kingdoms – Argodia, Emanril, Runegaia, Lorantha, and the Free Cities of Helmdring.

The forces comprising the expedition were awe-inspiring as they traveled south towards the frontier. Many years passed and along the way, they even met with an undiscovered kingdom’s expedition from a land known as Arcadi, the Desert Kindom, who were also investigating for the same reasons. Despite the meeting, there was no great problem as the two forces banded together and marched on.

What they found at the end greatly shocked them at the time. What could only be described was that massive swathes of earth were gouged from the ground, forming trenches and ravines, as well as many signs of charred and crystallized earth that blocked there way from proceeding south any further.

According to the Arcadians, the place was once filled by countless Nests and is still brimming with Miasma, but life and Mana could no longer be detected in this area far south, so it came to be known as a ‘Dead Zone.’

After that point, the expedition returned after several more years, and the five kingdoms received many benefits from the meeting with the Arcadi expedition. Of course, there would be others who would be jealous of such gains and fear such military power.

Wars and fighting occurred, but forgetting the threat of Monster Waves, chaos and destruction soon fell across the land. As fate would have it, the two kingdoms closest to Argodia were the first to fall.

Seeing the threat and knowing that Argodia, the kingdom with the greatest military force in the South, may be destroyed next, the forces of the remaining kingdoms allied with Argodia to force back and defeat the wave. After much sacrifice, in the end they succeeded in suppressing the monsters. With peace coming back to the land, the wise rulers of the original five called the other leaders to a grand gathering in neutral ground.

Knowing that their hostility cannot continue, and to help inspire the others to alliance and peace, the wise leaders offered a proposition. Any time a great crisis befalls any civilization on the Southern Continent, an alliance of several Kingdoms must be made to face the crisis. The rest will help maintain order and security across the land during this time.

The gravity of the crisis and participating kingdoms will be voted upon and would help maintain peace, and deter fighting. To maintain this order, a great council known as the High Table of Kings was formed, and with it, after much deliberation and careful debate, an order to create an alliance of any five kingdoms at the time of crisis, the Five Kingdoms Coalition, was made.

With the creation of the High Table, Llorden was remade into a self-sufficient fortress that would serve as the main base for the forces of Argodia in times of crisis due to its key location being the centermost fortress that borders the South of the kingdom. In a few years, under the management of the greatest general in Argodia’s army now with the noble title of Margrave, the fortress-city of Llorden prospered with its military rivaling even Argodia’s elite. For many years, Margrave Gaspard Cromnis Harkwall’s power in Llorden stood unchallenged… that is… until this day.

***

In the dark depths of a prison, footsteps can be heard as a man covered in a black-feathered mantle slowly head towards a certain cell. As he drew near, with what little light the depths could offer, on the wall was chained a large bald man with a bulky body that could be described as fat layered with muscle.

As the mantled man arrived before the light, he could be seen as tall and lanky with pale grey skin, and long oily black hair. His face was covered by a gold mask with the face of a bird with black hollowed eyes.

As he brought one of his gloved hands to rest under the chin of his mask, the man spoke, “Margrave Harkwall… it’s been days since my last visit, hasn’t it? It’s truly unfortunate to see a man of your caliber in such a state. However, you truly have my respect for lasting so long. But now, a new variable has appeared and unfortunately we can no longer delay with your answer. Now if you would please cooperate with us… then I can promise you your suffering will quickly end.”

With a cold serpentine voice, the man coaxed the Margrave to give a response.

Slowly, the Margrave lifted his head to look at the man. Seeing his expression, the man in black could only sigh over the troublesome actions he’ll have to take to break the man before him. With a thought, he opened the cell before him to face the chained Margrave.

Darkness and an eerie quiet was ever present in these dark halls... but currently... it was mixed with the chilling wails of pained screams...

***

“We demand to see the Mistress of this establishment, this instant!” yelled out one of the two robed and masked men standing threateningly before the entrance of the All-Treasure Pavilion.

While some girls were looking outside anxiously, with a quarterstaff in hand, Azula stood before them unfazed by their demands as she coldly replied, “As I’ve said before, we’ve already had someone call for the Mistress. You can’t exactly expect someone to just up and suddenly appear just because you called for them, right?”

“We’ve already given you enough time. You’ve also denied us entry, hence, obstructing our order’s righteous cause! If you continue to refuse our demands, we will be forced to brand you all as enemies to the Sacred Lionhawk Order of Seraphaem, and subjugate you all as heretics along with the criminal!”

“… Tch.”

Azula clicked her tongue to the unreasonable men. Some of the women in the Pavilion have had terrible experiences with the Order as well as other traumas involving men. Had she given them free reign, with the Lionhawk Order’s reputation, their violent methods of interrogation would result in nothing less than terrible consequences.

“Hmph. Your attitude shows that you lack respect for our Order. Perhaps we should make you an example to the rest –“

The man vanished in the blink of an eye before he finished his words and appeared behind Azula, ready to strike her down with a mace. Anyone would normally be caught off guard in this situation and panic or at worse, get taken down… that is of course, anyone less than that of a seasoned fighter.

As the man tried to bring down his mace, he found that he couldn’t bring his arm down any further. Confused, he looked at his arm and found that the back end of Azula’s quarterstaff pushing against the end of his mace. Before he could react, Azula swept him from underneath to drop him on his back. With a loud thump he fell then tried to get up, but then saw the end of a staff in front of his face.

His partner, seeing him get floored, tried to react but as soon as he got near –

“Stop! That’s enough. Azula, release him.”

“…Hmph.”

Hearing her mistress’ voice, Azula complied, but not without dissatisfaction. As the man stood up, he soon made his displeasure known.

“Madame Sorena of the All-Treasure Pavilion, you’d do well to reign your whores in. Any further, and our Order would trample you all underfoot as the vile blasphemous scum that you all are.”

Madame Sorena’s eyes narrowed at that statement as she coldly replied, “Lionhawk Templar, I take what you say and return it to you…you’d do well to know your place. The All-Treasure Pavilion is an establishment under the sanction of his majesty, the King himself. A permit of the highest authority is required should your Order choose to place even one foot in here in the name of your ‘inquisition’.”

“Bah! How dare you claim the law of a secular king holds any value before the holy actions of an Order of the Righteous God, Seraphaem! Such heresy against our god cannot go unpunished, so by the right of the Ruler of Authority and Dominion, I brand you all as sinners and heretics! Prepare yourselves for the Holy Purge!”, he yelled out in anger.

Madame Sorena was shocked. She knew there were certain unfounded Orders under different gods, but never did she expect that the so-called Lionhawk Order that was supposedly recently consecrated to be such foolish fanatics. Many of these Holy Orders know of the relationship between the gods and the rulers of the land, as well as the pacts that were made.

A King cannot be crowned without the blessings of the gods, especially that of Seraphaem, the God of Dominion and Authority. To claim that Seraphaem is above the King’s laws is contradiction in itself, as receiving Seraphaem’s blessing, the Divine Right of Kings, would mean one would embody the god’s laws to empower the people and serve as their rightful King.

This blessing is absolute and hence the reason why she couldn’t believe the stupidity of the two self-proclaimed Templars of Seraphaem before her.

Unfortunately, the two Templars saw her reaction as a realization to the righteousness of their cause, which further drove their fervor. One faced Azula to restrict her movements, while the other made a mad dash towards Madame Sorena.

“Too late to regret it now, heretic! For the transgressions against our god, suffer under righteous indignation –“

Just as he rushed at her, Madame Sorena snapped out of her thoughts, yet remained calm as she smiled wryly. Catching him off guard, he couldn’t understand her composed demeanor… that is until the shadow of a large clawed hand loomed over his face.