Prologue
The following is an excerpt from Todd Allensko McCasle's journal. Passionate for history, he wrote to calm his mind.
Brutality. Hatred. Lies. Anger, fear, oppression, and a force so barbaric, so sickening has blanketed our nation in a thick, dark cloud. And at the center of the contest are the Unonian people, the innocent lives trampled on by the waves of Mafian troops. Thousands have been butchered in Drawshk alone, where the capital was lost only four months ago. Even more were killed in the outlying villages, now deserted and decorated with decaying men, women, and children. And on the eastern lands, where we were finally beginning to gain a foothold, is now a sea of injustice, a region full of horrible atrocities committed by the elite Mafian army.
Yet so much has happened before this. I suppose it started in Kardlo Field, where the "elite fighting force of the entire continent", the Careinians, were defeated by fierce resistance from the Unonian people, even though they were heavily outnumbered, ill-equipped, and held a devastated morale. Fox, our king, led the charge against an army so large and so learned it had conquered nearly a quarter of the continent – a feat unheard of in the modern age. But they lost Kardlo Field, and their bid for the continent with it. Though our victory proved our strength and will, gaining respect across the entire continent, it was more of a loss. It was the last time Fox was seen alive. It was the last time our great nation won a battle.
First Scendio fell to Mafian and Careinian jointed forces, cutting off any supplies and imports to Canvhis, as the city was the only safe path over the Ta'lavero mountains. It was rumored Vladlov had no part in that attack, but I don't trust a bastard, especially when every person in the nearby villages of Ulken and Ivlerlo was slaughtered, their bodies hung from the walls of Skendio as a reminder to what would happen if Uno was to humiliate the Careinians ever again. As our forces began to regroup, our eastern divisions fell to Mafian troops, rumored to be using men from Northland and Hazardouse to attack. Then the entire country seemed to fall. Large cities were sacked by Mafian forces – Visensko, Niskabo, Vivensk, Videsh, and even Cavansko, just to name a few. Then came the capital, Drawshk. Despite five nobles supplying armies to the city, our people were brought to their knees in eight days. And each time we marched away from a battle, we knew we were allowing each and every innocent bright face to perish. McRasko, now the self-proclaimed emperor of the New Mafian Empire, stands at the head of the charge, conducting this genocide on Unonian people. It's truly an abomination against all Unonians. Watching the battles, it was hard to believe that at one time every vulpine who donned a Mafian breastplate would have been proud to call himself a Unonian. Maybe some still are, as oppression runs rampant in the emperor's army, but I'm not that optimistic.
Which brings me to today, roughly one year and two months since the victory over Canvhis. There's still no sign of Fox, still the murdering of thousands of lives, and we're still rotting here in Cavask. Praise the Almighty the great city has not been taken yet. Yet. Uno is now a shadow of it's former self, occupying a sliver of territory stretching from Cavask to the edge of the mighty Vialukro forest. We still have control of McVankevo and Caviske among other cities, but that is beginning to fade. But there's still hope. Todd McEdek has grouped every known Chaljsko fighter into Cavask. They number around five thousand, and are hungry for Mafian blood. Nobility, also residing in the temporary capital, have begun to station their armies in strategic locations across the Unonian frontier. Even the entire city of Cavask seems willing to fight for their fallen brothers and sisters. All we need is a spark. All we need is Fox. And we need him now.
Todd Allensko McCasle.