1. After the War

It had been nearly two decades since any sign of war was seen throughout the land. Of course there were always small disputes about land between two lords, clans, or warlords but nothing on the scale of the war that pit Samurai, Knight, and Viking against each other. Nothing nearly as bloody and brutal as the conflict that ravaged the land for ten long years. Even with the relative peace, the three factions were always on their toes. The Knights were still training Wardens and conscripting Conquerors, the Samurai were always teaching the ways of the Orochi and Kensei to lead the battlefield, and the Vikings were still raising their sons and daughters to be Warlords or Raiders. With the treaties made between the three factions trade routes were set up that made it so the Vikings did not have the need to go raiding the Samurai or the Knights, the Samurai no longer had a shortage of steel or iron as they could get them from the Knights or Vikings allowing for them to make more weapons, and the Knights could trade with either factions for things like books, and other commodities like spices as they already had enough resources to make the best armor and weapons.

2. Stormwind

Our story starts with the Knights, more specifically a Warden in training known as Grigor Stormwind. He was a very handsome young man aged about 20 with short brown hair, he was among some of the strongest students at the academy and very intelligent, two qualities befitting a Warden. He was known for being very aware, being able to predict attacks any sparring partners threw out, almost as if he had a sixth sense. As well as strong he was fairly tall, the tallest one in his family as it were. He was the son of a physician who had always hoped his son would be like him but alas, Grigor's heart was stuck upon becoming a Warden. He entered into the Warden's academy when he was about eighteen years old when he finally saved up enough gold to buy himself a suit of armor and a sword. Grigor was more determined than anybody at the Warden's academy to join the ranks and be a protector of the innocent and fighter of injustice. He had one major setback though, he was incredibly unlucky. He would have easily passed every trial if it had not been for his hard luck. During his combat test the pommel fell off of his sword and one of his knee guards seemingly locked into place, tripping him and making him lose the trial. The candle upon his desk fell over and burnt his paper to cinders during his written test. His efforts did not go unnoticed though, the masters of the academy noticed how adept he was at combat and knew that he could easily fell any of the other students in a one on one duel or outwit them with his knowledge if he wasn't so unlucky so regardless of his failures the masters allowed him to pass. Many of the other Wardens-in-training felt him unworthy, they would always mock him and berate him for his ability to fail yet still move through the academy like any of them.

One day upon waking for breakfast and training in the courtyard of the academy Grigor received a note from one of the stewards as he was maintaining his armor. "Ah! Squire Grigor, I have an urgent note for you from the masters of the academy." The steward said. Grigor hastily grabbed the note from the steward's hands and read it to himself: "Squire Grigor, report to the Hall of Judgement immediately. We have important business concerning your success in this academy we must discuss with you." This sent fear down all throughout Grigor's body. Had the incident in the horse stables finally been the last straw for the masters? Would he be ejected from the academy? Surely the masters understood that some of these incidents were out of his hands! Grigor gathered his courage and headed to the Hall of Judgement that was deep within the bowels of the ancient academy, still wrought with worry.

Grigor approached the large door before the hall and knocked. "Squire Grigor? If that be you, then enter posthaste." A loud voice echoed from within. Grigor opened the door with an echoing creak and said "I'm answering your summons masters." "Step forth and stand before us squire." Grigor walked forward through the large room, the masters sat behind large desks that were connected to each other in a semi-circle fashion and raised a foot off the ground, almost as if they were surrounding whomever they were judging. The masters themselves were older men who were not fit for combat any longer but still had a wealth of knowledge on combat that could be passed on to future generations on Wardens. The master in the middle spoke after Grigor saluted them. "Squire Grigor, the other masters and myself have been watching your progress closely. We see how well you fight and how smart you are with every written assignment you turn in. You are far from being the worst Warden at the academy, though your colleagues might think different. However, many of the other higher ranking members of this academy doubt our decision to allow you to pass. It is with a heavy heart that we present you with an ultimatum: you must accept a trial by combat or be expelled from the academy… What say you?" Grigor stood for a moment thinking to himself, he knew that he could very possibly win the trial but what if something went wrong? What if by the curse of his bad luck his cross guard just slipped off of the end of his sword? There were so many possibilities as to what could go wrong but he wasn't prepared to give up on his dream, he would beat this curse and become a Warden or die trying. He looked up at the master and said to them "I accept the trial by combat, who will I be fighting?" the masters looked at each other and nodded agreeably and then one of them spoke "You will be fighting squire Lupum Moongazer, he is much like you in the sense that he excels at combat, though he seems to lack your curse and as such is at the top of the class. You have three days before the duel will commence in the courtyard at noon. Be there or be expelled from the academy and good luck, Squire Grigor." With their judgement passed and no further questions Grigor saluted the masters and left for his quarters.