Over the sharp coastal rocks upon which the harsh waves crashed, a pure ferret watched from his tower. Prince Asaral of Terramort watched the pounding waves on the dark stormy night as he contemplated the future of his family.
Having been driven out of Riftgard from a failed coup, Prince Jatlak of the pure ferrets wandered and sailed southwest. Many cold winter nights of his were spent camped out in the mountains and forests, while other nights were spent in an endless stormy hell upon the sea. Only his mate, Lady Iuniak, and a small crew of his supporters had followed him. Setting sail in a hastily constructed boat after their original ship was wrecked, they sailed into the great ocean until they beached on an island. Fortunately, the prince knew the place.
He had heard stories of how Gabool the Wild, one of the greatest corsairs to ever sail the seas, ruled over the island. They had landed on Terramort.
Jatlak and his crew camped for a week before he decided to build his own kingdom, far away from others of his kin. This would be his kingdom, he thought. It was his kingdom indeed. He sent his crew to recruit corsairs and capture slaves, hoping to build up his island into a bustling trading empire. He succeeded.
He was feared as one of the most powerful vermin kings to rule, as he extended his influence over miles of ocean, taxing any corsairs to pull into port and building up mounds of riches. Hundreds of treasures, goods, and slaves were taxed and sold every day at the ports. King Jatlak's kingdom was thriving.
Everyday, dozens of servants lined up in the royal palace hallway, counted and assigned to duties. Those who performed unsatisfactorily were sent to the gallows. The screams of those who failed to perform marred the air every week, serving as a chilling reminder to those still working. It was a cruel place.
Nevertheless, King Jatlak did have a soft spot. Even though his marriage was arranged, Lady Iuniak and King Jatlak loved each other dearly; it was said by many captains on the island that Jatlak was one of the more forgiving of rulers, and slaves who had been enslaved under other rulers found that Jatlak was kinder than their former masters, although still cruel and harsh as all vermin rulers are.
Not all good things could last unfortunately - King Jatlak was growing old. Lady Iuniak had passed away, and it seemed like the King was never the same after her departure. He grew silent and reclusive, leading his two sons, the crown princes Altan and Asaral, to take more responsibility. Soon, full responsibility would fall on one of them.
But who?, Asaral thought. As the younger son of King Jatlak, it was growing increasingly unlikely for him to rule. But still he was unsure. Unsure if he was going to rule, and unsure if he even wanted to rule.
The younger crown prince had displayed an unusual love for the scholarly arts from a young age. He knew the stories of long-forgotten vermin rulers, great warriors of both vermin and woodlander - Hellgates, he'd even learned to speak without his pure ferret accent (a talent that he hid from his family). His academic prowess turned vital when discussing invasion strategies and war plans, but outside of these situations it only served to make him look weaker than his brother.
His brother could only be described as the pure opposite. He tortured his personal slaves menacingly, sometimes so harshly that they died. This drew contempt from his father, who hated to see good-quality slaves being wasted. Many compared him to King Narengal of Riftgard, also known for being unnecessarily cruel. Soon it was looking increasingly likely that he would indeed rule Terramort. That was bad news for the younger prince. He would only be viewed as a threat by his sadistic brother. And now, King Jatlak, old and gray, was close to death, with only one of his two sons by his side.
Prince Asaral sighed as he heard the fortress bells toll three times, signifying the passing of his father. The next half-season would be complicated.