The Iron Oath Pact

Of His Divine Emperor Valkenstein

Prologue:

Visiting Dunn Klienstein Metropolis

1st Day of the Month of Autumns Beckoning, 9th Day of the week Tharonsday, 1st Month of the Autumn Six, 14th Year since the Surrender of the City State Metropolis of Dunn Klienstein to the Emperor of Humankind His Divine Ascendant Florismayer Valkenstein XVI, 256th Year of His Divine Rule, 14th Age of Humankind – The Golden Age of Unity and Civilization

Ethrina Falcongrimm sighed heavily as Bobbinor her loyal and sturdy mount carried her through the gates of Dunn Klienstein. It was good to be back in this pit of depravity once more. Too long spent in the South-lands soaked in opulence, wealth, and lazy summer afternoon heat. And in the Empire in the West with all its niceties where every man was considered equal and nobody was left wanting had left a vulgar taste of civilization in her mouth.

Before long she was riding down the two hundred foot wide, 20 mile long main highway. Packed to the brim with all the hustle and bustle of a massively incomprehensible city on the far edge of the barbarian lands to the north and the empires of the giant folk to the east. This was the city that never slept. Mostly because people were too cautious to sleep overly long hours away knowing the city's fondness for thieves, murderers and cutthroats.

But even here were the first signs of the ever creeping influence and the inevitable march of the emperors grand plan to civilize the whole world under his control whether the people being civilized liked it or not. The fashions of the south and west were there on display for all to see. Seemingly gone were the old sack clothes of the peasants. Replaced with common fine garments suitable for the rabble or was that now the emperors people. The rich were resplendent in their suits and gowns. All manner of showy garments on display for the masses to comment on and aspire to wearing such fancy finery themselves.

Gone was the old central mud bath that had often brought the city to a standstill as horses and coaches and wagons struggled through the deep mud that had been born from days if not weeks or months of rain. But now the city was finely paved with road signs pointing to hundreds of newly constructed landmarks and locations within the city. There even seemed to be a one way system in place for the central city so as not to disrupt the flow of traffic.

Already she hated what she was seeing. Cities were bad enough in themselves. But this gentrification of whole nations and massive capital cities just to please the bloody emperor was too much. It had been fifteen years since her last visit to this city. When she was first starting out as a mercenary fighting the northern raiders on the border. She had been just twenty three years old back then. Now she would reach the grand old age of forty within two years.

It was something of a miraculous feat for a mercenary. Most preferred the easier pickings and fuller purses offered by the southern kings, grand dukes, emirs, princes, counts and barons and more commonly lords with their endless squabbling over local lands. There was little to be gained from fighting the Dragon Corsairs of the northern archipelagos other than experience on the bloodiest human battlefield on the continent.

It was certainly true that the further east you travelled into the vast open lands of the giant folks with their godlike cities and unmatched architecture. The more dangerous it became. When armies went to war in the east it was armies of millions or tens of millions. Of course not all were giant folk just the rulers and their enemies. It was a fantastical land of giants, titans, demigods, dragons, undead, vampire kingdoms, and the scourge races of orcs, goblins, gnolls, bugbears, trolls to name just a few. All of this was thankfully at least ten thousand miles to the far east with almost impassable mountains, rivers, inland seas and deserts between the east and west.

Far to the north could be found the grand cities and near bottomless grand treasure vaults of the mighty Dwarven empires. The Island nations beyond this great continent were home to dozens of Elven empires at the pinnacle of civilization and the masters of warfare and magic for hundreds of thousands of years their dominance has remained unchallenged. Not that you will ever see an elf outside of their island forests and massive mountain and sky city vast metropolises.

Ethrina smiled at the thought. She had once known an elf. Albeit an exiled and outcast half elf. Valrissa a grand master thief like no other. A companion for five years, a lover for longer. But things changed and people moved on. There was no tearful farewells just an oath to one day meet again to compare stories and perhaps plan their next big heist. They had parted five years ago on good terms while Ethrina had been enjoying the pleasures of the south with her ill gotten gains.

But it was still there in the backstreets. In the shadowy inns and taverns tucked away from the ever watchful eyes of the law. In the nooks and crannies where no one thought to look. But she knew even after all this time, she knew where to find what she was looking for.

She made her way down the Emperors Highway riding past richly furnished shops of the type she used to rob in the finer cities of the west before making her escape into her beloved forests. She was torn. On the one hand she liked wealth, riches, fine clothing, exquisite jewellery and piles of money making interest in the finest banks in the land. On the other hand she missed the bloody visceral battlefields. The plunder and pillaging. The screams of the dying and the victory cries of the living. It was not something she had done lightly when she had left her woodlands. The druidic rangers of her people would welcome her back if she would agree to stay and once again take up the calling of her people.

But that was for another time.

Ethrina stabled her horse at the finest stable masters in the city. It was well guarded by one of the local mercenary guilds and strangely enough owned and run by a large cabal of young wealthy city born battle wizards who had a thing for extreme gentleman's horse races. It was costly but so was her horse, saddle and riding gear.

Half an hour later she was stood outside the port district inn of The Veiled Wench. A small crowd had gathered behind her waiting patiently to get into the inn. At 7 feet and two inches tall it was unlikely anyone would start something with one of the world renowned High Folk of the Gods Emerald Forests. It wasn't just her size that would have been daunting to most. She carried her armour and weapons like someone who knew how to use them. She still had to be careful for thieves, especially cut-purses but she had enough faith in her abilities to take on most would be opponents.

For now she had business with dangerous folk and a contract to set her up for life with a series of gradually more difficult and increasingly rewarding grand heists. They would be the likes of which this gutter trash city with its gilded halls of plenty masquerading as a civilized metropolis had never experienced. But she needed a crew. The first of which she would meet in this grimy cesspit of a drinking establishment. The thought of riches drew her in and hopefully this would go as planned.

Grimm her companion and the finest spy and hunting falcon that ever lived. She was biased. The hunting bird of prey flew over her head too high to be noticed. But when Grimm wasn't playing at being a falcon he returned to true form. A magnificent ancient golden wyrm of the far south. He owed a debt of honour to Ethrina that could never be truly paid in one lifetime. Until then he remained her constant companion.

Ethrina entered The Veiled Wench Inn. Her world was about to change forever.