I had learned a lot over the last few years. I learned as much as I could about the history of the area, both from books and from asking stories of the old timers. I studied the local geography and the surrounding kingdoms. I even studied the history the church put out for what it was worth. I studied all of these things because of what I finally understood from one of the books in my family's collection.

My father always said it was poetry. I was forced to read passages many times when I complained about having to learn a different language from a law book. It made absolutely no sense at the time. Now that I was Awakened I was able to see that it was in fact our family’s cultivation manual, which I had used instinctively during my awakening. The title of the book was ‘The Mountain Royal Swallows The Wind’.

What I had learned over the years could be summed up in a few important facts. The land we were on used to be part of the kingdom of Borinal, the oldest documents in the settlement even said as much. Two hundred fifty years ago Borinal cut off trade with the Thane Theocracy in what is now the River Lands because they were adulterating their coinage with base metals. The Theocracy claimed it was because we couldn’t stand the sight of the holy symbol on the coins and declared a Crusade to wipe us out. This was in fact a blatant land grab because of the Forked Pass. They outnumbered us greatly and took the cities at the base of the passes on their side, they then marched on the capital of Libor in the high peaks and slaughtered everyone. Almost, and that was the problem. One of the royals, who looks to have been my ancestor, got away and sealed the regalia behind a blood seal. In their rage at being foiled, the zealots “tore down the bridges in the high places and slew the dungeons in the low” so that Boinal could never rise again. The Theocracy collapsed a few years later shortly after their economy.

This is important because of Authority. When an awakened noble has a right to a land the world spirit recognizes it and gives them Sovereign Authority. This allows a lord to command anyone on his land to do something and they have to obey unless they are a higher noble, a forigne noble, or under command of a noble who is also on the land at that time. Unawakened can just run, and as long as they are leaving the land they will be fine but an Awakened has to obey. There are limits, but not as many as you would think. Sovereigns can also feel the presence of awakened beasts and monsters in his land so he can deal with them. There is apparently a major issue of bands of monsters and Awakened bandits plaguing unruled trade routes which is why our pass isn’t used.

There are many ways Sovereignty can be passed on but the most common is referred to as a regalia. An object or objects imbued with the Authority. For a lord it might be a ring, for a king it is usually several things, a crown, a scepter, and so forth. If a person of the right bloodline, or having the right to it through some other means like conquest, gets the regalia they can make themself king. Unfortunately until it is claimed, destroyed, or the bloodline is wiped out, or a higher authority supersedes it, the authority sits in the regalia waiting to be claimed and no one else can take over the authority of the land. Borinal traced itself to the fall of the Empire, so there is no higher authority. Since the fall of the Empire a thousand years ago hundreds of territories have become unclaimed when the regalia was lost and the bloodline scattered. If there is any source of wealth or Essence these places quickly become homes to bandit lord's or monster hoards. Which is again why no one is using the most direct route between the coast and the river lands.

If I could claim the Authority over the pass I could open up trade again and probably stop a third of the refugees from starving. With even minor taxes I could even buy the equipment we needed to clear more land. Might even get to the point the settlement can be an actual town. I just had to play this right.

I declined for now and checked the other three objects and got a similar message about the [Scepter of the High Passes of Borinal], the [Sword of the Mountain King’s Justice] and the [Great Seal of the Royal House of Andural]. I guess that means my real name should be Tarkhan Sel’Andural instead of Sel’Andur. I couldn’t find the fifth piece at first then looked to the body. In his hands were two letters and a ring. Sure enough the ring was the [Royal Ring of Borinal].

I looked at the two letters, the first was addressed “To My Son, From Your Father, Crown Prince Dzhambul” and was in a sealed envelope. The other was several pieces of paper folded over each other and simply addressed “from ME”. I opened the one from ME and started to read:

If this letter finds its way to my Grandson Tarkhan I hope you can forgive an old man jesting over the panic you caused with that un vetted letter you left on my desk. If it is one of his descendants I hope that the fates have treated you well up to this point. If neither, I ask that you read no further.

Many preparations have been made for your return but I will leave that to my son to explain in his letter as he was the one to decide on this gamble when the enemy's hidden forces seized Goba Bridge. It falls to me to tell you of claiming your birthright since your father was never able to have Sovereignty himself. We are Patricians of an Imperial Line. if you have yet to awaken you may not yet know the import of this but it gives you a trait called Noble Leadership. This skill was imbued into the Patrician bloodlines at the founding of the Empire in the same ritual that established Sovereign Authority on this continent. It will shape your life for the better. Many in power become corrupt and greedy, this skill ensured that the nobles of the empire remained just that, noble. It will guide you in leading our people the way a mastery skill guides your swordhand, leading you to act where you must and helping you know what is best not just for you but for your people. In the old days the idea of allowing someone without this skill to rule was thought lunacy, but that was before the invaders destroyed the imperial regalia. Part of what let us keep our small kingdom safe and independent for so long was keeping to the old ways. The point of all this is that there is an Ideal that this kingdom was founded on. The spirit of the world knows this and it was built into the Regalia. In order to claim it you will have to exemplify these ideals of Justice, Mercy, Honor, and Obligation. Each piece will need more proof of your character so I would take one at a time. If you fail you may try again twice more for each piece but if you fail thrice for a single piece even those you have already bound will reject you. Be judicious, and rebuild our kingdom in stages.

I would recommend starting with the ring. The first piece you master will give you dominion over the crown city, the second the surrounding crown lands. The third will allow you mastery of all the high country this side of the lower fork of the pass. The fourth will give you the fork itself and the town of Felbor along with the marchlands on the far side of the pass. Finally when you take up the full regalia you will have the lower reaches of the pass itself. You will also be able to find any of the remaining reglias sworn to us. This should aid you in rebuilding the nobility but be warned that those not of imperial blood are often treacherous.

You must be Awakened to complete this task and your father has made plans to aid you in this. Be warned though, if the Theocracy is still seeking you those nobles who retain right of conquest can find an Awakened claimant if they choose to look until such time as you have claimed the regalia in its entire. They have mocked me through the doors these last three days with what they will do to all of my blood that they find. Be safe and keep those you trust close.

If, as I fear, this letter is for one of my more far reaching descendants, please forgive my son, for as much genius and insight he has, it was not in him to plan for the death of his son.

With my love and hope for you and our people,

Suhkbataar Sel’Andural of the Patrician House of Andrual, True Blood of the Mountains as are you, and Once King of Borinal

I was not sure what to feel. I was shocked that I shared a name with that long dead prince. I was enlightened as to why I, as Old Gran had said, “...became a leader and an old man all in one day.” Mostly though, I was filled with sadness for the man who had lost everything but a single scrap of hope only to be mocked as he lay dying. I would do my best to live up to his ideals and make the mountains a worthy legacy for him and the rest of our family.

I put the ring on but did not take up its challenge yet. I looked around the room and saw several chests laid out around the room and a set of plate armor sized for a man six inches taller than me. I breathed deeply and broke the seal on my many times great grandfather’s letter to his son.

My beloved Tarkhan,

If you are reading this then I am dead and the plan worked. Gozya Cosh should have kept you safe until the Theocracy collapsed. After failing to take Borinal the pass would have been overrun with monsters and bandits like any other trade route. These mountains are too easy for ambushes and they soon will be cut off. They are already stretched too thin with their holy wars. If they have not yet collapsed by the time you read this, do not awaken. I know you were looking forward to it, but the risk is too high as long as the theocracy stands. Still you must rule to be worthy of the crown. Gather our people to you and find a place in the high country, on the royal lands. There, use the settlement stone I gave you. It is not as good as Sovereignty but the stone will keep any non sentient monsters and beasts away. This will be a blessing and a curse as the theocracy will likely destroy the dungeons to prevent a monster hoard. It is not widely known but dungeons are only formed when a beast dies and is somehow trapped in its core. Since it is likely that you won’t have access to dungeons until a suitable beast dies or can be lured in, I have prepared objects to help you advance in the chests here.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

The white chest has awakening elixirs as well as instructions on how to make more. It is my own recipe and uses only ingredients found in the mountains. There is also a crystal decanter of suspended Essence, enough to awaken five people. Don’t use it all yourself, you will need a team you can trust if you are to go out and find more Essence. As we have learned, don’t trust anyone from outside the mountains. Build your own team and make sure it is strong and balanced.

To that end, the blue chest contains cultivation manuals. There are cultivation methods suited to many types though I have sent a copy of our family’s for you with Gozya. There are two dozen path manuals, all above grade 6 and complete to at least tier ten. Three of these, those wrapped in the family colors, are old imperial paths that require you to be of patrician blood. There are also a dozen skill scrolls, be warned they are single use and can either let you use or learn the skill. If you don’t meet the requirements and try to use the scroll to learn it, it will crumble. Don’t learn them all yourself, some are duplicates and not all will suit your path. Most important, before anything else, read the book with the red cover and share it with no one outside of the family. It contains all the secrets and tricks of cultivation our family has gathered over the centuries. There are sects in the lowlands that murder nations for this kind of knowledge.

The green chest contains pills that can help you push through bottlenecks at each of the first five tiers. There should be enough in there for your party plus a few depending on their paths. There is an instructional tome on alchemy that will teach one of them how to make more but they all require ingredients you can’t get here. Instructions on use are attached to each bottle.

The red chest contains information on all the Aetherial arts, from more basics on alchemy, to weapon smithing, to the making of talismans. Much talent was lost in this war and it is up to you to help revive it, even the strongest cultivator will stall without support. The chest also contains a few useful codex of learning, the most important is one that teaches the Language.

The unpainted chest contains basic gear that is of higher quality than it appears. If, as I fear, you will have to travel to the lowlands to get stronger you will have to pose as adventurers. Your greatest threat will be other people. This gear will make you less of a target and will make you stronger than they think if it does come to blows. There are no weapons, there is no way to truly hide the quality of a weapon, but I sent the family legate blade with Gozya.

Lastly, I left you my [Divine Plate Armor of Standing Peaks]. Do not wear it, or even touch it, until you reach at least tier eight.

I have done all I can to prepare you, my son. I will never forget…

What followed was two more pages of him bringing up happy memories and trying to express a lifetime of love to his son with only ink and paper. As I read I thought of my own father, dying in defense of my sister, and I wept bitter tears at the strange echo fate had made of the lives lived by myself and this other Tarkhan. After a time, I looked down at the ring on my left hand and sent Mana through it, claiming my birthright.

-Assessing worth of claim-

-Eldest living direct descendant of the blood-

-You hunted criminals in your domain and met out JUSTICE in the defense of others.-

-You have defended against a usurper by using the LAW. You granted MERCY where you were able-

-You have earned the IMPERIAL guardians title [Aegis] marking you as HONORABLE-

-You have put yourself between monsters and the innocent fulfilling your noble OBLIGATION.-

-You are now SOVEREIGN of the [Crown City of Libor]-

-Your title [Royal Heir] has been upgraded to [King Regent] and is no longer redacted.-

-You have unlocked the storage function of your [Royal Ring of Borinal]-

I now knew why the old King said to start with the ring. Storage rings were to high nobles what the pouch I wore was to adventurers. I looked inside the ring and found only five things, their nature revealed to me as I looked at them as if I had identified them. The first was a fine change of clothes that boosted all statistics' effects by one tenth. These types of enhancements were rare to my knowledge, most being increases of a straight amount, but as much as they would aid me, they would also be conspicuous as a sword at the diner table. Next was a bow, a [Bow of the Unreached Horizon], and a quiver of arrows in what looked like a saddle sheath. The third object was a talisman that would return me to this room if I was critically injured. The fourth was a book of imperial laws identical to the one my family had and from which I learned to read and speak the Language. My father always told me the law was the one thing a leader should always carry with him. It seemed that wisdom was something the family had never forgotten.

The last item in the ring was a skill scroll. The skill it taught was called [Royal Blood Seal]. It was the same skill that guarded the entrance to this chamber for centuries. Reading the description on the attached paper the skill was most often used to contain prisoners of great power or to safeguard family members in times of strife. To learn it I would need a royal title and twenty Willpower. My Willpower was at sixteen but I had never spent any of my free points. I did so now and then used the scroll. It crumbled in my hand and I feared I had wasted it when a wave of knowledge was just in my head. I knew how the spell worked, how it lasted so long and how it knew I was allowed through. Since the moment this spell was cast every person of my line had been drawing in a little bit of Aether, even unawakened, and feeding it to the spell at all times. Now that I knew I could feel the pull of it. I could also feel the pull of another far away from here, likely on the other side of what was once the kingdom. That would have to be a mystery for another time.

-You have learned the skill: [Royal Blood Seal], Erect a barrier around a place up to one half Willpower feet on a side. This barrier can only be crossed by people of your own blood line or those sworn to you. The Barrier may be breached by anyone who’s level exceeds the total Willpower of all living members of your bloodline times the skills level. You may erect a barrier if the number of extant barriers is less than your skill level.-

I couldn’t use the skill now but I would be able to once I took down the barrier here and the other one. I could see uses for this, but the existing barrier was too valuable to give up for now. Not only was it a known safe refuge where I could leave the regalia, it was made by someone of a presumably higher level of skill.

I left the armor where it stood, but gathered the chests into the ring after removing the red book. I stored it separately so I might retrieve it later without having to pull out the whole trunk. I debated with myself, but decided to leave the regalia here save for the ring. It was too much of a risk that something would happen to me and the regalia would be lost. I resolved to bring my brother here as soon as I could though.

I thought about the city above me without people. I could move some of the refugees up here. I had seen several terraced fields on the outskirts, one of the closest looked to be overgrown with wild potatoes when I passed. The problem was that I couldn’t rule the city and the settlement as things stood. If I continued to lead the village as I had I would be neglecting my sovereign lands and if I focused on rebuilding the crown city I would be abandoning my people. I knew instinctively that both options would lead to me failing the ideals to which the regalia were bound. I needed a third option. I looked back at the altar-like table on which sat the regalia. From the letters it seemed the settlement was in the crown lands, if I bound myself to one more piece of the regalia I would have Authority over the settlement and be able to build from there. Resolved, I picked up the scepter.

-Assessing worth of claim-

-Eldest living direct descendant of the blood-

-You have heard disputes from those under your care who have acted against you and ruled with JUSTICE, setting aside your prejudice.-

-You have granted MERCY to those who came into your lands with nothing and helped them build a life-

-You have recognized those of worth and made appointments in an HONORABLE fashion.-

-You have willingly risked your life to find a way to provide for the people to whom you have given OBLIGATION in exchange for loyalty, and is the way of an IMPERIAL noble.-

-You are now SOVEREIGN of the [Crown Highlands and its Attendant unclaimed Fiefs]-

-Your title [King Regent] has been upgraded to [King of Borinal].-

-There are seven Fiefs in your land that are unclaimed and without regalia. Bring an appropriate item to the cornerstone to create a new ENSIGN OF AUTHORITY. There are three Fiefs in your land with heirs and extant regalia, you must track down either or the fief will lie fallow. There is a settlement in your land under your control, would you like to incorporate this settlement into a Town or Fief?-

That was a lot of information. It felt like I just barely passed the test this time. I was just lucky I found in favor of Timmon Selk in that grazing dispute, no matter how much I wanted to hurt the unctuous little weasel. I would hold off on incorporating the settlement until I had time to talk with the elders, but making it formally a town would allow me to lend my Authority to the elders and the guard to a limited degree. But before all of that, before using the cultivation resources left by my ancestor, before finding loyal people to awaken, I had a job to do.

I gently lifted the body of the dead king and made my way back to the surface to dig a grave.