The year is 1066AC.
Twelve years since the Final War that was promised.
A war with a Hero and a Demon King and with nations choosing between order and chaos.
A war that was supposed to change the world forever.
It did not.
Not in the way the oracles prophesied, not as how supposedly the Creator had told and certainly not how anyone really wanted it to end. It was neither victory or defeat.
No change to the status quo but the weakened armies of nations, the ruined lands and wealth of the people and the grief that comes with. So the natural result of a war and the people were lost.
Fractures began to form among the many countries, many had put everything on the line for the Final War, many of the most precious and talented had perished and the cracks began to show.
Among them the Great Ursan Empire, the largest Empire within the world of Disaster who had gone under many reforms in the last years had begun to regress the sweeping changes that were placed by the previous Empress.
The Emperor having lost his son, the Crown Prince in the Final War and his wife, the Empress years later due to her illness and grief, began to become much more like the man he was in his youth. One that wields power ruthlessly and valued personal freedom and strength above all else.
He has decreed among his subjects to retrieve all of his illegitimate children and to test them.
To see who is mightiest in might, magic, mind and much more, to have them claw at one another, to support one another and to betray one another until they stand above the rest and march to the crown.
And so begins the savage struggle of those linked by blood, one where barriers are broken, truths are uncovered, blood is spilt in light and shadow and the one who is left standing will wield the greatest power in the world.
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Even that however may not be enough to sate them.
Bastard turns fifteen today. Or so he thinks or at least is told that he is today. The Faith was well known to lie to the children in their care to keep them from leaving as soon as possible. The chance he was a fair bit older than he told was quite high.
He triumphantly stood outside of the place that was his home for at least fifteen years that he was able to show record of. He had left the village before, to do the work assigned by the Faith but today he was free. Today he was fifteen and thus by Ursan law had every right to go his own way.
He had groomed himself with quite a lot of care this morning. He couldn't do much about his hand me down clothing but he could try his best with everything else, well his definition of what is cool and acceptable.
His ginger hair shimmered lightly, it was styled wildly with a few so called stylish spikes here and there stood out but left his shiny blue eyes out for the sun to fall upon.
Around his waist was a small leather pouch filled with the money he earned doing odd jobs here and there, doing work for the Faith as a handyman of sorts and from what some people would consider petty theft and some might consider light gambling.
He breathed in the fresh air of freedom and took the first step towards his journey that would no doubt lead him on an epic adventure where he would no longer be bound by stuff rules and traditions, no one breathing down his back about being proper and polite.
A wide open world for the people who desire to be free. One where he could make a name for himself and fulfil every desire he could ever have.
Then a large hulking white armoured knight which looked like a moving set of towers and ramparts with a cross shaped star for a visor stood in his way.
A long string necklace was around his metal neck with a single long white crystal in the centre of it, dangling like a dagger… the insides seemed to have a faint red wisp within, like a drop of blood within a glass of water.
The wind was knocked out of Bastard's sails and was shocked into complete silence. He noticed the long blue cape attached to the knight's shoulders that had a golden border designed into it.
A knight of the Ursan Empire. For one to be here and now at this moment could only mean trouble, especially when he was standing just outside the home.
"I'm here to take you in."
The voice was fairly deep and carried a strong confident air within it. Each single word felt heavy to hear, weight was thrown simply by the man's voice making its presence and intent known.
Bastard could only reply with his immediate emotional reaction.
"Aw fuck me."
While his lips moved to say three little words of frustration in a disappointed tone...
His mind was racing, raging, roaring, raving, ranting, howling, foaming, frothing, screeching, screaming, shrieking and most loudly of all cursing.
“Of course the day I get to leave this shit stain of a home I instantly get harassed by some pompous, city bred, rusty, bucket headed, stick up his ass, bitch to the nobles, overbearing, rotten cunt! Well, fuck him, the moment I get the chance I'm running from this arse bugger.”