There was a desert filled with sand as far as the eye could see. An oasis was formed by one of the largest rivers on the continent. Streaming through the center of the desert into a massive waterfall and basin. The lake-sized basin was filled with people roaming around.

A beautiful golden city made from dark yellow sand bricks; was built at the foot of the basin. On closer inspection, the people of the oasis had animal-like features. A horse's tail here, lion's ears there, some even had claws and fangs.

In the center of the city sat a monolith of golden bricks. Sitting in the center of the said building was a herculean 3-meter-tall beastman. His long wavy hair wrapped around his head and neck like a lion's mane. Sharp steel-like claws protruded from his fingertips, and a long feline tail wrapped around his waist. To his right was an elderly man who was difficult to recognize as anything other than a baboon.

A group of seven men and women, the chiefs of the seven beastman tribes, bowed before his throne. They sat in the customary submission pose with the backs of their hands placed on the ground and their palms pointed upward.

A voice that could be mistaken for a dragon echoed from the throne, "Peace has lasted too long. The Northern Lands are at war with the Lightning Skunk's cur. It's time we remind the weak ones of the continent of the Beast People they once feared."

The ape-like elderly man tapped his long wooden staff on the ground and shouted, "King Vain, peace has been the greatest gift we have ever had! With the weak ones fighting each other, we may even have lasting peace for over a century!"

Energy similar to dragon fear swept the hall. "Peace has made us dull and weak! I look and see our people growing weaker and weaker year by year. Soon we will be nothing but weak ones with better senses of smell and zero magic! A century of peace will turn into an eternity of servitude when they decided to turn their weapons to us!"

A warrior with a beak-like nose and bird feathers covering his arms stood up and said, "My King! The weak ones have ruled the continent for too long! It is time the beast man tribes show the Northern Cur who we are! The Feather tribe shall join you in battle! I will be no weak one's slave!"

The other tribes stood up one by one as they stated the name of their tribes and their allegiance. Only two tribes remained bowed. "Wolf Chief, Bear Chief, why is it you still bow? Do you not agree with war?"

The wolf chief raised his head and replied, "I do agree, King Vain, our tribes have gotten weaker. We haven't interacted with the human, weak ones in decades. I believe this is the time for us to act as you have said, however, I disagree with your approach. Blindly attacking the weak ones and stealing their land will only make our people enemies with all of the weak ones' powers. We should choose our targets wisely, and develop relationships with the other powers."

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The Lizard tribe's chief snorted, "Defilement! Do you wish to mingle with weak ones? You speak against our very nature!"

The King spoke once more, and the Lizard chief bowed his head in response, "Wolf Chief, how would you have us choose friend or foe? Should we play a game to decide? Weak ones have treated our people as slaves for centuries. It's time we repay them for that." The King places his claw-like hand to his maw as he said, "Though I do see the value in not biting off more than we can chew. It is unwise of us to attack all of the Northern folk together. Chief Fang, I will delay the Blood Festival for now, but your tribe must find me a target within a... hmmm Old Ralin how long should I give him?"

The old talking ape sat down in a lotus position as he said, "Give him three months. One month should be long enough, King Vain, but three months is thorough."

"Chief Fang, you have two months to find me a target. I will not threaten you or Odin for sitting, but I do expect results. Chief Odin, why do you sit?"

The Bear Chief stood up and said, "Our tribe has relationships with some humans that have occasionally entered our domains. Sometimes as enemies and sometimes as friends. A few villages here or there have shown us kindness, and we have returned that kindness for many years. I cannot in good conscious attack those who my tribe has made a friend."

The King asked, "Then what of humans outside of your friends?"

The Bear Chief Odin quickly responded, "We will join you."

"Then let it be so. The Wolf tribe shall find us a target, and the beast tribes shall be feared by all once again! ROAR!"

The King of the seven beastman tribes, and the most powerful beast-man in over a thousand years, was happy to compromise. Taking control of all the beast tribes was not an easy task. The last time the beastman tribes were united was several centuries ago during the Dark Era. The reason Chief Vain was King Vain wasn't due to the fact that he could compromise or because he could listen to the advice of others. It also wasn't because of his leadership skills or knowledge. Vainglory had become the King of the beastman tribes due to his strength and strength alone. He was all of those things, but to the beast people only the strong had the right to reign whether they were good or bad leaders wasn't important.

Emperor Lucius Daybright of Argon only expected the beastman tribes to attack if he left an opening. Unfortunately, no one on the Northern continent knew the threat the beast-man tribes had grown into. Just as the beast people had grown soft to peace, the Northern powers had practically forgotten the existence of the beastman tribes.

Not far from King Vainglory, a certain wandering seer had gotten another premonition. She looked as though she was only 11 years old, but her voice sounded like an old woman and a young woman speaking simultaneously, "The tides of change always occur in waves. A new cycle is coming, and the waves have only just begun." No one stood by to hear her predictions, and no one would have understood them anyway, but the seer always saw when the tides of time were changing, and they could change faster than anyone could prepare for.