Prologue

> Your life is on the line, the blade is at your chest.

> It's time to play the game to win.

> - “Send in the Silver Gryphons,” Michael Longcor & Cecilia Eng

The rocky crags of the Ferchuvi Mountains rose high enough to block out the sun, and kept the chasm below in permanent shade, except for the few minutes at noon, when a slice of sunlight shot down through the cracks in the stony spikes that laced across the canyon sides and splashed across the chasm floor. To the red fox who sat, perfectly camouflaged, on one of the large rocks at the base of the canyon wall, the stone spikes looked much like bony fingers curled into grasping claws as they loomed over the building that sat nestled far below.

The building was 20 feet tall and shaped like a gourd, with walls layered with pounded metal and a roof covered in iron shingles which were maroon with rust from long years in the elements. From between those shingles sprang not one but three large chimneys, two of which were currently puffing dark smoke into the air. All around the building, pipes of various sizes - from inches to feet across - rose out of the rock and disappeared into the building interior. All in all, the building itself probably would have stood out if it wasn't for the deep shade that hid its presence from anyone who didn't know exactly where to look.

The Ferchuvi Mountain range was hundreds of miles long, and the Menuit Canyon was actually just one portion of the spider web of cracks that wound between the peaks, stretching from the Crystal Coast in the east to the Raging Wastes in the west, and as far north as the Frantoux Ice Field. The Rocky Webs, as the cracks were called, didn't quite span the entire Ferchuvi mountains, but explorers believed they covered more than half. Some believed it was closer to three quarters, as mapping the Webs were difficult and many exploration teams got lost a few days in, never to be seen again.

The fox snorted as she glanced behind her towards where the Menuit Canyon split into two like a river around rocks. She knew that in fact, the Webs were much larger than any mortal had reason to expect, and they expanded deep below the mountains in a cavern system that would put the ancient home of the deep elves to shame. The Menuit Canyon sat in the very center of the Webs, making it all but impossible to find if one did not know exactly how to navigate the rocky labyrinth. That made the steel workshop quite possibly the most secure location in all the Realms.

The fox leapt off the rock and made her way towards the building, her tiny claws clacking against the dark red stone. As the fox moved behind one of the stalagmites that rose from the ground on either side of the canyon, she took the opportunity of being perfectly hidden and… shifted. The woman who emerged wore a gown made of many cut strips of fabrics in red and gold, and a light cloak of shimmering copper, hood drawn up to hide piercing green eyes and red-tufted fox ears. Behind her, a bushy tail the color of purest flame twitched, leaving behind after-images of 8 additional tails.

The fox-woman didn't bother to knock on the steel door, but pushed through, wincing as the door screeched on its hinges, the hideous sound echoing down the canyon. She may have been confident that no one was around to see her enter, but she couldn't help the paranoia - getting caught was absolutely not an option.

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Stepping through the entry, the woman stood on a raised walkway that circled an open room almost three times the size of the building’s exterior when looking at it from outside. The floor a dozen feet below was littered with tables and tools and panes of crystal that flashed with various lights.

“Xafran?” Leaning over the railing, the woman scanned the area below. “Where are you? Xafran!”

“I”m coming; I’m coming!” From behind what appeared to be a pile of metallic scales the size of an orc’s hand stepped a short man with wiry red hair, pointy ears, an apron of dirty leather and large round goggles that made his eyes look far too large for his head. He stopped and peered up at the woman, blinking hugely. “Who- oh. Huli?”

The fox-woman - Huli - sighed and turned away, making her way to the rickety stairs that took her down to the lower level. “Xafran. What news?” She asked as she reached him. “Did you finish it?”

Xafran waved a hand, dismissively. “Of course I finished it. It’s ready to go. Just say the word and I can pull them in. However…” he hesitated. “There is a catch.”

Huli narrowed her eyes, and a small flame flickered to life at the tip of her tail, a sign of her irritation. “A catch? I do not like the sound of that.”

The little man shrugged, “Can’t help it. I got into the system, just like I said I would. But Caiden - he’s got hounds even there. I had to be… subtle. We can’t risk getting his attention.”

“Okay…” Huli took a deep breath, then motioned for her companion to continue. “Go on.”

Xafran nodded. “I can pull them in, no problem.” He paused to grin widely, “I did pretty awesome there, if I do say so myself.” At Huli’s huff, he sobered again. “Okay, okay. But, see. I can’t boost their levels. That would raise a red flag for the system, and something like that wouldn’t likely be missed by Caiden’s hounds.”

When he didn’t continue, Huli leaned forward, lowering her voice a little, “Are you telling me that when you bring them here, they will start at level 1?”

Xafran sighed, then nodded. “That’s about the shape of it, yeah.”

“How…” Huli took a deep breath, shook her head, “How are they supposed to face down Caiden at level 1? It took me almost 30 years to get as powerful as this. We don’t HAVE 30 years, Xafran!”

Xafran took a step back as Huli’s voice raised. “Okay, don’t be a twisted pipe, now! I’m doing the best I can, here!” He sighed. “Look. I’ll do everything I can to help them out in ways that Caiden won’t notice. I just can’t be obvious about it.”

For a long moment, Huli pondered. Then she nodded. “Very well. We’ll all help, offer our blessings and such-”

“Uh… about that,” the little man interrupted. “You all need to stay away from the players after they arrive.”

Huli blinked once. Twice. “I haven’t seen my player in years, and you are telling me that I have to... stay… away from her?”

“Well… yes.” Xafran nodded sharply, two jerks of his head. “Subtlety, remember? Caiden is watching all of you. You are his biggest threats. He’ll be waiting for you to act against him. It would be better if you stayed far, far away from the players. Go… do something else. Make Caiden think you’ve got something else planned.” When Huli scowled, Xafran insisted, “It’s the best thing you can do to help them. You know that.”

For a long moment, Huli mulled it over. “Fine,” she said at last. “Bring them in.” She started to turn away, then glanced back. “You know that goes for you, too, right? Can you stay away from him?”

Xafran didn’t answer, but met Huli’s gaze. Huli stared back for a time then, satisfied with what she saw in his eyes, she turned and left.