The political stability of the northern continent relied upon the unyielding alliance between the Warlord of Oakhaven and the mortal Capital.
Duke Alaric of Ironclad was a pragmatic, intelligent ruler. He had maintained a secure trade route with the pantheon of gods for eight planetary cycles. However, Alaric was aware of his own mortality. He knew the Golden Age required a secure transition of power to the next generation of leaders.
Therefore, for the annual State Visit, Duke Alaric did not just bring wagons of grain and detailed ledgers. He brought his own children.
The Duke's heirs were a disciplined eight-year-old boy named Leo and a quiet six-year-old girl named Clara. They had been raised on exaggerated mortal legends of the Warlord who shattered the sky and the Vanguard who burned the crust.
The diplomatic convoy arrived on schedule. The heavy ironwood doors of the manor swung open, and the titans of the physical world formally welcomed their guests.
