Far East of the Bloodbane empire.
The Imperial Court of Akeria was not known for its patience. In fact, if there was one thing its nobles, generals, and bureaucrats excelled at, it was the art of self-serving intrigue—masked under the pretense of loyalty.
And yet, here they all were, gathered in the great hall, waiting.
The golden chandeliers flickered overhead, illuminating the polished marble floors that had seen centuries of betrayals, assassinations, and grand declarations of power.
The walls, lined with towering banners of the Akerian Sunburst, it's blood red banner with a golden sun, loomed over the assembly as though silently judging their worth.
At the center of the hall, the throne—or rather, the seat of absolute dominion—stood empty. And that, of course, was the source of everyone's unease.
For five long years, Emperor Varian Akeria also known as 'The Everlasting' had been absent, locked away in seclusion, seeking the so-called "transcendence beyond mortality."
