In the land of Izër, walls of ice stand on the horizon as far as the eye can see, but above all, beings of human shape walk in the frozen cold of the country; they are called "The Shadows." They are of pure darkness, prowling in search of life to consume. And within an ice mountain, beneath the mountain, lies the royal city of Izër. A gigantic city adorned with ice statues,and inside, above the inhabitants' heads, one can see ice. It is a special day; a man presents himself to the people and announces the news. The circulating inhabitants see him, others in bars, streets—all thanks to the magic of the ice mirror. This ability allows for broadcasting, communication, even seeing past events. But on this day, the announcer from the royal palace says: "People of Izër, nearly three hundred years ago, the four great families of our kingdom fought alongside those of the Forest People, the Depths of the Seas, and the Heights dwelling in the mountains to vanquish the Promodès Empire. But shortly before the death of King Nanubilis, he launched a curse that now prowls outside, preventing us from living in the open air, and above all, forced us to separate from our brothers of the different peoples. And unfortunately, we still suffer the assaults of the Shadows. But with the help of the great mage, we repel the attacks of these monsters, though it comes at a price—a sacrifice. The royal family must spill its blood nearly every 15 years to contain the curse. Be grateful for the sacrifice of your sovereigns so that peace may continue to reign over the royal city of Izër."
The population makes the sign of the nobles' emblem everywhere in the city; all raise their two hands: <
The nobles of the four families present on the platform are pleased and satisfied with the people's recognition. Then, a man brought by royal court guards is taken and directed towards a wall that subdivides into two. From outside, a yellow light emanating from the ice mountain can be seen—a mountain with a rather square shape, where two ice sculptors represent the founders. From the eyes of the ice sculptures, a yellow light serves as the guards' means to see outside. The man exits and walks alone in the cold,proud but afraid, while the population watches what happens outside. Suddenly, Shadows appear. The noble tries to flee but is caught by Shadows that pierce him everywhere under the gaze of the people, who are grateful for his sacrifice. Then the broadcast is interrupted. The announcer of the royal court resumes: "The name of the noble will be forever engraved in our memories."
Then the present population disperses. In the royal palace, the four families gather, awaiting the king's arrival. The four noble families are: The Florests,who handle the economy and supplies. The Tristans,who are the nobles in power. The Lethons,a family of diplomats and legislators. The Mandreyvors,a family responsible for security thanks to their knowledge of magic, but nearly extinct. Its last representative is the High Priest and his niece Lucia, born from the union between a Mandreyvor and a Lethon. Upon the king's arrival, all sit down. King Richard Tristan, his son Julius, and his wife have a haughty, arrogant air, almost contemptuous. One can read frustration in the gaze of some noble families, but fear and dread prevent them from speaking out against their king. King Richard:"Well, once again I see the prophecy of the sacrifice has struck the Lethon family." (His son holds back laughter; he is a young man soon of age to rule.) The Queen:"My son, these are not manners. Control yourself." Julius:"Yes, Mother!" King Richard:"Good, I am listening to you."
A large man filled with ornaments of gold jewelry presents himself to the king. Florest:"My Lord, it is always an honor... Very well, the accounts are at their lowest this year, and we must think about filling the coffers to reinforce the city's protective materials and improve the tunnels connecting us to the outside. This is why I propose we must find a solution before the arrival of the ice cloud." A Lethon:"King Richard, would it not be better to reduce the court's expenses to save..."
A person in the back: It's a Lethon, always thinking they're superior to us. (It's a noble from the Tristan family.)
Florest: "What if we organized the Olympians for this season? Tourism and commerce would allow us to fill the coffers." Lethon:"The Olympians?!" Tristan Noble:"I find that an excellent idea. Not only would we conduct commerce with the different peoples, but entertainment is always guaranteed." Lethon:"You seem to forget that we are still on bad terms with the Elophirs, the forest people... That is why I propose..." King Richard:"Enough."
Everyone falls silent. The Lethon who was speaking sits back down.
King Richard Tristan: "I find your idea very interesting. Make the arrangements for the Olympians."
Then the king and his family exit while everyone stands for the king's departure, then they disperse. During the blue night—for it is rarely pitch black;this moment is generally called the ice cloud, as it prevents the guards of Izër from seeing the prowling Shadows—but on this night, during a routine inspection, a guard posted in one of the ice sculptures outside spots a man near the mountain entrance.
Guard: "What do I see there?" (He takes a magic mirror.) "Here, the tower, do you see what I see?"
The tower sees and is surprised... It's a man. "Could it be the sacrificed noble?" "No. Who could it be?"
He looks exhausted and stares at one of the sculptures, which those in charge of surveillance see as a "television." "What do we do?" "Maybe he's a messenger." Then he collapses. "Inform the royal court inspector."
The inspector looks, checks the surroundings of the stranger, then: "Bring him in."(The ice mountain splits in two; a team retrieves him and brings him inside.) The stranger is Darius.