EldenHart was once a quiet kingdom nestled between silver-tipped mountains and sprawling evergreen forests. Legends say the land itself was born from the roots of an ancient, mythical tree—the Heartwood, a sacred entity whose magic blessed the soil, the rivers, and the people with abundant life. For centuries, EldenHart was known not for war, but for wisdom, diplomacy, and the rare ability to harness natural magic without cruelty.
The Whitlock bloodline became rulers after the first Heartwood Bloom, when an ancestor discovered he could commune with the living forest and protect the people from famine. Since then, each Whitlock monarch has been chosen not only for leadership, but for their bond with EldenHart's land.
Under King Alaric and Queen Evelina Whitlock, the kingdom flourished—green fields, thriving trade, and a reputation for compassion rather than dominance. But with prosperity came jealous eyes.
To the north lay Varyn, a land carved from stone and fire. Where EldenHart's magic grew from roots and light, Varyn's power rose from volcanic stone, steel, and harsh winters. The Varyns believed strength was forged through survival. They valued warriors over scholars, conquest over diplomacy, and control over harmony.
For centuries, the two kingdoms lived in uneasy balance—neither friends, nor open enemies. But King Malrec Varyn hungered for EldenHart's fertile lands and its whispering magic. He believed the Heartwood belonged under his rule, that only a kingdom of warriors deserved such power. Quietly, he began preparing his sons, Dante and Sylus, to infiltrate the Whitlock court. Dante, the charming heir, was trained to deceive. Sylus, the second son, was hardened into a weapon.
EldenHart, meanwhile, faced a growing internal concern:
Princess Lyra Whitlock, their only heir, refused to become the delicate, poised queen they envisioned. Raised among five older brothers and the knights who trained them, Lyra had never learned to sit still in silk gowns. She preferred climbing the stone battlements, sparring in the courtyard, and racing her brothers through the forest paths. While the kingdom adored her fire, the court whispered that a future queen should be soft, not wild. Gentle, not fierce.
But EldenHart had overlooked an old truth written in the Heartwood myths:
"When danger rises, the land chooses a protector born of thorn and flame."
As Varyn moved in the shadows, preparing to claim EldenHart's magic, the kingdom's fate was already entwining with Lyra's. Her strength. Her defiance. Her wild heart.
And the two brothers who would one day test it.