The world of Terralon is a massive supercontinent. Half submerged in water, with the remaining half consisting of land. This vast land is divided among four massive Kingdoms :
Kingdom of Sylvanus
Kingdom of Vestra
Kingdom of Aethel
Kingdom of Kyros.
Each of the Kingdoms are separated by many dangerous natural terrains like the Frostbrand Mountains, Blackstone Barrens and the Ashen Marches. These are some of the most notable structures across Terralon. But the most important, awe-inspiring, and terrifying of them all is the.. World's Spine!
A colossal mountain/structure protruding from the core of Mother Earth, it pierces the sky, reaching above the clouds like a beacon of light and hope for lost travellers in the four kingdoms. Situated at the very centre of Terralon, it is a structure visible from all four cardinal directions. No one considers the "mountain" a naturally formed structure as something of that grandeur is just not possible, but they also cannot believe that something like this can be the work of man. It was a wonder by all means.
Nonetheless, it holds a special place in the hearts of the people. Many sacred rituals and offerings are performed towards the World's Spine, some consider it the residing place of an immortal who can cure all illness, while others believe that it is home to a demigod who protects Terralon from bad luck.
And right at the foot of World's Spine lies TradeHaven. Since the city was built to be a trading point between all the Four Kingdoms, it had to be constructed near a landmark of significant importance and easy navigation. And what better place than the monumental structure at the very centre of the world? In a way, it also serves as a neutral zone, where no conflicts erupt due to the mysteries surrounding the towering peak.
**********
As Azrael exited the lush forest, he saw the giant "mountain" in the far distance. From here, it was a two-week long journey to TradeHaven, but the vague outline of the World's Spine was already visible.
After being stunned for a few seconds by its sheer scale, he pulled himself back and started a light jog towards it. It would be the compass leading him to his destination. Even as he ran, he couldn't help but admire the impossible architecture of the Earth.
Now he was able to somewhat understand the people who pray to it. Because nothing but just witnessing the immeasurable height of the "mountain" invoked a sense of reverence, as no common man would ever amount to it.
*********
Three days later,
He reached a town known as GrapeNectar. The town got its name from a very unique, sweet Nectar harvested by the locals. It was said that the people here consumed water only as a secondary drink, with the nectar being their primary essential liquid. Azrael thought this was an exaggeration, until he entered the gates and saw every adult and child drinking the same purple liquid.
The obsession was absolute. He spent a whole day exploring the town, and wherever he went all he saw was the nectar. It was used as a common drink after meals. Many shops were selling the liquid with new taste and different alterations. In food stalls and restaurants, the nectar was used as a sauce to be spread over your food before you eat. Consequently, every dish in GrapeNectar was sweet.
He also bought some pure nectar from a shop and gulped it down in one go. After savouring the taste, he understood its staple status. This Nectar contained addictive substances; given how long the townspeople had consumed it, there was no turning back. It wasn't exactly harmful, but it was certainly addictive. Over time, the body would either become accustomed to it or fail if a "daily dosage" wasn't provided.
Seeing the functioning of this town for so many years, it is safe to assume the first scenario played out here.
Azrael eventually made his way to a bar. Because he already explored the city, now it was time to start Master White's objective. He opened the doors of the bar and saw what he had expected. A bunch of drunken people surrounded in mess and delusion. The bar was as typical as it can get, with a counter for drinks and round tables placed around in some distance to each other filled with people. The only difference in the bar of this town was, the sweet nectar being the primary ingredient in every glass.
He chose one of the corner tables and sat down quietly. He ordered the waiter to bring him the nectar to blend in quickly with these people, and honestly there wasn't much options available other than the nectar.
The waiter arrived with his drink. He started taking slow sips, while his senses sharpened listening to any piece of information that might be useful. Most gossip was local and irrelevant, but after a few minutes, something caught his interest.
"Did you know?! Kyros will probably attack Aethel."
"You're joking, man. why would they suddenly attack Aethel?"
"You ignorant bastard. Don't you know about the conflict in the Ashen Marches?" The second drunk guy shook his head, prompting the first drunk guy to explain.
"Then, listen fool.. your father going to explain—"
Thud. A jug was thrown at him, narrowly missing his head.
"Just say it, Finn.. no need for your antics. I'm tired of them already." Another guy said his piece, to which the others nodded.
Finn, the first drunk guy, glared at the man who threw the jug but ignored it. It looked like, this was normal occurrence here.
"Cough.. cough.. so as I said, The Ashen Marches is a land of rare minerals located right between the Kingdom of Aethel and Kingdom of Kyros. The Aethels are a civilized society of scholars, whereas the people of Kyros are brutes who believe only in strength."
"Both the kingdoms made a pact in the past, that they will equally harvest the minerals and the ore mines will be shared equally between them."
"But... That pact was supposedly broken by the Aethels last week and a great battle erupted, causing the death of many important people on both sides and it also resulted in the ore mine permanently shutting down."
Everyone was surprised knowing that so much happened in just a week. They were only surprised not concerned because it didn't affect them. "What did the Aethels say?" Someone asked.
Finn gave a cheeky smile and said, "well, my friend, they denied it, of course. They said it was Kyros who attacked first."
Azrael was intrigued by the geo-politics but didn't dwell on it. His immediate goal was to understand Sylvanus, the other Kingdoms are not his concern for now. He finished his drink and left the bar. He thought of resting for the night, but as he wasn't feeling much tired he decided to continue his journey to the next town. Which was a four day journey.
************
Four days later,
He arrived at the town of Millware. Like it's name, a simple town consisting of many factories and production mills. It was a labour town, where everyone is linked to the production. Most people are manual workers, some educated ones are managers and the rich are the owners of the said factories.
Azrael mingled into the town without attracting unwanted eyes to him as a newcomer.
Everyone enjoyed a good meal after a day of hard labour work so, there were many restaurants in the town of Millware. He was sitting in a very popular inn and almost all the seats were occupied by workers refilling their stomacs after a hard day's labour. To entertain them, there was music and dance, the atmosphere was lively and everyone was enjoying the time.
From the corner of his eye, Azrael saw a group of people in a circle. Where everyone surrounded a man who was speaking something with expressive emotions. His curiosity pricked, he also moved his seat over there inconspicuously. Then, he heard the man at the centre speak,
"....A dragon rose from the depths, circling around the World's Spine," the man spoke. "It was angry and agitated. Its fury was reflected on those crimson red scales shimmering on its body like a beautiful doom. It roared at the heavens, defying it's decree and charged right through the sky to fight the gods! But all that came down was a golden waterfall of blood, sprinting down the World's Spine and disappearing back into the same depths the dragon came from."
".... " The man was about continue with this fantasy, when a shout came.
"Oi! you bastard, tell us something real, and not some imaginative shit." A drunk man shouted from across the table, drawing hearty laughter from his mates.
The guy who was the storyteller looked irritated. He said, "you could have said that at the start right?! Why wait till the end of this story... you cheap shit!"
Laughter spread across the table. Azrael seeing this funny scene play out, also faked a laugh as to not appear odd.
After the laughter subsided, the storyteller continued with a deep look in his eyes. "Anyway, that story is almost over. So, let me tell you something very real."
"Once upon a time, there was a young baron. He dreamed of becoming a hero, protecting the people from monsters and saving the day. He trained hard for many years and became a cultivator. A Tier-3 cultivator."
Many gasps were heard from the crowd at the mention of a Tier-3.
"He was a kind lord, loved by his people. They wished him good health and prosperity. When he became an adult he fell in love and married a beautiful girl. She was a proper dignified lady many can only dream of. They together had a kid, a young boy of four years old dreaming of the same thing his father did. About becoming a hero and saving the world. Everything thing was perfect, all the people lived a satisfying life. This was supposed to be an "happily ever after", but everything changed.
"When the baron discovered a shining treasure beneath his land, and the news spread.. Greed flared in the eyes of the nearby lords and on one unfortunate day a fat noble came, with a big army. He waged war against the barony, The Brave baron fought with everything he had, but there is only so much he can do alone against a whole army."
"He lost. His territory was taken, his people massacred. His wife and child were stabbed to death by multiple swords and spears, all while he was helplessly watching it." The voice of the storyteller dropped to a low. "He was not even granted the mercy of death and was kept alive to witness the horror unfolding on his precious territory."
"In the end the fat noble got the shining treasure, and the baron was forgotten. His struggles, his suffering... all forgotten."
The room grew gloomy. It was a story with no happy ending.. it was reality.
But then, the same drunk voice interrupted.
"Bastard, you said it would be real! what is this?!..hero baron...fat noble and big army shit! This looks made up to me." Hearing that many people's mood was lifted. Because they concluded that this was just a madeup tragic story from the ambitious storyteller.
But some were still quiet. As they understood the hidden meaning behind the storyteller's words
The storyteller seeing the people, gave a dejected smile. And in a low, painful voice, he said:
"The Baron's name is... Rodrick Hawl."
Hearing that name, the room went dead silent. Even the drunk man's expression grew complicated. Because they all knew that name too well.