The declaration of the Seventh Crusade had turned the clock of the world toward midnight. Across the southern plains, the "Sun-Altars" of the Holy See were already being constructed—massive, gold-plated spires that acted as anchors for holy mana, designed to push back the "corruption" of Kaelen's growing empire.
Kaelen stood in the deepest level of the Sunken Vaults, far below the capital city. Here, the air was thick with the scent of salt and ancient damp. He had discovered a series of flooded, obsidian-lined tunnels—the Tidal Veins—that connected the roots of his dungeon directly to the Abyssal Shelf of the Azure Sea.
"The Holy See has the largest navy in the world," Kaelen's voice rumbled, vibrating through the water-slicked walls. "If they blockade the coast, they can starve the trade routes I've just reopened. I cannot fight a crusade on two fronts."
"Lord," Prime hissed, his black-plate armor dripping with condensation. "The creatures of the deep are not like the goblins or the humans. They do not care for crowns. They only care for the weight of the water."
"Then I shall give them something heavier," Kaelen replied.