Night always seemed to fall early in Starhold.
The Stellar Keep of the Star Knights and the surrounding village was situated deep in the valley of the Blackbank River. When the sun set, the shadows cast by the valley brought the dark faster and heavier than anywhere else that Linzer Evenstar, in all of his travels as the First Knight of Starhold, had ever been.
And yet, it had the most beautiful night sky he’d ever seen.
From his view on the parapets of the Stellar Keep, Linz could peer above the city and past the valley walls to the moons and stars. Far from the brilliant magelights of Dunadell or the half a million torches and sandlamps of Bastion, the view was astounding. Linz didn’t think he would ever grow tired of it.
Linz’s ears, honed after decades of combat and watch duty, perked as he heard the scuffle of an untrained foot trying to be sneaky. His hand habitually reached for the hilt of his sword, the red cloth wrapping squeaking under his fingers even as he turned.
Linz relaxed as he saw a girl, no more than six, her hair a brilliant reddish orange that even in the dim light of the Keep’s upper reaches shone like fire.
“Lady Breean,” he said, lowering himself to one knee so as to adjust the amulet at her throat, in the shape of a four-pointed star. “My lady shouldst be abed at this hour.”
Breean pouted in the way that only a young child can, and though Linz knew what was coming, the defiance in her eyes still pulled at his heartstrings.
“But Uncle Linz,” Breean whined. “I want you to tell me the story about the God-King again!” Linz chuckled, but Breean continued before he could reply. “And besides, I brought Vienna with me!”
Sure enough, Linz looked past his young ward to see the other girl, a few years older and with hair blacker than the night above, sulking in the shadows. His daughter has always been sneakier than her friend, but Linz was surprised and proud that even he hadn’t noticed her before. He didn’t miss the dagger at her hip. He couldn’t blame her, either. Though she was only eight, she was as devoted to the young lady of the Stellar Keep as any lifelong bodyguard. Add in the failed assassination a few months ago that had left the young lady weak and afraid, and Linz had every reason to be proud of his daughter’s dedication.
“Very well, my lady. But thereafter, ‘tis straight to bed!”
“Okay, okay, fine,” Breean said exasperatedly. “Can Vienna stay too?”
“I see no reason why not,” Linz replied, glancing up to look at his daughter. Vienna had already seated herself on the bannister. A tumble would drop her several stories down to the city below. If it had been any other eight year old child, Linz would have been concerned about her balance.
Linz gestured for Breean to seat herself on the ground, and he began his tale.
“Afore the Dawn, Vana, Mother of Creation, awoke, to bring life to the barren blackness between the stars. In her wisdom, she plucked three stars from the sky above our earth, and with them granted life to the Elder Three Eternals. The Elder Three filled the planet with life: Anui, the First Tree, created the plants. Alakan, the Steel Warrior, created the animals.”
“And Arna made the dragons!” Breean interrupted.
Linz smiled. “Yes, my lady. The Immortal Drake gave life to the dragons and drakes of old.”
“I wanna see a dragon!” Breean exclaimed, the eagerness in her words almost tangible.
“Mayhaps you will one day, my lady.” An almost imperceptible hardening washed over Vienna’s face. Linz noted his daughter’s expression. Perhaps a conversation for another time. “The Elder Three, as their mother before them, used the power in the stars to create new Eternals. These Second Generation Eternals created the Thirds, in turn. One of these Third Generation Eternals was the God-King Taryn.”
Breean booed at the God-King’s name, and Linz chuckled softly. “The God-King’s nature was to rule. And so, rule he did. Taryn built an empire that lasted for a thousand years!”
“And he was stinky!” Breean interjected. Linz couldn’t contain a laugh, and even Vienna couldn’t help but let a smirk slip through.
“Yes, my lady. He was indeed ‘stinky,’” Linz agreed. Breean nodded vigorously before he continued. “Taryn was a tyrant. At times, his empire’s people flourished. At others, they starved, and rebelled. The God-King gave traitors no quarter.
“After a thousand years or more of the God-King’s rule, something changed. Nobody knows whether ‘twas the God-King’s own hubris, or a spell gone wrong, or a vengeful fellow of Taryn’s kin, or aught else complete. The capital, Sorinin, erupted, in a blaze of magic so potent that half of the Continent was destroyed. Even now, nearly two hundred years after the Cataclysm, the Black Dunes are filled with chaotic magic and monsters. Few dare tread through the Wastes, and fewer still return.” Both of the girls’ eyes had gone wide, even though they must have each heard this story a hundred times. With a devious grin, Linz finished his story. “So be sure to stay safely in the Valley… or else the ghosts of the God-King will get you and take you away!”
Breean squealed, equal parts delighted and terrified by the tale. “Thank you Uncle Linz!”
“You are most welcome, my lady. Now, off to bed! Vienna?” Before Linz even finished speaking, Vienna was at Breean’s side, helping her to her feet. The young lady was still weak, and leaned heavily on her friend and companion. Vienna met her father’s eyes and murmured a low “thank you, father,” before ushering her lady back down into the Keep. Linz watched them both go with pride.
“Quite the storytelling skills there, First Knight,” said a deep, gravelly voice with barely contained derision. Linz started and reached for his blade yet again. He’d been distracted and hadn’t noticed the larger man approach. He relaxed his grip once he recognized Akagankye, but didn’t release it entirely.
“The Sable Star,” Linz spat back. Akagankye Ka’Thonto was a great ox of a man, his hair a brilliant white with a single braid on the side of his scarred and oft-broken face. His armor, the sacred Armor of the Star, had been painted black many times over, its four-pointed star etchings barely legible. Linz had always found it distasteful. “I’d no notion your party had returned to the Keep.”
“Just got back,” Ka’Thonto said leaning on the haft of his enormous greataxe. He spat on the floor, and Linz winced as the pristine tile was marked by Ka’Thonto’s phlegm.
“What do you want?” Linz asked, his hand squeezing his sword hilt a fraction tighter.
“Nuthin. Less you’ve manned up finally.”
Linz rolled his eyes. “You know, I won’t do that, Ka’Thonto-”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s ‘uncivilized’ or whatever. Can’t blame a guy for tryin’.”
“It’s not just that it’s uncivilized. We’re supposed to be comrades-”
“And I wanna fight ya. Gotta know who’s the bigger man, y’know?”
“You are insufferable,” Linz sighed as he turned and walked away.
“Right back atcha.”
18 YEARS LATER
Breean Gaerhart shook herself from her reverie. Across the small, smoldering campfire, Vienna glanced up at her and raised an eyebrow.
“Everything okay?” the dark-haired woman said. Now 26, Vienna was in many ways the same girl she had always been. But something about her was different.
“…yeah,” Breean replied after a pause. Vienna didn’t look convinced.
“I was thinking about your father,” Breean continued. “Do you remember that night when we snuck out of bed to hear him tell us about the God-King?”
In spite of everything, Vienna smiled softly. “Of course. Well, you snuck out of bed. I just wasn’t going to let you go alone.”
Breean laughed lightly. “You were like my shadow.” The smile fell from her face as she remembered the last few months. “What happened?”
Vienna’s smile faded just as quickly. “You know what happened.”
Breean shook her head. “That’s not what I meant.” Vienna didn’t reply, just cocked an eyebrow again. Breean hated when she did that. “Nevermind.”
“Breean-”
“It’s nothing.” Vienna clearly didn’t believe her. “You should try to sleep. We have to leave in a few hours.”
“But Wagner is-”
“I know. But people need us.”
Vienna was silent for a few moments. Breean knew exactly what was going through her mind. “Fine.” She began rolling out her bedroll. Breean could tell she was angry.
Neither of them slept that night.
By mid-morning the next day, the pair had reached the Porcelain City of Cyron. Compared to the clutter of Dunadell or the sheer size of Bastion, Cyron had always seemed downright orderly to Breean. The buildings were arranged in neat rows along the cobbled streets, the iconic white stone standing out in brilliant contrast to the dirt and mud underfoot. The noise of the city was almost deafening: people talking, the clatter of wheels on cobblestones, the various pack animals braying and bleating and screaming. The smell, too, was something Breean would never get used to. The city employed street cleaners to keep the thoroughfares clear, but there was only so much that could be done about the traffic of over a quarter million people.
And the volume of those very people was almost overwhelming in its sheer presence. Humans, elves, goblins, and orcs were common sights on the streets of Cyron. Occasionally, a clustered group of naga would slither by, and Breean even saw a gargoyle distantly in the crowd.
As the two women walked down the broad avenue, they passed a few criers from Dunadell’s University of Mythological and Historical Affairs, spreading the news of the past few months.
“Horandis under siege from the mysterious Necromancer! The Solar City requests aid from any able-bodied elf!”
“Sandlamp chain reaction in the Walled City kills 37!”
“The Moonguard of Alifen have occupied the village of Balfin, against the wishes of Cyron’s council!”
Breean’s brow furrowed as she listened to the criers’ news. But she was here for a reason.
Breean stalked her way through the city streets, Vienna close at her heels. Before long, she came upon what she was seeking: a small, inconspicuous tavern. Breean didn’t have to check to know that, etched into the doorframe, there was a small, barely perceptible four-pointed star. She habitually reached a hand to her throat where, under her breastplate, her amulet with the same symbol was safely tucked away.
Breean turned to Vienna, gave her a quick nod, and pushed her way into the tavern.
Thank you for reading! This is a short story set in a long-term worldbuilding project of mine. It’s the setting for an upcoming TTRPG campaign I’m going to be running in my Project Switch system and features several major characters involved in the campaign. I plan on posting more of the paralogues and snippets here as I move through the campaign, so if you liked the characters here (especially Vienna!) keep an eye out!
Cambria's Corner 
Leave a comment