Quiet in the Realm

The realm is quiet.

In the capital, idleness has corrupted mind and body alike following the longest peace in living memory, but the threat of whispers are rising again in courtrooms and alehouses across the land. Rumours are spreading like some toxic wildfire, leaving a trail of suspicion in their wake. Some are brave enough to dig for answers, but many more schemers want to fill the hole in and keep their secrets buried deep.

Ever more marriage pacts loom in such uncertain times, and wedding bells chime almost nightly, but reputations trail every nobleman, and some are more harrowing than others would believe.

Far from the mutter words and fancy pursuits of such highborns, the villages are suffering. Food is sparse, and even the young have long grown hungry. When stomachs churn and beggars go without, the laws of any realm would be tested to the letter.

Far away, across the Misty Sea, a stranger sits. Rich, powerful, but shrouded in mystery, the city that few care to speak of could have a part to play. But who, if anyone, will befriend this silent stranger?

The realm is quiet, for now.