Swords of Speirling

[Peregrine]

THE STORY

You know how it goes: once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a beautiful princess who was besought by a dragon and locked in a tower until her prince charming rescued her. They were married and lived happily ever after.

For the past hundred years, that has been the world of Speirling: dashing knights, fae granting wishes and festivals under party trees long into the night. This world is now gone. In its place is a world not just teetering on the edge of war, and a world on the cusp of a bloody revolution.

Two years ago in the Northern kingdom of Eacharnach, the heir to the throne was greedy and killed his father for the crown, but his younger brother caught him red-handed, had him executed in private, and dutifully took the throne in their father's place. Now, the crown prince who was executed has returned, and is turning the kingdom upside-down and inside-out, saying that it was his brother who had killed their father and framed him. There's even an underground rebellion for his cause in place, and they've put out a sassy gazette. Some people are reading it and taking it to heart, while all the king can only hope, pray and tell his subjects, "thou should taketh the liberal media with the tiniest seeds of the ocean." The nation is effectively divided in half. Eacharnach has an alliance with the warlike kingdom of Foirfich, who will rush to protect the Eacharnach king at all costs, only question is, who's the rightful king? This is a recipe for civil war and Foirfich's army of mass destruction on both sides.

Meanwhile, the Eastern kingdom of Gaothaidh is producing magical technology beyond anyone's wildest dreams. A new system of communication is being installed in each of the seven kingdoms of Speirling. The only problem is, no one knows exactly where they're kept, except for the elders of Gaothaidh. It is called "the silver basin network" in the common tongue, and they are a serious of pools that are all connected. One in located in Gaothaidh, and the rest are yet to be found, so for the time being, the kingdom of Gaothaidh is passive-aggressively spying on everyone else.

And if all that wasn't enough, the Southern-most tip of Speirling is devoted to the criminal colony of Riasglach, and that has been sprung open and the wall has been torn asunder. Dangerous individuals and petty criminals alike now roam free and undocumented across Speirling. No one knows how or why this one done, but the two main suspects remain the members of the Northern Rebellion, led by their prince, or the elders of Goathaidh, who sprang the prisoners of the world free for their own inscrutable, creepy reasons.

To make matters even worse, the fae kingdom of Teumnach has turned cold to outsiders, and is preparing itself for the war it knows is coming. The dragons of the Southern kingdom of Sgaithte were just released into the air and out of their towers, making the rest of the world uneasy with so many destructive beasts free, with many more waiting to fly. The sea-faring Western kingdom of Muireach has brought back blue glowing jewels from their travels, that are said to have had "disturbing powers" and which have mysteriously disappeared. Barbarian tribes from the surrounding wildlands push in, hungry for blood and power.

Speirling has been at peace for one hundred years, but that's all about to change. Swords are sharpened, the war drums are pounding, technology is exploding and a few humble sailors, who are probably pirates. have just answered the age-old question as to whether we're alone when we look up at our sky full of stars. Speirling was never a land meant for peace, for in the Old Language, its very name means "gathering storm".

So go ahead, turn the page. Find out what happens after happily ever after...

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