"My name is James Holter. I am an Outlander hailing from the realm called Earth. Years ago, before I was taken from my home, I had been a confused young man who had wandered through his life aimlessly and without purpose. That changed when I was summoned to Azura. When I was taken from my home and was transported to the nation of Valenfrost.

"Ever since then, I have been fighting for my life. From the day I was brought here, I have had to survive marauders, abominations, and the machinations of the Lumen Kingdom. I have had to kill men and send more to their deaths. I have experienced death far more than any mortal should. I have seen things that cannot simply be explained in this address.

"But you're not reading this, or listening in some cases, to learn about my regrets and traumas. No, you are reading this because I want you to know my history. To understand that I have known nothing but violence since my first day here. And to tell the truth, I am good at it. I am really good at it.

"My place as a Jarl was built upon the blood of both ally and enemy, their deaths paving my path to power. I recognize this. You do, too. Especially since by the time this reaches you, news of my actions down south will have already spread like wildfire.

"This is not the sole point of the message, however. The real purpose lies within the events that transpired during the month of Calent, 561. The Midsommar Incident. Vindis, the Floating City, was invaded by the Marauders of the North, led by Deimos. Or the Red Death, as it is more commonly known. What's not commonly known, at least throughout the North, is the involvement of the Lumen Kingdom and its agents.

"The Marauders weren't alone that fateful day when the Blood Moons shone upon Vindis like some omen of death. They had the help of Eilif Norak, a Bounty Hunter hired by the Lumen Kingdom, who conspired with Arthur Clarke and William Thatcher to sink the city to the depths of the Black Sea. Had it not been for my intervention, Vindis would be no more.

"It is because of this event that I have become disillusioned with the idea of peaceful negotiation, especially after the attempt that was made on my life months after the fact. It has become clear to me that the Lumen Kingdom has overreached its grasp over Valenfrost and is in no way welcomed here.

"So I, James Holter, Jarl of the White Raven, Draugr of the South, am declaring war on the Lumen Kingdom and its allies. This declaration also extends to any clan who dares allow them to tread deeper into Valenfrost, for the act will be seen as invasion and treason.

"And if you're thinking of double-crossing me, keep in mind Ivan Falk's fate. I do not regret what I have done. And I do not believe that he was alone in his planning to kill me. So I say to those who have conspired with him: Watch your backs. I will come for you, sooner or later.

"As for the rest, I will allow any clan not allied with me to make their pacts within the year. After that, well… you're on your own.

"This is my promise."

- James Holter's missive to the Lumen Kingdom and the major clans of Valenfrost. Message dated on the Fifth of Yovendam, Age 562. Account pulled by Archivist Eris Roriksdater, College of Havengard. Used for citation in "The Valenfrost Saga: A Study into a Shattered and Reformed Nation."

It was the announcement heard all around the North, the implications of such a thing shaking the foundations of what everyone thought they knew. News of the Outlander's bold missive traveled through Valenfrost and Azurvale like a wave, dominating all conversation.

James Holter, a man who supposedly had no claim, was declaring war against one of the oldest empires in Azura's history. He and the clans of Southern Valenfrost, all of which had no say against the man who had them bound by pact.

Whispers and stories flooded the royal courts of Lumen and the halls of longhouses. Jarl Ivan was dead, and his lands were forfeited to the White Raven Clan. The presence of orcs was wiped off the map, their leader torn apart by shadows. There were talks of immortality, demonic possessions, deals with Myr, and even the rumor that Holter was in possession of a Beholder Eye. And this was all after he was assumed dead, his home island of Yorktown nothing more than ruins.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

The idea of a Draugr ruling the South of Valenfrost was no longer just a baseless myth, but a reality that many Jarls were facing. Was he to be their ally? Their enemy? They would have to act quickly, for that year-long deadline seemed to wane by the weeks, as conflict grew and tensions snapped.

The Endeavor was approaching, and with war on the horizon, Valenfrost was slowly devolving into chaos. Rituals and offerings were made, old tensions stirred, and priests communed with their gods. There was even the rumor that the Marauder Chieftain himself, Deimos, was to make a move during Dragon's Graveyard.

And while all of Valenfrost hurried to reinforce alliances—or in some cases their armies—one Frue was calmly taking in the situation…

Margaret Redyr reread the parchment she held in her fingers, its burnt edges signifying that it had been sent via some message spell.

"It's a copy of the one Jarl Oren received," her court Wizard said. He stood by her throne, eyes glancing at the written words. He failed to hide the hint of his scowl. Margaret looked at him, amused.

"Something bothering you, Hansel?" she asked. "You are allowed to speak your mind here."

"It's just that I believe that James Holter is a suicidal idiot," Wizard Hansel muttered. "I fail to see why you ever thought he had the potential to be anything like Yorn."

"Well, there's your mistake," Margaret said. "You thought he'd be like Yorn."

"Is that not what you implied to him last you two met?"

"I never said such a thing," the Frue revealed. "I only said that he reminded me of someone. I never specified who it was he reminded me of."

"Really?" Hansel seemed genuinely confused. "Well, if not Yorn, then who? Who would be as idiotic as to declare war against the Lumen Kingdom itself."

"Do not judge a man for the decisions he makes," Margaret said with a raised finger. "We judge based on the results he brings instead."

"Festus of Urich," Hansel muttered. "I am familiar with his old writings."

"Then you know of the Kingmaker's Folly?" Margaret asked.

"Regicide? The card game?" Hansel asked. "That's an absurd comparison. And even if we apply it, it's a suicidal gambit at best, and it only works on older versions of the cards. Anyone who plays that hand usually ends up being the first to fall."

"Yes, that is true. However, if the person with that hand performs the Folly without anyone noticing his placed cards…"

"Then he could execute it without anyone realizing what he was doing," Hansel muttered. The Wizard's eyes glinted as his thought processes clicked together. Margaret just smiled.

Regicide was a simple card game that revolved around building a small army out of drawn cards and a built deck. Each player had a limited amount of turns, and everyone had a King. A defensible and powerful card but incredibly weak without a properly built hand and card layout.

To put it simply, card placement and management were key. However, so was lying through your teeth. What James was doing was what Margeret was calling the Kingmaker's Folly. It was when one player—out of a group of more than four—pulled a bad hand from his deck. Usually, a bad hand meant that you would be forced to play your King early if only to defend yourself from direct attacks.

But instead of doing so like most rational people, the player performing the gambit would bluff. They would lie. They would give the impression that their hand was just like the rest of the table. And they would turn everyone's attention to someone else, preferably a better player who had a luckier hand.

They did this in many ways. Convincing, bartering, bribing. Or, in James' case, forcing everyone to unite against a bigger threat.

The Lumen Kingdom would undoubtedly destroy the White Raven Clan. In fact, they could destroy any of the nomadic clans of Valenfrost, Redyr included. But that was if they were dealing with them one at a time.

Valenfrost was vast, and to get to its South, they would have to go through the North and sail their ships through contested territory held by numerous clans. That wasn't even counting the hostile waters filled with Marauders and the rumors of abominable creatures. That left Lumen forces forging an alliance with a clan in the North. An impossible task, for while it was true that many clans already disliked the idea of considering Holter as a Jarl—for he was a foreigner with no claim over the South—they hated the idea of siding with the Lumen Kingdom even more.

"One way or the other," Margaret said as she looked at the burnt parchment once more. "Valenfrost will be united. It will only be a matter of time."

As her Wizard soaked in those words, Margaret couldn't help but feel a sense of pride within the young man. For he had done something that not even she could have seen coming.

'Oh Nikolai. You may be right, my love," she thought, her eyes closing as she rested her head against the tall back of her chair.

'For Valenfrost might have found its conqueror.'

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