The Crimson Throne of Karthel

Prologue

Karthel City was once a jewel of civilization, a sprawling beacon carved into the rocky plateau overlooking the Ashemor badlands. Grand architecture rose toward the sky, markets bustled with trade, and hope lived in every street. But that was before Alachar. The sorcerer-king seized the throne through dark magic and iron will, binding the populace to his curse through chains of shadow and fear. At the heart of the city, his obsidian tower—the Crimson Throne—rises like a jagged scar, drinking in light and life itself. Within its depths, Princess Seraphine, the rightful heir, lies imprisoned, her essence slowly consumed to fuel the tyrant's power and enslave the city. The corruption spreads deeper each day, and Alachar has begun a ritual that will bind Seraphine's soul permanently to the throne. When it completes in three days, his rule will become eternal and unbreakable. But hope persists in shadow. Across Karthel, three fractured resistance cells work in desperate secrecy—the Silver Daggers in the Merchant Quarter, the Keepers of the Flame in the Temple District's hidden catacombs, and the Streetborn in the Undercroft's winding tunnels. Legends speak of an ancient artifact, the Soulstone of Karthel, lost somewhere in the royal catacombs beneath the city. Some say it can shatter Alachar's curse. Some say it demands a sacrifice. All agree that time is running out. In the shadows of the Undercroft, where survival is currency and silence is survival, a figure stirs—ready to rise and face the darkness that has consumed their world.