Chapter 1: Brill Willem

　　On the vast steppes north of the Limidia Border Wall, the nomadic tribes hold festive ceremonies to welcome the arrival of the warm season. As the ice and snow begin to thaw, the warming air brings life-giving rain. This is a wondrous season for the livestock to breed—animals that serve as both a source of sustenance and as companions to their masters.

　　Tame horses carry goods without complaint or gallop into battle alongside their riders; for this, they are cherished as symbols of friendship. Cattle and sheep, meanwhile, provide hides, milk, meat, and other essentials, often serving as tokens of gratitude or as bridal dowries. To these people, livestock are their most precious assets. So long as they can store enough dried meat, cheese, fodder, and a bit of oats before the bitter cold returns, they are content, knowing that both man and beast are provided for.

　　Atop mounds of piled stone, people erect wooden pillars inscribed with symbols or script. Here, they entrust their sorrows, express their joys, or offer pious prayers to the gods of their hearts. They practice cremation for the deceased, allowing the ashes to be carried away by the winds of the steppe. It is believed that the messenger of fire leads the soul from the body, which then mounts the Great Wind God’s steed to journey toward the halls of the divine. Humanity experiences birth and death just as the great winds bring both the green grass and the killing frost.

　　This is the home of the nomads, but it is also the overland passage connecting the people of Limidia to the world beyond. Following the caravans of bold merchants from the border walls of Westown, one can travel toward the farthest horizons. From mysterious desert kingdoms to powerful nations from every direction, many have raised their banners here. Alliances through marriage, commerce, conflict, and conquest have forced these people to endure both the heights of happiness and the depths of calamity—silently bearing the weight of an oppressor’s hand or being stirred to a martial, combative passion.

　　Though their ancient way of life has seen little outward change, the deep imprints of once-mighty powers are clearly visible in the people’s features, their language, and the inscriptions left upon ancient ruins.

　　The Limidians, rising through the strength of their agriculture, often gazed with indifference upon the natural disasters and man-made woes of their steppe neighbors, who lacked the skill for farming. However, toward those beggars who had nowhere else to turn, the Holy King Ravende Lord still extended a helping hand.

　　This gesture of kindness won the friendship of some, yet simultaneously invited the predation of the greedy.

　　Alternating between bribery, marriage alliances, and warfare, Ravende ensured that Limidian influence spread beyond the border walls of Eastown and into foreign lands. He established the dynasty’s prestige and the monarch’s honor across the Huruhan Steppe, setting the standard for all kings to follow.

　　Chief Slim of the Jiake tribe took the initiative to pay homage and pledge his submission to the Limidians, eventually earning the honor of marrying Ravende’s niece. Slim revered the King as both father and sovereign, respectfully accepting the noble titles and annual stipends bestowed upon him. With the support of the Limidian army, his tribe’s flocks could graze safely across the Huruhan pastures. From his patron’s court, the chief accepted the duty of guarding the frontiers and was granted the privilege of flying the Lion Flag of the Limidian monarch.

　　As the mountain kingdom of Pheromone rose to power, extending its reach toward the coast and making contact with seafaring peoples, Slim and other steppe tribes neighboring Limidia enjoyed the conveniences of trade and its attendant rewards during an era of peace.

　　For the next three generations, Slim’s descendants upheld these policies, leading tranquil lives. They remained loyal to the Limidians and friendly toward neighboring tribes, preserving an atmosphere of peace and sharing in its dividends. The lands where these herders lived would still be called Jiake many generations later. Though no natural landmarks distinguished these borders across the vast steppe, the local dialect began to blend with the phonetics of the Lier vocabulary, creating a linguistic frontier.

　　Pheromone, the mountain kingdom, lay under the natural protection of the peaks. There, the Semer people and the Pandir people from across the mountains shared the bounty of the sea. They used the fruits of their labor and trade as tribute, offering it to the steppe tribes in exchange for quiet and security. At the same time, they used their silver tongues to incite greed, setting the insatiable tribes against one another in a struggle for the "Mountain People’s" tribute.

　　The Semer people took smug satisfaction in this, believing that by miring their enemies in internal strife, they could sleep soundly. However, once those tribes were reunited under the intervention of a strong leader, the ill-equipped Semer paid a devastating price. The nomadic riders safely navigated the mountain passes and appeared on the undefended lands of the Semer, sweeping through as if moving through an empty void.

　　Branst Aiken, a scion of a prominent family, led the Semer in resistance. After suffering two crushing defeats, he was forced to seek aid from his Pandir neighbors. For the first time, the banners of the Pandir King appeared on a foreign coast, using long spears and powerful crossbows to repel the invading nomads. The Semer gave everything they had to thank their neighbors for their help. Yet, after seeing off the Pandir lords and their armies, they welcomed the god Gruen into their temples.

　　The Limidians maintained an air of indifference toward the affairs of these distant regions and never bothered to trace the origins of these steppe barbarians. Simply for the sake of distinction, they used the name of the most powerful savage tribe—the Bat—to refer to all who were enemies of Limidia. While the Bat people terrorized the Semer, they also brought trouble to the allies of the Limidians.

　　Amidst a relentless tide of grim tidings, Lierlun received a single piece of heartening news and promptly elevated Brill to the high rank of Military Commander. With the Parshi Dynasty already paralyzed by decay, Brill took control of the finances and grain supplies of Hedlim and its neighboring cities, gathering scattered military units under his own command. He used the wealth from the treasuries to establish refugee zones, surrounding them with his consolidated forces to ensure security. In doing so, he won the hearts of the people, turning them into steadfast supporters of his great ambition.

　　Within the halls of the Parshi Dynasty, the court had long since ceased to care for the nation's future or the suffering of its subjects. The King’s actual power was confined within the palace walls, extending no further than the two servants at his side; yet, it was Brill’s actions that allowed him to maintain the facade of royal grandeur. Brill paid the garrison forces from his own funds, ensuring the soldiers remained at their posts to keep Hedlim secure.

　　At the same time, Brill submitted a memorial to the throne, arguing that the restoration of order depended entirely on well-stocked treasuries and strategic military deployment. Through this, he extracted the authority to mobilize the army and obtained a royal seal from the King’s hands—a pivotal step in his ascent.

　　Brill recruited soldiers from among the refugees, organizing them into combat units and appointing experienced officers to drill them. He allocated idle lands to the families of these soldiers, freeing them from worries about their livelihoods. In the battle to reclaim Debino, this new army displayed the discipline and valor of a seasoned force.

　　Alternating between persuasion, bribery, and military confrontation, Brill saw to it that the banners of the Royal House and his own family flew together over the cities and villages of the Great Highlands. Under his inspiration, laborers and soldiers alike worked to restore the defenses of walls and towers, stripping away the people’s panic so they could once again settle and toil upon the land in peace.

　　That an incompetent King could still harbor jealousy toward his minister’s victories was a bitter irony. Brill maintained a surface-level obedience to the monarch, though his heart was filled with nothing but scorn and disdain. After completing the siege of a fortress, his army returned to the court at Hedlim, with Brill flanked by a dozen towering, fully-armed guards.

　　When Brill departed the comforts of the Hedlim court for the tents of the front lines, the cowardly and suspicious King entrusted him with the duty of the Palace Guard. Following their victory, the army continued its advance toward Morta. The commander defending that region, Ren Fahel, served under a warlord named Bino Vida. Bino, along with another leader, Mine Kor, had entrenched themselves in the prosperous districts of Borders and Korad after successfully repelling the barbarian hordes—though these lands now lay in ruins after the ravages of war.

　　Ren’s resolute defense rendered the enemy’s battering rams and wooden towers useless. However, the discord and suspicion between the two warlords prevented their advantage from lasting. Mine Kor watched with malicious delight as the two sides slaughtered each other beneath the city walls. In the end, it was only through the bribery and defection of Ren’s subordinates that the city finally fell.

　　Brill admired Ren’s talent and loyalty; by pardoning him and his men, Brill enhanced his own reputation. Furthermore, acting on the advice of his subordinates, Brill dispatched an eloquent envoy to Mine Kor. Under the guise of a royal commendation, he sent a portion of the spoils of war to Menos, the capital of Korad. Despite warnings from his own advisers that receiving unearned favors would surely invite calamity, Mine Kor accepted the gifts with pleasure—and even went so far as to order his men to level the road leading to Menos to welcome the delivery.

　　The spoils sent by Brill had initially left Mine Kor not only indifferent to the conflict in Borders, but gleefully mocking of it. However, this time, the promised treasures never arrived.

　　Instead, Brill’s army surged along the very roads his enemy had widened for him, advancing with irresistible force until the troops commanded by Ren appeared—fierce and formidable—beneath the walls of Menos. After a spell of hopeless resistance, the banners of the Parshi Royalty and the Willem Family were hoisted side by side along the streets of the city.

　　Brill promptly enacted favorable land and tax policies, allowing the refugees wandering in Skolo to finally find a home and settle down. Yet, these successes also stirred the vigilance and hostility of other rival powers.

　　The steppe barbarians had no interest in ruling the southern lands; they sneered at the scholarship and skills of civilized society, driven only by their primal instincts to satisfy a lust for plunder and destruction. Only when they found nothing left to take from the rubble would they load their wagons with stolen wealth and bound civilians, trekking back to the grasslands of the north.

　　However, the rulers of the steppe were determined to see the lands of Limidia plunged into eternal ruin. They had no desire to see another powerful figure emerge to lead a resistance against them. Using gold and empty promises, they rallied Brill’s detractors under their own banners, continuing to sow disaster and devastation across Limidia.

　　To crush Brill’s growing influence in the Great Highlands, a barbarian force of two thousand men—joined by several factions from Skolo—marched toward Lazli Fort. Lazli guarded the vital passage between the Great Highlands and Skolo; it not only commanded the high ground but was fortified with massive walls and towers. Within the sprawling city stood a simple temple where the people could find spiritual solace, while cautious officers led valiant troops, and storehouses were packed with enough grain to weather any siege. A beacon tower stood ready to signal comrades in the distance.

　　These impeccable defenses inflicted heavy losses upon the enemy. Watching their massive siege engines burn beneath the ramparts, the barbarian army was forced to halt their advance, their hearts simmering with humiliation and rage.