Sonnet: The Broken Cities of Steam, Brass, and Aether

Chapter One

Hartig stared at the massive creature with his jaw unhinged, it was currently unleashing a torrent of brutal, unending attacks upon a straw dummy in the training grounds.

Even from atop the castle ramparts, he could see the bulging muscles of the nearly eight foot tall hobgoblin; the legendary general, Lance, who discovered the connection between the countries of Sonnet and Kepsels through the underdark.

Kepsels is a country found inside of a continent that is completely seperate from Sonnet's own, and is now the home of all creatures that human's consider Faye: elves, bugbears, dwarves, halflings, lizardfolk, hags, slimes, and any other number of imaginable creatures.

Since the humans have started to rapidly expand their territory and have begun producing offspring at ever increasing rates, Kepsels is now the only truly safe place in the world for Faye.  Humans have made it their mission to stomp out any living creature that is unnatural to them, claiming them ungodly beings that must be purged "in the light of the gods".

He casually dragged the back of his hand across his forehead with an already moist leather glove, trying to wipe the sweat away; Hartig took a large gulp as he began his descent down the ramparts' ladder. He slowly climbing down rung over rung with a mixture of apprehension, fear, and excitement that built up inside of him. Hartig twisted off the ladder once he had reached the bottom rung, he then turned towards Lance while squinting his eyes against the blinding midday suns.

Lance wore nothing on his chest but a sash of magically connected stones, each one perfectly polished and flawlessly smooth, showing off his rippling chest, torso, and back muscles that rode along his skin like waves of blood as he moved.

The sash was a symbol that signified him as a leader for the race of hobgoblins. Although he is revered more as a demi-god than as any sort of chief based on the stories Hartig has heard. He had saved millions before, during and after the war.

A long, flowing scarf was wrapped around his neck, and followed down each arm, wrapping around twice before pulling snugly against his skin. It was an olive colored fabric that had a coppery trim along it, creating a swirling pattern throughout.

Upon his lower half was a pair of black harem trousers, often favored by those who frequent hotter regions; held up by a breechclout with a color that matched the scarf, connected to an ornate brass carving of a demonic face. The skull of an animal decorated each knee, as if they were used as knee pads or perhaps they were intended to give extra damage whenever this brute decided to knee somebody in the gut; his feet were covered with worn down leather sandals.

The only apparently normal thing about him, Hartig thought

"Ex... excuse me... general sir, I have come bearing a message", Hartig began to stammer out.

It was barely audible enough for his own ears to make out; let alone somebody who still stood a quarter mile away and was currently engaged in training.

"Excuse me, General Lance! I have an important letter for you from his majesty!"

He managed to bellow out his words this time, stunning himself in the process. With a sudden burst of courage, Hartig begins moving closer to Lance while pulling out the scroll stamped with the royal seal.

He began to squawk out his orders, sounding very much like that of a tengu; a bird-like demon that can pull the worst beliefs about yourself from your head, and repeats them back to you in an attempt to drive you insane.

Hartig was finally near enough for Lance to hear him, and could now see the weapons that he wielded. A finely, crafted double-bladed scimitar in each hand; the blades held a brilliant crimson red that matched his own blood red skin color. There was one thing that stood out the most as Lance turned to face him; most hobgoblins he met were hornless, whereas Lance had two long, slightly curved horns upon the top of his head; they were right behind his ears, and looked to be as sharp as a dragon's tooth.