Gefallen Feller

Chapter 1

At the castle of Schcrafh, the main hall was filled with an uneasy quiet. Nine figures, all of great importance and authority, sat around a large, circular table. Tension crackled in the air, thick with the weight of what was at stake. The guests were seated in a careful arrangement: King Ulrich at the center, flanked by representatives of vampires and dwarfs.

King Ulrich, his black beard flecked with gray and his crown of gold gleaming in the chandelier light, glanced around the table. His brown eyes were heavy with the burden of his grief, yet his voice was firm as he addressed the gathered lords and kings.

“We don’t have the luxury of time,” Ulrich said, his tone cold. “Tomorrow, the Rouges’ ritual reaches its peak. They have my child. We can’t let them complete it. If the avatar is awakened… we’re done for.”

His words lingered in the room, and the silence that followed spoke volumes. On the left side of the table, four vampires of the ruling families, their expressions unreadable. On the right side, the dwarven king, Alaric Goldforge, and his trusted aide, Dorgar Firebeard, exchanged wary glances.

The dwarven king, a stout figure with a long white beard and hardened eyes, spoke first. “We all understand the urgency, Ulrich. We came here to act, not to talk.”

King Ulrich clenched his fist, his knuckles white. “Then why is it that my child is still in the hands of those monsters?” His voice broke, a flicker of anguish slipping through the cracks of his composure.

Titus Bloodstain, a vampire with white hair and black eyes, leaned forward. His voice was calm but cutting. “You’re not alone in this, Ulrich. The Rouges’ actions affect us all. We have our own reasons to see them destroyed.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Ulrich’s voice trembled with barely-contained rage.

"Watch your tone you human! All of this happened because you were unable to protect your own child!" Said Titus Bloodstain

"You should know your place bloodsucker!" Said king Ulrich with his fist clenched and face full of anger.

"Now now both of you stop, all of us have the same goal so let's not fight among each other." Said Goldforge

“We’ve lost too much already,” Dorgar Firebeard spoke up, his voice gruff. “These Rouges are no longer the weaklings they once were. They’ve grown desperate, and they’re armed with more than just steel.”

“they’re still Rouges,” Ulrich growled. “With our combined strength, we’ll crush them.” said king Ulrich

“But it's over if they complete the ritual ,” warned Alaric Goldforge. “If that happens, there’s no telling what kind of power we’ll face. An avatar could change the course of history.”

“A single avatar, especially one blessed by Machzor, could destroy everything we’ve worked for,” Dorgar said with a grim face.

The room grew quiet again as the weight of those words settled over them.

Eirik Aurelius, a muscular vampire with red eyes and a silver beard, spoke, breaking the silence. “From what we know, the power of an avatar varies greatly depending on the god it’s tied to. But a Machzor avatar? That’s a different beast entirely. If it’s awakened, no one can stand against it unless it's another avatar or perhaps 3 champions of other gods.

King Ulrich met Eirik’s gaze, his brow furrowed. “And what of the artifact? The one they used to find the child?”

Viola Bloodstain, a woman in her 30s with white hair tied in a bun, spoke quietly. “The artifact of Hifush. It detects the birth of an avatar, tells the Rouges exactly where they need to go. We never thought it would resurface.”