THE CROWN OF ASH

Chapter 1 : The Deal of Shame

The sound of winds whispered through the Elderwood forest – A timeless forest where the trees are said to have lived for centuries, holding secrets of the past and soon will carry the news of a kingdom on the brink of ruin waiting for its fall.
Over the lifeblood of Aeloria. the midwater river, a shimmering artery that cuts the kingdom into two distinct halves. Its waters run deep and steady, carrying the weight of history as they wind through the heart of the land. the land of Aeloria, A realm fractured by ambition, bloodshed, the never-ending thirst for power and the shattered to pieces.

In Aeloria, the land is divided by the great river Midwater, which slices through the kingdom like a jagged scar. To the north of the river lies the heart of power—the noble houses, the richest lands, and the Clawdians, who hold the Golden throne on their high seat in the capital, Nyros. Here, the climate is mild, the land fertile, and there is peace, almost an untouched realm of prosperity.

To the south of the river, however, life is harsh and unforgiving. The weather is tempestuous, the terrain rugged, and the people are caught in a ceaseless cycle of bloodshed and war. In the south, there is little agreement save for one bitter consensus: their hatred for Julias, the last Silveryn king of Aeloria, whom they blame for the unending strife of the past four centuries. They despise not only the man but the island that bears his shameful name Soryn, where his exiled people are trapped, unable to leave, their presence a constant reminder of the kingdom's darkest hour. Aeloria's history is a tale of conquest and betrayal, that has defined the kingdom's fate for generations. What began as a struggle for the throne has become a legacy of vengeance and loyalty, where each family's name is etched into the fabric of the land and the bloodstained stories of their rise and fall.

The kingdom of Aeloria, a realm of unyielding power and ancient bloodlines, was once shaped by the iron will of the Silveryns—a dynasty marked by fiery red hair and piercing black eyes, whose very presence commanded fear and respect. For over 600 years, the Silveryns ruled unchallenged from the Golden Throne, their reign rooted in both legend and blood.

This legacy began with one man: Aiden Silveryn, a young lord with a mind as sharp as his sword. At a time when Aeloria was fractured—a patchwork of feuding lords and endless wars—Aiden stood apart. He was weary of the chaos, driven not by conquest but by a singular vision: to unite the warring houses under one banner—his banner. He vowed to forge a kingdom where none had existed before.

Aiden's campaign was relentless, his victories swift and decisive. He outmaneuvered rivals on the battlefield and outwitted them in council chambers, breaking alliances as easily as he forged new ones. One by one, the proud lords of Aeloria bent the knee. When his final enemies fell before the gates of what would become Nyros, Aiden demanded not merely their surrender, but their devotion.

In an act that cemented his place in history, the lords of Aeloria gathered their gold and fashioned a throne—a symbol of unity forged from the spoils of their divided past. It was on that golden seat, in the city of Nyros, that Aiden became the first King of Aeloria. The lords knelt before him, pledging their loyalty to the "Uniter of Men" and "Warden of the kingdom".

For centuries after, the Silveryn name was synonymous with power and order. Their red hair and black eyes became a banner of stability, a reminder of Aiden's triumph. But even the brightest flame cannot burn forever. Six centuries later, the dynasty crumbled when Daelen Bloodaxe of house clawdian, a new conqueror at the gates of Nyros—shattered the legacy that Aiden had built.

For over 600 years, the Silveryns sat upon the golden throne, their rule unchallenged, until the Clawdians rose from the shadows.

The Clawdians and other traitorous houses, led by the fierce and calculating Lord Daelen "Bloodaxe" waged the bloodiest war Aeloria had ever known. In 616 AU "After unity", after a long and brutal struggle, they defeated the last Silveryn king, Julias, in the heart of Nyros, the capital. Lord Daelen had the throne in his grasp—but before he could claim it, he gave King Julias a choice: face the might of Clawdian steel and die in the streets of Nyros, or accept exile to an uninhabited island far to the south, never to return, never to raise a ship again.

It was a choice that would mark the end of an era. The Silveryns, proud and noble, had always valued their dignity above all. The people expected Julias, the once-revered king, to choose the honorable death in battle. Yet, in an act of unexpected cowardice, King Julias surrendered, sealing his fate. He chose exile and agreed to what is known as "the Deal of Shame".

With his loyal supporters—those few houses that remained faithful to his bloodline—he was cast away to the forsaken island, It was there, on that desolate stretch of land, that the once-mighty king became nothing more than a shadow of his former self, known as the "Coward king of Soryn".
Soryn, a name that carried a bitter irony. It was the perfect antithesis to Nyros, the mighty capital built by King Aiden the uniter, the pride of House Silveryn and the heart of their once-glorious rule. Where Nyros stood as a symbol of strength, unity, and triumph, Soryn became a monument to shame, weakness, and disgrace.

And from then went over 400 years, the Silveryn name, once revered across Aeloria, has been reduced to a shadow of its former self—pathetic, forgotten, and despised. The island's name reflects the truth of their downfall, a stark reminder that they are no longer the mighty rulers of Aeloria, but the disgraced exiles of Soryn. For four centuries, the tale of The Deal of Shame would haunt the history of Aeloria, a reminder of the fall of the Silveryns and the price of survival.

While King Daelen's victory secured his family's place on the throne, the whispers of Julias's choice echoed throughout the kingdom, forever marking the day the Silveryn dynasty was crushed, not in battle, but in a moment of shameful surrender.