The Strings in the Shadows

Prologue

       The Kingdom of Larendi was somewhat of a curiosity. Legend says it resides in the crater of a ginormous star that fell from the night sky, which created not only the robust mountains that encircled the land, but also the special metal and gem rich ground that the kingdom made its prosperity upon. The people of Larendi were widely acknowledged as masters of astronomy, as their way of honoring the star that fell, for even the youngest child could look up in the night sky and locate and name constellations. The Castle Riokin, central in Larendi, was magnificent. Three tall spires, made of cobalt blue stone, could be seen for miles. in the center of Castle Riokin stood the Grand Hall, where court and meetings with the people were weekly held (and also doubled as the place of eating), was a masterpiece of architech, and had twin rows of columns of pure white marble with spiralling lazipa lupi lead up to the thrones. The current ruler of Larendi at the time that this legend begins was King Geophrey II with hiis wife, Queen Lauralei. There were two royal children, the Crown Prince, Edward, who was nearing his nineteenth birthday, and the Princess Eclairé.

           The East wing of the castle was the living quarters of most of the nobles; the West wing contained the splendid Ballroom, which saw frequent use, and the massive library that had a small nook on the second floor, a perfect hiding place for a kitchen boy who dreamed of adventure to sneak up to during the night to read a few hours by the moonlight. The North Wing was where the Royal Family lived, along with their closest confidents, favorite nobles and relatives, and the occasional dignitary from another kingdom. The botanical gardens, in which one could see plants from the far reaches of the Kingdom and beyond, could be seen at any point of the castle grounds, particularly if a slight but well muscled noble girl climbed a tall tree to secretly draw designs of machines in the notebook she had hidden near the top branches.

              There were many guilds in Larendi, but two stood the most prominent: The Mechaniks Guild and the Magicals Guild. The Mechaniks Guild was relatively new, barely eighteen years old, and already products like the ziplines and trains had made their marks on the Larendian way of life. No one knew where the Mechaniks Guild was actually located, but speculation and rumor had placed it somewhere in the Deepfell Forests. The Magicals Guild, one of the oldest guilds, was a place of academic learning on how to cast spells, conjure curses, and summon the powers of the earth and was prominently displayed in Starcircuit City. People had mixed feelings about magic, as they did about anything. Most of the time they were greatful for spells that, in small cases, stopped leaks, or in large cases, halted a tornado or destroyed a group of bandits. Occasionally, the people would shun the guild, mostly for spells that Magicals couldn't cast, like Eternal Youth or the like. Their Guild Hall was a tall, slightly crooked white ivory tower, topped with a gold star that shimmered blindingly in the sunlight, which could be seen if someone would take enough effort to look all the way up to the top.