From the ashes of forgotten kingdoms and the murmur of ancient steel, A Tale of Iron And Blood was forged-a saga steeped in war, sorrow, and the haunting beauty of a world on the edge of ruin. Writing as Vladimir Dafoe, I set forth not merely to tell a story, but to carve a path through the heart of fantasy itself, to tear down the old scaffolding and raise something fierce, strange, and unforgettable.

The Mourning Blade is the first volume of the A Tale of Iron And Blood trilogy, an epic descent into darkness, legacy, and the fragile light that flickers at the heart of conflict.

Fantasy, for all its wonder, often walks roads too well-worn. I wanted something wilder. Grittier. A tale where magic is both blessing and curse, where betrayal cuts deeper than any blade, and where even the bravest souls bear scars they cannot name. In The Mourning Blade, every silence hides a secret, every ally might prove a foe, and every step forward risks plunging into shadow.

This is no simple tale of heroes and monsters. It is a reckoning, a story of fire and fate, of ancient bloodlines and the choices that shape a world. For those who seek more than just escape, for those who crave stories that bleed, I welcome you to Naaz'hal.