Concordia had long been troubled by the Cult of the Flamespawn, a dangerous faction bent on overthrowing the kingdom and claiming dominion in the name of their mysterious Flame Emperor. The faction's underhanded schemes had plagued Concordia for years, but nothing could prepare the nation for the horrifying event that transpired in Leonopolis, the royal capital at the time.

The kingdom was basking in the joy of Queen Agimi’s first pregnancy, a moment of hope and celebration for the people of Concordia. Yet, in the midst of this jubilant occasion, chaos erupted. An assassin infiltrated the royal palace and made its way to the kingdom’s beloved ruler. King Anwar Orpaz was struck with a mysterious purple blade, its edge coated with an unknown substance that paralyzed the king and sent the palace into a frenzied panic.

A diplomat from Sevenfold, Victoria Vulperian, displayed her exceptional resourcefulness and decisiveness. Without hesitation, she sprang into action, leading the charge to capture the assassin before further bloodshed could occur. Meanwhile, her twin brother, Marco Vulperian, though known for his more adventurous nature, found himself in the right place at the right time. In a display of bold, if not completely reckless, thinking, Marco’s quick wit and unorthodox methods turned the tide.

With the king’s life hanging by a thread, Marco force-fed more than a dozen experimental healing concoctions to the monarch, buying precious time for the Stewards to prepare the Rite of Solaris, a powerful ritual capable of reversing even the most grievous afflictions.

Though it seemed absurd at the time, and even the most studied alchemists and healers later concluded that Marco’s actions defied all known principles of medicine and the arcane. This act of impossible heroism somehow allowed the healers save the King Orpaz, pulling him back from the brink of death.

Despite extensive research, no scholar could explain why Marco's nonsensical method had worked—but it had. Some whispered that fate itself had intervened, while others believed Marco's sheer audacity of that choice had bent reality.

The captured assassin, however, remained a profound mystery. Mere minutes after capture, their body spontaneously combusted, engulfed in eerie, unnatural flames that left nothing behind but a broken mysterious bracelet. The true purpose behind the attack on King Orpaz remained shrouded in darkness, leaving the kingdom to wonder: was this an act of chaos, or part of something far greater?

In the months following the assassination attempt, Victoria Vulperian led an intensive investigation into the Cult of the Flamespawn. Her relentless pursuit uncovered hidden cells of fanatics, revealing a network of zealots and conspirators who had infiltrated Leonopolis' society, trade routes, and even into the court itself.

In recognition of their valiant efforts, Marco and Victoria Vulperian were celebrated as Lord and Lady of Concordia. Their courage and quick thinking saved the life of the king and, by extension, the kingdom itself. Their names told in stories with admiration and awe across the land. Yet, beneath the surface of their newfound prestige, unanswered questions remained. The Cult of the Flamespawn had perhaps been defeated but it was not eradicated and what do these "Hands of Surtr" want...? Somewhere, in the dark corners of the world, the real masterminds were still watching, waiting… and planning their next move.