Prologue: The Wedge

Spine of the World

A shadow moved through the driving snow. Its pace was not fast, yet it felt steady, each step leaving deep footprints upon the snowfield. The traveler wore a thick fur cloak, with a hood and scarf obscuring their face, leaving only a pair of brown eyes exposed. Those eyes were sharp; though they betrayed exhaustion, they radiated a sense of reassurance.

"If not for Garush, who would have guessed that an orc tribe actually lived in a place like this?" the figure muttered to themselves. Suddenly, the space beneath the thick furs against their chest stirred, and the babbling of an infant emerged. "Oh, little one, are you feeling stifled?" As they spoke, the figure opened the furs slightly, revealing the face of a baby. The infant blinked silver eyes, surveying the surroundings with a gaze full of curiosity and confusion.

"Sigh, this is truly..." Looking at the child, the figure spoke with a mix of helplessness and heartache, though they did not know what else to say. This was the Spine of the World, a desert of life, a paradise of ice, snow, and high mountains. Heaven only knew why the child had to be brought here. Yet, thinking of the child's origins and the final request of a dear friend, as a paladin, they could not break the oath sworn to a fallen comrade. But bringing an infant here was, as other comrades had said, no different from murder.

"Lord, please guide me..." The figure lowered their head to pray. A faint holy light began to emanate from their body, forming a protective film. It was clear this was a highly skilled paladin whose soul was closely attuned to the deity they served; otherwise, simple prayer would not have been enough to invoke the holy light.

"According to your father, we still have a journey of some days before we arrive," the figure said, looking down at the infant. "Avalon, the sanctuary of the heroic spirits, your father's homeland."

Half a month later

After crossing mountain peak after snowy peak and overcoming one dangerous frost monster after another, the paladin finally spotted a rock face exposed amidst the frost, painted with ancient totems.

Covered in wounds, the paladin stumbled toward the rock wall. "Finally found it. The entrance to Avalon," they whispered to the bundle in their arms. The child inside had wide, round eyes, looking first at the paladin and then turning to gaze at the rock wall. Although the child looked a bit frail, they were miraculously unscathed, their eyes still bright. The look they cast toward the wall was filled with contemplation and doubt. Such an expression should have been impossible for an infant, but the paladin did not notice. They were busy retrieving a small totem made of stone and unknown pigments from a pouch at their waist, pressing it against the rock face. After a flash of white light, the wall vanished, revealing a tunnel that stretched into darkness. The paladin retrieved the small totem that had fallen to the ground when the wall disappeared and walked inside without a moment's hesitation.

Avalon, the Great Tent of the Bloodaxe Clan

The paladin, clad in somewhat battered armor, sat cross-legged before an elderly one-eyed orc with a white beard and a resolute face. The old orc was incredibly robust; even while seated, the muscles across his body were enough to strike fear into the hearts of ordinary men. The old orc watched the outsider with his single eye. Though his expression remained calm and firm, a storm of emotions flickered within that eye, revealing that the old man was not as composed as he appeared.

It was not until the paladin finished speaking that the old orc turned his gaze toward the infant, who was now surrounded by several female orcs.

"He is the child of Garush, and a scion of the Bloodaxe Clan. He shall remain in Avalon, and he shall carry on the glory of the Bloodaxe Clan. As for you, outsider, the Bloodaxe Clan is grateful for your deeds and offers you the clan's respect. However, Avalon does not belong to the Bloodaxe Clan; it belongs to the descendants of all the prophets, Garul and Reginald Tomya. We do not welcome outsiders, nor do we wish for their interference. Therefore, I hope you will swear by your dignity and your god that you will never speak of Avalon to another soul."

Though the words were cold and unfeeling, the paladin felt no resentment and calmly swore the oath. "I, Sokia Arando Tirios Meias, swear by the glory of the Lord of Radiance that I shall never reveal the location of Avalon to anyone. May my Lord be the witness."