New Post (Part One)

The Sun Palace stood behind Tyre's vast palace complex, surrounded by towering spires, defensive walls, and slanted side halls.

This had once been the southern residence of Benedict Empire emperors throughout the ages. Two emperors had even ruled the entire Imperium from here for their entire lives rather than from Cusconar, that ancient capital filled with clamor and courtly intrigue. Thus, Tyre's palace complex was the most luxurious residence in the Benedict Empire, second only to

the Purple Palace of Cusconar.

Even the newly crowned Empress Anna had reportedly considered making this place her capital, but in light of the Ork threat, she ultimately chose somewhere safer.

Tyre had always been the undisputed political and economic center of the Imperium's south. To secure it, the Imperium had poured immense sums into building its defenses,

yet following the defeat at the Weitlier Battle, even the strongest fortifications had ultimately been unable to withstand the surging Ork horde.

Perhaps because the city had changed hands too smoothly, under Guk's restraints, Tyre's urban districts had not suffered catastrophic destruction. Of course, fires and looting had been unavoidable, as were casualties.

After the repeated devastation of the Ghoul Plague and Ork raiders, of the more than one million residents stranded in Tyre, only around four hundred thousand remained by the final count.

Most had turned into ghouls and vanished into the wilderness beyond the city. The rest had become food for Squigs and Jumpies. The surviving humans were confined to an area in the city's south, managed by those defectors who had "rendered great service."

All such mundane matters were handled by the Harpies and the traitorous humans, while Guk comfortably moved into the Sun Palace.

The weather after the storm was quite pleasant, sunlight rippling across the several-meter-thick stained-glass windows like a thin