Saint Laurent Calendar, January 1, 999—the Holy Human Federation Council.
Hundreds of human monarchs had gathered in the Hall. Crowned and draped in golden gauze, scepters in hand, the Kings argued until their faces turned red, making the sacred Hall of humanity sound like a marketplace.
"Silence..."
"Floodwaters are rising across my kingdom..."
"A tsunami swallowed my Island and harbors! My ships too!"
"Ratfolk Thing... no, I'll drive out every last... Ratfolk Thing. Die! Die!"
"How did a Ratfolk Thing get in here?"
"Silence!"
"The Gods no longer answer us..."
"Our Warriors can barely withstand the Ratfolk's Corruption."
"You coward of House Lonses, let another Vampire in and I'll crush your balls!"
Clang—clang—clang—
The tolling Bells cut through the spectral figures' arguments. Their attention turned to thirteen Thrones at the center of the circular hall, made of bone, gold, wood, iron ore, mud, and other materials, and to the figures seated upon them.
But the mud throne stood empty. Its King was nowhere to be seen.
A vast voice echoed through the Hall:
"Turmoil approaches, and the Gods have withdrawn. We, the Thirteen High Kings, propose that Humans enact the Foreign Races Edict."
"I second the motion."
"I second it."
"Send them back where they belong!"
"No! A third of my kingdom is Dwarves, and another third is Orcs!"
"Doesn't that leave a third who are human?"
"Of that remaining third, one third are Vampires and another third are Ratfolk."
"Heretic!"
The few objections were drowned out by voices of assent. An edict that would sweep across the human kingdoms was coming like a Snow Tide.
Star-Moon Bay faced a literal Snow Tide.
The newborn Dawn cast a beautiful pale-gold sheen over the terrifying clouds that hid the entire north beyond the Snow Mountains. The dense mist shrouding the