Prologue
PROLOGUE
The God of Chaos and Order, Khaozan, brought the realm into being by singing its first great hymn.
His earliest creation was the Vaerun Mountains in the far north, shaped as a sanctuary for the dragon he named Nyxaora. There, amid eternal stone and frost, the dragon would dwell and watch over the land.
For the Elvethier—whose beauty and songs guarded the spirit of the forests—Khaozan shaped rivers, lakes, and vast woodlands so they might have a home worthy of them.
For humans, witches, shapeshifters, and all other living beings, he raised harbors and cities where life could flourish.
And at the very heart of the realm, so that all races might gather in peace, remember his greatness, and offer their prayers, he built the Temple of Aurellyn.
That was the story everyone knew.
That was the truth written in books and whispered as lullabies.
No one questioned why the southern lands—unchosen and unblessed—were home to malevolent beings known as the Karun. It was believed they had existed even before the realm was fully formed, and that long ago they had been defeated by Nyxaora, Khaozan’s great dragon.
Out of loyalty to his god, the dragon had defended the realm at the cost of his own life.
Yet the evil thought to be destroyed did not vanish.
It lingered—quietly gathering strength, unseen by those who believed themselves safe.
