Ashen Dragon

A mighty force of oppression descended, and in an instant, within a hundred-mile radius, almost all living beings shuddered, feeling a fear that emanated from their very souls.

This fear came from Hell, a natural dread of the evil order that opposes the Gods.

"By Amanata above..."

"What a terrifying presence... what, what exactly is that?"

"Oh God..."

"Doomsday, that is the end of days! It is divine punishment for our disrespect of the Gods!"

Under the gaze of millions, Zarriel's body rose from the vortex—she stood over fifteen feet tall, her burning wings covering half of the battlefield, with each feather inscribed with holy texts blackened by Hellfire, trailing embers like meteors.

Her armor was forged from molten Black Iron, with lava flowing through its cracks.

Her visage retained the majesty of an angel, but her eyes had turned into two boiling blood-red fireballs, and the gaze from the cracks in her helmet was enough to make the craziest barbarian curl up and shiver.

"Boom—"

Her molten lava greatsword struck the ground, turning rocks into boiling lakes.

Hundreds of Purgatory Dragon Beasts roared behind her, spewing black smoke, while Fallen Paladins, bound by chains, knelt at her feet, chanting blasphemous hymns.

Three colossal giant dragons, pulling a massive war chariot forged from Hell Meteor Iron, carried Zarriel above August City.

These dragons had devil-like terrifying appearances, with evil bone spurs protruding from their heads and shoulders, and their eyes burned with a horrific yellow.

Their scales shifted colors, displaying the flowing magma's hue, and they emanated a sulfuric scent—the Prison Fire Ancient Dragons, symbols of tyranny, ruling over wars of the strong oppressing the weak.

"Thrace people, abandon your futile resistance—"

The angel divine descendants of Thrace were locked in battle with devils, their fury ignited as they roared unwillingly, "No, we are Fadlan People, children of the Sun! We will never succumb to Hell!"

Zarriel's voice boomed like a death knell: "Mortal struggle? No more than kindling... thrown into my furnace, your deaths will ignite Hell's victory!"

Before her words finished, the rift in the sky exploded, and six burning chains descended like black dragons, shredding dozens of angel divine descendants.

Feathers burned in the air, falling, bodies and limbs shattered, plummeting from high above, golden blood splattering everywhere, raining down on the earth.

Watching the bloody and brutal scene, Zarriel's lips curled into a maniacal and twisted smile.

As the ruler of the blood war, her very existence was the embodiment of warfare, a product of the struggle between Order and Chaos—every flame, every wail on the battlefield crowned her.

"You have finally come, Zarriel. I have been waiting for quite a while." High in the sky, Cassius looked down at this Hell Duke, nodding slightly, with flames dancing in his eyes.

Zarriel gazed up at the Red Dragon, her eyes narrowing slightly, the depths of her eyes exuding a dangerous aura, "Ashen Emperor, if you don't wish to die—leave with your army, leave August, leave the Thrace Kingdom.

This land is already marked with the brand of Aphernas; it belongs to the Nine Prisons, the soul pasture of the Great Devils."

Hearing this, Cassius expressed surprise in his eyes, curiously asking, "Didn't you make a pact with Wilhelm, with killing me as the condition to gain Thrace's land?"

"Wilhelm? Haha..." Zarriel's lips curled again, a mocking smile on her face, "What a hopeless fool."

Zarriel raised her head, meeting the Red Dragon's gaze across the distance, her indifferent voice filled with ridicule, "Indeed, Cassius, I will kill you, but I will do it in three thousand years, when you are old and withered; I will destroy your empire, but I will do it in five thousand years, when your empire is on the brink of collapse, I will step in and utterly obliterate it..."

Finally, she raised her hand, summoning a parchment contract, pointing to a line of blurred small text between the lines, "After all... the contract states that there is no deadline for completing this task."

"How interesting." Upon hearing this, Cassius couldn't help but click his tongue in admiration, finding it exceptionally laughable, even harboring some sympathy for that Thrace King.

Truly befitting of a devil's contract, thoroughly dark and sinister, exploiting every loophole in the rules.

Wilhelm gave up everything he had, only to receive such a worthless, unusable blank check, not even fit to wipe with.

"Snap."

Zarriel snapped her fingers, and that contract turned to ashes and disappeared in the air, "So, what do you think, Your Majesty Cassius, Aphernas and the Empire can coexist peacefully."

In the vicinity of the Sword Bay Region, there are a few notable cities such as Waterdeep, Elturel, and Neverwinter. Waterdeep was established on the capital of the Elf Empire Ilfaen—Erin Vier's old site. It has numerous temples of the Gods. The Miracle Temple is the grandest Magic Goddess Temple in the game, with magnificent towers, adorned with various artworks and magical decorations, exuding a luxurious Baroque style; whereas Neverwinter leans more towards Gothic-style architecture. It evolved after the development of the earliest human settlement, Aegostor, for nearly a century. The main city in the story, Bod Gate, is the largest and most prosperous trade city-state in the Sword Bay Region, with a mix of nobles, commoners, and thieves, known to adventurers as the "nest of conspirators." The name of Bod Gate derives from a hero, a Grey Port adventurer named Bodlan, who explored the continent beyond Sword Sea and, after returning with wealth to Grey Port, led a team to build the city here.

According to the residents' status, Bod Gate is divided into an Upper City for the nobles and a Lower District for the commoners, with an Outer City District scattered around Chenyi Mountain. The gate that separates the Upper City and Lower District is called Bod Gate, lending its name to the entire city as well as serving as a monument to the city's founder Bodlan.

Currently, Bod Gate is governed by a council of four, all Great Dukes, with one serving as the council leader. If a vote ends in a tie, Great Duke Elder Ravenclaw decides. The Upper City's law enforcement is handled by the elite official police force called the Watch, while the rest of the areas are patrolled by a mercenary corps known as the Flaming Fist. Great Duke Elder Ravenclaw is also the highest leader of this mercenary corps. The Flaming Fist's headquarters is in Bodlan Sea Tower, the strongest fortress defending Bod Gate from sea invasions. Enveloping Bod Gate's economic lifeline like a crescent moon is Gray Harbor, with hundreds of merchant ships entering and exiting daily, bringing wealth, but also greed and sin.

The Upper City, situated on higher ground, consists of Castle District, Temple District, Manoburn District, and Wide Alley District, filled with various religious buildings, Miracle Hall, and Supreme Miracle House, both centers of the Church of the God of Craft, Gund, in Bod Gate. Miracle Hall showcases Gund's great inventions, and Supreme Miracle House functions as a workshop. The Lower City primarily features stone buildings across six districts: Sea Tower District, Blonrich District, Steep District, Crowded Side District, East Road District, and Branpton District. The middle class generally lives in Blonrich District, close to the prominent figures of the Upper City, while East Road District, near the Stone Lizard Gate leading to the Outer City District, is relatively more disorderly, with bustling taverns and cheap inns. Sea Tower District is where the Flaming Fist is stationed. The largest rocky offshore island in Sea Tower District houses the mercenary corps' headquarters, Bodlan Sea Tower. Branpton and Steep Districts are relatively run-down, serving as living communities for sailors and laborers. The Outer City District stretches along the Chongsar River, gathered with temporary buildings and slums. The landmark structure is a stone bridge crossing the Chongsar River—Flying Dragon Crossroad, filled with many vendors, even extending the bridge surface with planks, with numerous buildings built on top. Law and order here are nonexistent, even with the Flaming Fist, which has very limited protection. Many impoverished or criminal individuals unable to find a place within the city gather here.