The year 221 was a tumultuous year for many reasons. But to understand the events of that year, one would need to take a good look at the past, back to the moment everything started: the second war. There’s countless stories circulating the world about this period of time. Bards have turned emotions into lyrical tunes and writers have carefully written each event down to the last detail. I’m sure if you want a better understanding of the prelude to this story, you will be able to find answers everywhere. The story I’ll be telling is one that, like any story, holds its roots in the past. That’s why, before I get to our city’s tale, I will first briefly paint the main events of the second war.
In 200, the most prominent leader of the human empire had ventured down the demon realm. He was accompanied by a small guard, mostly made up by warriors he greatly trusted. The goal of his journey is up until today still unknown. Rumors told that he met with the leader of the demons, residing deep inside the grand volcanic mountain Inferno, to try and shake hands between the two races. Ever since the dawn of man, the two had been at a constant conflict, and fountains of blood had been spilled in the meaningless slaughter in the battles that had resulted. This leader was known for his broad vision on a variety of issues, of which his most aspiring one was nothing less than world peace. He must’ve been aware that his dream was nearly impossible, yet despite countless pleas from his closest allies and friend, he departed on a journey to unite the continent.
It was a brave move… and a foolish one.
The man never returned from his journey and in the wake of his disappearance, a void opened inside the people’s hearts. While nobody knew what had happened on the other side of the continent, one common sentiment rose: the demons had murdered their beloved leader. This sparked the fires for the second war, fueled by the remnants and lingering regrets of the first war. The humans gathered their most skilled soldiers, their most advanced magecraft and their most charismatic generals, and began their vengeful journey.
In the years after, countless demon towns at the border of the human and demon realm were destroyed by the tsunami of retribution. Villages were obliterated, families were murdered or captured and traded off as slaves, and forests were burned to ash. Anything that crossed the path of the imperial army, got trampled and demolished in the most cruel fashion possible. Even today, there are unbelievable stories of this invasion everywhere. To give an example: there’s a story about the roads of one village which, after the humans had left, were completely buried underneath the horns of fallen demons.
When the demons eventually organized and sent an army to contest the humans, everyone thought the resulting battles would spread all over the continent. Many powerful generals from both sides had joined the fray, and past clashes between similar forces had wiped out entire cities and ripped apart entire mountains. The people were praying that this war wouldn’t meet the same end as the first war, which had nearly wiped out both sides of the continent. They tirelessly prayed day in and day out, for the safety of their children, their loved ones and their villages.
And one day, their prayers got answered. As if through a divine force, just moments before the two sides would clash, they were broken apart and forced back to their homelands. The Deadlands turned into an unpassable territory, keeping both sides from advancing back towards their archenemy. The war had ended in a stalemate.
Many rejoiced the inexplicable development, especially the low- and mid-class citizens. The funds for the war had put a heavy toll on the common man. When word spread that the war had ended prematurely, many thought they could go back to paying normal taxes and prices as soon as possible.
However, the wealthy and powerful were angry. They hadn’t been satisfied by the meager revenge for their beloved leader, and were thrilling to destroy the cursed barrier that kept them from getting their way. And so, in contrast to what the people had hoped, the taxes weren’t lifted. Instead, they increased even further. Countless false arguments were made up to justify the suffering of the people, but in reality everybody knew all the money was funneled towards many projects and developments that focused on breaking down the barrier. Even the cries of their own men didn’t reach them anymore. Their only goal was to continue their vengeful war, no matter the cost.
This sentiment slowly ebbed throughout the whole human realm. Especially Tyronia and its close allies, driven by a heavy class-based society, felt the implications of the change. Their societal structure concentrated a lot of power in the hands of only a few, which most of the time weren’t driven by rationality or empathy. That’s why they could pursue their selfish desires at the sacrifice of others, without anyone there to stop them.
That moment in time also marked the beginning of Vinclum’s long struggle.
By that time, Vinclum had become one of Tyronia’s biggest trading partners. Although the city was still independent on paper, Tyronia had been planting their root deep inside the city for years. The trades had become more demanding, the wealthy had become closer with their Tyronian counterparts and the leader of that time, Tarroc Domevale, had great relations with the empire.
That’s why it was inevitable that Vinclum would get swept away inside the whirlpool of madness that raged through the country. What followed, would be a chain of tragedies that would forever mark the city’s history.
Despite its looming fate, Vinclum managed to dodge the ball for a long time through the masterful leadership of a single man: Tarroc Domevale.
Many in Vinclum agreed on Tarroc’s positive accomplishments: he had signed a trade deal with both Tyronia and the pirates, relieving the city’s traders from the fear of getting raided and sunk. Despite the looming issues outside of the walls, he had successfully managed to keep close tabs on the prominent figures of the city, so they would not fall for the same trap their counterparts did. He constantly listened, negotiated and made rational decisions that benefitted all parties of the city. Under his command, the city had enjoyed a level of wealth and creativity that none of his predecessors had ever reached. Many said that if Tarroc had lived until today, probably the city wouldn’t have ever walked down its dreadful path.
But nothing lasts forever, and on one fateful day in 218, disaster struck the city. Tarroc suddenly died in his mansion at the age of 58. His death was said to be the result of a bad habit of unrestrained drinking in the local bars of the city. Many had joked about the fact it would eventually become his downfall, but none had ever dared to think it would eventually become a reality. The entire city mourned for days in front of his grave. Many colorful ceremonials and beautiful artworks were offered to his memory. On the day of the city’s unique festival, everyone took one of their dearest belongings and sent it across the sea, in the hope their feelings would reach Tarroc’s spirit. This action alone shows how much everyone had loved and respected him.
However, the city had to keep moving forward. It now needed a new leader in the middle of a turbulent age. According to customs, the oldest child inherited the right to rule. However, by that time his oldest son Geoffrey had long left the city to study abroad and hadn’t been seen or heard from for years. A letter was sent and carried over between several correspondents, to finally end up at his assumed location. Its contents informed him of the city’s dire circumstances and asked him to return as soon as possible, so he could take over his father’s reigns. Not much later, the city received a clear answer: Geoffrey was uninterested in the offer and would not return. It was the first time someone declined the leadership, so nobody knew what to do. For weeks, the higher-ups discussed about the best course forward. After much contemplation, his young sister Sarah, merely 18 at that time, was allowed to inherit her father’s position in her brother’s stead.
From birth, Sarah had been in frequent contact with a variety of people, including ones that were seen as the bottom class of the city. Because her father believed Geoffrey would take his place one day, he had not spent much time on Sarah when she was young. While she still got a worthy education many of us can only dream of, she was spared of the strict regime and political wisdom that was forced upon her brother. This freedom caused her to bond with people that a girl in her position shouldn’t have ever met. Out of these people, she was particularly close with one girl: Judith. She was one of Sarah’s personal maids, who had been with her since she was very young. Her family was poor and lived in the slumps at the far end of the city. Despite this, the girl was accepted into her role by Sarah’s father and was never fired. Over time, the two of them grew closer and closer and when Sarah hit her late teens, they were often publicly seen together in the different parts of the city. There was even word of the two sneaking out at night, walking towards the poor district where Judith’s family resided.
This caused Sarah to experience a side of this city many nobles pretended to be nonexistent. She got confronted with various issues the impoverished had to deal with daily. She talked with them, laughed with them and cried with them. It was no mystery that if she ever came to power, those people that were closer to her than her actual family, would probably the first thing on her mind. After her inauguration, that assumption soon became reality.
Her father had been the ideal example of negotiation and realizing shared interests, which had been cheered on by many in the city. But Sarah’s methodology was completely different. She dismissed the dialogue-based approach of her father, and rejected the policies that she deemed to be harmful for anyone. She didn’t cooperate with those around her, but she took on the role of an absolute leader. This sudden change was for the better, and the worse…
Sarah brought plenty of ambitious projects to a good end. She built further upon her father’s legacy and grew the trade potential of the city even further. Additionally, she expanded the city with multiple factories and workplaces, which opened up more jobs for the citizens. Of them, over half were aimed at employing people in the slumps, to give them a chance to escape their bad fortunes. All the factories had great working conditions, proper pay and sometimes even bonuses like food or housing. Under her command, more people were working and learning than ever before, and the city was on a steady growth both financially and intellectually.
But in reality, there was a big issue that had been slumbering for years. Many had closed their eyes to it, but it had always been lurking behind their backs, ready to surface whenever it had the chance to. When Sarah had taken complete control and the negotiations that had kept the balance in check were slowly breaking down, people’s eyes opened. There was an issue that had grown bigger and bigger from the moment the city had steered towards its full potential: the distribution of wealth.
Only a handful possessed the majority of the city’s funds, and controlled everything in the city: trades, housing, work… The gap had always been there, but it had been relatively small before the city’s growth spurt. The trade deals by Sarah’s father had marked the beginning of an extremely uneven spread of wealth and power. After those deals, the gap had kept growing exponentially every year. Some, who had been lucky enough to have an amazing talent or a successful business, reaped the fruits of their innovations. Others slowly spiraled down the path of poverty because of failures or misfortune. The more the city grew, the bigger the gap between the two groups became.
Sarah did not hide her clear aversion for the overconfident and arrogant wealthy. Instead of trying to remedy the distribution in dialogue, she dismissed these figures’ voices and imposed countless taxes on them. Of course the rich didn’t follow her orders for very long. When time passed by, they took more and more initiatives back into their own hands, ignoring any orders she imposed on them. Slowly, the relations between her and the nobles broke down until nothing was left…
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, another issue surfaced. The attempt to indoctrinate the poor people into the city backfired enormously. The citizens were furious: the people who once were living far below their status, were now enjoying greater work conditions and pay than those who had been working all their lives. Additionally Sarah was losing her grip on the nobles, who now realized they could maximize their profits without repercussions, even at the cost of their workers. Slowly, almost everyone in the city was directly or indirectly impacted by her policies: families who used to be financially stable started struggling, whereas families that were already struggling were now at risk of losing everything and become part of the lifestyle they feared.
This resulted in huge, aggressive protests, calling for equality and fairness and to restore the former state of the city. They demanded that all facilities would be open for everyone, and that trained workers would deserve spots over any amateurs. They wanted their pay and work restored, and the nobles that had profited off the situation, exiled.
Sarah was completely overwhelmed. She knew opening the factories would spell disaster for the poor who were in need of work and help. Moreover, she must’ve been aware that pressuring the nobles even further would eventually cost her own head. Sarah declined the people’s demands and disbanded the protests, in the hope that the people’s sentiments would eventually calm down.
But naturally, the reverse happened: people got angrier and more aggressive. The protests became more violent than before. Brawls broke out in the city, leaving many incapacitated for weeks. Once an innocent, poor worker got caught up in the protests and lost his life to the mob, Sarah finally took dramatic action. She threatened exile or the death penalty for those who purposely harmed their fellow citizens. The following weeks, more than ten individuals got publicly executed on claims of murder and felony. After that, the protests returned to a more peaceful variant and incidents were rare. However, the hateful feelings hadn’t vanished from the people’s minds. Instead, they had turned into dark conversations, which were broadly spreading through the underground.
Then, one fateful day, a second tragedy happened.
In 221, on a cool spring day, Sarah left the city to meet with a Tyronian party in a small town close to Vinclum. It was said to be an extremely important business, possibly shaping the future for the both parties. In the underground, there rumors were circulating of a militaristic support to suppress the ongoing protests, so Sarah could seize the power all to herself. Some said the nobles had forced Sarah into the meeting, hoping they could exploit the people more like their Tyronian examples. Others said it was the poor who had somehow struck a deal with the empire and with the help of Sarah, they would sell out the protestors so they could keep benefitting off the system. No matter how false and illogical some of these rumors sounded, their existence had already reached their goal: tainting the mood of the people. Everyone was stressed, suspicious, angry. Heavy emotions were piling up, and most people were a snap of a finger away from releasing all their frustrations in the worst way possible.
Days passed by without any word of Sarah’s whereabouts. In her absence, the nobles spotted the chance to draw more power towards themselves. They increased the taxes even further, took complete command over the management of the city and squelched any resistance with military power. Finally they were free from the bonds that had held them down, and could live up to the ideals like their distant friends in the empire. However, their plan to take over control didn’t go as smooth as they expected. The citizens, already angered by the past actions of Sarah, had no sliver of respect for the nobles. They banded together, armed themselves with their self-made weapons and challenged any attempt to silence their voices. The whole city was on the verge of chaos.
But then, a miraculous arrival turned everything around.
Geoffrey Domevale had returned to Vinclum. His homecoming came as a complete surprise, even for those who had many connections outside of the city. Unannounced, he marched through the front gate and walked down the main streets, straight towards his former home. He no longer looked like the boy that had once set out on a dreamful journey. There was an unchallenged strength in his eyes, his body and his heart. It was almost as if a god himself treaded upon the mortal lands below to bring peace and tranquility. No one dared to approach him.
Geoffrey immediately took command of the city. He gave the people a set of clear, dry-cut orders: the nobles had to restore their former policies, the citizens had to cease their resistance and return to their work and the poor had to return to the slumps. Despite his earlier entrance, no one was planning to follow those commands. After all, he was a stranger to the city and had even refused to come for his father’s death.
Some even decided to challenge his sudden claim of power. An armed group of soldiers approached him and demanded he left the city immediately. Geoffrey simply ignored the threats and carried on with his self-imposed mission. Not much later, one noble’s patience ran out and he decided to assassinate him, ‘For the sake of the future of this city’. He sent his entire guard to Geoffrey’s home and lured him outside. The moment Geoffrey had set foot outside the mansion, tens of well-trained soldiers immediately charged forward with murderous intentions. The attack only took a few seconds. When the battle ended, the noble and his entire guard had been completely eradicated. It is rumored that the remainder of their bodies was like mincemeat, almost as if they had taken several shotgun shots point-blank. After this, nobody ever tried to challenge his power again.
Despite his power, Geoffrey could not fix the chaos in the city. The societal wall was firmer than ever and conflicts kept happening everywhere in the city. Geoffrey and the succumbed soldiers ran all around the place to break apart fights, but there were just too many. And so, Geoffrey’s actions were only preventing the city from being reduced to ashes at the hand of its own people. None of the hateful, vengeful emotions of the people had changed. At that time, it was only a question of how long it would take for the ticking bomb to find a gap of weakness and tear the city to shreds…
But then, another miracle happened. A complete stranger had entered the city, accompanied by a small group of soldiers. Her hellish red hair and shining imperial armor immediately made the rebellious stake their protests, and her beautiful, elegant posture would make anyone faze. Her appearance was known all around the country, and it was not different for the closed city of Vinclum. When people saw her, they immediately knew the name of the legendary individual standing in front of them.
Phoenia Cyrus. Also nicknamed: ‘The Arbiter of Hell’.
Phoenia’s entrance was completely different than Geoffreys, despite similar signs of trembling power. She immediately approached the townspeople and asked them about the current situation, the past events and their personal struggles. Somehow, people quickly opened up to her and told her everything she wanted to know. Not before long, she had completely caught up with the entire picture and waved the people goodbye.
Phoenia met up with Geoffrey inside his home. They stayed inside for hours, their conversation completely sealed off from the outside. When they were finally done, Geoffrey ordered to organize a huge town gathering at the docks on the following day. Attendance was mandatory, and everyone absent would be greatly punished. Even though people were completely reluctant to be ordered around like that, they knew how powerful Geoffrey was. Moreover, they knew this punishment was not a fluke. Geoffrey had proven to be a man of his word, both in a good and bad context.
Just before dusk, about a week after Sarah’s departure, a foreign woman stood in front of the biggest crowd in the history of the city. On that moment, Phoenia delivered a speech which would shake the people to their cores and shape the future of the city.
First, she brought a message to the people. It was short, but clear. She didn’t sugarcoat her words or tried to hide any details from her audience. People listened to each sentence she spoke, from beginning to end. Everybody was frozen in place, as if time itself had forgotten how to move.
Sarah Domevale and her companions were dead. They had been violently assaulted on their way back to the city. When Phoenia had arrived at their supposed location, all they had found was a bloody sight of bodies and destruction. The group had clearly been greatly outnumbered and outskilled, and had been mercilessly slaughtered. Moreover, most of their belongings had been missing, indicating the work of a group of thieves. In her search for the assailant she had ended up in the city, where she had hoped to find more information.
After she was done explaining the circumstances, the entire area was completely silent. Thousands of people were processing the weight of the words she’d just spoken, and not a single one dared to break the tranquility. Even though none of them had been very fond of Sarah, her sudden death still came as a shock…
It was Phoenia herself who broke the silence. Standing straight-faced and fearless on the small pedestal, wielding a worn whip on her side and carrying a blinding white sword on her back, she proudly made a crazy statement:
‘From now on, I will be the leader of this city.’
No one could believe their ears when she revealed her intentions. A strange woman was taking control over the city, just like that? Anyone would be out of their mind to simply accept her words…
But she quickly continued her speech before people had the chance to react. Phoenia clarified her vision, her goal and her dream for the city. Slowly, the people’s emotions turned around. Phoenia touched directly onto the people’s biggest frustrations and offered the solutions they had been waiting for. Even though she was a stranger, there was no doubt she was leader they wanted. That’s why by the time she ended her speech, all the citizens, desperate to return towards the status quo, had unanimously accepted her leadership.
A month later, a decision was made to split the city in three parts: one district for the nobles, one district for the citizens and one for the poor. A third wall got build around the old slumps and the ground underneath the noble’s district was being lifted up. Geoffrey took direct control over the noble’s district, now called the first district. Phoenia took control over the center of the city, the second district. Lastly the third district, now completely isolated from the outside, was given to an opportunistic noble.
At the end of the year, the city had undergone its full transformation. In an attempt to restore peace to the city, they had physically divided the different populations from each other. As crazy as the idea might’ve seemed, its effect was incredible effective. The city started growing again, no longer affected by its internal struggles. Geoffrey kept the nobles under control just as his father had done. Phoenia made sure the average people in the city were living comfortably and their issues were listened to. The few that still caused trouble were displaced into the third district and never heard from again. And so, an artificial era of peace began.
While this is the end of the story, there are still many questions unanswered. None of the citizens wants to talk about the events of the past year, but I’m sure doubts are still looming in the depths their minds.
Is this truly peace? Is stashing away our problems behind a huge wall really the solution, or is it merely a temporary escape from reality? How long can these stones bury our fiercest emotions and thoughts? There are so many questions, but no one to answer them…
Moreover, there’s still a lot of questions involving the new leaders. Especially the red-haired woman, Phoenia, remains one big mystery. Her timely arrival and claim for power, Geoffrey’s sudden return and Sarah’s death couldn’t possibly be coincidental. Moreover, there was something suspicious about her story. Wasn’t it strange that she was the first to hear of Sarah’s predicament? If anyone escaped or witnessed the assault, wouldn’t their first reflex be to warn their own city? So why did they turn to Phoenia instead? Had they been tailing them, or inserted a spy into Sarah’s ranks? In that case, isn’t it possible that she was behind the whole incident and was using it as a means to conquer the city from within?
Even though most returned to their normal lives , few kept searching for answers of what really happened those days. However, the deeper we dug, the more our mouths got sewn shut. There is clearly some crucial information hidden carefully. Shortly after one of my colleagues told me he was close to a breakthrough, he disappeared. In addition, aggressive measures were taken like the sudden ban for written sources, which were the main source of controversial opinions. The speed of which the public opinion changed on them was alarming, and was clearly instigated from the shadows. But we were powerless against it. Most authors went out of business and lost the trust of their former readers. The few that remained, got discriminated against and either left the city off their own will, or lost their lives in grave accidents. With the author’s downfall any trace of doubt slowly vanished, along with Sarah’s existence.
I’m sure of one thing: One day, this artificial division will break down. The wall in the people’s hearts might’ve been smoothed for the time being, but it’s still standing as tall as ever. The past always injects itself into the future, one way or another. I hope this city will learn from its mistakes and finally solve its many issues which it has buried deep underneath. And when all finally crumbles, I truly hope Phoenia and Geoffrey, despite their carefully hidden reasons to claim power, will keep their word to the people. I pray they are the leaders who the people hope they are, and not the scheming traitors I fear they are…
But most of all, I hope one day all of these walls can be broken down. The wall that isolates the poor, so they will have the same chances and rights as anyone else. The wall in our hearts, longing of everything we don’t possess, and looking down on those below us instead of pulling them up. And lastly, the wall that shields us from the outside. If we one day manage to solve our problems, I know the world can follow the same path. If we all collectively work towards a better world, eventually there will be no more need for divisive walls. And then, we can all rebuild these walls with joyful, hopeful emotions instead of fear and hate. So that in the end, the only walls that remain, are those that keep us together.
Written by Edmund Brock, 29 December 221
