Game of Serfs

A chance meeting between Benjamin Draig and Martin "Marty" Ambrose suggests the potential for a great friendship. Both were with different groups of friends just outside of Moab, both on their way to hike through the mountains. But then things went horribly wrong. It's all Benjamin and Marty can do to stay alive when the earth opens beneath their feet, and they're swallowed by the mountain. As a fire-spewing monster emerges and spreads its wings to blot out the sky, Benjamin and Marty learn that the comfortable illusion of the world they knew is gone.

It seems like lifetimes have passed since Benjy and Marty watched the old world die. Not everyone's caught up with the changes. For the moment it seems they might be the only ones who truly understand that nothing will ever be the same again. They both know that won't last long. Dragons have emerged from their eons-long slumber and the world must come to terms with it or perish in fire. Panic and chaos spring up in the wake of these living natural disasters and people are looking for a safe place to hide from their winged overlords.

Not everyone is happy with what Benjy and Marty are building. Rather, they're unhappy that they're not the ones in charge. The birth pangs of a new community are hard enough to navigate, but what happens when jealousy leads to a rivalry that could strangle this newborn wonder?

From the corpse of what was once the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, forgotten sins are stirring. Threats concealed in the dark corners of the old empire see their chance to emerge. Their insidious intentions have brewed in malevolent patience over eons, and now their hour has come. The kingdom so lovingly built and fiercely fought for is their objective, and there is no depth to which they won't stoop to take it for themselves. Benjy and Marty need to dig deep within themselves.

An unprecedented cold season settles over the kingdom, and Benjy dares to hope that winter will give everyone a chance to breathe easy while their enemies sleep through the deep freeze. Repelling Addervaul's assault took it out of them, and now the time had arrived to settle in until the thaw brings more flaming fury to their door. What's that wise old saying? Wish in one hand . . . The chill wind blows over the kingdom, carrying the howls of the hungry.

Benjy and Marty have defied the dragons to build their kingdom on the hope and strength of their humanity. Hope shines in a wyrm-scorched world, but power always comes with consequences. Strength never goes unchallenged for long.