Breaking the Lore: Tyranny

When the heroes of Ostaria banded together to slay the Scourge of Winter and drive his Archons away, it seemed that peace might finally return to this war-ravaged land. The re-opening of the Golden Road trade route by the Qian Dynasty drew intrigued warlords from afar and offered a welcome respite from the bitter battles waged for the North. But the price of victory had been steep, and while the heroes rested in the serene golden lands of Longting, spies and informants whispered that another war was inevitable.

Evil cannot be cut down by sword and shield alone. Even in the wake of a victory hard-won, shadows may still grow, and great evil can fester in that darkness. A powerful, terrible man was rumoured to be amassing power in the leaderless vacuum left by the war for the North. Rumoured to be the son of a wealthy, high-ranking politician, the man was born out of wedlock to a concubine and shunned by society. The world showed him no mercy, its ruthlessness begat his ruthlessness, and he made it his mission to rule over the land that had rejected him by taking it village by village, fief by fief until the throne of the Conqueror’s City was his. 

This man, already known as a tyrant, curried favour with wicked forces, raised an army, and bided his time. As the allure of silk and spices in the east ensnared valiant blades and their wielders, no sentry survived to raise the alarm of the storm gathering in the Borderlands. As the thunders of tyranny roared in the heavens and blood rain scoured the barren dunes, evil made its new lair. The tyrant made short work of the wasteland’s scant defences and gave the surviving populace a choice: kneel or perish. Those who could work were enslaved. Those who could hold a sword could fight for him. Those who resisted would feel his blade.

Word reached the outside world of the tyrant’s crimes and his unlawful lordship over the Borderlands. However, this time, it would not be so simple as to strike evil down on the battlefield. Tyranny must be confronted, but the flames of insurrection must rage from within…

The age of heroes is over – it’s time for rebels. The story continues in the Seasonal Campaign for Season IX: Tyranny, coming to Conqueror’s Blade as a free update on September 28!