When we last left the story, a mysterious assassin had laid ruin to William’s Harbor.  If you missed it, you can read the last installment here.

Four days had passed before Seth emerged from his safe house, the dank cellar of a pub in the Outskirts.  The Iron Gullet often needed help circumventing the outlandish tariffs enforced on importing its more potent potions into the capital, making it a small hub for smugglers and scoundrels.  The short term sanctuary was both inexpensive and confidential.  Seth was to meet his contact at the Iron Gullet two days after the extravagant assassination to collect payment.  Six days had now come and gone.  No contact from the shadows. 

            The owner of the Iron Gullet was a short, surly man in his late forties.  His heated demeanor was matched only by his love of the drink and money.  His establishment was a small two room tavern.  A cot behind the bar.  A lone fly perpetually buzzed the patrons. A familiar yet unidentifiable odor permeated the pub’s primary drinking area.  An odor Seth soon realized to be a combination of blood, urine, and vomit.  As he left, he tossed a small bag of coin in the direction of the surly old man.

            “You’re three jaks short!” the bartender exclaimed after quickly counting the small bimetallic discs.  But Seth was already gone.  He had a knack for quick escapes.  “Damn half-breed!”

            Half-breed.  That was a word Seth had not heard for a lifetime.  He thought back to another time.  An eon ago.  Another life.  Another world.  Before his transfiguration.  Before he lost everything.  A life he wasn’t hunted for being a monstrosity.  When he was still a member of society.

Over three hundred years ago, the Divines, a race of celestial entities and the ruling class of humanity, were challenged.  The challenger – human will.  Humans were tired of being ruled and wanted their rightful share of power.  They began to refuse servitude.  The Divines, fearful of an uprising, created a caste of beings to control the humans more directly.  Albmoni.  Half human, half divine.  Half-breeds.  The Albmoni were devout humans chosen by the Divine to receive their grace.  The transfiguration was brutally painful and most did not survive.  Those that did were imbued with a small fraction of the Divine’s power and entrusted to enforce their will upon the masses.