In one of the newly fortified cities, a leader emerged who was a perfect embodiment of the new age. His name was Kael, and he was one of the hard men, a veteran of the war who had seen firsthand the futility of the old ways. He believed in one thing, and one thing only: power.
Kael saw the fear and suspicion that gripped his people, and he understood how to use it. He spoke to them not of hope and cooperation, but of danger and betrayal. He told them that they were surrounded by enemies, that the other cities were plotting their destruction, and that the only way to survive was to be stronger, more ruthless, than their rivals.
He dismantled the old council of elders, replacing it with a small, handpicked group of loyal lieutenants. He outlawed public debate, declaring it a source of weakness and division. He created a new class of warriors, the “Wardens,” who patrolled the streets and enforced his will.
At first, many of the people were uneasy with these changes. They remembered the open, vibrant city of their youth, and they chafed under Kael’s iron rule. But the fear he had so expertly stoked was a powerful motivator. And so, they acquiesced. They told themselves it was a temporary measure, a necessary evil to ensure their survival.
But Kael’s power, once established, only grew. He used the Wardens to spy on his own people, to root out dissent, to make examples of anyone who dared to question his authority. The city became a place of whispered conversations and fearful glances. The First Tyrant had arrived, and his shadow would stretch far into the future.