3-Opening of Book 3: Thrones of Ash

 Hrothgar’s Letter to Open Book 3

Context: Book 3 (Thrones of Ash, 1000–1015 A.Y.) begins days after Book 2’s end (Torvald’s death, Hrothgar’s suicide, Zara’s invasion 1000 A.Y.). The historian (1125 A.Y., Chronicler Vaelor) introduces a newly found letter by Hrothgar, written 971 A.Y. (pre-Torvald’s rise, post-Solon’s stabbing), discovered in Starfall’s crypts alongside his confessional letter (1000 A.Y.). It details his visit to Starfall, Lysara’s visions, and his task to guide Torvald, setting up Book 3’s focus on sacrifice (Alaric 1005 A.Y., Marcus ~1010 A.Y.) and the Zara-Solon pact (1005 A.Y.).

Letter Details:

• Date: 971 A.Y., after Hrothgar, a Norgvald shaman, hears of Lysara’s true sight (935 A.Y., post-Valthar).
• Setting: Starfall’s crypts, where Hrothgar meets Lysara (~46, Oracle since ~945 A.Y.), the celestial rift glowing faintly.
• Content: Hrothgar, drawn by mystical curiosity, seeks Lysara to verify her visions. She reveals a war-torn future (“cities burn, millions fall”) and one path to salvation, tasking him to find a boy (Torvald, unnamed), raise him as a son, guide him to power, and lead him to die for “a greater goal” (Aelar’s path, implied).
• Tone: Mystical awe (Starfall’s rift, Lysara’s eyes), growing dread (the task’s weight), and reluctant resolve (love vs. duty).
• Length: ~300–400 words, vivid but concise, cited verbatim by the historian with commentary.
• Purpose: Deepens Hrothgar’s tragedy, reveals Lysara’s manipulation, and sets Book 3’s stakes (war, sacrifice), without spoiling Aelar or the Zara-Solon pact.

Sample Letter (Hrothgar, ~971 A.Y.):
To the winds of Norgvald, I, Hrothgar, shaman of the Frost Wolf, scribe this in Starfall’s shadow. Tales of an Oracle with true sight drew me, my bones weary from visions false. In her crypts, where starlight pierces stone, I found her—silver eyes, frail yet fierce. Lysara spoke of wars to come, cities aflame, millions lost in blood. One path, she swore, could save the world, a thread through ruin. Her gaze pierced me, and she tasked me, me alone: find a boy, pure of heart, raise him as my son, teach him strength, guide him to power. And then—gods forgive me—lead him to his death, for a goal greater than life. The rift hummed, its light cold. I love this boy already, yet her stars bind me. May the Totem judge my soul.
Historian’s Commentary (~1125 A.Y.): “Found in Starfall’s crypts, this letter unveils Hrothgar’s burden, years before Norgvald’s fall (1000 A.Y.). Lysara’s vision, echoed in the Codex (940 A.Y.), speaks of war, yet omits its end. Did Hrothgar serve fate or folly? Drakorian epics (~1000 A.Y.), praising Zara’s triumph, offer no answer.”

Accompanying Opening (~1001 A.Y.):
To balance the letter’s introspection, Book 3 opens with a brief scene (1–2 pages) post-letter: Zara’s victory feast in Drakoria (1001 A.Y.), where she toasts Norgvald’s conquest, Solon’s ships dock , Marcus mourns Torvald, and Alaric prays for peace, unaware of his doom (~1005 A.Y.). Sources include Zara’s dispatch (“Norgvald kneels, my Sunblades unbroken”) and Marcus’s letter (“Torvald’s loss haunts us”), cited by the historian, ensuring ruler parity and action.