Campaign: “A New Development”
Episode 13: Sovereigns in Stone
April 8, 2025
His boots echoing faintly against stone, Korrin Vale stepped away from the war table. Four towering murals loomed across the chamber walls—massive carvings of kings at war, etched in exquisite detail.
The northern wall depicted a king in crimson plate, regal and imposing, leading his army across a snow-blanketed battlefield. The sky above was overcast, birds flying overhead in tight formation. Northward. Behind the king, soldiers braced against the frozen air.
None other than the King of Hearts, from the North.
The next mural’s king stood shirtless beneath golden armor, lean and muscular, draped in silks and layered jewels. He raised a curved blade skyward while his army marched across desert dunes. Palm trees swayed in the heat. Stone towers loomed in the distance. A sun hung high and merciless.
Wealth. Elegance. Heat. The King of Diamonds, from the South.
Korrin felt secure in his assumptions.
The third mural showed a king standing atop a hill of soft earth, gazing over farmland below. Rolling plains stretched toward a winding river. Villagers traded goods near distant granaries. His armor was modest, practical—built for endurance, not for show.
Crops. Trade. Peace. Korrin was sure—this was the East. The King of Clubs.
The only mural remaining should be for the West. This king stood proud, equipped in full plate armor with a dark cloak flailing in the wind, his blade ready for action. His soldiers, battle-worn and eager, trained for the art of war. The King of Spades. Without a doubt.
Korrin took a step back. It seemed obvious now which card represented each of the four kings. Still… he wondered if the room might be hiding something more.
Could it really be this easy?
His skin still burned from his last wrong guess.
He turned toward the table once again—four cards, four kingdoms. Just put the cards in their slots. What could go wrong?
The chamber stirred—the floor beneath him turning once more, pressing him to choose. Time was running thin.