Carmen has centuries of history as a brutal and bloodthirsty leader, unforgiving of any subject or court member who may fail to deliver her with the constant flow of blood her withering beauty requires. Lately, Carmen has found failure frequents her court on a more regular basis since the (anti)climax of the Soul Wars.
Though blood may be Carmen’s first love, her second is the Delarosa family stable quarters. Deep within the Redmist Citadel, a battle-hardened fleet of Nightmares are given the full attention of the family’s servants. The Delarosa blood knights who ride under Carmen’s every whim are fully aware that their souls are expendable, their fearsome charges are not.
Though she may be the effective queen and rule with an iron fist, Carmen only joins the battle if there she has a particularly vitriolic prize at the end.
The martial leadership of the Bloodied Knights is delegated to the hideously vain, Silus Delarosa.
However, after the mounting failures of recent years, Carmen’s patience is running out and Silus’s tactics of conjuration have fallen out of failure.
This change in opinion has conveniently come at the same time as the coming of age of Carmen’s only son Cesar. Perhaps now is the time for a new battle leader.
Continuing the martial prowess embodied by his family’s traditions, Cesar has honed his skills through the training of the Redmist Citadel. As the only son of Carmen, he has benefited from all the advantages that befit a prince of Shyish.
Yet, Cesar has not yet ridden into battle. That is, until the news of a new land to pillage of prisoners and slaves. Cesar’s inexperience has not escaped Carmen, but she hopes that his enthusiasm to prove himself to her will bring instant success, even if only fleeting. Meanwhile Silus plots his way back into Carmen’s favour.
