The sun was just rising over the Mountains that surounded the valley, sending beams of light skittering across the lake waters like glistening spears. The forest surrounding the lake shone with a healthy green luster, and the fields of wheat that covered the sides of the valley swayed like a sea of liquid gold in the morning wind. The people of the little town that called this sheltered piece of paridise home were just begining to rise. They were a, if not quite wealthy, well off town. There was always plenty, even in the depths of winter and the poorest family in the town owned a sturdy wooden home and land to farm, several horses and a wagon to carry their goods to market. This was Arten, a peacful mountain town in what was once the kingdom of Ferin, now a providence of the Shadow Nation. They paid their tribute every month and never troubled Dea-lords, so they were left well enough alone. They held no real intrest for the Deaga-lord or his minions, to them it was just another village of inbred farmers and trapers. The people of Arten would not want it any other way. There were many trades practiced in Arten ranging from farming and fishing, weaponsmithing and artistry, and many other highly skilled crafts. Yet unbeknowst to the Dea-lords, hidden in the extensive cave complex beneath the ridge that surrounded the valley, lay the pride of Arden and the hope for a future free of the Shadow-Nations tyrany. Within these caverns lay the Ardentian academy. The academy was a school dedicated to the martial arts, and the preservation of the history of Cartania. The greatest warriors in the land werebrought in under the tightest of secrecy to teach the childern of the village the ways of the sword to prepare them for the war that they knew was comming. Very few people outside of Arden knew of the academys existance, among the were the lord and lady Gaffan. Truth be told the academys existance was due almost entirly to them. Gaffan founded the academy sixteen years ago in memory of the infant son he lost. He also provided the funds for arms and teachers and helped throw up a smoke screen to help keep the school secret. His only commands of the school were that they train in secrecy, did not atempt to start confrontations with the Shadow Nation, and that they would gather, care for and train children orphaned by the Shadow Nation. Upon the founding of the school he had already colected a group of twenty infants and these have been raised by the swords masters and the town folk as their own. Since they were submersed in the ways of war since they children, while some are not even in their seventeenth year, they are already masters of the sword. Their numbers started as twenty but as tim passed their numbers grew and grew till there were well over 3000 Ardentian diciples. This is the our army Gaffan had told the people of Arden at the founding of the academy. And what an army it was...
