The city of Eshī stood corpselike on the shore of the island of Elrya off the coast of Aellyria. It's towering spires spearing the sky with their stone fingers. The city was shrouded with fog, in actuality, it was methane gas that steamed up from the swamps on the island. The city always had a faintly poisonous smell because of this, it was abandoned for the most part thousands of years ago, only being occupied now by the Imperial family and the robotics holy orders that guard it. In the center of the city was a massive temple, it vaulted upwards in gothic fashion intimidating and elegant. Statues of the gods dripping from its spires, strange dragon-like beasts that seemed to bore into your soul. At the entrance to this temple waited the groom, Maelyx Aeylgarn his imposing figure seeming right at home with the arcane structures of his ancestors. More than a millennia ago his forefathers had sailed from this island to the peninsula of what is now called Aellyria, their weapons pathetic in comparison to anything they used today but their deeds were glorious and Maelyx hoped to one day emulate them. He smiled to himself as he looked up at the sky, his dirty blond hair falling into his face as he lost himself in thought. He hoped he looked acceptable today, his tailors and stylists had all assured him he did. He wore a dark red suit and a black tie that matched the stone of the buildings around him, he was alone right now, more alone then he had been in a while. His sister off in a foreign land with his cousin, both competing to marry a prince. His brother back on the mainland, attending to matters of transportation for the wedding, making sure everyone will be on time. It is one of the few chances any outsider will have the opportunity to set foot on this island, he was quite literally the only living thing for miles, he smiled as he thought about how his life would change after today. He would be married to a beautiful princess, Brigitta Gyulás of Pologne, he had never met her but he was hopeful that they would work well together, and if not, well he still needed children. He looked at the statue in front of him, a mere hint at the Aellyrian religion it was stood tall and gruesome, skeletal and withered, ram-like horns protruding from it's head, and tattered feathered wings hanging from the statues back, it looked almost too human it was the god Jugeun, the keeper of oaths, madness, and watcher of the dead. Marriage was the holiest of oaths, so naturally, it fell under Jugeun's domain. He looked around at the city he stood in, smiling to himself as he remembered old memories, he had grown up in this city, along with his siblings and cousins, every member of the Imperial family had since the dawn of the domain itself, it reminded them of their ancestors and their gods.
The bell in the temple began to toll and the priests poured out of the temple, rousing him from his thought. He smiled, chuckling a bit to himself, the guests would be arriving soon, and after them his bride. He hoped that they were as excited as he was.
