Prologue: The Crown's Weary Gaze The city groans beneath the haughty gaze of its regents, their will hanging heavy over the people like the shadows of high towers. A king, chained by his sense of duty, sits in a bastion to the north, his realm etched in the weary lines of his face. Before him, an Arbiter, cloaked in ominous gold, delivers a prophecy: man, having conquered Mother Nature, now wages war against Father Spirit in the relentless pursuit of Progress. This mistress, Progress, devours all but her last suitor, leaving man to construct abominations and pacify himself with drugs, ultimately turning his destructive gaze inward, warring upon himself. With human foresight betrayed by instant gratification, the Church demands the king's abdication, a sentence echoed by the king's own furious, resigned growl.