The Summit of Twelve Great Guilds had never witnessed a gathering quite like this one.
I stood at the entrance to the Grand Assembly Hall of Slatemark, studying the vast amphitheater that had been constructed specifically for moments when the entire guild hierarchy of the Empire needed to convene. The circular chamber rose in carefully ordered tiers—Silver-rank guilds occupying the lowest level, Gold-rank guilds elevated above them, and the twelve Diamond-rank guild positions arranged in places of honor near the summit.
But today, eleven of those twelve Diamond-rank positions sat empty.
At the apex of the entire structure, carved from obsidian and inlaid with precious metals that caught the light from massive crystal chandeliers, stood the Empty Throne. For centuries, it had remained unoccupied—a symbol of ultimate guild authority that no single organization had ever been powerful enough to claim.
Today, that would change.
