The Dawn Pass battlefield was a cacophony of clashing steel and roaring Aether blasts, the air thick with the acrid stench of Voidspawn ichor. Elian Valorian stood amidst the chaos, his Aetherforged Blade gleaming as he carved through a writhing Voidspawn, its red eyes dimming. The rift atop the eastern ridge pulsed like a wound in the sky, spewing more of the demonic creatures. Valoria's soldiers, bolstered by dwarven cannons and elven spellweavers, held the line, but the arrival of Krag Bloodaxe's orc warbands shifted the tide, their brutal axes hacking through Ironhold stragglers.
Elian's gaze locked on Krag, the towering orc chieftain, whose crimson-and-gold armor gleamed with battle scars. "You want a share of the mines?" Elian shouted over the din, dodging a Voidspawn claw. "Name your terms, but we seal it now!"
Krag's tusks bared in a grin. "One-fifth of your Aether yield for three years, human king. We fight, but we don't bleed for free."
Elian's mind raced. The mines were Valoria's lifeblood, but without the orcs, the Voidspawn would overwhelm them. He summoned the Faith System interface, its shimmer invisible to others. [Current Belief Points (BP): 500]
"Show me options for 500 BP," he thought.
[Gold: 50,000 gold coins] [Aether Crystals: 50 crystals] [Rare Alliance Totem: 400 BP]
The totem could bind the pact. "Convert 400 BP to Rare Alliance Totem," Elian decided. A carved stone totem, etched with Aether runes, materialized in his hand, its weight warm and reassuring. Krag's eyes narrowed as Elian held it up, the totem's glow catching the dawn light. "What sorcery's this?" the orc growled, his hand tightening on his axe.
"A relic of Valoria's founders," Elian said quickly, tucking the totem into his belt before passing it to Krag. "It seals our alliance. One-fifth for three years—agreed."
Krag grunted, accepting the totem, its runes flaring as he gripped it. "Done. Let's crush these demons." His warbands roared, charging the Voidspawn with renewed ferocity.
Elian turned to Liora, the elven emissary, whose spellweavers were chanting to close the rift. "How long?" he demanded, parrying a Voidspawn's strike.
"Minutes, if we're not overrun," Liora replied, her emerald eyes focused. "Cover us!"
Elian rallied a mixed squad—Valorian knights, dwarven axemen, and orc berserkers—pushing toward the rift. Veyra's rogues darted ahead, their traps slowing the Voidspawn. But as they neared the crest, a Valorian knight, Sir Drayce, broke ranks, his blade flashing toward Liora's back.
"Traitor!" Veyra shouted, intercepting Drayce with a swift dagger. The knight fell, blood pooling, his cloak bearing Ravencrest's sigil—a black raven. Elian's blood boiled. Ravencrest's reach extended even here.
"Keep moving!" Elian ordered, leading the charge. The rift loomed, its energy crackling. Liora's mages wove their spell, Aether threads binding the rift's edges. But a guttural roar shook the ground—a massive Voidspawn, its form a writhing mass of claws and eyes, emerged from the rift, its presence chilling the air.
Elian gripped his blade, heart pounding. "Hold the line!" he roared, as the creature lunged. The battle for Valoria's survival had just begun.