The Sensa Empire runs on gold. Its three principal city-states—Anisa, Niba, and Tarikh—were each built around gold mines, and as their wealth has grown, so has their population, influence, and foreign trade. Most of the empire is arid and difficult to cultivate, so the regions between the city-states are sparsely inhabited and often lack the resources available in cosmopolitan areas. Still, the city-states and the outlands are tied together by Empress Inaya’s rule, with each city governed autonomously by a hereditary monarch subject to the empress’s ultimate authority. Though the Sensa Empire is known as a peaceful realm, it faces a rocky transition of power. The next ruler is traditionally chosen from among the three city-states’ royal families, excluding the direct descendants of the current ruler. But for years, Empress Inaya quietly made it known that she planned to appoint her own son to follow her—and in so doing, seemingly brought down a legendary curse that claimed the lives of her husband and eldest son. When the grieving empress announced she would appoint her successor from among the royal families of Anisa, Niba, or Tarikh as tradition dictated, the rulers of the city-states began to fight for favor—and competition for that favor is brutal.