The Stonebound King

Centuries before Elaria's journey begins, before the wars that would shape Athelios, another story was written in stone.

Durik Ironheart was never meant to be an ordinary dwarf. Brave in battle and driven by ambition, he left the safety of his mountains chasing a single dream… to become a king.

Guided by whispers of an ancient tomb said to reveal the future, Durik travels deep into the mountains alongside his loyal friend Tolk. What he finds there is far greater than legend.

Within a forgotten chamber guarded by time itself, Durik meets Helena, a mysterious woman bound to a duty older than kingdoms. She offers him a glimpse of what lies ahead, but the truth carries a heavy cost.

The crown he seeks will one day be his.

But first, he must sleep.

In this short prequel to the epic fantasy series The Branch and The Blade, discover the legend of Durik Ironheart, the dwarf who willingly sealed his fate beneath the mountain and became known in whispers and myth as…

The Stonebound King.