Deep in the African Interior

February 10, 1696.

General Armand Roux adjusted his coat as he peered through his spyglass. The landscape stretched before him—rolling hills, thick jungles, and a scattering of villages that were nothing more than dots in the vast, uncharted territory. The humid air clung to his skin, far different from the cold winds of Elysea.

He lowered the spyglass and turned to Captain Étienne Giraud, his second-in-command.

"Any word from the scouts?" Roux asked.

Giraud shook his head. "Nothing unusual, General. They reported a few scattered settlements ahead. No sign of hostility."

Roux exhaled. His forces had been steadily moving deeper into the interior for weeks, establishing trading posts and securing alliances with tribes willing to cooperate with Elysea. Most had been receptive—either out of interest in trade or a desire for protection against rival clans.

But not all tribes were welcoming.