The King’s First Law (Unwritten)
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🏛️ Scene 1: The Emberhold Courthouse – A Room Built for Lies
The Grand Courtroom of Emberhold had tried hundreds over centuries.
Treason. Theft. Rebellion. Heresy.
Its walls were carved from nullstone, immune to magic.
Its chandeliers made of flame-pressed crystal.
And its floor? Warded to burn the guilty only when they lied under oath.
Today, it wasn't a prisoner who entered.
It was Riven.
No guards.
No chains.
No orders.
Just him.
The silence hit first. Then the heat. Not from the braziers — from him.
Everyone — nobles, generals, priests, scribes — rose instinctively.
Some stood in awe.
Others in fear.
All of them stood.
Because he hadn't told them to.
And that was the most terrifying part.
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⚖️ Scene 2: The Trial That Didn't Happen
At the center of the court, chained and trembling, knelt Lord Pell Aronox — the noble who had ordered the burning of fifty suspected "memory rebels" last year.
He had expected a trial.
He had bribed witnesses.
He had memorized fake tears.
He had prepared a speech.
And yet—
Riven did not speak.
He walked past the judges.
Past the flamekeepers.
And stood directly in front of Pell.
He looked at him.
That was all.
And the flames in the chandelier extinguished.
The crystal floor began to glow red under Pell.
And he screamed.
> "Wait—WAIT! I haven't been judged!"
Riven spoke. One word.
> "You have."
The flames returned.
But only around Riven.
Pell's body collapsed. Ash.
No fire touched him.
But the throne's memory did.
Because the room remembered everything.
Riven just... reminded it.
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⚖️ Scene 3: The Court's Reaction
> "He didn't write anything," one magistrate gasped.
"He didn't pronounce sentence," another whispered.
> "He didn't need to," said Flamekeeper Oryn.
The oldest judge fell to his knees.
> "What is this?" he asked.
> "This," said Riven, his voice low, "is what happens when your laws forget the truth."
He turned to the court:
> "You built this room to burn liars."
He gestured to the ashes of Lord Pell.
> "So I showed it a memory."
And then Riven walked out.
He never once mentioned the word "law."
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🧠 Scene 4: Lyara's Observation
From the upper archway, Lyara Nox watched it unfold.
Her cursed eyes flickered blue, pulling at the threads of fate that connected Riven to the court, to the throne, to the flames.
> "He's not writing laws," she murmured to herself.
"He's becoming them."
Even the threads of prophecy bent toward him.
She looked down at her cursed palm.
The flame-eye sigil pulsed softly.
And for the first time, she realized:
Riven didn't need fate on his side.
Fate needed him.
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🔥 Power Gained: Unwritten Law
> 💬 Any room that has once passed judgment in the name of flame now responds to Riven's memory invocation
🧠 Passive: "Flame Recall" – grants one vision of a person's true sin if they are within a flamebound structure
⚔ New Sigil Awakened: "Mark of Silent Judgment"
☠ Side Effect: His aura begins to trigger latent guilt responses in anyone who has committed treason
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📜 Scene 5: Caelen Strikes Back – Palace Depths
In the vaults beneath Emberhold, Caelen watched as the magical wards rippled.
He had spies in the courthouse.
He had seen the judgment.
And now, he had plans.
> "He's turning memory into law," Caelen growled.
"Then let's burn the memories before he can use them."
He pulled out a forbidden scroll — marked with a red phoenix sigil.
> "The Scroll of White Ash…"
> "Erase what was."
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