In the Empire's capital, reports of strange beasts and demonic creatures raiding the Western Isles have become commonplace. Odd, glowing embers filter down from the heveans, their origin unknown, though most fear they are a sign of demonic and heretical influences corrupting the land, as has happened before. Provincial militias are often overwhelmed by the crazed raiders, and this state of affairs prompted the governing Valonian Council to deploy their elite Imperial Paladins. Led by their commander, Paladin Liana, they were to root out the cause of the invasion, and rally the regulars in an effort to safeguard the populace. Their reports indicated that peculiar gemstones, known as Embershards, were found to have great value to the invaders, though it was not clear exactly what all the properties of these gems were Most recently, the situation has worsened