THE ATTACKS ON EMPIRE

In February of 1243, a research and storage facility in Northwestern Aristes was attacked by a bizarre combatant who piloted what appeared to be a small lightweight craft capable of flight. Several hundred thousands of dollars in damages were done to the plant itself, and untold losses recorded in the form of stolen technologies so secret not even Leopold Kingsley himself knew what they entailed. Thankfully no workers were killed during the attack, as it take place at a time when the facility was lightly occupied and the attacker seemed to know how to evade detection for as long as possible. However, this happy outcome was overlooked by the shareholders and even the researchers involved, who wailed that this robbery had set them back almost two years.

This initial catastrophe was not to be an isolated incident. Several months later another facility was attacked, and then another. This time security cameras on-site recorded several minutes of footage of the assailant – though dark and grainy, the images seemed to show a single human atop what could only be described as a dragon, or at least a large flying creature who looked an awful lot like a dragon. Security specialists and analysts of all types were brought in, but all they could confirm was that the thing, be it living or machine, looked a hell of a lot like a dragon. Kingsley, already livid over the destruction and theft of his properties, was incensed that someone should develop personal flying crafts before him and immediately pulled together several old concept ideas and a team of inventors to start work on the Sabazius Program, which you will read more about later. In the meantime, the attacks continued.

Despite increased security at all facilities and a desperate attempt to catch the perpetrator, the assailant roamed freely, stealing at his (or rather, her) leisure. As time went on the attacks grew bolder and more violent, and then to Kingsley's ultimate horror, something very important changed.

Suddenly, there were more of them. Multiple dragon-things, working in coordination. Due to intense fears of security breaches and bad PR, Empire was hesitant to hire on contract teams to take care of its own problems. Instead it decided to focus on mounting its own defense, and called for the world to recognise the attackers for what Empire knew them to be: Eco-terrorists. Lunatics. Dangerous guerillas with a vendetta for technology.

But certainly not dragon-riders.