Once upon a time there was a King and a Court. They were seven in number, six and the King, and they crossed the land leaving powerful tracks behind them wherever they went. Where they passed, things changed.

But they did not know who they were. The King was newly come to his power, and the Court was full of those who had never thought of themselves as powerful people. They were the common man, born of repression and hard times, and this was both their strength and their weakness.

So I will name them, because they had not yet named themselves.

The King, born of a King's son, rebelling against his grandfather.

The Magician, spinning luck at his fingertips, captured by the forces that worked against them all.

The Fool, wise and aged, who brought the truth with him.

The Bard, whose songs were the only thing in the world more beautiful than her face.

The Betrayer, who was once the Bard, lured by the promise of renewed youth.

The Charioteer, a driving man, who saw the road more clearly.

The Blacksmith, a powerful man with a powerful hammer and a powerful intent.

Someday, perhaps they will crown the King. And then everything can change.