Compendium of War（Unreleased）

Consternation spread through the three nations as one by one members of their ruling families began to disappear. The nations, all self-absorbed by nature, tried to resolve the problems diplomatically, offering help and apologies to each other. However, these messengers never reached their goals, butchered on the way. Each province assumed that this was an act of hostility by the other – a clear admission of guilt for the kidnappings – and the three of them joined in battle. As they interrogated the prisoners they took that day, they realised that something was wrong, that far from slaying their messengers, the nations they were now fighting had been just as eager for peace as they had. But it was too late, blood had been shed, territories seized: the victors could not let their position of strength go and the losers wanted revenge. So the wars carried on, even as they realised that this conflict had been orchestrated by someone else, someone who wanted to see them weakened, someone with a terrible and inscrutable purpose. They fought and did not relent because they did not want to face whatever was to come when the war was over.