They call me Takemi, and I am a mercenary. I survived a near-death battlefield head injury just to get thrown right back into the meatgrinder. My friends and I survived brigands, beasts, scheming nobles, a rigged tribunal, and oh, more beasts! But it wasn’t all bad! My bond with ether helped put part of my fractured mind back together. What did I see? Glimpses of a life lost. A woman I’d failed. But also...a rift forming from the ether convergence. You see, I was there when the collapse started, even though I couldn’t remember. We’re under the protection of the Protectorate now and they mean to use our skills for battle to bring glory to Zurich. Where? The Mêlée of Kings. An ether-rich swamp ripe for conquest. But things aren’t always as they seem. And as I am starting to learn, knowledge might just be the greatest power. My real name is Kenji Nakamura, and I am a survivor.