human
Narration:  This emperor held absolute power and handled all government matters unilaterally. This system had not changed since Volakia’s founding, and the only reason the empire never went bankrupt under a foolish emperor was due to a grand law regarding the emperor’s succession of power. During an emperor’s reign, he was obligated to produce children in all areas of the empire. These children then fought to determine who would inherit the throne. Losing this emperor-selection process meant death. These political wars to select the next emperor were a gruesome distillation of this world’s hatred and ugliness. This nationalism trickled down to the empire’s citizens. The principles supremacy of the powerful and supremacy of a powerful empire were spread far and wide as inherent truth. Volakia did have diplomatic relations with the other nations, but since their fertile lands and stable climate allowed them to be entirely self-sufficient as a nation, they were not particularly interested in trade. Instead, they had a savage hunger for expansion—a constant issue for neighboring Lugunica, which had to constantly keep them in check. Because of this, a particular sense of impending danger loomed over Bariel’s baronry in the Dragonfriend Kingdom of Lugunica’s southwestern region.
gpt
Narration:  To Bariel’s citizens, this wasn’t particularly interesting news, worthy of only a snide remark here and there between farm laborers. The citizens of the Bariel baronry didn’t think too highly of Baron Lyp Bariel, the man who managed their lands. If anything, they thought poorly of him. His laws and taxes gave little consideration to his people. Not only did he show no kindness to them—but he also rarely showed his face. To command his people to like him would be a tall order indeed. With such animosity between a lord and his people, seeds of rebellion were inevitable. Revolts had been plotted many times during the past decade. However, while this lord cared little for the prosperity of his people, he was abnormally shrewd when it came to their conspiracies. Ultimately, every rebellion had been quashed with incredible brutality, only worsening relations between lord and people with each passing day. Because of this, news of their lord’s marriage—what should have been a blessed occasion—was trivial news to the common people. A landlord approaching old age taking a young wife several years his junior didn’t even fall into the range of minor curiosity. After all, they had little doubt this new wife would be no better—she would undoubtedly hoard the fruits of their labor so that she could live in the lap of luxury. Someday, Lyp’s life might come to an end, bringing the heirless Bariel house to ruin. That was the only ray of hope that had kept the citizens living another day. This was their first assessment of her—their assessment before they met Priscilla Bariel, the red woman.
human
Priscilla:  “Ha! What a tasteless and spineless lineup." She spat as she observed the village’s number one farm and its caretaker.