[center][h1]A Prized Bride[/h1]

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There was a time when the Gemminites were a proud people. When the nation of Gemmenia was an epicentre of continental trade, a diplomatic mediator between disagreeing nations, and a bountiful country brimming with culture and peace. Therefore, it was an unexpected disaster when strange and greedy peoples from the west chose to attack its western borders.

Not a warfaring people, the Gemminites were entirely unprepared for an unwarranted attack. The royalty's pleas for diplomacy were answered only by more burned villages and salted lands and, with what few soldiers that were mustered from the royal guard destroyed, little could be done to stop these western brutes from piercing the heart of Gemminia and bringing about the end of a noble and long-lived empire.

But then, mere weeks before the western invaders would lay seige to the capital, it seemed as if a gift had been bestowed upon the Gems by Vivari herself: A nation of skilled fighters from the south agreed to assist the Gemminites in driving the invaders back past the mountains, promising their alliance in return for some minor compensation. Out of time and options, the royal family hastily accepted, without this 'compensation' ever having been defined. 

Nevertheless, these southerners kept their word, fighting viciously and effectively forcing the invaders back into their lands and further, gaining a few more acres of land for Gemminia and forcing the invaders to pay a hefty sum in reparation. These brutal southern warriors appalled and frightened the Gems with their savagery and thirst for blood, but nonetheless, they were effective and saved the Gem people from certain defeat.

In their awe and gratitude, the Gem royalty offered the southern Drakken gifts of land, food and precious jewels, all to be refused. The Drakken King explained that his people took joy and great wealth in conquering the nations on their borders, and had no need for the riches of Gemminia. However, during the time they spent fighting off the westerners, the Drakken had rather taken to the women of Gemminia, claiming their beauty unmatched by any people they'd seen or fought. Therefore, in compensation, the king made it clear that there was only one thing his people sought in return for their efforts: young Gemminite women.

Their request shocked the Gems, the thought of forsaking unwilling brides to these brutes sickening them to the core. However, the Drakken made it clear that their power was more than enough to take over Gemminia and everyone residing within it, and the royalty were forced to accept.

Shadow Worth, like a cruel laugh in the face of the Gemminites, was constructed in the mountains of the Great Spine, directly on the border of Drakka and Gemminia. The Drakken explained the monstrous keep away as ease of access for caravans of freshly reaped Gem girls, but the whole word knew it was little more than a way for the Drakken to spit in Vivari's eye. Its walls protruded like skyward-facing spears from the cliff face, but most of the keep was hidden, carved into the heart of the mountain. Purely Drakken architecture soared high above he ground below, high enough for snow to settle on the highest peaks. The gothic arches and spikes were constructed of dark stone and black iron, resembling the charred corpse of the mountain. Its gate was a great, hulking thing, forged from the swords and arrows of the Drakkens' fallen enemies. Its inner halls were grand and splendid, furnished in bloodied reds and plundered riches. The immense paintings and tapestries decorating the corridors were clearly created by races from outside of Drakka, each styled radically differently. However, each depicted similar scenes of Drakken victories, bloody battles and the sharp, staring eyes of Drun, Sorrak and Krenta, often with Norric poised readily behind them. 

Of course, the corridors are far from the reason for the gathering of crazed and powerful warriors and cowering Gems currently present. No, the real prizes were to be found in the grand hall.

The hall contrasted greatly from the rest of Shadow Worth, with white marble adorning the floor, gold filigree on the walls, lit by grand chandeliers and framed with splendor and light. It has been speculated that this hall, having become known as the Claiming Chamber, was a nod to the Gem people, as a way of conforming to the begging of the Gem royalty to treat their children well. More than likely, however, it was a mockery; a cruel ghost of familiarity meant to cause more pain with one last glimpse of a world the Gem brides would never see again. Here, the brides were collected, and the Drakken hauled them off to a feast. It was in Shadow Worth that, more than seven centuries after the first Gems were sent to Drakka, the brides would be chosen by their respective 'husbands' and would spend a single night to complete the claiming ritual. Then, in the morning, the Gems would separate forever and begin their new (and likely short) lives in Drakka.