Nexus Hall, The Duke's Towers, Core region of Shamrock City.
Today, the Nexus Hall was receiving visitors after many, many years. The Duke himself had decorated it and made seating arrangements for a large group of guests, since servants were hardly allowed into the tower, especially not in the Nexus Hall.
About a dozen creatures were occupying the hall at the moment, most of them hybrid beastmen. There were also creatures from the four High Races, one of each. But if someone knowledgeable enough were to see these guests, they'd be able to tell that all of them were mere husks under the control of members of a Low Race—parasites.
At this moment, all of them focused on the center of the hall, where a lifelike, but downsized version of a battle was playing out smoothly; clearly the result of an elaborate observation spell formation.
