The world is on the verge of war, and suffering has caused the people of the frozen south to act out of desperation. They unleash something that will echo though the lands for the next 400 years. The specter of that decision touches the lives of many and echoes through the centuries. From the priestess that first had to come to terms with what they had done, to a historian who wrote the last page of his nation's history in the immediate aftermath. Destiny was changed forever with one dark ritual. Now in the present; a child of the streets finds her own way, a Spymaster looks for his godchild, a thief is given an impossible task and choice, a ranger and his hawk meet a bored guardsman, an orc faces off with her own demons, and the local Margrave finds out that evil is not only on the move but has an army. All of this and more fall under the Shadows of The Empress. What is her grand plan? What does a fable told to children have to do with it all? In this short story collection lays a history; living, breathing, and growing. Welcome to M'Diro. This short story collection covers not only my journey though the world I created, but my writing journey as well.