Unbeknownst to the greater public, as a few shadowed figures maneuvered behind veils of secrecy, monumental shifts were unfolding across the Ashbourne domain.
The most staggering of them came a week after the grand announcement of the upcoming celebration: Ashbourne declared its independence. The proclamation sent ripples across the continent.
Simultaneously, the long-stockpiled Ashbourne coin—meticulously minted from gold mined solely within their lands—was finally released. In the blink of an eye, the currency that had once been quietly gathered was now flooding every exchange shop and market.
