Castor has wanted to fuse with a Cor Heart since he was a boy. Made from an otherworldly metal, it will give him the ability to manipulate an element. Now that the trial has finally arrived, it is his chance to prove his worth.Once he has won the Empress' blessing, he can attune to a Symbol and begin a life of adventure.But during the trial, his dreams are interrupted by a vicious attack. His home is left in ruins and his family in peril, all while Castor and his friends are carried away to be conscripted into the Legions.Bound to a Symbol he never wanted, Castor must survive the Iron City, the enemies in the frozen North, and hidden traitors inside the Rusting Empire before he can get revenge on the ones who took everything from him.This is the first step of the rise of the Ironbound.