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EVENTS NEWS #1
Date: 11/1/2001 at 6:18
Subj: Candlemas' rest
During the month of Arios, on the 55th year of the Midnight Age, a
strangehowling began.
The Forests of Sapience began to sway in fear of some awesome power
which was fluctuating across the continent and the voice of Candlemas,
the last of the Lorewardens was heard.
Candlemas wandered great distances and ventured past each city, yelling
for help. He finally stopped moving somewhere near the village of Thera.
The moans of the fabled ghost were heard by all cities and they gathered
by the Theran Gates to see if they could aid.
Candlemas mentioned that a special force was allowing travel to the
Soulplane. The Under King had granted him permission to return, if he
could open the gate. Unfortunately, the Lorewarden's library had
collapsed and the books inside were no longer there.
Shyann, a citizen of Shallam and Secretary of the Sentinels, flew across
the world in record time to reach Averroes, the fabled prophet of
Shallam. Upon finding him, Shyann asked if Averroes knew anything.
Averroes mentioned a book he had spotted by the Prelatorian Highway.
Shyann thanked Averroes and ran off.
Shallam sent several people towards the Prelatorian Highway, as did
Ashtan and Bloodloch. Each of them working as one to find this book and
help the poor Lorewarden. As they tramped through a gypsy campsite, she
became agitated. She demanded they bring her mutton.
When the people refused, she offered a trade, willing to exchange 5
pieces of mutton for a old book she'd found. The combined cities eagerly
accepted this proposal and the gypsy dined well that night.
Meanwhile, Anya du Vallianse, the GuildMistress of the Occultists had
located a page in the depths of Azdun. This page, a torn and tattered
piece of an ancient book was difficult to read and proved a cryptic
incantation.
When the cities brought the book to Candlemas, he began thanking them.
However, his joy turned to despair when he realized that the page
containing the spell was missing. Anya, after some nudging, promptly
gave the page to Candlemas who began thanking everyone.
Candlemas explained that a well versed scholar was needed, so he
followed Terant and the gathered group off into the gates of Ashtan.
Inside Ashtan, they found Epicurus, who understood the details of the
incantation provided.
As Epicurus recited the incantation, the skies above Ashtan grew dark.
The winds began to howl and the forestal creatures whimpered. As
Epicurus finished the incantation and fell backword, exhausted, a large
silver gateway opened.
The howls of the souls of the dead echoing from the soul plane were
heard through the gateway. Candlemas smiled benevolently and offered his
thanks, and a reward: a long-forgotten chest bearing valuable treasures.
The location was written on a scroll which lie on the Isle of Delos.
Quickly people ventured to Delos, before the Gate had even closed.
Arriving on the scene, people began to rummage through shops and
buildings, much to the annoyance of Swordmaster Colbey.
Colbey asked that they stop making such a clamor as it was disrupting
those who learned and trained inside the building. Those gathered asked
Colbey if he had seen a scroll.
Colbey mentioned he had located one a few days ago and was currently in
possession. He offered to exchange the scroll for 3 shortswords. Due to
the increased amount of young ones that he trained lately, he had run
out.
Melody Ancora, Overseer of Ashtan and Terant Nakliet, Sultan of Shallam,
quickly prompted their citizens to bring the shortswords. After
receiving three such swords, Swordmaster Colbey dropped the scroll and
walked further inside of the building.
Terant picked up the scroll and told everyone to head to Ulangi. When
they gathered upon the boat, Terant read the scroll aloud. It mentioned
a mine near the grook village, would hold the treasure.
After some wandering around the isle of Ulangi, Grontur Bahir'an of
Bloodloch proceeded to dig in the mine. He quickly unearthed a large
chest which Belgarion picked up.
Belgarion peered inside the chest and revealed the contents. Three pairs
of mystical gryphon wings, and a large sum of gold. Belgarion's Sultan,
Terant, informed him to hand Melody a pair, Terant a pair, and Grontur a
pair, so that each city would hold a pair of the wings.
Belgarion distributed the gold as evenly as he could, yet failed to hand
the third set of wings to Grontur, a representative of Bloodloch. He was
asked several times, by Grontur, Melody, and Terant, who all wished to
show fairness in this search.
Ultimately ordered by Terant to hand over the wings, Belgarion did so
but not without a final tantrum: In an act of anger, he twice summoned
elemental fire and conjured holocaust globes which slew not only Grontur
but at least one other of Belgarion's own city. His greed quickly
succumbing to cowardice, he then called upon the elemental earth and
dove into safety underground.
The gathered representatives of the 3 cities dispersed quickly, but had
already proved to themselves and others that when needed, they can and
will work together.
Penned by my hand on the 17th of Arios, in the year 55 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #2
Date: 12/21/2001 at 21:37
Subj: The Midnight Star
The story of Celesmas, the Festival of the Midnight Star, as recounted
by Gennell the Elder
On the First Day, the people of Aetolia awoke for the first time and
took stock of their newfound lives. Though they all knew their names and
found that they were competent in various skills, they had no sense of
real identity or belonging. Much of the day was spent in exercises of
discovery - both of themselves and of the others, all of whom shared
their peculiar absence of memory.
Night fell, and an uncertain world huddled in unfamiliar shelters they
could only assume were built for their use. Soon though, bickering
inevitably broke out as some noticed the relative differences in comfort
and luxury with which others had, seemingly by chance alone, ended up.
Squabbling turned to heated conflict, and chaotic factions formed and
then dissolved just as quickly. As the conflicts began to turn physical,
mortalkind was about to wipe each other out their first night in the new
universe.
Varian, watching His new creations closely, observed all this and was
troubled. He had left their sense of identity and belonging blank
because He wished to see them establish their own ways based on the
personalities and abilities He had given them, without intervening
directly. But if left to their own devices, it was clear that the path
on which they were embarking was that of self-destruction.
So at the darkest hour, Varian manifested as a brilliant star in the
midnight sky. To each mortal mind He whispered, imbuing each with a
sense of Identity. A dramatic change overtook the populace. Each
individual suddenly knew with absolute certainty where he or she
belonged in the world at that moment, an immeasurably comforting
knowledge to possess. And though the next day anything could change for
the better or the worse, mortals knew for that moment who they were.
Falling to their knees in gratitude and adoration, they called Him
Varian the Celestine and praised His infinite wisdom.
Periodically, Varian appears again to His Creation as a brilliant star
in the midnight sky, a reminder to all that from darkness and
uncertainty come purpose, and that each mortal belongs, with his or her
own identity and destiny in the Creator's ineffable Plan. Mortals
celebrate this time as Celesmas, the Festival of the Midnight Star, in
honor of Varian the Celestine.
Penned by my hand on the 4th of Chakros, in the year 59 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #3
Date: 1/5/2002 at 8:50
Subj: The sacrifice of Lanos, Lord of Truth
On the 25th of Khepary, year 60 of the Midnight Age, did Lanos, Lord of
Truth most nobly sacrifice Himself to the fiends of the Shadow Plane,
fighting them back that He might seal the breach between the two planes
with His sword of Truth. A transcript of the evening's spectacle as seen
by mortal eyes follows:
----
You think you hear the toll of a distant bell, a faint but pure tone
hovering on the night breeze.
You are sure of it now - a clear metallic ring, but it grows louder
rather than fading as a bell would.
The tone sounds more familiar now, and gently textured, as the rapid
unsheathing of steel blade from scabbard.
Suddenly, a shower of silvery sparks bursts in the heavens, illuminating
the dusky gloom with millions of tiny motes. A huge sword seems to rend
the very air, and the glowing figure of Lanos, Lord of Truth steps
through.
Lanos, Lord of Truth's voice resonates overhead, "Mortalkind, hear Me
and be enlightened!"
Lanos, Lord of Truth's voice resonates overhead, "Your offerings have
given Me strength needed to break free of My adversary. Four years have
I battled, engaging a hideous and nameless foe."
Lanos, Lord of Truth's voice resonates overhead, "Four years it has been
since I sensed a threat to this realm of the direst kind. Four years ago
did I discover an otherplanar intruder, a vile and contemptible entity
forged of purest shadow."
Lanos, Lord of Truth's voice resonates overhead, "Though Who engineered
it I have not yet determined, a tear was rent in the veil between
dimensions, a porthole to a plane of darkness and shadow, where Truth
skulks in unknown crevices while Deceit and Obfuscation reign."
Lanos, Lord of Truth's voice resonates overhead, "Through this loathsome
gateway did I sense a dark presence, a being of pure darkness and
concealment, surely My nemesis. In defense of the realm did I beset the
fiend with the weapons of Truth and Justice, but it fought back,
assailing Me incessantly with Shadow and Untruth."
Lanos, Lord of Truth's voice resonates overhead, "Ultimately, our
struggle was a draw, though I lacked the strength to break free of the
conflict until now, such was the power of My nemesis in its own shadow
realm."
Lanos, Lord of Truth's voice resonates overhead, "I return to seek the
aid of My Divine Brethren in this battle for Truth, for I fear for the
fate of the realm!"
Very faintly, on the edge of consciousness, there is heard an undeniable
screech of triumph and a throbbing pain assaults your ears.
A heart-sickening sound suddenly tears through the air, and in the sky
overhead there appears a ragged gash, as if the firmament itself is
rending.
The rim of the gash in the sky slowly peels back, the frayed edges
appearing as those some hideously diseased wound, and from it an inky
blackness begins to seep.
As the seeping shadow accumulates, it begins to writhe and take shape
into a great tenebrous cloud, growing with shocking speed.
The ragged hiss of a feminine voice is carried on a cold wind through
the realm. At last, a new world to smother and consume. My children will
feast upon this place.
From afar, the sounds of thousands of elated screeching cries are heard.
A ragged, hissing feminine voice seems to echo from all around. You
speak with such confidence, and yet you do not know my power here. There
is much to consume, and thus much that will strengthen me. I have lain
idle for millennia in my realm, starving, and yet I was able to cripple
you even then. Here is a feast, and when I gorge myself I will become
unstoppable.
Lanos, Lord of Truth's voice resonates overhead, "The realm of Aetolia
shall not be allowed to diminish beneath your vile obfuscation, creature
of shadow! I will defend this realm to the last, and you will be undone
by My hand if you remain."
For a moment, the sky brightens as a blaze of lightning races towards
the looming shadow. An indignant hiss emanates from the inky mass, and
it recoils slightly.
Then, with renewed fury it billows forth towards the Vashnar Mountains
and the Pillars of Heaven, and silhouetted against the darkening
horizon, the armor-clad figure of the Lord of Truth strides from the
Garden to meet the shadow.
His longswords reflecting the bolts of lightning that rip across the
heavens, Lanos slashes the shadow with a whirl of the magic blades. In
an instant, the being lashes back at the God with surprising strength,
stunning Him momentarily.
Surging towards Lanos, the shadow seems to take hold of the Blade of
Justice, though it screeches in agony even as it does so. Nonetheless,
it does not relent, and despite Lanos struggle the blade is wrenched
away and devoured by the darkness.
Lanos seizes the opportunity afforded by his foes momentary
preoccupation with consuming one sword, and plunges the second, the
Blade of Truth into the inky blackness with a mighty battle cry. The
Gods own cry is instantly drowned out by a shriek of pain from the
shadow being, and it reels backwards slightly, Lanos holding the sword
in place.
The Shadow writhes in frustration, trying to knock the God away, but He
drives the blade ever deeper, pushing the being back towards the gash
high above.
At last the shadow is poised within the gash again, and with a final
heave of His strength, Lanos forces the creature back to the other side
of the tear, stepping through Himself. For a moment more He is visible
silhouetted on a field of infinite night within the gash, and then He
wrenches the sword from the shadow being and plunges it back towards
Sapience.
A dolorous wail descends from the heavens, a cry of dismay and despair
cut short as a brilliant flash appears overhead.
When the flash has faded at last, only a bright star is visible
overhead, a shaft of steel embedded in the firmament.
----
So went Lanos, Lord of Truth into a realm of shadow, never again to
return lest the seal between our world and the Shadow Plane be rent
asunder, unleashing the fiends therein upon us all. His only legacy the
tip of his longsword, the Sword of Truth, now known to mortals as the
Star of Truth, sealing the hole between worlds and preserving our safety
from that dark realm.
Penned by my hand on the 1st of Midsummer, in the year 60 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #4
Date: 2/12/2002 at 19:51
Subj: Awakening of the Great Oak
There are three trees of power in Aetolia. The Yggdrasil holds power
over life and death, the Tree of Renewal over good and evil, and the
Great Oak over the strength of the wilderness. Since before the memory
of mortals, this last tree stood in a dormant state. This is the tale of
its awakening.
With Lanos lost in the realm of shadows, lesser creatures of darkness
stalked the realm of the Divine. Haern, the Hunter began tracking them
down one by one, and was thus distracted from events in the mortal
world. However, the time had come to awaken the Great Oak and build the
Duiran Council to wield its power, and so the God appeared briefly in
Eleusis to perform the needed ritual.
Drawing His white fur coat tightly around Him, Haern raised Talon, Sword
of the Hunt towards the branches of the Great Oak. The blood-red blade
began to glow with heat as Divine power was infused into it. With
deliberate, precise movements, The Hunter carved a rift in the air
around Him. A cold wind rushed through from beyond and chilled all
present instantly to the bone. A dense cloud of steam quickly formed in
response to the flaming blade.
Tendrils of steam rose up into the Great Oak swirling along every branch
and soon enveloping the entire Tree. The rifts in the air, shaped like
mystical runes, began to mend themselves. Still, the cold wind raged
harshly against the branches like a terrible storm existing only
partially on the mortal plane. Sheathing Talon, Haern raised His arms to
the Oak and began to call upon the powers of the wilderness.
"By the power of the Rhythm, I call upon the spirits of Nature and bind
the wild lands of Aetolia together as one being," said Haern. "As
mortals ravage the world and place hardships upon it, so too shall they
share the burden of its care. Great Oak, I awaken your power and grant
mortals the tools only you can provide."
"Ioho Ruis! Muin! EADHA!" He yelled, and the air reverberated with these
words of power.
With a deafening clap of thunder, the Great Oak began to shake in the
terrible winds. Haern looked pleased at first, but His expression turned
quickly to a slight frown. The vapor among the branches dissipated in a
soft, golden glow and countless leaves were suddenly torn away and flung
high into the sky, then scattered far beyond the horizon. The winds
settled as swiftly as they began, but entire branches left barren.
Haern then spoke to those gathered, saying, "I fear My preparations were
not enough to strengthen the Oak for what was needed. The Tree has been
dormant so long, I knew that the awakening would be near the limit of
what it could tolerate. It is not as bad as it seems however. The Tree
is not so easily damaged. If we retrieve the leaves, it can be restored,
and the power I have infused into it will be plenty to see the Council
established.
"All trees have a spirit guardian, quite similar to the dryads. The
spirit of the Great Oak is particularly strong, and will help us do what
is needed. I will awaken Esus, the Spirit of Sacrifice, the tree spirit
of the Great Oak. Gather the leaves and bring them to him, and all will
be well."
Placing a hand upon the trunk of the Great Oak, Haern whispered soft
words and the bark began to shimmer as a form emerged from the wood.
Nearly insubstantial, the figure of a dryad-like being appeared hovering
in midair before the tree.
Over the months that followed, mortals began gathering the leaves and
returning them to Esus. The spirit absorbed the leaves and returned them
to the branches, and a pulse of red or golden energy passed over the
tree in response. However, few knew the deceit behind the failed ritual
- half the leaves had been altered by some unknown power, and those with
a golden hue served to shatter the hold of Haern over the Oak.
It was during this time that Slyphe approached the Druid Guildmaster,
Gracie, and spoke of Her quarrel with Haern over the Patronage of the
Duiran Council. Haern was unwilling to give Her any role in the Council,
so She revealed to Gracie the means by which the tree's power could be
shared among the Gods, rather than being held solely by Haern.
Haern remained occupied hunting the shadow beasts high above the mortal
world, oblivious to the deceit, until Gracie approached Him and revealed
what was going on. Enraged, Haern left His hunt and investigated the
Oak, during which time many shadow beasts found their way to the mortal
world. Most were slain, but one was captured within Bloodloch, and
remains there still. That, however, is another tale and one not yet come
to resolution.
Conflict was inevitable between the Hunter and the Sea Goddess, and they
each made preparations in their own way. As the confrontation drew near,
Haern summoned birds of prey, and Slyphe drew a great storm in from the
eastern oceans to repel them. Before too much havoc could be wrought on
the mortal world, the two Deities came to meet at the Great Oak and
threatened each other with the strength of their positions.
Many leaves of the Oak had been destroyed by that time, and many leaves
of red hue hidden away from the Hunter. The Oak was nearly awakened and
pulsed with golden energy, too far gone to sway back under His control.
But Haern's followers had claimed enough of the remaining leaves to
prevent the Tree from awakening without their help, and so the Divine
found themselves at an impasse.
After much discussion (and some consultation with the Unseen Force that
had effected the change of the leaves), Haern and Slyphe reached an
agreement to share control of the Duiran Council. Though this sharing of
the council came at a price. For the aid provided by the Unseen Force,
Slyphe had to promise It a favour for the future.
Finally, it was decided that Slyphe would appoint two members to the
council, Haern would appoint two members, and a third member would be
recommended by the mortals (though approved by Haern). Slyphe further
agreed to turn over one of Her members to Lleis, when (and if) She
chooses to walk the realms and to concern Herself with the protection of
the wilderness.
Once the agreement was reached, the Unseen Force used Its power to
remove twenty of the golden leaves from the Great Oak. Haern had His
followers retrieve the red leaves theyd claimed, and He gave them to
Esus to replace the golden leaves that had been removed. Esus, the
Spirit of Sacrifice, melded with the Great Oak, and with a brilliant
pulse of energy, Esus merged into it. Thus the Great Oak was awakened,
spreading the power of its protection throughout the realm, to all the
wild places of Aetolia.
Penned by my hand on the 21st of Midsummer, in the year 63 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #5
Date: 6/24/2002 at 16:11
Subj: The Fall of the House Montaganet
Camilla Prietta, sick of her overbearing mother-in-law, finally could
not take it anymore. In a fit of anger, she consulted The Prophet,
Averroes for a solution to her problem. The Prophet, in his infinite
wisdom, told her that for a price, and one she was not willing to pay,
she could have her wishes come true. Naive to the nature of such
portents, she pressed on and learned that the lich of Bloodloch,
Amairgen, could assist her.
Receiving a favourable letter from the lich, Camilla set out to talk to
Amairgen in her tomb in the depths of Bloodloch. She learned that for a
favor that would be repaid later, she could have her wishes. She
returned to Shallam to ponder the decision and in a month's time she
travelled to Bloodloch to agree to the arrangement.
Amairgen was pleased with Camilla's decision, for she saw in it a way to
obtain power for Bloodloch, a power that was extremely dark. She set out
to find warriors who would obtain the body of the Dowager, and quickly
she was referred to Count Xon Dhenar, who could assist her greatly. The
Count amassed a force to sneak into Ashtan and kill the noblewoman
within her own home.
But the Dowager was not without help herself. Xanithe and Oceania, along
with some of the Archons of Ashtan, alerted her that something was
amiss. She sensed an imbalance in her powers and her ability to control
even her undead servants. She asked them to bring to her a small
vanguard to protect her and her house.
When the assassins moved into the estate, the Dowager alerted her guards
and attempted to summon her undead entourage, only to learn they were
now under the power of Amairgen. Quickly, the group led by Xon and
consisting of Bilexius, Koujin, and Gesiah, dispatched the guards and
scared off the defenders, led by Xanithe and Belgarion and composed of
Yeshia, Esper and Methuselah. With a fierce attack, Gesiah killed the
Dowager and the party moved to drop the body off at the predetermined
point.
But Artifice was not absent; Procurio, who obtained the body, told the
Dowager's bodyguards that he would resurrect her. She would be prepared
superbly and they would only have to wait to see her again. But, long
having suffered under the reign of her terror, Chef Procurio had been in
league also with Amairgen.
Invitations were sent out for the grand reappearance of the Dowager
Montaganet and on the 15th of Midautumn, 73, a party was held at the
Dowager Estate like no other seen. Citizens of cities far and wide were
seen and the participants feasted on wine and potroast.
But since Artifice is never boring, it was a succulent (though stringy,
by some standards) roast made of the Dowager herself! When the plot was
revealed, the guests stood aghast at what had happened and resolved to
kill all involved.
The disgusted dinner party moved through Bloodloch, killing first
Amairgen and then the rest of the guards they could find. Oddly, as if
they were under some spell, the guards did not attack them upon
entering. Though they could not find the chef himself, they vowed to
kill him as well. Belgarion seemed particularly fueled at this
endeavour, suffering mental anguish from failing the Dowager.
What of Camilla? She still needed to pay back the lich for her services
and when she went to visit, Amairgen wished to possess the hair and
scalp of the Lady Prietta. Hideously ugly and scalpless, Camilla fled
from Bloodloch to hide in the hills until she knew what to do.
When night came, she moved into Shallam to speak with her beloved.
Rudolpho, having heard that Camilla plotted to kill his mother, and
disgusted by her new hairstyle, spurned her. Camilla fled back into the
hills, where she hides still.
Does the plot end here? It is unknown. Amairgen has now two bottles as
reminders of the plots she led. What power can she derive from them? And
what of Rudolpho? Where will his life take him now? And where was the
Chef Procurio gone to?
Only Varian knows...
Penned by my hand on the 6th of Severin, in the year 74 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #6
Date: 7/3/2002 at 22:23
Subj: An End to the Forger
Amairgen, feeling more confident in her treachery, approached Lady
Zephy, Mistress of the Iron Citadel, with a new plan. Her eye was now
set on Merentesh, whose superior products were causing the Paladins and
the Infernals much grief. She ordered Zephy to find an Infernal versed
in the arts of deception and treachery, and to bring him or her back in
a few months.
When Zephy returned, she brought with her the Lady Faile. Amairgen gave
a circlet to her, one that was writhed in shadows. Faile's job was to
convince the Champion of the Innocent, Mat Corey, to deliver the ring to
Merentesh as a gift in an attempt to lower his prices. The ring,
however, like all things that come from the mind of Amairgen, had
another covert purpose.
Mat quickly agreed to the plot, though upon arriving at the weapons
gallery, Mat warned Merentesh of the possibility of a trap. However,
once Merentesh saw what appeared to be a fabled 'Circlet of the
Shadows', he became overwhelmed with desire for the ancient artifact.
Bargaining away what seemed to be the strong advantages in the forging
market he had, Merentesh quickly convinced Mat to present the circlet to
him.
However, the ring was not a 'Circlet of the Shadows', and when Merentesh
put it on, he was overwhelmed by the darkness of death magic, consuming
him almost wholly. Only a small part of him remained, whisked away by
Amairgen's now stronger magic. And that part sits now in a jar on the
shelf of Amairgen.
With no owner, the Weapons Shop of Delos closed. Perhaps it was the
secret wish of the Paladin smiths that it would end that way. Only their
honour and spirit will tell through time.
Penned by my hand on the 3rd of Slyphian, in the year 74 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #7
Date: 8/5/2002 at 18:21
Subj: From the darkness comes Fire
In the past, across the Sapphire Sea, a hero arose. By his determination
and spirit, the hero chose to perfect himself in body, mind, and spirit.
He strove to cleanse the blemishes of his existence that mortal life
forced upon him. Well respected by his peers, the hero extolled his path
in life to those around him, beseeching them to forego the banalities of
mortality, and seek the path to perfection.
His life was well known even to the Gods who saw him as a shining
example of the heights a mortal could achieve. One God in particular, a
dark God, took great interest in the hero, watching him very closely and
studying the effects of his self-purifications on his soul. The
machinations that ran through the God's mind are unfathomable to
mortals, and ultimately He chose to travel to the hero and test his
resolve. Dressed as a simple travelling philosopher and academic, He met
the hero on the road between two cities.
"I say, good sir, to where do you travel on this humid day?" stammered
the academic to the hero.
"Rest is for the weak, learned sir, as you must well know. Was it not
persistence and will that gave you the insight into the world that you
possess today? I travel to ensure my spirit does not grow dull, and that
my body does not grow weak."
"Ah, I see. You choose to model yourself after that hero, the
self-righteous one," spat the academic. "Are you certain you have his
will to maintain his stifling philosophy?"
"I am quite certain, knowledgable master, as it is I who stand before
you!" The voice of the hero was unstrained, neither with pride nor
disdain with the line of questioning. In his travels he was quite
accustomed to those who did not believe in his ways.
"Ah, I had no clue I was in the presence of such greatness. My humble
apologies, your excellence. If it does not bother you so, and if you
would have the moment of time to spare, would you care to sit beneath
this shady tree and speak to me of your travels and tribulations. I know
little of what drives you to perfection, and I wish to know more."
And so the hero agreed and they sat for a few hours discussing at great
length the path to perfection. The academic would attempt to pry a hole
into the hero's logic, and the hero would, every time, brilliantly
defeat the attack. As the sun drew further down in the sky, the academic
posited one final question.
"Why do you not seek the path of ascension, to become a truly perfect
immortal?" The sweat on the academic's brow dripped onto the ground in
the afternoon heat.
The hero paused for a moment, unsure of the intent of the question. "It
is the path to perfection that is beauty to my eyes, not the state of
perfection. To always improve oneself, against constant odds, that is
victory and achievement."
"It is your mortality that is the blemish on your soul which seperates
you from perfection! Do you not see that?" The academic stared deeply
into the eyes of the hero, testing his resolve.
"I will not be swayed, kind scholar. I do this only for the purification
of my own soul, and ask nothing in return. If my path is difficult, I
shall walk it proudly. I do not ask the same of any person who does not
wish the sacrifice." The hero, his spirit intact, sat firm and his eyes
did not budge from the face of the academic.
"Then it will be your folly. Your soul will never be pure, and I will
show you the corruption in its depths." Revealing His true form to the
hero, the dark God towered over the hero. "I will show your pitiful soul
the perfection best suited for it." Pulling the mortal hero's frame with
Him, the dark God travelled across continents and oceans and once
finding the ideal location, cast the hero into the mouth of a steaming
volcano.
The hero's body weak from the damage caused in the fall, he could only
lay there looking back up at the skies above him. During the flight
across the oceans, he had seen much he had not imagined about the world.
It was much larger and much more rich than he had imagined, and from the
heights he soared, he knew he was nowhere near his home.
The inside of the volcano was steamy and hot, and he laid on a small
slab of rock jutting from a pool of lava. The walls reflected the dull
glow of the lava and he could hear in the distant the hiss of water
hitting the liquid fire. The heat from the lava below singed his back,
and as he struggled to rise, he saw before him the dark frame of this
unknown Immortal. "You want your soul perfected so badly? Then I shall
hammer the kinks of out of it." Raising a glimmering ethereal hammer,
the God struck down on the weakened form the hero, striking not his
physical shell, but his very soul and existence with the blow.
The blow tore through the hero's stability. He struggled to maintain
composure and sanity as his soul was bruised from the strike. Lifting
his head from the rock he could see the God standing above him. "Here I
shall forge your spirit into My form of perfection!", boomed His voice
as He chained the helpless hero onto the rock. Once again, the dark God
raised the hammer, and struck down on His prisoner. The anguished scream
of the hero rang out amongst the Putoran hills, echoing as far south as
the village of Jaru.
The pain was horrible, but the hero suffered from then on in near
silence. Daily the torment was struck down on him, and nightly the lava
pool would rise to heat his stone slab to boiling temperatures. But the
hero would not relent his spirit, nor would he perish from the agony and
torment.
For many years this went on, until one day the punishments ceased and
the anonymous Immortal did not reappear. The hero waited, chained to his
prison, and as the time passed he began to meditate to perfect his mind
and to try to discover the falseness of pain and anguish. During these
meditations, he began to hear a faint rhythm in the distant recesses of
his mind. Strong and powerful, the rhythm throbbed in his ears and in
his head as it invigorated his spirit. As his meditations continued, the
rhythm grew louder, and through the strength of his own will and his
focus upon the rhythm, he perceived neither the searing heat of the lava
nor the pain of his burnt flesh.
The beat consumed his soul, and soon it matched the very beat of his
heart. Once the hero had made the realization that the two sounds
coincided, he looked about himself and noticed his mortal form had
expired. He had transcended mortality through determination and the act
of purification and he now stood the perfect example of existence, an
Immortal.
Grabbing the hammer of His torture, the Immortal strode with a fury of
fire from his prison, erupting the volcano to seek his torturer and to
take his place in the Garden of the Gods as Rahn, God of Fire.
Penned by my hand on the 15th of Khepary, in the year 77 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #8
Date: 9/9/2002 at 4:52
Subj: The unnamed god revealed
Amairgen, Lich of Bloodloch, became interested in the story concerning
the capture of the Lord of Fire. Herself a follower of Severn, Lord of
Artifice, she did not believe it characteristic of Him to act in such a
flashy manner. She believed there were darker forces at work and set out
to use them to her advantage.
Summoning the leaders of Bloodloch, she inquired about any information
they might know about about the nameless God who trapped Rahn's mortal
form in the volcano. Their information was lacking, but they promised to
set out to discover the truth behind the imprisonment.
A few months later, Amairgen summoned the leaders again to her tomb.
Using her dark magics, Amairgen was not able to pinpoint the God
Himself, but could sense artifacts or symbols of his power strewn about
the land. She quickly implored them to search out these artifacts and to
bring them back to her. Unfortunately, the search would be hard; she
knew little of their locations or what they even looked like.
As Duke Xon, Archduke Vermillion, and Lady Zephy went to search and
organize the city, a different aspect of the tale unfolded near the
Siroccians. The priest of Rahn, Willem, somehow sensitive to this
search, began having visions of plants dying and the land decaying. The
images continued in his mind, gaining clarity and detail. As Xon
approached the first of the five artifacts, a mighty pain seized the
mind of Willem, and a dread certainty of fell presences engulfed his
awareness.
Willem attempted to call together the Order to stop this hunt and to
keep the artifacts away from the minions of Amairgen. Unfortunately for
him the Order of Fire was largely absent, giving the representatives of
Bloodloch ample time to gather three of the objects. For the priest of
Fire, only Delak had engaged in the search.
The symbols were pure seeds of corruption, oozing decay and subverting
the sustaining energies of both living and undead. Even those merely in
their proximity suffered injury and affliction. Duke Xon, notably, held
each in turn, bearing the pain and suffering for his city.
Representatives of Rahn's Order managed an attack on Amairgen's cohorts
in an attempt to capture some of the foul symbols. Belgarion led a small
assault with slight support from mortals not of the Order to regain the
items from the hands of Xon, but it was for naught. The Bloodlochians
held four of the five items now. The fifth and last had an interesting
history.
Plucked from its resting place by the young, uninvolved Sentaari
Aquinas, it moved around the continent slowly. Amairgen sat in
consternation trying to scry its location, as did Willem. Frustrated by
a lack of information, eventually both were only able to discern that it
was decaying the forestal vegetation around it. Both groups moved out
with haste to find the last artifact. Fayea happened upon its new
resting place in the Aureliana forest. Picking up the final artifact, a
malodorous candle, she sped back to Rahn's temple to keep it safe.
His temple, however, did not prove safe enough. The Infernal Champion
Arslen snuck into the temple, took the candle and left without a single
defenders' blow falling on him. He sped back to Amairgen where he laid
the candle next to the icons that had already been collected: a rusted
sword, a corpse icon, a severed hand, and a statue of a greedy man.
Amairgen cleverly hid the items from view so that they could not be so
pilfered from Bloodloch and so that she could study them in more depth.
Though little is known about what she discovered, it seems Amairgen has
tapped into the objects' power and is now able to affect the souls of
individuals. In what some would call a horrific event, she corrupted a
young, happy soul, prying from it the name of the unnamed God,
Chakrasul.
Penned by my hand on the 2nd of Ios, in the year 80 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #9
Date: 10/14/2002 at 18:43
Subj: The Star of Truth
Elenina, the astrologer of Kalebb has charted the stars from the heights
of the Tarea mountains for years. She took great interest in the
appearance of the Star of Truth, and learned from travellers how it came
to be. This particular star was intriguing, as it did not move in the
night sky as all others do.
In the year 81 of the Midnight Age, Elenina watched with great interest
as the constellation Eurimines, seven stars arranged in the shape of a
turtle, passed close to the Star of Truth. She consulted the scholars of
Kalebb and began to fear the worst. Packing up her belongings, she
sought out the wisdom of Averroes, the Prophet of Shallam, who shared
her concerns. Other learned minds were consulted but the only agreement
between them was that this celestial event could not be a good omen.
In the Midsummer of the 81st year, the largest star of Eurimines crossed
over the Star of Truth. That night passed uneventfully and the
stargazers let their worries settle. The next morning however, when the
sun outshone all other stars, the Star of Truth still burned brightly in
the sky. The day continued and the light of the Star grew. Mortals
consulted their elders and prayed to the Gods for guidance, ever
watching the sky. Some feared the return of the shadows, others prayed
for Lanos, yet others travelled deep into the earth lest the sky fall
upon them.
With the Sun's daily journey complete, the Star of Truth took over the
role of lighting the world from high above. It now appeared that the
Star was not just getting brighter, but in fact plummeting closer and
closer to Aetolia. As the hour grew and the sky brightened further, the
Star flared suddenly into a blinding, burning ball hurtling towards the
ground. As it neared the ground it became apparent that despite its
great light the Star was actually quite small - the Sword of Truth in
fact, slipped from its perch in the sky.
Two things then occurred in one great moment of realization. The first
was the sword slicing through the sky and landing in the Aalen forest,
setting it aflame and gouging a deep crevice in the earth where it
became embedded and cracked in two. The second was the darkening of the
sky, for without the Star the normal night returned. But the darkness
this time was different - where the Star used to be, Eurimines was now
strangely absent as though a black void filled its place.
The blackness swelled in the night sky, consuming all light in a matter
of hours. Indeed, when daybreak was finally due no Sun or light appeared
over Aetolia and much of the world began to panic. The rift to the realm
that Lanos had once sealed was now reopened, and a hissing feminine
voice grew ever louder across the world. Shadow beasts began to appear
and consume all in their path. A fight for survival was underway.
Meanwhile, the fires in the Aalen forest had been quenched. The broken
Sword of Truth lay embedded deep in the earth and the quest for its
repair began. Gods and Celani alike fought great winged shadows that
besieged the Garden high above, attempting to wrest Their hold on
Aetolia away for their queen. The queen, or the Mother as she was simply
called, led her children across the earth itself searching for allies
among the darker creatures of Aetolia.
In time, the Sword was repaired by the alchemy of Tsellias, but still
not lifted from the earth so deep it had been embedded. It pulsed with
the power of Truth, the power to defeat even the Mother, but it could
not be withdrawn by mortal hand. Forces gathered and organized to lure
the Mother to the Aalen where she was consumed unwittingly by the power
of the weapon of the still-absent Lanos.
With the last of the shadows defeated, the darkness seeping through the
rift still blanketed Aetolia in perpetual night. Hycanthus studied what
little remained of the Mother and his ancient texts. With the help of
Apollonia, the Oracle, the remaining pieces of the Sword were found in
previously uncharted areas of the world and its full power was restored.
A ritual was devised to cast back the darkness, and the cycle of light
and darkness returned to normal at last.
But as for Lanos, the mystery of His whereabouts still remains.
Penned by my hand on the 10th of Haernos, in the year 82 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #10
Date: 11/18/2002 at 19:16
Subj: The temple of Truth
The signs were more obvious as the days passed. Shallam no longer heeded
the call of Truth in their duties as a city. The teachings of Lanos were
long forgotten to most, and many among them followed no code of
morality. The Priests and the Paladins began to follow the teachings of
the Lord of Fire, and the patronage of the city sat with the Lady of the
Seas.
A dire message appeared in the Temple of Truth. Shallam had strayed and
if the Lord of Truth returned, He would not be pleased. A month later an
unknown group moved into the Temple of Truth under cover of night and
desecrated the temple, horrendously destroying its sanctity. The
followers of Artifice had erected a shrine near the Sword of Truth. The
vulnerable order had begun to crack.
Many came to visit the Temple and to determine what to do. The answers
were few, however, until Marinetta, who called herself a Priest of
Lanos, appeared in their midst. Many doubted her cause, and many were
turned off by the hard approach she took towards restoring the grandeur
of the Temple. While some pursued other avenues, Marinetta strove to
raise funds to fix the temple and to research the means by which the
Temple could be blessed again.
She spoke too loudly, however. In a rare instance, the Artificer
appeared before her and parried words with her. Her Truth struck a chord
in the Artificer, unfortunately, and he ripped her from the Temple of
Truth and dragged her away to the Tower of Artifice. A large party moved
to rescue her, and while attempting to barter with Sister Imperia,
learned that Severn had a worse fate in store for her. Sister Imperia
presented the gathered with the head of the Priestess, and ordered the
assembled to leave the Temple at once.
When the group would not depart, the Artificer released a legion of
Shadow Beasts into his Tower, and bade them hunt the infidels. Long
thought to have been driven from this plane, Severn had tamed a few, and
now keeps them as pets for an unknown reason. Eventually the group fell
away, and the Tower of Artifice stood quiet once more.
The allies of Lanos were once again without a leader. The construction
on the Temple had already commenced, but without a follower of Lanos the
temple could not be blessed and could easily fall victim to another
defilement. In her talks with the Priests and Paladins, Marinetta had
mentioned another follower of Lanos who still wandered from village to
village spreading his teachings. Pouriet was his name, and although now
a lowly follower of Lanos, he had spent his youth learning to fight and
growing up in squalor.
Shortly after hearing of the death of Marinetta, Pouriet hastened to the
Temple to find a few allies there. He spoke to them, nervously, of the
tasks before them. Their faith in him strengthened him, and he took up
the mantle to lead the allies to finish the temple. He followed the
trail Marinetta had taken to discover what she knew of the ritual, and
it led him to a half-finished monastery in the Putoran hills where a
great library was being crafted.
In the library, Pouriet learned that what had enabled the defilement was
the loss of the Spirit of Truth within the hearts of those around the
Temple. To fix it, Truth must be rekindled in the hearts of the allies,
and so he set them up with a task. To gather the landmarks, as many as
they can, in the good aspect, and to work together as a team to achieve
this purpose.
The allies of Truth were outstanding in this regard. In the last month
before the Landmarks were fixed, the landmarks slowly turned one by one
from the evil to the good aspect, and as the last day of the month
ended, all nine landmarks stood for good.
The preparations were then made to bless the temple once again, and on
the 25th of Midsummer, in the Year 85 of the Midnight Age, allies of
Lanos from all over the continent gathered in the Temple of Truth.
Unexpectedly, Pouriet had recovered the body of Marinetta from the Tower
of Artifice, and before the blessing, a small wake was held for his
friend.
The blessing went on without a hitch. Pouriet gave a small sermon on the
aspects of Truth, and then calling upon the Spirit of Truth which had
gathered, infused the power of Lanos into the walls and ground of the
Temple of Truth. In the revelry following, Lanos was praised exuberantly
to the entire continent.
The revelry, however, caught the attention of the Artificer who was most
annoyed by this event. Challenging the faith of the assembled, Severn
sent a mass of shadowy horror towards to temple to wreath it in eternal
darkness. It was for naught, however. The faith of the assembled, and
the power of the blessing held, and the Temple continued to shine
brightly.
Angry, Severn strode to the Aalen, where the Sword of Truth had been
gathering rust for quite some time. Holding it aloft, the blade
shattered into thousands of pieces which were cast forcibly around the
continent. One piece came close to the Temple of Truth, barely missing
it and instead slicing off the leg of Pericles who was standing outside.
What has happened to the Order of Truth? Are Severn's words to be
believed that Lanos no longer thinks of the mortals he once protected?
Why does He harbor the shadows that attempted to destroy the Garden and
Aetolia? Are pieces of the Blade of Truth recoverable, or are they
buried too deeply into the earth? And what of the rift that Lanos once
passed through and now which pulses like a scar in the midnight sky?
Penned by my hand on the 24th of Lanosian, in the year 85 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #11
Date: 12/13/2002 at 19:17
Subj: Beware the mice
The creations of Merentesh, the suicide mice, were relics of an age long
gone. The last few were stored safely in stockrooms scattered throughout
Sapience. It seemed as though the residents of the cities were safe from
harm as long as the mice, terrified little creatures that they were,
were safely locked away.
When sounds of ticking began to echo throughout the streets of Shallam
and Ashtan, several residents began to worry. Pjoll and Koron of Shallam
sought the oracle, Apollonia, and asked for a bit of wisdom. In her
disturbed state Apollonia was incoherent, but she managed to warn the
two of the dangers of the ticking, and mentioned that creatures with fur
had something to do with the noise. Pjoll and Koron set out to find the
source, as Apollonia warned that it may be too late.
Their search proved fruitless, as soon after they began their search the
ticking began again, even louder than before. The frightened squeaking
of the mouse was heard, and suddenly the suicide mouse detonated in the
stockroom that had been considered so safe. The shop collapsed, creating
piles of rubble that diverted the path of Zanzibaar street. So great was
the force of the blast that several items from the stockroom were blown
clear into the street, landing amongst the piles of rubble. The tail of
the dead suicide mouse was found as well, and the residents of the lands
realised that the ticking had been the bomb strapped to the mouse's
back.
Mortals scrambled about the world soon after, extracting the mice from
their stockrooms. Rothmore and Achavis each held one, and were surprised
when the mice squirmed out of their grasp and detonated at their feet.
At the same moment, Ikne and Zahmekoses were deciding how to deal with
the fifth mouse. Zahmekoses attempted to rid himself of the mouse by
leaving it in the belly of a volcano, but the mouse's instinct told him
to make a break for it. It scampered away from the volcano and ran back
to Ikne whom it saw as its liberator. Ikne, along with Kell, had
retreated to the Altar of Severity. Thinking quickly, Ikne grabbed the
mouse and fed it to a nearby crow. The crow, displeased, cawed and spat
up the mouse. Now more frightened than ever, the mouse squeaked as the
attached bomb detonated at the feet of Kell.
Later, a great rumbling was heard across Sapience, originating on the
island of Delos. Concerned folk from all over scrambled to the island
just in time to feel the ground shake from a nearby explosion. Two dead
mice were found outside of a levelled shop, and it was discovered by
Sahmie that their expiration dates had been long-past. The bodies of the
mice were disposed of, and people combed through the rubble for
salvagable merchandise.
As the mice could not be hidden away safely forever, neither can we deny
the secrets of the ages. When history is put on display, sealed behind a
glass case, it cannot be grasped and learned from.
Penned by my hand on the 23rd of Lanosian, in the year 87 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #12
Date: 1/8/2003 at 22:19
Subj: Boom
The recent explosions heard throughout the world had begun to fade from
memory. The wounds had healed, and the city of Shallam had removed the
rubble from its streets. When exploding mice were the furthest thing
from anyone's mind, ticking rang out through the streets of Ashtan, and
the citizens of the Bastion of the North scrambled as though they knew
what was in store for them.
The question upon most lips was, "Where is the mouse, and where did it
come from?" All shops had been scoured, and every corner of the city had
been searched so many months ago when the first rumblings were heard.
Constantine the jeweller, an unlikely source, yelled in shock at a
rodent crawling about his robes, and the citizens of Ashtan pleaded with
him to leave the city. In his panic, Constantine fled to seek the
Clamoring for Constantine's attention, the many citizens and curious
onlookers who had gathered around him drove the jeweller to act. He
located the mouse in his pocket, clutched at the vermin, and tossed it
with all of his might towards Lake Balaton. The mouse sailed overhead
and landed in the lake, and those gathered seemed relieved. Several
began to search around the lake, perhaps in hopes that they would find
the last mouse. A short time later a great rumbling was felt, and the
mouse detonated below the surface of the lake. Suddenly the ground
beneath the lake collapsed, revealing a sinkhole upon which the city of
Ashtan had apparently been built. Several roads and bridges were
collapsed, and the water from the nearby sea began to pour into the wide
hole. The entire northeastern section of Ashtan now lay in ruin.
Meanwhile, the flowing water dislodged the guildhall of the Shadowsnakes
from its location in the former lake, and the deepened lake and widened
access to the sea offered an escape. Assembling quickly on board, the
guild floated off on their ship, sailing out of the grasp of the city to
parts unknown.
Again, the question rang out, "Where did the mouse come from?" Truly,
who had been hiding the mouse, and how could he or she keep it from
sight for so long? Whether a random tragedy or a deliberate act of
malevolence, or perhaps an ill omen, the city of Ashtan will never be
the same again.
Penned by my hand on the 24th of Midautumn, in the year 89 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #13
Date: 3/3/2003 at 20:39
Subj: The Scholar of Tattoos
He had been to the mainland once before, to aid Oorangu in casting a
spell to protect the forests, but he had never ventured much further
than the beach upon which he had landed. Sven picked his way carefully
to the highway, hoping to finally meet the famous Vinci. He was,
afterall, a scholar of tattoos, and he hoped to find knowledge of the
art somewhere on the continent of Sapience.
A young knight outside of Shallam pointed Sven towards Delos, and he
began the trip north. Upon the Delosian bridge he came across Mat
Shinta'moryu-Corey, who informed him of Vinci's death. A bit shaken,
Sven followed Mat to the artist's former shop, where he lingered for a
short while attempting to glean insight into the craft of tattooing.
When he had learned all that he could, Sven returned to the Delosian
bridge. Unsure about taking up residence in the bustling little city of
Delos, he began to think of other options. He had decided to look into
Shastaan when Tria happened along. With her kind words and aid, Sven
made it back to the village of Shastaan. Together they met with
Shanugis, who granted Sven residence. Shanugis sent a servant ahead to
set up Sven's new shop, and when Sven and Tria finally found it the
place seemed to be well in order.
Soon the word had spread, and many curious individuals came to visit the
grook in his new home and workshop. Even after most of the onlookers had
returned to their daily business, Tria, Ehlana and Rawyn remained,
chatting until the following day. Quite happy with his accomplishments,
Sven settled down to work, and began his new career as the tattoo artist
of Sapience.
Penned by my hand on the 15th of Severin, in the year 94 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #14
Date: 3/3/2003 at 20:42
Subj: Volcanic rumblings
On the 24th of Midautumn, in the early hours of morning, a strange
rumbling echoed through the land. Soon its cause became apparent as
clouds of sulphur and smoke arose above the southern volcano, around
which the city of Bloodloch is located. Within Bloodloch, citizens
panicked as the earth shook beneath them. But soon, the rumblings had
ceased. When the ground stilled at last, the city dwellers found that
the small quake ripped the very stone of the city, opening gaping
fissures into the abyss below.
Lead by Elisandria and Vermillion, the citizens of Bloodloch wasted no
time in exploring. What they discovered was a series of underground
caverns inhabited by strange creatures, who called themselves Lava
daemons.
At this time, Achavis came across a very interesting member of this
race. This daemon called himself Furf, the Mad Prophet. True to his
name, he wasted no time trying to preach his strange philosophy which
consted of "Die", "Destroy", and "Listen Furf." However, this daemon had
a quick temper and a quicker club, and many citizens were slain as the
enraged Furf rampaged through the city of Bloodloch.
Luckily, help was on the way. The chieftain of the daemons, a rather
large fellow named Urgh, soon made himself known to the city officials.
Vermillion and others then spoke to Furf, who was soothed by their
assurances of conversion to destruction. A crowd gathered around Furf,
and he was just expressing his joy at finding a good student to Leo when
Urgh appeared.
Despite Urgh's efforts to bring Furf back to his senses, the Mad Prophet
persisted in preaching his esoteric "Truth". Maddened by Urgh's denial
of his words, Furf decided to settle things the old-fashioned way.
Unfortunately for him, Urgh's club turned out to be bigger, and the
would-be prophet was dragged back to his home, somewhat chastized and
quite dazed from having sense knocked into him.
In return for the city's help, Urgh generously invited all the citizens
of Bloodloch to visit his domain freely. The volcano lies dormant once
again, though what will come of this new breach between the city of
Bloodloch and the dwelling of the lava daemons is yet to be seen.
Penned by my hand on the 15th of Severin, in the year 94 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #15
Date: 3/5/2003 at 17:08
Subj: A dark ritual
Deep within his secret dwelling on the plane of Chaos, Cadmus, the
Cursed Shaman, grew restless. He had watched the shadows of jaguar
spirits rampage through the Plane, sent there by the machinations of
meddling nature folk and rogue necromancers, and ever did his twisted
mind seek to put this new discovery to good use.
And so it came to be that Ikne, Demiurge of the Occultists, was summoned
to the plane of Chaos by the cursed Cadmus. There, Cadmus shared his
intent with the Demiurge and his trusted ally Moyra. He showed to them
the tainted heart - part spirit, part physical - ripped from the breast
of one of the creatures that was once set loose on the plane. Thrilled
with what they had heard, the Occultists set out into the world to do
the bidding of the cursed Shaman.
In the meantime, Magumba, the last shaman of his tribe from Dun Valley,
was trekking through the depths of the jungle in the company of Elanti.
As they continued off on a task of their own, they encountered what
appeared to be a group of very distraught Occultists. One of them
identified himself as Ikne, the Demiurge. With a silver tongue, Ikne
spoke to Magumba of an injured Jaguar trapped on the plane of Chaos. The
jaguar was in great need of help, Ikne explained, and it would take one
of Magumba's knowledge to heal him.
Magumba did not feel wholly comfortable with the proceedings, of course,
but the urge to aid the ailing jaguar grew within him. Was he not to
blame for the jaguars entering the Chaos Plane in the first place?
Despite Elanti's warnings, he agreed to be lead by the Occultists. But
Elanti was not happy at all. She stated quite firmly that she would
follow Magumba to the plane of Chaos as his protector. With some
reluctance, the Occultists agreed.
However, when Elanti began to follow Rothmore, it was not to the plane
of Chaos that he took her, but instead to the depths of the mountains.
Claiming that he was lost, Rothmore made a hasty departure, leaving the
huntress alone and without news of her companion Magumba.
In the meantime, Magumba received a rude shock, for as he was brought to
the Chaos plane he was bound and gagged. He was dragged before Cadmus,
who explained to Magumba in no uncertain terms that he was expected to
repeat the experiment with the Jaguar spirit, except this time it would
be aided by the powerful dark magic of the Occult. Magumba refused
stoically, though trembling in fear all the while..
Seeing that cooperation was not forthcoming, the Occultists resorted to
their knowledge of pain. After a bit of torture, Magumba at last agreed
to perform the rite. But a wielder of Metamorphosis would be needed -
only a minor delay for the resourceful Occultists. They were able to
convince the druidess Ryusa of the necessity of this experiment. Despite
Magumba's pleading, Ryusa agreed.
Gathering in a circle around Cadmus, the Occultists began their dark
rites. Magumba, left with little choice, was forced to use his magic to
trap the jaguar spirit fleeing Ryusa's body within an idol once again.
But at this stage, Magumba begged his captors to let him leave, that he
would not have to witness the rest of the vile ritual. After some
debate, the Occultists agreed to his request, though not before Cadmus
took a token of silence from Magumba.
The Occultists lead forth a live sacrifice, Bubo, to the center of the
circle. In a demonstration of dark power, Ikne vivisected the victim.
Then the corpse of a Jaguar was brought forth. Guided by the ritual
expertise of Moyra, Povox, and Ikne, the Occultists began to channel
their dark energy into Cadmus.
Using the combined strength of the Occultists' necromantic powers,
Cadmus was able to create a new heart for the dead beast, baptised in
the blood of the sacrifice. As the final words of the rite were spoken,
darkness descended, and with a final burst of energy Cadmus succeeded in
re-animating the corpse of the jaguar. But the beast had been twisted by
the necromantic magic. Its soul now bound to the chaos plane, it became
a creature of twisted soul and form set to guard the Chaos Lords' domain
from intruders.
Penned by my hand on the 10th of Arios, in the year 94 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #16
Date: 3/12/2003 at 20:58
Subj: The return of Llazuth
This story begins many years ago, in the very first years of the
Midnight Age. At that time, many things were yet unformed, and many
dreaded creatures lurked unknown and unnoticed in the deepest parts of
the world. One such being was a lady of great power, one who called
herself Queen of the Underworld. Her name was Llazuth, the demonic
mistress of many earth-dwelling beings. The personal servants of Llazuth
were arachnids, for in that crafty, dark race did she find the greatest
utility. It was said that to those arachnids which showed particular
promise, the dark Queen granted special powers, allowing them the
intelligence and even appearance of humanoids. One such being was the
arachnid Suri, who, for her loyal service, gained the ability to form
into an Atavian
Llazuth did not dwell in her dark halls in peace, for but a mile below,
another Lord of great power claimed domain over the dark realm. He was
Zsarachnor, Lord of Vampires, and it was not long before the skirmishes
between his undead and the spider armies of Llazuth turned into a full
scale war.
Time passed, with much blood shed on both sides. From her position as
the elite guardian of Llazuth, Suri watched in awe the undead Lord
stride forth with his armies. And, as so often is the case, her soul
cried out for the immortality he was able to give. For Suri above all
desired power, and an endless life. To achieve this goal, she ventured
to the lair of Zsarachnor, and put before his feet the very life of her
mistress, asking in return the gift of immortality.
Zsarachnor was overjoyed that for such a slight price he might buy the
defeat of his enemy. And so Suri was able to trick Llazuth to the lower
dungeons of Azdun, alone and unprotected. There, the legions of undead
fell upon her. Great was the power of the Dark Queen, and she would have
succeeded in beating off her attackers, had not the traitorous Suri
thought through her rebellion. Reaching towards her mistress, she tore
away the sacred amulet into which Llazuth invested much of her power,
and broke it upon the stones of the dungeons. Devoid of this source for
her strength, Llazuth fell to the screaming hordes, and her spirit was
trapped in the dense rock of the Azdun dungeons. To prevent her return
to power, Zsarachnor scattered Llazuth's artifacts in the deepest parts
of Aetolia. He then bestowed unto Suri the gift of undeath, further
granting her the status of his mistress in the darkness of the crypt.
Years passed, and the empire Llazuth once brought forth crumbled. The
spirit of Llazuth was waning with every moment, despaired of ever
finding a means to return. Until one day, a bleeding, half-dead woman
stumbled through the echoing hallways of lower Azdun. Such was the state
of the woman that the malevolent spirit of Llazuth managed to penetrate
her mind, and learn of her story. For this young girl too desired
immortality, and had set off to the crypt of the Vampire Lord harboring
this tentative hope. Alas, she was instead beaten and cast out by
Zsarachnor's mistress, who would stand for no rivals in her domain.
Yet within this broken body, Llazuth sensed such a brilliant mind and a
thirst of power, that she knew at last her hour had come. Whispering
within the mind of the girl, she allowed a portion of her spirit to flow
into her, giving the woman enough strength to find her way from the
dreaded dungeons. There, under the careful guidance of Llazuth, the girl
performed a dark ritual, making her body a sanctuary for the demonic
spirit. Her very form was transformed in the process, and it was at that
moment that Lachesis, Mistress of Spiders came into this world.
For many years did Lachesis labor to rebuild the empire of Llazuth, and
to find the means to set the dreaded queen free once more. Yet it was
not until recently that rumors were brought to her by the industrious
Rohan and Achavis, who spoke of strange boulders having been unearthed
in Moghedu and Bloodloch.
Lachesis was not eager to act quickly. Instead, she sent out her minions
to investigate. What her reports brought back shocked her greatly, for
she now had reason to believe that the two missing artifacts needed to
restore her lady - the Daegger of Despair and the Amulet of Llazuth -
had indeed been found again! Immediately, she called all those upper
worlders who had given their word to aid her in the quest. She quickly
formulated a plan to raid the mines of Moghedu and retrieve the first
stone. Achavis led the diversionary force of many spiders, which caused
a great commotion in the mines. In the meantime, Lachesis herself joined
a company led by Zephy, and penetrated the very depths of Moghedu where
the stone was rumored to lie.
Unfortunately, they arrived to an unpleasant surprise. The Paladins,
refusing to allow any harm to come to the innocent Mhunna, made a final
stand in his defense. Led by Sir Koujin, they bravely fought the
onslaught of darkness. Many perished in the battle, and blood flowed
freely on all sides. Although he fought valiantly, the great Mhunna fell
in battle, his body pierced with many wounds. But at last, the rock
which caused all this commotion was loaded upon the back of a monstrous
spiders, and the forces of darkness retreated to the lair of Lachesis.
Yet here they encountered a problem, for the gigantic spider that
carried the rock to Lachesis could not penetrate the cracks in the
mountainside which led into the Blood Caverns - the resting place of the
second stone. Still, the resourceful Vermillion did not falter. He set
off towards the caverns, enlisting the help of Bloodloch's ally Urgh,
the chieftain of lava daemons. Although Urgh could move the rock, he
lacked the ability of destruction to break it.
Yet the key presented itself, for just as Urgh and Vermillion were
pondering what must be done with the rock, the mad prophet of
destruction Furf skipped into the room. Visited by an unexpected idea,
Urgh handed the rock to Furf, who was so offended at this implication of
his materialism that he tossed the rock into the volcano. The stone
could not take such heat, and it cracked. Before the fragments could be
re-absorbed into the lava, though, Vermillion dove for them, saving the
freed Amulet of Llazuth from fiery destruction.
When Lachesis received the Amulet, she wasted no time in recombining it
with its second half, which she had herself recovered many years ago.
Using the newly restored artifact, she was able to crack open the second
rock, thus freeing the Daegger of Despair. Lachesis explained that to
complete the ritual of Llazuth's return, a sacrifice would be needed.
For this task, Llazuth herself had chosen the once-traitorous Suri, now
consort to Zsarachnor.
Vermillion and Mephiston hurried to the crypt in a desperate attempt to
trick the vampiress from her lord's protection. They managed to convince
her that they wished Lachesis destroyed, and enlisted her help in the
matter - but not until Zsarachnor demanded that Mephiston stay as
hostage until his concubine returned safely.
Alas, the Vampire Lord would never see his lady again, for as soon as
she arrived within Llazuth's lair,she was accosted by a myriad of spider
webs. In a dark ritual, Lachesis carved from the vampiress' body a new
form for her mistress, and, calling on the power of the artifacts,
infused the body of the vampiress with Llazuth's spirit.
Darkness fell upon Azdun, and a deep ringing filled the air. When the
shadows cleared, the allies of Lachesis saw the brilliant figure of a
proud woman standing where the bloody remnants of the vampiress had
been.
Having been warmly welcomed by all those assembled, Llazuth was invited
by Lachesis to step into the dwelling which, in secret, was being built
for her for many years. As the Dark Queen strode over the drawbridge
which now spanned the Azdun gorge, a hundred cheers erupted from the
goblin warriors guarding the bridge as they welcomed their new mistress
to her home.
Within the throneroom of the Black Keep, Llazuth once again welcomed all
her allies, and in a solemn ceremony pledged her gratitude and aid to
the city of Bloodloch, giving as a token of thanks the Daegger of
Despair to the Keeper, Vermillion. For his aid to Llazuth, Achavis also
received an item of power, having been granted Llazuth's amulet. The
Dark Lady then spoke to all those present, informing them of her past
and intentions until time and duties forced her to retire to her work.
And so a new Queen reigns in Azdun, and the betrayed Zsarachnor paces
his lonely crypt, for he knows that the return of the bloody wars of
power is immanent. In Moghedu, the sonorous voices of Mhuns curse the
name of the spider Queen as they mourn the death of their leader, and in
their groves do the druids Esper and Sceverus watch over the fallen
Mhun's body, hoping still to return him to life through the healing
power of Nature.
Darkness gathers, darkness comes. What shall come of these conflicts,
new and old? Only time can tell...
Penned by my hand on the 7th of Slyphian, in the year 94 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #18
Date: 4/25/2003 at 22:35
Subj: The Luminaries
During the month of Slyphian, in the year 97, Sahmie Rhashye,
guildmistress of the Priests, convened the leaders of the guild to
discuss what she saw as a misdirection of the guild's energy. While
meeting, she suddenly was overcome by a deep slumber, and her body
transcended from the Prime Material Plane. Some hours passed, and she
returned to her concerned friends, claiming to have had a profound
revelation. This vision illuminated the transgressions of the guild
against the realm of the Spirit, and it provided her with a clear
picture of what must be done to patch the apathy and worldliness that
have overcome them. Quickly she moved to disband her guild, to purge the
mars that the revelation had detailed. Surprise and chagrin filled many
of her former guildmembers.
As the month wore on, she was approached by many asking what would
happen and what she would do. Near the end of the month, she began to
hear voices, musical tones, and insects buzzing. She followed their
noise to the source deep in Shallam, where she again gathered many of
her former guildleaders. They too began to hear this musical noise,
which manifested itself as tiny sparkling pinpoints of light. As each
professed to hear the sounds and see the lights, the lights became
stronger, becoming a full curtain. Sahmie reached out her hand and
pulled aside the curtain, to see what was hidden from discovery, and the
curtain fell away, revealing two great columns of light, framing the
gateway into a new hall. As this hall was revealed, the knowledge of
Illumination was granted to Sahmie, and with that knowledge, the guild
of Luminaries was created.
Soon after the founding of this guild of light, a faction of the old
Priests gathered together and declared that they would continue to hold
to the ideals of the old guild. They formed an organization based upon
those ideals, and based it within the city of Ashtan, long a harborer of
enemies to the Priests. Still the masters of healing, it remains to be
seen what they will make of this new opportunity.
Penned by my hand on the 10th of Chakros, in the year 98 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #19
Date: 4/25/2003 at 22:37
Subj: The Orrery of the Spheres
Rumours had passed from the words of the Gods to their followers that in
the past there were three landmarks of Ankyrean creation helped teach
the Order about astronomy and mathematics. The first, the Horologe, had
been rediscovered many years ago, and taught the Order of Ankyreans to
measure duration of time. The second was said to be a mechanical Orrery,
whose parts mimicked the motion of the planets in the heavens. It taught
the Order the beauty of celestial movement, and the basic ideas of
astronomy and astrology. The nature of the third landmark is strangely
hidden from even the Gods, and maybe even from Varian Himself!
Knowledge contained in the storerooms of the Grand Aetolian Library
revealed that at some time in the past, Queen Belladona learned to
reverse the relationships of the landmarks. Using some unknown magic,
she managed to make the relationship between the landmarks and the
heavens mutual, instead of one-sided. By adding more sand to the
Horologe, the day would speed up, or slow down. Likewise, the sun would
darken suddenly if the orrery were painted black. The Mother of the
Vampires took control of all three of the landmarks, and working her
dark machinations upon them, caused permanent midnight to fall upon the
lands.
The Order of Ankyreans quickly reacted, and found ways to counteract
each of the Queen's actions. Pure white sand was found to thwart the
dark sands in her clutches
a formula for golden paint was discovered to restore the power of the
Sun to the orrery. The Order and the Consanguine waged war against each
other, eventually losing sight of what they were quarreling about. With
the collapse of the Order of the Ankyreans, the landmarks were largely
forgotten even by the children of the night.
And thus two of the landmarks stood, unused and forgotten for many
years, until the Luminary, Jewel Rhashye, and the Arch Duchess Gracie
Nebre'seir both began to inquire about the lost Orrery. Their journey
took them to the Grand Aetolian Library, where the head monk was anxious
about revealing what she knew of the landmark.
As it turned out, the Chroniclers had been the guardians of the Orrery
for quite some time, for it stood a few hills down from their monastery.
Once the head monk was convinced of the Gods' desires that the landmark
be restored, she led the way to the ancient Orrery of the Spheres.
Using a manuscript found in the Grand Aetolian Library, Sir Koron
Thylarian was able mix together the ingredients to remake the golden
paint that would bring the Orrery out of its darkened state.
Just as the Consanguine and the Order of Ankyreans battled many years
before, the struggle resumes with new allies on either side.
Penned by my hand on the 10th of Chakros, in the year 98 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #20
Date: 5/2/2003 at 20:13
Subj: The rediscovery of Spinesreach
The plains to the north of the Ithmian forest were long considered
boring, and not worthy of even the occasional visitor. Little did anyone
have a clue what lie past the Dry Plains.
Where the Dry Plains abut against the Tarea Mountains, a large fortress
was built in the distant past, the Fortress now known as Spinesreach. In
the center of the walled community, a large, locked Citadel rises up,
nestled between a gap in the Tarea mountains, and preventing any travel
into the tundras known to be north of the mountains.
In the walled area outside of the Citadel, a small group of farmers and
their families have gathered within the safe confines of the Citadel,
and started a community. Their presence has gone on for many years
independent of the comings and goings of the cities to their South.
The people are self-reliant, and pride themselves on their skills at
survival. They guard their community from groups of bandits that are
known to roam the Dry Plains and they are almost warlike in their
nationalism for their walled village.
The discovery of this small, loyal community would not cause concern on
most of Aetolia's mind, were it not for four lingering questions:
Firstly, what is this massive Citadel rising up from the center of these
walls, sealed from outsiders? Secondly, why do all the Gods seem
surprised to discover its existence? Is it simply so mundane a place
that their gazes passed right over it? For that matter, what were the
strange visions seen in the sky before its discovery? And why did
Qeddwyn, the last of the Ankyrean Order, suffer seemingly horrible
torment at about the same time?
Indeed, many questions have yet to be answered about this mysterious
place.
Penned by my hand on the 19th of Slyphian, in the year 98 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #21
Date: 5/16/2003 at 17:08
Subj: A failed experiment
Deep under the soil of the ruins of Hashan lay a great instrument of
destruction, buried there many ages ago after Trollkind had failed to
destroy what they had created. It lay there awaiting an opportunity to
once again bring its destruction upon Sapience.
It was the in month of Chakros, year 99 of the Midnight Age that
Neaniver Demira uncovered an odd blade. Filled with anticipation, she,
Vhaillor and Eshu sped towards the Ithmian archeologist Trabarg. He
looked upon the blade handed to him and admitted his lack of knowledge.
One thing he assured them: this could not be the authentic Demon Blade,
for that was shattered in pieces and never again restored in its old
glory.
Upon the call of Trabarg, the Shaman of the Trolls arrived at the scene
and fear visibly struck her heart when she laid eye upon the blade.
Others arrived at the scene while the Troll Shaman related the story of
her mother's mother: Upon the destruction of the authentic blade, the
trolls once again sought a weapon to fight off those of the blood. Using
the same ancient book of Magick the Shaman Relaman had used to create
and construct the authentic blade, the Shaman forged the sword in
blood... not the blood of warriors, but the blood of innocents. An
all-consuming blade of horror was created; the experiment had gone awry
and the old Shaman lacked the strength to destroy what she had created.
The great task of destroying the blade now befell the Shaman, and she
announced that she needed only little preparation to perform the ritual
that would destroy the blade. Zephy Duses, who had shortly beforehand
arrived at the scene, claimed she could not allow the sword's
destruction. She, and Eshu Shinta'moryu attacked the Shaman, who in self
defence dropped the sword from her hands In the confusion of the moment,
Vhaillor Telaerin managed to pick up the sword. He swiftly sped toward
his Lady's temple, where many tried to convince him that the sword
should either be destroyed or that it should be brought to Bloodloch, as
an instrument of dark power.
Falling victim to the temptation of power, and against the advice of
Trabarg and the trolls, Vhaillor handed the blade to Zephy. Slowly, the
blade awakened and attempted to attack its bearer; bolts of lightning
and a curtain of darkness emerged from the blade, signaling its
awakening. Quickly Zephy sped to Amairgen, who expressed her interest in
keeping the blade and tapping into its power by laying her will upon
that of the blade. When she attempted to submit the blade to her will,
the blade retaliated and left Amairgen in great pain. Annoyed with her
failure, she felt that the power of the blade was beyond them all, and
ordered those around her to take the blade to the troll so she could
conduct the ritual to destroy it.
The blade that had now fully awakened began attacking each bearer,
killing many in the process. Yet the loyal followers of Amairgen
persisted and they brought the sword across Sapience to Hashan. Chanting
words in an ancient tongue, the Troll Shaman defied the strength of the
blade while she destroyed the sword in the blood of innocent trolls, the
way it was created.
Much blood was spilt in this episode and yet questions remain. Will the
authentic Demon Blade ever be retrieved and rebuilt? Will its power
surpass even that of this failed experiment? We will learn in time, as
history writes itself.
Penned by my hand on the 25th of Haernos, in the year 99 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #22
Date: 5/17/2003 at 4:07
Subj: The Grand Artifice
Qeddwyn began to remember a distant past today, one that had been
completely obscured by the actions of the Artificer at the end of the
Second Epoch of Mortality. Long thought to be the beginning of existence
for mortal sentience, it seems that much history existed long before
this period. The process of extracting this history, however, relies on
Qeddwyn slowly regaining the lessons he learned in his time as a full
member of the Ankyrean Order.
It seems that at the end of the Second Epoch of Mortality, the
Artificer, brooding over a series of drastic losses, used His powers to
set the entire world inside an illusion of His design. Entire curtains
of illusion hung over the land at large intervals, cutting people off
from reality completely. His power sovereign in His own realm, He was
able even to dupe the other Immortals, save Varian.
This act, to which Qeddwyn was strangely enough a witness, is known as
the Grand Artifice and its effects are far reaching and not entirely
understood. Complete details of his account can be found in the HELP
MYTHOS scroll.
Penned by my hand on the 11th of Variach, in the year 100 MA.
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EVENTS NEWS #23
Date: 5/17/2003 at 19:23
Subj: A divine contest
During the first month of the second century of the Midnight Age, a
Grand Quiz was held by Varian, the Celestine. At the end of the quiz, an
unusual question was asked: "Among the gods and goddesses of Aetolia,
whose followers are most devoted to their patron?" Debate among
participants and onlookers - some divine - erupted immediately. Clearly,
each of the gods in attendance felt, theirs were the most adoring
followers. Mortals in attendance were similarly unable to agree on an
answer. Bickering and arguing ensued.
Then, a contest was suggested by Zahmekoses Nebre'seir. Varian, seeking
closure to the matter, agreed. But what sort of contest? Some urged a
contest of battle, follower fighting follower until only the champion of
one god remained standing. This however, Varian felt, would not reveal
the true measure of devotion and adoration the gods' followers feel and
express for their deity.
Ultimately, it was this individuality of expression that Varian decided
would be the most telling measure of mortalkind's glorification of their
beloved gods. Thus, the nature of the contest was declared: all mortals
shall be offered the chance to create, compose, or otherwise present
some unique token of their supreme devotion to their chosen deity. The
judging of this contest is to take place on the first day of Ios, year
100 MA. The divine of Aetolia shall be in attendance to collectively
judge these works of adoration and decide once and for all whose
followers are most devoted.
Penned by my hand on the 2nd of Severin, in the year 100 MA.
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Events
