The First Land Herald/450-04-37
| Article Number: 112 |
| Dateline: 450-04-37 |
| BESEECHING FOR CLARITY AND ANOTHER VISION OF ELANTHIA In light of the failed attempt to locate or mend Elanthia's wounds and befuddled on where to turn next, Dragon's Shadow Waydren once again gathered Rangers and Empaths to turn to the source of the answers they have sought so far. Rather than assume what is best for Elanthia, they planned to Beseech Elanthia for Clarity. "Tonight we shall Beseech Elanthia one more time," he said. "Not simply to see Elanthia That Was. But to see the desires of Elanthia That Is." Aislynn led the Empaths in casting Mental Focus, Refresh, and Gift of Life, and then linking to a Ranger to enhance their perception skill, then Waydren led the Rangers to cast Embed the Cycle and River in the Sky. Empaths and Rangers were asked to offer a gift to Elanthia, such as by summoning a Vela'tohr plant or planting a seed. After a few moments, I and the other Empaths, Rangers, and Bards experienced the following: My vision faded as I focused on a link with Elanthia, seeking clarity and more detail to the visions I have experienced. My link was no longer as vibrant or raw, yet that dullness allowed a broader perspective not dominated by individual moments or sensations. I experienced epochs of time in moments. Seasons passed and Elanthia moved from a primal state to new ages, with crops, and in turn civilizations, but still I felt something ever present. A powerful existence -- one guiding force with many voices, Guardians consuming enormous quantities of pure mana. They shaped the rise and fall of peoples, the drift of continents, and the very definition of life in small gestures of enormous impact dispersed by thousands of years. I felt the breath of the unseen chorus on my face with each stroke that shaped creation in light gestures, and in turn, the streams of pure mana that ebbed with every act. I watched as Gardeners were created to support the Guardians in more consistent but smaller movements, but saw that the Gardeners were flawed, leading to their downfall. They mixed streams of mana to enhance their own influence, introducing new and unintended consequences to the plan of their creators, drawing new beings that were not within the intent of the guiding forces of the universe. I felt a lingering trail that dispersed the streams of mana necessary to fulfill the will of the beings that existed before time with each sorcerous event, leaving each movement less impactful. Yet, in time, I felt a new powerful influence arrive, and with it, access to their own font of creation, carrying enormous capability and supply of a variant of mana harnessed by new shapers that had no compunctions regarding the mixing of energies. These beings began to shape and blend -- and with every exertion of their will, the Guardians' presence felt more distant as the mana streams became further mixed. I felt the tone of the unseen chorus change at this -- not only did these new beings shape without understanding the Guardians' need, but they did so with impunity, starving the Guardians from the very lands and sources they cultivated for so long. In a single expenditure of will, I felt the Guardians react. I felt the might of these new beings diminished, and the Guardians place boundaries, rules around their capacity to influence and to shape. Despite and without recognizing these limitations, the interlopers persisted, enacting their own plans and shepherding their own flocks. My vision abruptly returned to normal. After these visions, Waydren said that he needed more time to be able to debate the meaning of the visions, and announced he would be at the river's edge outside the west gate of the Crossing a short while later. After a small group gathered there, he told us his interpretations of what we had seen. He postulated that these were the same Guardians we have seen in each vision, and that Heralds and Dragons were one and the same, which then created something or someone flawed that broke the barrier between inside and out. The Immortals were the so-called interlopers in the vision, whose work weakened the Heralds, and in response the Heralds aimed to weaken and restrict the Immortals. Zersha, a Ranger who participated in the beseech, had a slightly different interpretation. "I don't think the Heralds and the Guardians are the same. I'm not sure exactly where the Heralds fit. I do think the Guardians are the original creators. And think they created the Gardeners, which may have been what was trapped in that prison we saw in one of the visions." Once again, the visions received from Elanthia offered a tantalizing glimpse into the history of our realms, revealing a complex tapestry of creation and conflict wrought by entities beyond our understanding. The group dispersed, their minds filled with questions and a renewed sense of purpose. The quest for Elanthia's healing continues, fueled by a deeper knowledge of the forces at play and a determination to unravel the mysteries that surround them. Onward,
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| Real Date: Unknown Date |
| Subject(s): Wild Magic |
| Author(s): Illiya |