======THE FIRST LAND HERALD======
GEVA DEAD! ZOLUREN TO BATTLE ELPALZI!
423/5/13.
Zoluren reels with triumph! The witch is dead! GEVA, Lieutenant of the Elpalzi has fallen, HER SOUL CONSUMED BY THE DEMON MAELSHYVE! Rejoice, citizens!
Her downfall began on Truffandu, the 13th day of Uthmor in this year 423. She was heard on the public gwethdesuan network taunting the people of Zoluren. Self-described Weasel Professor Nakori warned me, "Do not think any thoughts to people about anything! Geva can hear all the thoughts and she will come snip your hair and make a doll and torture you!" Perune confirmed that Geva "used [a doll] on Qiyan and a number of others. It allowed her to probe their minds, Geva claimed, and also almost kill them." Nakori continued, "Geva snipped my fur and made a doll of me and tried to torture me, but I was strong and she wasn't very good at making it hurt for a long time, so I didn't tell her anything that I didn't know I knew."
Geva spoke openly of stealing into guilds and plaza shops, doing gods-know-what foul work, mocking our province and its people as she did so. Her timely end came about due to the quick thinking of well-known Zoluren pair, Kaelie and Mazrian. According to Mazrian, Kaelie spotted the Elpalzi witch at the Crossing Empath guild, and he set up ambush just outside. Kaelie then enlisted the help of Constanze to oust Geva from the guild with Empathic magics. Mazrian made his move and Geva went down! Even those of us distant from the event sensed then that her soul was taken, not to the Starry Road or even the Red Spiral, but into the bowels of that most evil of demons, Maelshyve.
HOWEVER, do not rest, Zoluren. Alret yet lives, and he commands the Elpalzi stronghold, which still teems with our enemies. But in heartening news, the Zoluren Council is finally ready to act. SOON WE STORM SORROW'S KEEP!
One andu ago, Perune called a Town Hall meeting to share the news brought to him by Lord Grigoire: Zoluren will march against the Elpalzi. We have finally discovered a way to breach their stronghold and will take the attack to them. Our most seasoned warriors are asked to join the front lines, breaking into Sorrow's Keep itself to purge it. All others are asked to join together in an undisclosed location and perform a ritual to aid in in the battle in an undisclosed way. To those who would storm the castle, Perune warned NOT TO TOUCH anything inside, for fear of demonic influence. To those participating in the ritual, be prepared to use your magical attunement, should you have any — though all will be needed. Keep an ear to the gweth in the coming days for further announcements from the Zoluren military.
It is important to note at this point that not all Elpalzi are against Zoluren. Councilor Aislynn of the Order of the Apostles spoke to me of her experience with just one such Elpalzi. About 12 andu ago, she and Fariden encountered an Elpalzi woman, Kenla, on the Northern Trade Route. Kenla revealed that many Elpalzi were forced to fight under threat of death to themselves and their families, confessing that her four daughters were made to fight that day, all of whom were slain by Zoluren fighters. Aislynn said of it, "The sadness of a mother grieving for the loss of all of her children on the same day is... not something one can mistake." Kenla went on to tell that Geva has some means of sensing insurrection or disloyalty and expected her time would not be long. At the end of the conversation, Kenla was "torn apart by green fire," and her spirit was felt to walk the Starry Road.
Aislynn further told me that, through the work of Lady Lilena, Zoluren was able to obtain the key to Sorrow's Keep, whose magical wards have for so long kept us from attacking the Elpalzi directly. One friendly Elpalzi snuck into Commander Alret's war room and stole the key from him, delivering it unto us. And so, thanks to an Elpalzi, we shall finally be able to put an end to this conflict. Aislynn said that she believed that diplomacy, trust, and the desire to save the Elpalzi as a race were instrumental in us obtaining the key.
Today we remember the following fallen Elpalzi as brave friends and heroes to the province of Zoluren: Kenla, Esthen, Orles, Parthe, Conlet, and Ertusn.
Now, Zoluren, prepare yourselves for battle!
Navesi Daerthon
Editor in Chief, the First Land Herald
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