The First Land Herald/430-01-10

Article Number: 10

Dateline: 430-01-28

STRANGE MIST CAUSES VICTIMS TO SWAP BODIES Dear readers, my hand shakes as I write this. I have never before had such a personal stake in events, and I hope you will forgive me if my usual style may be slightly altered. My hand, you see, is not my own. I find myself a victim of some magical or mystical malady, which affected a number of people at Morlen's "meet and greet" party a short while ago. Although otherwise a normal get-together at Taelbert's, at one point I spied a strange, prismatic mist creeping into the room. Before I had time to react to it, I saw it swirling upward, surrounding myself and some of the guests, and taking on a sort of glow. My senses were overwhelmed and suddenly I blacked out. When I came to, I found myself suffused with a feeling of unfamiliarity. My limbs felt heavy — no, wrong somehow. It was difficult to place where each part was and how it belonged or fit together. As I struggled to my feet, the world seemed oddly larger, and I noticed a smoky taste in my mouth that wasn't there before. Disoriented as I was, I gazed about and was suddenly struck by a chilling sight: I saw another me stirring to one side of me, lifting her head and gazing about in confusion. With horror, I backed away. In a flash I glimpsed my own hands out of the corner of my eye, and I fixated upon them. They were not my own, but a man's hands, tanned and strong! What followed was an eruption of chaos. For it wasn't just me experiencing these effects, but several others, with onlookers shocked and bursting with questions and confusion. In the minutes that followed, we learned that at least 7 people were involved in what I can only refer to as "body swapping." Father Sereze's mind was found to be in Ambassador Angel's body, Angel's mind in Ledia's body, and Ledia's spirit was absent but was later found to be residing in Sereze's body. I found I had swapped with my husband, Saragos. Two others were swapped, but will remain anonymous. After hearing a voice coming from a pig, someone speculated that a man had swapped with it, but we were unable to track either down for comment. If anyone encounters either a talking pig or a squealing man, direct them to me. Once I recovered from a pounding headache, and needing to be away from the noise, I gathered a few of the victims along with the Moon Mage Traim in order to seek answers. Although he has several theories and some ideas for how to return us to our natural states, we agreed that we must research them more thoroughly before undertaking action, lest we risk causing greater harm. We must likewise seek clues to the cause of this mysterious mist. If any of you readers has information to report about it, or theories about the psychic or spiritual nature of this affliction, I am naturally most interested to hear them. Reach out to me, but remember that for the time being even gweth contact must be made with Saragos's body, not my own. If possible, I will look to gather a few interested parties for a deep debate on the subject and the safest path forward. My distress grows, but as with all problems, logic and diligence must prevail. By a hand that is mine but not mine, Navesi Daerthon True Bard, Zoluren's Herald Editor in Chief of the First Land Herald

Real Date: Unknown Date

Subject(s): Angel Gwethdesuan Ledia Morlen Navesi Saragos Taelbert's Inn Traim

Author(s): Navesi