The First Land Herald/425-06-34 (1)

Article Number: BI66

Dateline: 425-06-34

TRADER GUILD NEGOTIATES WITH THE ARBITER I apologize that, given my recent vacation, I was unable to report on this news earlier. Guildleader Cialen, leader of the Shard Trader guild, has confirmed that Lord Veahmic Turmar, and the Trader guild in general, are communicating with the extraplanar entity known to us as the Arbiter in Darkness. My source within the Trader guild told me that Researcher Tozu of the Moon Mage guild was spotted at Brickwell Tower in Shard, where the Trader guild is located. He exited a rather heated meeting with Cialen, though no words between them were gleaned through the door. The leader requested an escort to Dirge, where he would meet with the Turmar family, and during the journey he revealed the guild's new discussions with the unusual being. The Arbiter in Darkness, for the reader who does not know, is entirely different from a creature from our own Plane of Abiding. The Arbiter is what is known as a Greater Concept from the Plane of Probability; it is the embodiment of starlight. As Cialen put it, "…[asking what is the Arbiter] would be akin to asking what is a feeling. What is a thought. What is a concept." Visionist Miskton described it as powerful, along the lines of one of the Immortals, and said that "people who tried to deal with it… were given what they asked for… which was generally not what they wanted." For those interested in further study, I recommend you seek the story titled only "Arbiter in Darkness." As a side note, the Plane of Probability is the same one from whence came the recent starcrashers, zenzics, and the like. My Trader contact informed me that these creatures, too, were willing to negotiate with members of the Trader guild, providing a short term of "service" in exchange for metals of any type. Service in this case appeared to consist of following the Trader and attacking all others nearby, regardless of allegiance. Cialen noted that individually the Trader guild leaders would generally dominate a given deal. He added, "But for this one [with the Arbiter], it's been determined that collective experience is in order. Not to mention considerable outside research." The terms of the deal have not yet been reached, and negotiations may continue for some time. Cialen was not forthcoming about what each side is expected to gain or lose, but he did say, "These may be some of the most profound negotiations in our guild's history." Navesi Daerthon Zoluren's Herald, Editor in Chief, The First Land Herald

Real Date: Unknown Date

Subject(s): Arbiter in Darkness Cialen Dirge House Turmar Immortals Moon Mage Plane of Abiding Plane of Probability Shard Tozu Trader Veahmic

Author(s): Navesi