The First Land Herald/437-09-10

Article Number: 53

Dateline: 437-09-10

CUSTODIANS ARE EVOLVING, SLIP RESTRAINTS AND INVADE AGAIN Amidst everything else that is happening lately, the voltaic custodians returned recently, and, what's more, appear to have been upgraded. (See the article from 437-08-17 for more on the custodians.) I heard an outcry on the gweth from Scholar of the Grove Uryutis, who thought suddenly, "Something is wrong! Brace yourselves!" This was followed immediately by an invasion of the unstable voltaic custodians and lightning selreks in the Crossing. Uryutis went on to tell us that the custodians had "slipped a restraint" and are now "slightly more capable," having "improved themselves." The creatures proved little difficulty in such small numbers, and once they were dispatched, several of us made our way to the Zengmodaleth to discuss further with Uryutis. He had much to share with us. "The custodians remake themselves from a template, a mold of sort. It's a complex mold, but they shouldn't be fiddling with it. But, some adjustment was made. They're very slightly more capable than they used to be. I'm not sure how to quantify it exactly, but examining their patterns, it's a little faster and stronger? But some of their prime functionality appears slightly more independent? They've looped around a number of primary checks." When I asked about intelligence, he said, "They may be slightly more adaptable now." I also asked what he meant about "looping around." He said, "They follow instructions, and have complex logical capacities for adaptation. But it's still set instructions. Ask them the right question or place a specific task before them, and they'd get stuck. I'm not sure those same tricks would work now." Saragos was particularly concerned about the danger the custodians posed to the populace. He wanted to know if in some way these attacks were our fault for opening the portal and pointed out that the Profane have been spreading propaganda about the portal in order to distract from the focus on the Lich Jeihrem, may his liver shrivel into dust and empty him of passion and joy. Uryutis pointed out first that, "The portal isn't their sole means of entry to the Plane of Abiding... They're getting into the Plane of Abiding because the Plane of Abiding is, generally speaking, chock full of gaps and holes and weak spots that anything with an iota of motivation can force its way through... I understand your concern, and the track record so far for seeing these is alarming. But they're just things. Complicated things, worth studying, and being careful around certainly. But they aren't taking over cities any time soon." Importantly, he finished, "You lot are not responsible for this. You set it into motion by gathering Daervlan's attention, but I just can't imagine comparing this to the Lich. It's preposterous... [The Profane is] the wolf telling the sheep the real threat is the rabbits digging holes under the field. Sure, sometimes you trip if you don't watch your step, but the rabbit doesn't want to eat the sheep." "Access to this place, and maybe eventually its secrets may have forever eluded elemental scholars if you had not conducted your experiments. Which is unbelievably different from, 'This is no different than a Lich who comports with demons.' Stars above, what is wrong with some people." We continued discussing with him various possibilities for experiments to understand the custodians and selreks. We wondered if their language might be one of lightning, if a ward could contain the errant ones, or if simply observing them at their work might bear some fruit. We pondered over the shape that the selreks take, which is invariably Elanthian and Kaldaroid. The one that I saw took the form of a skeletally thin Elf. Of some additional interest is the crystallized lightning I was able to obtain from one of the selreks. I noticed that the internal crystalline filaments seem to slowly rearrange, periodically stuttering and dimming as they draw near to a hairline fracture that runs through the stone's structure. This movement within the lightning may have something to do with the selrek's fundamental nature or intelligence. Overall, there are many possible avenues for study, and we must begin further discussions and plans to learn what we can of Daervlan's puzzle. Perhaps on a related note, tonight I was giving a lecture on the Elemental Experiments and the Zengmodaleth at the Bards' guild in the Crossing when an attempt on my life was made by Dragon Priest assassins. A poison-tipped bolt grazed my abdomen, and the room was suddenly flooded with the assassins, which we handily dispatched. Whether the Dragon Priests have an interest in this subject in particular or just in myself will remain to be seen. Stay grounded, Navesi Daerthon True Bard, Zoluren's Herald Editor in Chief of the First Land Herald

Real Date: 04/09/21

Subject(s): Daervlan Dragon Priest Jeihrem Kaldaroid Lesser Voltaic custodian Plane of Abiding Selrek Uryutis Zengmodaleth

Author(s): Navesi