The First Land Herald/429-04-22

Article Number: 3

Dateline: 429-04-22

DEMON ROBE IS LOST; MAELSHYVE GROWS IN POWER Dear readers, I bring you terrible news. That artifact of most Profane origin, the robe bearing the triple-tined claws in dedication to the demon Maelshyve, was stolen during the holy ritual which was meant to destroy it. Its whereabouts are currently unknown, but dire signs point to its reclamation by Maelshyve herself. Upon the appointed date for the robe's destruction, Mother Whiteburn and the Anduwen Watch met a throng of supplicants at the altar of Hodierna in the High Temple of the Crossing. There our holy Mother raised her voice to beseech that goddess of life, the nemesis of Maelshyve. She called upon all present to join hands and kneel before the sacred altar. Knight Magister Saragos stood at hand to present the robe. Strangely, we heard the distant sound of hoofbeats echo around the altar and an impatient snort. I felt an impression of mild annoyance and disinterest. This response was most unusual, given Hodierna's staunch history of loathing Maelshyve and all related to her. She has, after all, sent unicorns in the fights against both Lyras and Maelshyve previously, even dispatching one recently to bless our raid upon the demon's fortress. She has also dubbed the champion Karszen, who wears the very scales of the demon herself and is dedicated to her annihilation. However, before we could interpret the signs, the congregation was ambushed by the vile Nsar the Discordant, a Necromancer of growing notoriety. He brought their favorite tool: the glass construct. Although the Watch was expecting such a disturbance, what was unexpected was the significant assistance of the Necrolord Totenus, the most abominable of all living men who call themselves Necromancer. He unleashed a hissing cloud of acid so potent that I saw entire limbs eaten away in moments, bones exposed. He murdered at least a half dozen people before I could extract myself from the deadly spray, the faithful scattered. Saragos would later tell me that, in the confusion, the robe moved of its own volition, ripping itself out of his grasp and onto the floor, where it was picked up by the Enchantress Lenaea. She disappeared shortly thereafter. Perune also informed me that Hodierna's triptych statue gave a whinny of alarm, and he felt something stirring to the north. He also saw the statue flare with radiant morning light, and he was filled with a profound sense of unease and failure. Numerous people, myself included, reported feeling a blast of fetid air and hearing a horrible roar of triumph. For a moment, those experiencing the vision had the impression of a pair of triple-tined claws reaching for the sky, great black wings spreading over the land. Once I was sufficiently healed from the searing burns I had received, I quickly employed the Moon Mage Mistanna to locate the absent Lenaea. We found her in Rossman's Landing. There she told me that she had dropped the robe in the bucket inside of the Crossing bank and left, even before waiting to see if it was consumed. Naturally, we checked the bucket, but we found no trace of the robe. Given the vision we had received, we feared the worst: Maelshyve reclaimed what was hers. The next andu, Lenaea contacted me, and at our meeting revealed to me that she gave the robe willingly to Nsar, who appeared at her side and corroborated her story. I recalled his gweth after the ceremony, that Maelshyve had smiled at him before she took flight. When I asked Lenaea why she would do such a thing, she said, "You were trying to destroy it before you understood what it was… I would rather have seen it used than destroyed without any study." I implored her to understand what she had done, aiding a demon worshipper and in fact directly contributing to the power of a demon. I warned her to beg forgiveness of the gods for her misdeed, but she refused to do so and must now be treated as a Consort to Necromancers, deserving of all of the wrath of the righteous. I set upon her to extract justice and was slain by her husband, Aaoskar, who clearly stands by her in sin. Reader, you must also know that more happened that day of the ritual. During the fray caused by the Necromancers, Mother Whiteburn saw a crackle of lightning play angrily across the temple dome, and the area flooded with softly glowing, ankle-deep waters. "Her symbol has been stolen for Her," the waters seemed to gurgle. "Beware Her plans and followers!" She sensed Drogor was displeased. Upon receiving this vision, Mother Whiteburn gathered those who had remained and regrouped, and they journeyed to Riverhaven to visit her favored altar of Drogor. There she prayed and meditated before the altar, confessing and asking for forgiveness and guidance. The Faldesu surged angrily, a stormcloud gathering overhead. Suddenly an immense bolt of lightning struck the river, and she was left with a feeling of acknowledgment. She further promised that she would not abandon the gods, and that she and the others would fight Maelshyve and her followers to make recompense for what occurred. Thunder crackled, the sound reverberating around the altar. Great waves lapped against the docks angrily. Suddenly, those present felt like they were drowning, mouths filled with salt water and lungs screaming for air. An enormous shark circled them and, pausing a moment, gazed upon them as if scrutinizing their being. After a moment, it slowly swam on, and they were left with a feeling of acceptance. Ultimately, we have lost an important battle. Maelshyve's power grows. We must remain devout and steadfastly face what comes next. She desires to consume all that exists on our Plane, and so we have no choice but to find a way to fight back. Faithfully yours, Navesi Daerthon True Bard, Zoluren's Herald Editor in Chief of the First Land Herald

Real Date: Unknown Date

Subject(s): Aaoskar Anduwen Watch Crossing Crossing High Temple Demons Drogor Faldesu River Glass construct Hodierna Karszen Lenaea Lyras Maelshyve Necromancer Nsar Perune Plane of Abiding Riverhaven Rossman's Landing Saragos Totenus Whiteburn

Author(s): Navesi