The First Land Herald/450-03-16
| Article Number: 102 |
| Dateline: 450-03-16 |
| THE HERALD'S WRATH AND THE FALL OF THE CLANS A short while ago, following a rescue attempt led by Saragos, meteors rained from the sky, striking Knife Clan and turning the area into a crater dominated by a lifesculpted spire of thorny vines with a golden beam of light erupting from the spire's summit. Not long after Saragos' rescue attempt and the subsequent meteor strike on Knife Clan, Asildu addressed a crowd of adventurers at the Primal Encasement, including Casari, Saragos, Ezerak, Valynn, Urbaj, and Karthor. Asildu blamed adventurers for the strike on Knife Clan, accusing us of disregarding his warnings about sorcery. "Such arrogance has caused this. Such arrogance of those who refused to heed the warnings of what sorcery will do to this world if it continues," he said over the gweth. He claimed that the Heralds were angered by our continued use of magic. "The Heralds are trying to save you all," he said. "Every last arrogant one of you." The adventurers asked him various questions about the Heralds' intentions, about why balance seemed to be (albeit, temporarily) restored after mass sorcerous activities, and about whether or not the Heralds were to blame for the meteors striking Knife Clan. This last one he confirmed to be true. After several roisaen, seemingly fed up with the questioning, he threw his hands up in the air and shouted at the sky. "They want me to speak to you! They continue to doubt you! They continue to oppose you! Maybe they need another warning? Another message!" I, as well as adventurers throughout Elanthia, experienced the following reaction: A voice calmly stated, "We concur," and I was momentarily overwhelmed with a foreign feeling of disgust. I could not recall what the voice sounded like, though it echoed all around me. A deep golden light flashed across the area for a moment. Then the sky split, and several writhing meteors fell from the sky, tearing towards Wolf Clan. As the meteors tore across the sky, they left billowing lines of ash and curved downward, impacting over Wolf Clan. A deafening explosion from the direction of Wolf Clan washed over me. After that, Casari, Nawain, and Sofina began to attack Asildu, eventually succeeding in killing him. Even after death, Asildu continued to argue his point. "You've brought this upon yourselves. You've brought this upon the innocent people who counted on you to defend them. All you had to do was listen. All you had to do was BELIEVE." "Heralds, I beseech you! Show them that I am not the liar they accused me to be! Avenge your messenger!" At that, I, as well as adventurers throughout Elanthia heard a voice roar, "The audacity!" and I was momentarily overwhelmed with a foreign feeling of revulsion. Then we experienced the same series of events when meteors struck Wolf Clan, this time striking Tiger Clan. "Think what you will," Asildu said. "I know where the truth lies." And with that, the substance of Asildu's body shimmered, as if covered by a veil of crystal tears, and a moment later he faded away, leaving nothing but empty air where his body had once lain. As a result of these events, both Wolf Clan and Tiger Clan were completely encased just as Knife Clan has been. No drakes accompanied the meteors this time, but the area where the clans once stood is now transformed and inaccessible. In each area where a clan used to be, the forest has been neatly cleared, revealing a crater littered with torn soil and tumbling rocks. At the center of each crater, a massive teardrop-shaped encasement of stone and writhing vines form a large teardrop atop which a golden light shines upward. Casari recounted the events leading up to the attacks on the clans. "Asildu seemed overcome by a rage, possibly not of his own, and called out to the Heralds to send us another message, leading to the strike upon Wolf Clan," she said. "I tried to stop him, and with several of us attacking and killing him, another strike took place on Tiger Clan. If the Heralds are truly trying to do the right thing, then they're going about it the wrong way. I hope they can see that before it is too late."
One evening, shortly after the meteor strikes devastated the clans, I was walking through the Crossing when I noticed an unusually large gathering of guards at the guardhouse. Intrigued, I hid behind a nearby corner to observe. The guards seemed in a state of panic, with regiments and messengers being dispatched to all corners of Elanthia. They were discussing the spires and the clans and sending messages to other provinces requesting research and aid. It was clear that they were as confused as the rest of us about the unfolding events. I overheard them discussing the lack of any signs of life or decay within the encased clans. They had attempted scrying, tunneling, and even firing a few shots at the vine barrier, but all their efforts had been fruitless. Life mages had reported sensing neither life nor death within the enclosures, and seismologists had detected no movement. Unable to penetrate the vine barrier, they remained uncertain about the fate of those trapped inside. Concerned about the potential risks to any survivors, they were hesitant to take drastic measures without further information. Instead, they decided to send messengers to other provinces, seeking assistance to address the crisis. Not hearing anything else of interest, I retreated back to the main road, leaving the guards to their frantic preparations. As I walked, I couldn't help but wonder about the fate of the clans and the missing adventurers. It is clear that Elanthia is facing a crisis of unprecedented proportions, and the search for answers must continue. Onward, Illiya |
| Real Date: Unknown Date |
| Subject(s): Wild Magic |
| Author(s): Illiya |