The First Land Herald/423-02-37

Article Number: BI58

Dateline: 423-02-37

ELPALZI LINKED TO VISIONS OF MAELSHYVE For over a decade, the Elpalzi have launched raids on Zoluren. These raids have been sporadic and seemingly random in nature. However, over the past two days, the rate at which the Elpalzi are attacking has increased dramatically. Since early on the 75th day of the 423rd year since Lanival, the Elpalzi have been launching constant attacks on The Crossing, Dirge, the Journalai Route, and the Northern Trade Road. While these attacks have varied in size, they stand out due to the consistent tempo. For the past couple of days, hardly an hour has gone by without warning calls being heard through the gwethdesuan network. Furthermore, a small group of Guilded adventurers encountered a member of House Turmar, Lady Lilena Turmar, in The Crossing Empath Guild. Lady Lilena indicated that it was important she return to Dirge to speak with her great uncle and was offered an escort by this reporter, Liurilias, Aislynn, and Kaelie. Near the start of the journey to Dirge, I volunteered to lead the group to its destination. While moving along the Northern Trade Road, our contingent came upon several Elpalzi who seemed to be in a state of retreat. Our group was able to handle these stragglers, however, the tide turned as we approached the road into Dirge. A few of us noticed what appeared to be a flash of shadow, which gave us pause. Before being able to assess what we had seen, many green portals began opening with organized groups of Elpalzi pouring from them. We were almost immediately radically outnumbered and, with the benefit of surprise on their side, the Elpalzi managed to mortally wound Kaelie. Aislynn and myself began a tactical withdrawal with Lady Lilena, while Liurilias stayed behind to buy time for us. We withdrew in a harried rush that required me to fight off numerous pursuers as we fled. Finally, we managed to lose our enemies by retreating to the Abandoned Clan Great Hall near Sunfall Hub. While we felt safe for the moment, it became apparent that a great danger was lurking in our future. Lady Lilena, a Moon Mage who studied under the Monks of the Crystal Hand, was suddenly overcome by a vision. From my perspective, the vision clearly overwhelmed her mind, and we worried about the lasting effects it might have. 0 Shortly after the vision ended, Liurilias and Kaelie managed to rejoin us without being followed. Using his considerable experience and training as a Cleric, Liurilias was able to link the spirits of all present: me, Aislynn, Kaelie, Lady Lilena, and himself. As a result of this link, Aislynn, Liurilias, and I were able to share Lady Lilena’s vision. Kaelie did not see it, and we hypothesize the link simply was not strong enough to share with all. The vision itself was truly overwhelming and felt different in its intensity from normal Moon Mage visions, of which I have had many. Throughout the entire vision, I experienced intense pain and mental rending, and I began to feel encompassed by a profoundly unnatural force. Oddly, this force was perceived in the same way I perceive the color green. As the vision continued, the pain remained intense, however I saw brief glimpses of an Elpalzi woman’s face, flickering in front of a dark, winged shape. The feeling of green continued to be prevalent in my mind as well. Finally, the vision flashed away, however just as it did so I distinctly saw a triple-tined claw. This final image left all of us deeply unsettled. Our immediate thoughts turned to the one who uses the triple-tined claw as a standard: Maelshyve. It is widely accepted that the Zaulfung Stones are in place to repair the tear created by the Voidspell. Furthermore, it is known that Maelshyve has attempted to exploit the weakened state of the barrier between planes there, her influence apparent in the corruption of the swamp. Shortly after the shared vision, Lady Lilena managed to make it home safely via a family artifact. Lady Lilena said, “Well, if it salves your concerns, you'll know it is Auntie and the guards by the ruby glow." Shortly thereafter a ruby red glow surrounded Lady Lilena and both she and the glow disappeared moments later. In addition to this vision, two other visions, which may be related, have been seen by several Moon Mages recently. In the first vision, a crowned figure stood in a room surrounded by rich tapestries and fine furnishings. Nearby, a human used a quill to write steadily, taking notes as the crowned figure spoke. During a lull in the speech, the writer reached toward an intricate insignia at his shoulder and brushed something away from one of its curves while smiling. In the second vision, Moon Mages found themselves in a dimly lit cell, overcome by a feeling of utter hopelessness. The cell door creaked open and light broke through it, but the feeling of hopelessness was so great that we could not move at all our shackled hand. These two visions may refer to the Moon Mage Iazen, who served as scribe for the Zoluren court. Iazen was taken prisoner by the Elpalzi years ago and has not been heard from since. The first vision may be a view into his past, while the second could be a glimpse into his present or future. These vision leads to several questions: Is Iazen still alive? Does the triple-tined claw vision mean the Elpalzi are attempting to align with Maelshyve? Is Maelshyve using the Elpalzi as puppets? Does this somehow relate to the Necromancer Guild? As always, we must remain vigilant against the threats at our doorstep! Klines Silvermist Reporter, The First Land Herald

Real Date: Unknown Date

Subject(s): Abandoned Clan Aislynn Crossing Dirge Elpalzi House Turmar Iazen Kaelie Klines Lilena Liurilias Maelshyve Northern Trade Route Sunfall Hub Voidspell Zaulfung Stones Zoluren

Author(s): Klines