In the world of Djemity, news travels fast, borne on the fleetest of Aquienos Ships, flown across the land in Sylphim Floating Isles, or whispered through miles of stone by Teklo Wordsmiths. Of course, as fast as news and official reports travel, rumour and hearsay are quicker to spread throughout the world.
Word is spreading across Djemity that a number of missions launched against the Arkhivians in the Northern Isles have brought home warriors lost when the Expeditionary Fleet was destroyed. The rescues were made possible by sterling efforts from the Aquienos War Fleet and the actions of many heroes who launched bold raids into the Arkhivian held isles.
Dozens of soldiers have come home to thankful families, and though many bear scars from their experiences they are alive and with their loved ones.
The Sylphim have loudly celebrated the return of Imperial Artist Extraordinary Paltri Dun, with confetti being dropped from Erli for a week solid, much to the annoyance of those living beneath the Isle's course.
There are quieter celebrations amongst the Kirlsa, for whilst several warriors have returned to their tribes, the eldest children of King Kaddan have been confirmed amongst the dead.
Perhaps only with the this good news is the scale of the previous disaster beginning to sink in for most of Djemity's population. Whilst tens of thousands of warriors were sent North, fewer than two hundred were alive to rescue.
Information supplied by the Aquienos to the War Council at the Citadel
… make available these old charts of the Northern Isles and farther seas to the Needle's Passage. We have also brought what certain information we could of the Eastern Isles, though our own records are not complete or full on these matters. We wish the Alliance to make good use of these maps in the war against Arkhivians and we realise that these will prove invaluable in all plans and strategies that the Alliance may debate.
These maps have been provided to the Teklo for copying and all that require may make use of these and make any and all copies that they wish. It is our hope that the Northern Isles can be taken with haste, so that our staging post for an attack against the Arkhivians can once again be secure. Without it, we cannot hope to organize and supply an army heading further. To assault up the Needle's Passage with Arkhivian forces still on the Isles would certainly be a rash move…
NOTE: The interactive map of Djemity has been updated here.
News of the great honour duel fought by Gravaldon against Jean'Lowe for a matter of honour tied into Kirlsa/Aquienos diplomatic relations filters out of the Mosel. It seems that the Kirlsa have once again shown that they are great warriors, capable of smashing the combined Aquienos/Teklo force sent against them in a dramatic display of prowess. As previously agreed, this should resolve the matter of the Masimas - it will be swapped by the Kirlsa for a ship of equal capacity that is not of such sentimental importance to the Aquienos people.
Moderates on both sides now hope that fences can be mended and the true enemy focused upon.
News heard from a Becquerel storyteller
There are many I have spoken to and some say that some Aquienos Captains, called Andar and Diana, together with the Becquerel Caleyll, Verenjay and Belmioch had gone to confront a great sea-serpent.
Just as they had slain the beast and revelled in their victory, so they were confronted by a Wyrm. A Great Wyrm no less! It sprang forth from the waves and attacked and they could scarcely escape the beast.
Now many speak of the coming of the Great White Wyrm. None had been sighted since the battle with Hrundag, who is also called the Crushing Claw, in the Seraphol decades ago. Now a Great Wyrm arises once more…
The Kirlsa Nation has announced that their King is now recovering from a most dishonourable attack upon his person by an assassin 6 months ago. They wish to thank their Teklo and Bequerel allies for their assistance in this matter.
The assassin is still at large, and the Kirlsa nation would ensure that those responsible for bringing him to justice are well rewarded. Please enquire of Ali Allavai at the Citadel for further details.
From a scholarly text making the rounds within first the Teklo bureaucracy and eventually more widely amongst the Allied Peoples. Some excerpts.
“And so it would seem that in these dark times, the minds of the wandering “swashbuckler” turns inevitably to death. However, since this is far too morbid a topic for such “fortune-hunters” to dwell on for too long, it would appear that soon their thoughts turn to the dead, and from thence to tombs. It is, then, but a short skip and jump to thoughts of divesting such tombs of whatever interesting artefacts might be present.
Now it is not for this humble Scholar to judge the pros and cons of such a lifestyle, but merely to note some of them. So, on the one hand, surely the desecration of the dead is an affront to all that is good amongst the Peoples of the land. On the other hand, however, it must be admitted that the wealth of knowledge that might perhaps be liberated from such locations is not to be underestimated, and when the concomitant dangers of such trap-bestrewn eternal vaults is considered, perhaps buccaneers with a sharp eye and sharper swords are not the worst individuals to undertake such investigations.
…
Nonetheless, we may consider this recent spate of tomb-investigations to be a topic of some interest and no doubt it will remain a fascinating subject-area for so long as heroes of the land see fit to kick open crypt doors to see what is inside.
From a report titled “The State of the Home Front”
In recent months Arkhivian raiders who landed on Djemity via great icecraft are raiding our supply lines, setting light to our farms and slaughter whole villages of innocents, this is happening right across the continent, from the mountains of the Teklo, to the forest of the Becquerel and into the desert of the Kirlsa. The actions of Admiral Mar must be commended without his patrols around the coasts which border Teklo and Becquerel lands even more raiders would have landed. He has the thanks of those races.
Unfortunately disagreements between the Kirlsa and Aquienos leadership has led to the withdrawal of protection of the Kirlsa coast by the Aquienos, and further raiders have landed in the desert, and are harassing supply lines across the desert. It is a sad day that political disagreement has led to the deaths of innocents. We can only hope hostilities have been resolved and that no further troop will enter Djemity through the door of the Mosel.
Reported to the Teklo Senate
I hereby announce the successful cleansing of the harbour city of Kez'Dun by Warden Dach Fra Ver of the Polis of Vel. The Ninth Legion were aided by elements of Aquienos War Fleet under the command of Jean'Lowe'Tru'Fra and the Becquerel scout Daloc Geshal. The harbour remains under the control of the Aquienos, with a garrison of the Ninth in the town.
As well as slaying vast numbers of wyrmlings, I can confirm that these heroic forces confronted the great wyrm itself and caused it to withdraw. Truly Warden Dach Fra Ver has a gift at defending the Teklo people from wyrms.
Account presented to the Senate by Scholar Illin Yos Aran and forwarded to the Citadel.
This reported disappearance was clearly too similar to the first, and I made all haste there. On my arrival, I could plainly see for myself what I had seen a dozen miles out of Kruvad - that a whole stretch of the road, laid 127 years ago, had disappeared. The dug ditch remained, but none of the stone, mortar or paving remained…
… nine others just like the first. Altogether these prove to be a significant disruption to trade, both between our cities, and also with the outside. Indeed, many of our cities are now cut off from an efficient supply from Trask and the merchants will struggle to send supplies on time North…
From the journals of Eri Yos Orld
All across the lands I have travelled the same words are spoken. “When will we push back?” “When we have our revenge?” “When will we drive these Arkhivians back out of our lives.”
I have spoken with many learned souls, Kirlsa, Aquienos and Teklo and all agree that if we are to strike back against the enemy then the time is now. A great fleet stands ready near our Northern shores. The quarrelling of the Kirlsa and Aquenios has reached an end. Our armies have bloodied the Arkhivians and won a glorious victory.
What now stops us from sweeping North once more? Only cowardice, I say. Unless we take the Isles we can't strike at the Ice Wastes, and until we hit the Wastes the war will continue, it's that simple.
The following note has been dropped on flyers from a small islet that has been buzzing around the continent.
DEAR FRIENDS
DO YOU WISH TO SPONSOR TRUE ARTISTIC INGENUITY?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE PART OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR ACT OF DESTRUCTION EVER CONCEIVED?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO WITNESS THE SIGHT OF AN ENTIRE ISLAND IN FLAMES, GLORIOUSLY ILLUMINATING THE NIGHT SKY?
APPLY TO THE MAGNIFICENT FRIZBURG, CREATOR OF EXPLOSIVE ART!
From the charred remains of the journal of Killik'Seno'EsTru'Mas, self-proclaimed Spirit-Chaser…
So when I heard that something had started to happen at Lokastila's Quarry, that perhaps Arn the Mountain-King had struck out at Lokastila, I immediately got my father to put me down on one of the rivers which feeds up into the Deep Mountains so that I could go and see for myself. I shall travel up to the Quarry and follow the trail of the two Spirits from there.
From the terrified words of words of Renne, a Becquerel child
“It was night and we were asleep in the bower. The air was so heavy it felt like when I dived down to the bottom of the Deep Lake, like everything was pressing down on me.
Then the lightning started, off on the horizon. Hundreds, thousands of bolts lighting the sky up. Mama and Papa told us to come down from the bower, and we ran, jumping from tree to tree, but the storm, it was too big. We couldn't outrun it. Everyone else burned.”
A report by Moonstruck, a Sylphim Chithana, made to an unnamed official
It would appear that the events began at Lokastilla's Quarry, where an immense Storm Cloud began to form. The force of the Storm was sufficient to level several nearby peaks, then, however, without warning, it began to move.
The Transport-Isle Singing Fitfully with Voices of Silent Repose which had travelled closer to the Storm Clouds to allow a number of artists to paint the vivid scene was caught up and it is presumed that all within perished.
The Storm cut a swathe through the Seraphol forest, starting scores of minor forest fires, before veering off suddenly into the Mosel Desert before finally breaking out onto the North-Eastern seas, where, after three days of terrible raging, it suddenly became quiet.
The Storms caused a great deal of damage, but we have received more worrying reports regarding many of the survivors, those who were on the ground. They are changed, it seems. Some are grossly disfigured, their very bodies admixed with earth and stone, or wood and leaf. Others, however, seem only touched in the mind. They speak of silent grey feasts held in echoing halls, where the platters are piled high with gemstones, and the seats occupied only by statues.
Tales of a slightly deranged Kirlsa scholar spread far and wide
I just know it's there! Why won't you listen to me? Just because the Glittering Cave was halfway up the Azure Mountain, you're not interested? And I would have thought the herds of savage Makhar goats would have encouraged you? No? Look, I'm sure I saw a pack of Not Dogs up there too… Why don't I go alone, you say? You clearly didn't see the weight of the books inside. They … called … to me. They're a part of the Archive, I know it. Fine, I'll just have to recruit a proper Hero at the War Council.