First up, a bit of out-of-character announcing. It's important, which is why it's here on the news article. We're now entering the home stretch of the Rime, the last act, which means the last four episodes! As you may or may not have noticed, the Cultists are doing a pretty good job of winning. There's a lot of reasons for that, but the primary takeaway is that it's going to be very important for you all to band together properly to fight them now. Well, not "now" now, they aren't actually going to be a force for this week's event. But they'll be back, and just as vitally important as ever. In the interest of getting everyone on the same page, there is now a wiki article on the Rime, which will continue to be filled in as we have our final events.
You can (and should!) read that here. This is the last act folks, and need I remind you that you can in fact lose the whole thing. You've still got plenty of chances to turn things around, you just need to make sure you take them. Now, on to the usual stuff.
The debacle at Sablemarch made the front page of newspapers across A'therys; nearly every nation had now been affected by the ice cult. Good news is something that the citizens of the world truly need, and fortunately they shall have it. Long silent, Archmage Ravas av-Haresh has again come forward, and this time with a near-complete translation of the tomes from Syrros' library. Long ago, five great mages came together and founded a Guild of Mages, the very same as exists today. Their names adorn the towers of Cyridon Spire, a testament to their might. But one of these mages soon began to follow a different path than the others: Kaherii, the Ice Elder. Precisely what his final crime was, the books did not say, but what is known is that the other elders were forced to seal him inside an ice domain of his own creation. Syrros appears to describe five individuals present at the binding, which is unusual; the portion of the tome which would reveal the identity of the fifth is worn with age. The fate of the fifth mage is as such unknown. The writings further indicate that the binding was accomplished using five "keys," a loose translation previously uncovered, each wielded by one of the mages present at the binding. Archmage av-Haresh has determined that one of the books delivered to him is actually Syrros' key, a mighty artifact in its own right. But the cultists, clearly revealed now as escaped servants of Kaherii, have managed to acquire two: Petrav's gemstone and Ardinil's staff. Following this, it could be assumed that Fernas would have a key as well, though the location of his is anyone's guess. The lost key, presumably used by the unnamed fifth mage, is likely still in Kaherii's ice domain. As such, it is vitally important to locate the remaining terrestrial key before the cultists do; with all the keys together once more, the binding could be undone, allowing Kaherii to return to A'therys. His revenge on the modern Mages' Guild would be all but assured.
Even with this new information, tensions between the nations remain high, especially between the Daggerlands and Vrovona. The Magisters blame the Vrovonic Legion for allowing itself to be infiltrated by the cultists, to which the Paragon has not taken kindly. The realization that subversive elements had managed to gain control of his country's steadfast fighting force was a difficult one. The unease physically manifested itself when, on the 43rd of Stormshift, yet more unsanctioned Vrovonic vessels sailed for the Daggerlander shores. These were not members of the Legion under the sway of ice magic, but citizens from the Bravnikh Stronghold out to reclaim their lost honor. How they intended to do that, few have educated guesses, but the fact is that a small Daggerlander airship brigade was sent to head them off. Fearing that things may get out of hand, Paragon Ksavik has instructed the Legion to send more ships to escort their brothers home. With the world hanging in the balance, it appears the side that must fight together is breaking apart. All A'therys can do is watch and see how events unfold.
To find out more about this event,
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