As the dust settles following The Cataclysm, a lean and agile group was sent forth from the Nation to investigate the area immediately around our own lands. Our initial objective was to find the New Inn waystation which we believed would be close to our own Nation and, therefore, be our responsibility.

The group consisted of Gob, Kyle, Renown, Driedyn, Malice, Neko, Dunkina, Yorgi and myself.

Over the course of the mission, we encountered numerous groups of the following along the way:

Hordelings

Nothing unusual or noteworthy about these. They continue to exhibit distinct personalities.

Court of a Thousand Swords.

Many groups of wearing CoaTS colours assailed us. Until struck down, they discerned as Greater Spirits susceptible to normal weapons and delivering various evil invocations. In this form, they can be controlled and, presumably, dismissed. Once defeated, they rise again, are able to strike through the weakest point of any defences and are vulnerable only to Power damage. I don’t believe that we attempted to discern their nature in this state. As has been previously reported, we believe these “creatures” to be Nomads created or under the influence of Calix Wraithspawn but there we saw no evidence to support that during the mission.

Elementals

Many groups of mixed elementals are roaming Orin Rakatha. When encountered, they are often moving as if towards somewhere specific but we were unable to determine any particular destination.

Saldorians

There has been a significant change in the behaviour of the Saldorians. All the groups we met seek to subdue rather than slay. They appear uninterested in humans but wish to “enlighten” any non-humans they encounter. We do not know what this means but their attempt to incapacitate indicates they are not simply seeking to kill non-humans. We met a Saldorian Prophet who was predictably passionate and incomprehensible. Future missions should take any opportunity to investigate this further. It is reasonable to conclude that the Saldorian Nation is not far from our own.

Shadowsfall

Roaming groups of displaced Shadowsfall are common. The adherents of Judges Hawson and Amos seem mostly to have abandoned their Nation or been forced from it. They seem to attack Valley people seeking either revenge or an honourable end. Some of these we met at the waystation and they were unable to enter it.

Those remaining in the Shadowsfall Nation appear to be making their way as mercenaries and hired guards.

Earth Day

The journey through our own lands was relatively quiet. We met only a small band of Hordelings which we brushed aside with ease. This was most likely due to the Boon and Bane operating within our lands. The transition from our Nation was sudden and abrupt. Those who experience it will be in no doubt when they have entered or left our Nation. Hopefully, this will be the case with the lands of other Nations.

We arrived at the New Inn to find a Sativa-like story unfolding. The story told of the reaction of two senior people from the Wizards Concillium on receiving the news of the Dark Pharaoh’s approach. They were divided on whether to flee or to confront the Pharaoh and acted separately. When the story ended, the waystation erupted in magical flames for some time. We later learned that it had done so most evenings but this did not recur during our visit. It may be that the Mystic of Time wanted us to see this particular vision. It is equally possible that this was a last echo following the removal of the link to Sativa from most waystations.

Ragamuffin Heartbreaker, the Kern Valley mistweaver, visited us. He is still clearly aligned with our people and repeatedly made statements like “I am you and you are me.” Ragamuffin was (correctly) concerned that the Shadowsfall had not passed on to us the knowledge required to perform our new duties. He also informed us that the Cataclysm had broken many things that would need to be replaced. The Valley Nation would need to “create” rather than “repair” these things. He also urged us to “forge paths and make our place on this world”.

Handing us a stack of blank scroll paper, we were told that the three mist gates which had formerly existed at the edges of Orin Rakatha had been destroyed. When they weave, the mistweavers consume the mists. Without the mists, the Hordelings do not perform their functions and armies can march across the lands.

Once the gates are open, Ragamuffin assured us that the mistweavers would heed our wishes. We should get “one of those who created” Ragamuffin to summon the mistweavers to a Gathering. In our new land, this is the term for what we once called a Moot. The mistweavers will then be bound to obey our word. As he left, Ragamuffin said “Ah, well. Back to war. There is something to be seen on that hill.”

We were to create a ritual in three parts to create new gate and Ragamuffin communicate the location of a good place for the ritual on the morning of Steel Day. The three rituals were to bind the chosen Place to the Land, the Mists to the Place and finally to bind Guardians to protect the gate itself. Most of the group participated in creating the rituals but Renown and Driedyn were particularly diligent. It is hoped that the mix of skills and abilities required to enact the rituals would make it difficult for others to replicate or disrupt them.

Later, Malcolm Middleton (Assistant Guild Leader of the Yellow School) visited and informed us that his Sector Lord and Leader of the Yellow School Kettlar von Harzon had gone missing after he was separated from the Tablet of Storms during the Cataclysm. We were asked to assist in locating him.

We were provided with the means of contacting Middleton so that he could come to aid us if we located the missing Sector Lord.

Fire Day

We received news that Kettlar von Harzon had been sighted so we set off to locate him. We did, indeed, locate the Sector Lord and immediately sent the summons to Malcolm Middleton. Kettlar was accompanied by numerous lightning elementals which attacked us. He also attacked us but in a sporadic and confused way. Once we finally managed to deal with the elementals, we were sorely tested in keeping Kettlar but when Middleton arrived he was eventually able to talk the Sector Lord down into some semblance of normality.

Von Harzon was consumed with guilt and formally resigned his positions within the Valley and nominated Middleton as his successor. Concerned about his ability to cause further harm to our people even should the Tablet of Storms be recovered, he then released his hold on his being and dissolved into lightning. He diminished with barely a crackle and was gone.

We agreed to bear witness to von Harzon’s last words and Middleton left us to return to the Nation.

On our way back to the New Inn, we encountered a Wizards Concillium scout called William with whom we exchanged information. They are now located East of the Great Escarpment and South of the Central Lake. They have seen many Labyrinth of Xenos nearby and their waystation is the Garden of All Elements. He confirmed that the expected eight elemental nodes are within their Nation and we reminded him that they are duty-bound by law to allow any and all Nations free access to them. It appears that the Green Node, located near the edge of their Nation, is unstable and “pulses”. When this occurs, it creates water elementals which head North with apparent purpose. It should be noted that this is towards the Central Lake and that there are no confirmed reports of the departure of the Elemental Prince of Water following the re-opening of the ways.

We also met a group of goblins wearing Valley colours. They claimed to have been recruited to the Valley Warrens by Carrion. We set them on the right path to find the Valley waystation.

Once we had returned to the New Inn we were visited by Senator Noggin of The Warrens who brought much news:

Lord Jalinoss, Sector Lord of the Hospital, has been permanently slain.

Melvyn Manypage, Sector Lord of the Archives, has been permanently slain. His son, Veryn, appeared to be the likely successor.

The Goblin King has gone missing.

Following the seclusion of Dreadlord Araikas in the Temple of the Four Winds, Mothac Storm has assumed the Lordship of Darkhome.

A creature which was most likely an agent of the Pordardrim showed up and was ably managed by our druid companions without incident.

A second mistweaver, Agamar Bonescraper, visited. He delivered threats and laid out his intention to make the mists an “Agent of Death” and to make the Hordelings blank, mindless enforcers across the land. He was clearly opposed to us, to change and to Ragamuffin who he more or less claimed

to have defeated in a hillside conflict. Agamar and his allies among the mistweavers want to fulfil the will of the Mystics as originally set forth and are not receptive to the changes of that will made manifest in successive Cataclysms.

Things became unclear for a period. When I regained awareness of my surroundings, we were standing on a path surrounded by dead Kalid Truebloods. Shortly thereafter we met some Stone Panthers led by High Priest Ragwar. He informed us that they had driven the Truebloods from their lands and that the Stone Panthers, Children of the Brood and Crimson Feast were hunting down any Truebloods they could find.

We agreed a truce with these Kalid that neither of our peoples would enter the lands of the others until at least the Time of Reckoning expected in Bone Moon. We also agreed not to hinder their Hunt. Once this accord was struck, we exchanged much information including the following:

The Kalid Nation lies North of ours and of the Central Lake.

Their waystation is called The Neck and lies to the South of their Nation.

To the East is a great Mountain upon which there appears to be a battle raging among the mistweavers.

To the West are a great many Reader and Shadowsfall.

After returning to the New Inn, we were visited by High Priest Rannin of the Dark Seers accompanied by Valdemar bodyguards. He expressed his concerns about the Dreadlord Araikas and his embodiment of the Dark Pharaoh, state of wakefulness and that he remained an Aspect or Avatar of Set.

Steel Day

We set off to find the place where we could create the first Mist Gate. We met with a lone scout/herald called Roland Cortazza who hailed from a plane called either Galett Haya or Hayet Galaya depending on who we asked. He said he was seeking the Kern Valley Alliance in response to a message sent by his commander’s brother Ichibod. We were unable to elicit further detail and, as he was on his own, directed him to the New Inn where he could make himself known to our people.

The rituals were successfully enacted although they were far from flawless. We tested the summoned Guardians and found them to be sufficient for the purpose. During this ritual, we observed that the mists brought a most interesting and unexpected clarity to Gob who, in the aftermath of binding the Mists to the Place absorbed some of the Mists that assailed us into himself.

Later at the waystation, we were visited by a Reader whose name sounded like Borgias (Borjius?) and had a second by the name of Bernardo. They were accompanied by Shadowsfall bodyguards. The Reader had numerous concerns which we agreed to bring to the attention of the Sector Lords:

Status of the Gest as currency. This was a privilege granted to the Reader by the Shadowsfall and they wish to know if this would continue. There may be an opportunity for leverage with the Reader or DFD over this matter. The Reader ask that we deal with this matter urgently.

Law dealing with Debtors. The Reader want Laws concerning the way that debtors will be held to account. The group felt that this was clearly a matter for the Reader and those with whom they entered into agreements.

DFD presence in waystations. The Reader were concerned with the presence of DFD in every waystation they had visited.

Waystation ownership. They also wanted to know who would manage (or own) those waystations not directly allocated to a Nation.

The Reader issued an invitation to visit them in their lands to further discuss these matters although their Shadowsfall guards advised them against disclosing the location of the Reader Nation at this point.

We took the opportunity to ask that the Shadowsfall pass on a request to their leaders to share the necessary knowledge and rituals to discharge our responsibilities on Orin Rakatha. We did this to try to minimise any problems that may arise during our execution of these duties.

Veryn Manypage also visited. He expressed precious little grief at the passing of his father and also grave reservations about the prospect of Malcolm Middleton rising to power in Aether Town.

That night, we were warned about former Shadowsfall setting up two forward camps from which to lay claim to the lands near to the New Inn. We went to deal with the group between the waystation and Renown took another group to deal with the other camp. We overcame the Shadowsfall who were led by a former Adjudicator of Judge Hawson. Once again, they appeared to be somewhat resigned and looking for an honourable death. Renown’s group also met with success.

Veryn Manypage, Malcolm Middleton, Sir Elanor, Bill Jingle, Pathfinder Scott and Lucinda of the Green School arrived at the waystation with further news:

In order to prepare for the next Conjunction, Sir Clavados has stepped down from the Citadel. No replacement has yet been selected by the Knightly Orders.

Malcolm Middleton gained sufficient support to be confirmed as Sector Lord of Aether Town. He named The Darkbringer as his deputy.

Veryn Manypage gained sufficient support to be confirmed as Sector Lord of the Archive. His first act was to create the Guardians of the Archive and appointed Yorgi as its first member. He also announced that requests for access to the Restricted Section would be handled openly and on a case-by-case basis.

The Cold Ones, formerly of Sector 7, are leaving the Valley to join the Thissessin.