Harqual: Year of the Return [749 N.C.]

Month of Thorn
Week Sixteen (cont.)

1. Seaday
Event: Major thunderstorms throughout the Southern Heartlands and into the Far South. The lands further north receive only a smattering of rain.

An army of tabaxi and strange humanoids appears out of the Storm Jungle, laying siege to Anthmoor. The cities defenders hold off the attacking army but the tabaxi refuse to surrender or retreat. They camp several miles from the city, raiding the surrounding countryside for supplies and slaves.

2. Windday
Lady Felicia Gerrard III arrives back at Avion City telling the counties populace of her encounter with Cronn’s Chosen. A new temple project is started, dedicated to the Lord of the North. Her advisors inform her there is still no word from Nasundria. She immediately sends out more riders.

3. Starday
Event: The Kingdom of Navirosov celebrates High-Heart, High King Jacard Winterknight’s birthday.

Week Seventeen

4 to 9. Moonsday to Starday
Event: This week sees strange occurrences everywhere across the continent of Harqual, as a strange magical fog engulfs the land from the Isles of Ice in the farthest reaches of the Northlands to the Isle of Ghosts just beyond the southern shores of the Far South.

Week Eighteen

10. Moonsday
The magical fog lifts from the land at Midnight on the 10th, leaving many questions to be answered. Like what caused it and where did those strange mountains come from south of the Empire of Swords?

11. Earthday
Event: The comet, Ptah’s Star, leaves Kulanspace. Note: The World of Kulan and Kulanspace are set in my Farspace Cosmology, which can be read at the official Spelljammer Fan Web Site – Beyond the Moons.
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A small scouting party of phanatons discovers unknown ruins, which seem to radiate a strong malevolent presence, on the northwest shore of the Nebral Peninsula. They scamper back into the Merewood as quickly as possible to tell their chieftain.
---
A Regiment of Sword Imperium soldiers, known as the Blades of the Emperor, heads off to explore the new mountain range to the south.

12. Fireday
Several orc and ogre tribes living within the Storm Jungle agree to help the tabaxi conquer the surrounding lands.
---
In Onaway, hundreds of the faithful of Cronn ask Taith-El if he knows what the strange fog was and if the tabaxi might have anything to do with it.

He is just as puzzled by the event as the rest of them. “But I am sure the tabaxi are not involved in this… something… else has happened. Something completely unrelated, yet vital to Harqual’s future. We must try to understand the changes that are happening, we must not look upon this event as an evil thing and yet we must be cautious at the same time. All will be revealed to us when it is time. Until then, do not worry and go on with your lives.”

13. Seaday
The phanaton chieftain of the Merewood declares that the dark ruins discovered two days before are considered off-limits.

The small humanoids have also learned of several new ‘structures’ along the northwestern shore of the Nebral Peninsula. Scouting parties are sent out to find out as much as possible about these new places.

The phanaton’s chieftain hopes they are less dark in nature then the ruins.

14. Windday
The combined might of the tabaxi, strange griffon-like humanoid slaves, and their new orc & ogre allies attack on three fronts -– Anthmoor, Hutmallia and Tallawan. The army attacking Hutmallia breaks through the city’s defenses, captures the city and it’s residences. Tallawan holds its ground with the help of several powerful adventurers. Anthmoor pushes back the invading army, destroying hundreds of enemy soldiers with powerful magic and the aid of the Majestic Bronze Dragon of Harqual, Nethmalinor.

The great dragon warns the attacking army. “You threaten my home and the Tenets of the Balance, evil ones. Continue your onslaught on this city and I will make you pay… personally!”
---
The Thallin merchant ship, Charger, has not returned to Fruen from the north reaches of the Sea of the Sun like it was suppose to. The owner of the vessel fear that it might have been lost at sea due to the strange fog that engulfed the land and seas the previous week. The scout ship, North Wind, is sent to find the lost vessel.
---
A strange, unknown city is discovered on the shore of Cursed Bay, in the Far South, by a nomadic tribe of rakasta. The rakasta flee when approached by the strange red-skinned, multi-armed humanoids of this place, heading for Adabrilia.

15. Starday
Early in the morning, barbarians in the Northlands discover a black citadel on the northwestern shore of Northern Harqual. They run in fear of this strange, unknown structure.
---
Later that same day, dwarven miners, working the eastern hills of the Greystone Mountains, stare in shock at the plains east of the mountains. Dozens of communities dot the land around Lake Gem, where none should be.

A few of them rub their eyes and look again still not believing what they see. “This cannot be, no one could build cities that fast! By Moradin, the fog… the fog did this!”

The miners scramble for their equipment and head towards Milo to tell the High Thane of this strange occurrence.

Week Nineteen

16. Moonsday
The tabaxi armies attacking along the coast of the Storm Peninsula pull back into the Storm Jungle, its leaders unwilling to face the epic power of Nethmalinor. The tabaxi occupying Hutmallia refuse to leave, however, entrenching themselves into the city. They watch the sky, praying too Sa, their other god, for protection against the great Majestic Bronze.
---
In the Far South, a lizardfolk tribe living on the western coast of Ochel, of the Falchion Islands, in Wulman Bay notices strange lights and sounds, during the evening, across the bay near Reef Bay. The superstitious lizardfolk immediately start moving to the other side of the island.
---
That same night, a patrol of soldiers, from the Republic of the Thorn, discover strange ruins on the southern shore of the Thenin Peninsula. They camp outside the ruins for the night, planning to explore the place in the morning. A single rider is sent back to the Fortress of Thenin to tell the Consul of the ruins.

17. Earthday
Event: Circlenight – Druids gather at the Hallowed Lands near the northwestern edge of the Great Forest. They are baffled by the changes happening to the Lands of Harqual.
---
In the Far South, a phanaton scouting party, several miles north of the Merewood’s edge, observe many humans riding large quadrupeds in their direction. They scamper back towards the Merewood, but are unable to reach the forest undetected.

The humans do not approach or try to capture them. Instead they shadow the phanatons all the way back to the Merewood. Once under the canopy, the phanatons quickly disappear from sight. The humans seem alarmed by this and the nature of the forest. They ride away as fast as they can and do not return.

The more curious of the phanatons go and look at the ground where one human had seemed to scratch the ground with a big stick. The scratches appear to be some sort of strange language written in the dirt.

The scouting party returns to the forest’s interior to inform the chieftain of what transpired.

18. Fireday
In the Far South, the city of Adabrilia is found ruined, and completely deserted, by the rakasta that discovered the new city located on the southern shore of the Thenin Peninsula. They worry that these newcomers might have destroyed Adabrilia riding north towards the Lake of the Horde, staying as far away from the new city as possible.
---
Meanwhile a caravan of wagons heading north towards the city of Fialli, from the city-state of Jyl, comes across a city located on the Weald River that wasn’t there before. The caravan master attempts to make contact with the unknown city.

Little progress is made, as the city’s citizens don’t speak a language familiar to the Jylians. Not even magic helps with comprehension. All the caravan’s Spellmaster gets is gibberish. The caravan sets up outside of the city’s walls, hoping that mercantilism and gold will help bridge the gap.

19. Seaday
A mounted patrol, from the Sovereign City of Yuln, discovers an odd, new city, built on stilts, on the eastern coast of Northern Harqual just north of the Great Expanse. They are not allowed into the city, due to the fear of its citizens –- strange birdlike humanoids. They do learn its name, Tschaja.
---
In the Merewood, the phanaton chieftain puzzles over the events described by the patrols he sent out. The encounter with the human’s near the northern edge of the forest was repeated in several places. The humans, from what the scouts reported, appeared almost afraid of them.

“It be unlike the tall-legs to behave so passive,” he muses. He orders his people to stay away from the edge of the Merewood deciding to travel to the deepest parts of the forest and seek the council of the elder treants.

20. Windday
The Xcellian merchant vessel, Wandering Gift, discovers a new city located on the southwest shore of the Nebral Peninsula. The citizens of this new city are beautiful blue-green skinned fey folk. The city’s populace shuns the Xcellian merchants in fear. The Xcellian leave gifts for the newcomers on the shoreline sailing back to their city to tell their Merchant Lord about the strange new city.
---
Meanwhile on the shore of Reef Bay, in the Gibbering City, as the Jylians call it, Spellmaster Dandil Kyin makes a breakthrough in communication. He discovers that the citizens of the city are talking backwards. He immediately begins researching a new spell that will allow for communication.

21. Starday
In The Kingdom of the Greystones, the miners that saw the strange, new cities in the east arrive in Milo and ask for an audience with the High Thane. Her advisors scoff at the idea of dozens of cities appearing out of nowhere, fog or no fog.

They are told to meet with the Thanes of the leaders of their clanhomes to provide proof of what they say through proper methods. And only then would the High Thane consider such unfounded rumors.

Week Twenty

22. Moonsday
A Yulnian Ambassador, named Henry Oswald, is sent to Tschaja to try and open up negotiations with the birdmen.

23. Earthday
A huge army of tabaxi and their allies attack the fortifications at Ilasi. The defenders barely hold of the attack hordes. Tabaxi shamans and sorcerers using powerful magic to block the ability to teleport in or out of the city or send sending spells beyond the city’s walls. Governor Waldgrave has several riders break free from the battle, riding north to try and get reinforcements from Avion City.

24. Fireday
The single rider dispatched to the Fortress of Thenin arrives to meet with the Republic’s leader. Consul Yuinii Bazgal takes the matter before the Senate. The Senate debates into the night on what should be done.

25. Seaday
Early in the morning of the 25th, the Senate of the Republic of the Thorn declares the ruins found by its soldiers to be the property of the Republic and immediately sends out 200 soldiers to lay claim to the ruins and have it explored. They also send out diplomatic envoys to their allies with documents that legally claim the ruins by Thenin law.

26. Windday
Several tabaxi warships attack the city of Onaway but are sunk by the defending forces. The tabaxi survivors are hung as war criminals by the Onans before the night is over.

27. Starday
In the Kingdom of Stonn, sorcerers divine that the strange fog that engulfed Harqual was a one way magical gateway between Kulan and several distant planes. This event has magically altered the land and rumors of new ruins and cities have come from all over Harqual. The reason for this event is not discovered during the divining and the sorcerers name the event The Transformation.

Week Twenty-One

28. Moonsday
The riders from Ilasi arrive in Avion City, exhausted. They beg the Queen for more reinforcements for their beleaguered city. Lady Felicia agrees to send reinforcements. Several members of Cronn’s Pride volunteer to go to Ilasi and help break the siege. She now hasn’t a man to spare for Nasundria, if that city turns out to be under siege as well.

29. Earthday
The Wandering Gift arrives back in Xcellian and its captain informs the Merchant Lord, Anders Carrin, of the new city to the west. Intrigued, Lord Carrin sends his largest trading galleon, the Gem of the South, with some of his best wares, a wizard/vizier to open a dialogue with the newcomers, and some of his elite soldiers –- just in case the newcomers turn out to be hostile.

30. Fireday
The North Wind finds the wreckage of the Charger near the Nervia Isles. The ship’s crew is never found but strange ruins are along a new, altered shoreline that was previously unknown. An elven crewmember on the North Wind names the ruins Caer Tih'bin or Ruins of the Mist.

Month of Truce
Week Twenty-One (cont.)

1. Seaday
In the city of Eversink, several of the city’s night watchmen notice several strange humanoids skulking through the darkness, in the swamp, outside the city. The humanoids, which appeared to look cat-like, don’t attack but the city remains on guard none-the-less. The humanoids might be tabaxi, or even rakasta, but the watchmen could not be sure what they saw.
---
The rakasta that found Adabrilia ruined arrive at the city of Quave, on the shores of the Lake of the Horde. They relate what they’ve seen to several merchants, as they barter for goods. New spreads quickly through the populace of Quave about the destruction of Adabrilia. The Lords of the Horde meet that night to discuss the matter and divine whether or not the new city discovered is friend or foe.

2. Windday
The Yulnian ambassador, Henry Oswald, reaches the gates of Tschaja and asks for an audience with the city’s leader. He is told to wait by the birdmen and is allowed to setup a small makeshift tent outside the city gate.
---
In the Far South, Spellmaster Dandil Kyin finishes researching his comprehend backspeech spell. After casting the spell, he finds he can communicate with the citizens of the Gibbering City. The city is called Anaree and its citizens didn’t realize that they had been transported to another plane of existence.

Dandil Kyin learns that the city’s residents can only see up to 1,000 feet and only in darkvision. The Anars tell Kyin that the only contact they’ve ever had outside of their city is with evil beasts called oniias. In fact, they’ve never been able to travel more than 1,000 feet past their city’s walls. They are eager to learn of this new plane that Kyin calls Harqual.

3. Starday
The patrol of Blades of the Emperor meets a patrol of humans who say they’re from a kingdom on the other side of the mountains called Javeldos. They ask where they are and are slaughtered by the Blades without provocation. A few of the soldiers hurry back to Yösydän, the Imperium capital, to inform the Emperor of the new threat in the south. The rest continue on to war with these unknown interlopers.
---
In the Far South, Spellmaster Dandil Kyin helps his caravan master make a large profit in electrum coins in Anaree. Electrum seems to be the cities only metal and all of its statues, armor, and weapons are made of electrum. The Jylians start calling Anaree the Electrum City in their journals, a name that would catch on across the Far South in the years to come.

Kyin retains the rights to his comprehend backspeech spell, while allowing the Anars the right to sell the spell to other arcane spellcasters in Dandil’s name. The Jylian caravan continues its journey north towards the city of Fialli.
--------------------------
That's enough for today...

Week Twenty-Two

4. Moonsday
The Tschajans finally grant Henry Oswald an audience but only if it is outside the city walls. He agrees. Their leader Auwk-wa, calls his people Kha or the People of the Wind and are from another plane they call Sio. They are a proud race of scholars and warriors. They have never heard of Kulan or Harqual and they have seen their entire world.

Auwk-wa is shocked to learn that his people have been transported to another world. They wish to go back to their homeland but don’t know how to get there. Oswald agrees to ask Lord Harian of Yuln for assistance regarding the matter but warns Auwk-wa there might not be any way for this to be done.

5. Earthday
Event: Feastday – holy day of Daghdha.
---
In Tschaja, Henry Oswald contacts his lord by a sending spell to the amazement of the Kha. They have never seen magic before.

“Truly this land is full of wonders and strange beings.”

Lord Harian agrees to help the Kha as much as he can without destabilizing his own realm or power base. The Kha also don’t have any gods or priests not even in the past. Up until now they have never believed in or seen any mystical forces in their history. However, they are great thinkers, not savages.

“We are eager to learn of these unusual mystical gifts and creatures you call gods.”

6. Fireday
The reinforcements sent by Lady Felicia Gerrard III arrive outside the city of Ilasi. The tabaxi, surrounding the city, are caught on two fronts and decide to retreat back into the Storm Jungle. Governor Waldgrave is killed during the final assault that breaks the siege, leaving the city without a general to lead the city’s garrison and depleted militia. (Sir William Sicorex, of Onaway, still leads the few sea vessels left defending Ilasi. He lost two warships during the last two weeks.) The members of Cronn’s Pride that came with the column of soldiers to Ilasi are elected as generals by the masses to lead the city, until Lady Felicia can appoint a new Governor.
---
In the new, unknown lands south of the Sword Imperium, King Khalen Javeldos, and his advisors, learn that they have been transported to another world. King Khalen was horrified to learn that several members of his family and some of Javeldos most well known citizens have seemed too have disappeared. His son, Vanan, is nowhere to be found.

7. Seaday
Henry Oswald leaves Tschaja for Yuln in order to make a detailed report to Lord Harian and prepare for an official posting at Tschaja. Before he leaves, he is bestowed a special name by the Kha, Xuianwas or Mindbrother.

8. Windday
A tabaxi raiding party is spotted outside of the city of Shaule, east of Lake Nest. The tabaxi seem to vanish from sight, as if by magic, before any of the guards can inform the city’s ruler, Prince Winston Hallet. Prince Hallet triples the guards on the walls of his city and the number of patrols sent out each day.
---
In Javeldos, The Blades of the Emperor attack Tutras Keep claiming it for the Imperium. Thus begins the war between Sword Imperium and the Javeldians.
---
In the Far South, the Xcellian ship Gem of the South arrives on the shore near the new city discovered by the Wandering Gift. The vizier, Randolph Baer, tries to open up negotiations with the city’s inhabitants but the strange fey humanoids of the city are deathly afraid of this new land. They don’t understand the Xcellian vizier’s words and run screaming from the wall when several Xcellian merchants approach carrying trade goods. The vizier is unsure of what to do next.

9. Starday
Ambassador Oswald arrives back in Yuln and tells Lord Harian of the Kha and their fascinating customs. Harian decides to visit Tschaja himself later on in the month and meet these intriguing birdmen. He also sends riders to the Barony of Liran in the north to tell his ally Lord Edward, of the existence of these peaceful newcomers. He sends Ambassador Oswald back to Tschaja ahead of him, sending along several gift packages for the Kha.
---
In the Far South, the Jylian caravan, that discovered Anaree, arrives at the city of Fialli. The caravan master tells the story of the Anars, but the locals simply think he’s gone crazy. He does little in the way of business.

Spellmaster Dandil Kyin shows his new spell to some local wizard friends and tells them of Anaree. He asks if anything strange has been going on in Fialli. His friends tell him rumors of strange lights to the east of the other side of Lake Osebye, along the northern coast of Reef Bay. None have gone to investigate, as there is some debate as to whether or not it might be more machinations of the evil humanoids of the city of Tulsax.

Kyin convinces his caravan master that in would be worthwhile to check out the rumors. The strange fog that brought Anaree to the continent could have brought another city to Harqual as well. The caravan begins restocking its supplies for a longer journey to the east.
---
Meanwhile, Randolph Baer spends all day and night praying for guidance from his goddess, Immotion, the Patron of Magic, outside the gates of the City of Fear. He beseeches his goddess to help him ease the minds of the newcomers. His prayers continue long into the night.

Week Twenty-Three

10. Moonsday
News reaches the city of Sumdall in the Kingdom of Izmer that tabaxi have been seen near the borders of the Kingdom. Queen Savina de Braose worries that the tabaxi might attack Gonnetz Town. She sends he most trusted knight, Ridley Freeborn, along with 300 soldiers to protect the remote town.
---
In Javeldos, Javeldian soldiers retake Tutras Keep and capture the invaders.
---
Outside the City of Fear, as the Xcellian merchants are calling it, Randolph Baer receives a vision from Immotion regarding the fey humanoids inside the city.

“You devotion is strong Baer, but faith alone will not help you win the trust of these fey people. You must make them believe in you if they are to be a part of this world. Even if it means you betray all that your mortal lord stands for.”

Baer is intrigued and confused by Immotion’s words. He continues to meditate through the night seeking answers inside his own soul.

11. Earthday
In the Far South, the 200 soldiers dispatched to the new ruins, by the Senate of the Republic of the Thorn, find the soldiers of the original patrol slaughtered. They have been gutted and half eaten by some unknown beast. The commanders order the bodies burned and anything left over buried. They also order patrols set up around the ruins and several excursions into the ruins.

By nightfall, the men sent into the ruins have not returned by the designated time. The commanders increase patrol frequency and send word to the Fortress of Thenin that the ruins may be harder too tame than was originally thought. They ask for another hundred soldiers and that a call be put out for explorers and adventurers to delve into the ruins.
---
In Tschaja, The Kha build a new clan house for Mindbrother and his people.

12. Fireday
In Yösydän, Emperor Audun Liedenpohja learns of the newcomers and immediately declares a state of war and sends three stands of troops (200 per), stationed in the Sword South, to conquer the Javeldians.
---
Outside the City of Fear, Randolph Baer makes the decision to send the merchants back to Xcellian without forcing their wares upon the fey citizens of the city. This decision isn’t popular with the merchants and they inform him that they plan to take up the matter with Anders Carrin once back in Xcellian. Baer pays them no mind, as the Gem of the South leaves, kneeling before the gate, praying to Immotion and trying to convince the populace of the city to trust him.
---
Meanwhile, in the city of Fialli, the Jylian caravan sets out along the southern shore of Lake Osebye towards the east.

13. Seaday
News of the return of the tabaxi quickly spreads through the cities of the Kingdom of Izmer – Vylend, Alistia, and Pretensa. Queen Savina de Braose, worried that her people will begin to panic, sends out riders to each city with an official proclamation that she is aware of the tabaxi threat and that forces are being mobilized in order to prevent an invasion. Against her better judgment, she also sends a rider to Antius City to warn that region’s rulers.
---
Lord Edward of Liran learns of the Kha and their strange city. He sends a rider to Yuln with a message for Lord Harian that he would like to visit this new city but warns Lord Harian to tell the Kha to stay out of the Thunder Mountains, as the mountain orcs of the Black Kingdom there have been more active.

14. Windday
Ambassador Oswald arrives back in Tschaja with several gifts from Lord Harian and the people of Yuln – fine silk, sweetmeats, and tons of the finest parchment. He is pleasantly surprised to see the house he was built. Auwk-wa presents him with several gifts as well – wooden toys created in their homeland, a small clockwork box that plays music without the aid of magic, and a beautiful string of pearls.

"That you may give to your mate, when is she to arrive?”

This made Oswald blush, as he has never had a wife. "I am not much to look at and most women I meet consider me either too old or too odd.”

Auwk-wa was highly disturbed by this. ”How can this be, you are a honorable creature with the special gift of magic?”

Oswald replies that many wizards like him must devote so much time to the magic that there isn’t time for family. “The magic is my life and my fellow wizards across Harqual are my family. But I do have Timothy, my cat. He is all the companionship I’ll ever need.”

Oswald holds up his familiar with great pride for all the Kha to see. This seems to please Auwk-wa and he places the pearls around Timothy’s neck and calls him Ithin Awli, or Little Claw.

15. Starday
In Izmer, Ridley Freeborn and the soldiers sent to Gonnetz Town arrive in that large town. The town’s citizens are relieved to see the famous knight and the much needed military aid.
---
In the city of Hutmallia, on the Storm Peninsula, the tabaxi put down a riot by the local populace with deadly force. It doesn’t have the desired effect. The entire city riots, taking the battle to the tabaxi. By nights end the city is free of the tabaxi – none of the invaders are left alive.
---
Event: The elves of the Kingdom of the Silver Leaves celebrate Oakenleaf, the coming of age ceremony for young silver elves.

Week Twenty-Four

16. Moonsday
Hutmallia send riders to both Anthmoor and Tallawan to ask for aid in protecting Hutmallia from the tabaxi until the city’s walls can be rebuilt.
---
Several Ilasi scouts spot a huge army of tabaxi, orcs, ogres, and creatures now known as griff. They ride back to Ilasi to warn the city that the tabaxi are on the move again.

17. Earthday
In Javeldos, King Khalen learns that an unknown imperialistic land to the north has attacked his people. He consuls with his most trusted advisors to decide what course of action he should take.

18. Fireday
In Ilasi, the members of Cronn’s Pride decide to make a preemptive strike on the approaching army, sending out dozens of rangers and scouts to harass them. Several of the scouts make note of the fact that the army has split in two. The larger force is moving further north towards the rest of the communities of the Monarchy, while the second column has turned towards Ilasi. The member of Cronn’s Pride leading the rangers, the half-elf Siegfried Allowood, tells several scouts to break away towards the north and warn the Queen.
---
The populace, in the Kingdom of Javeldos, starts to panic when it is discovered that their kingdom has been transported to another world. Dozens of families seem to be missing certain members and people begin to fear the worst. Chaos spreads like wildfire.

19. Seaday
On the Storm Peninsula, the Hutmallia riders reach the city of Tallawan but are not allowed to enter. They are told that Tallawan will not divide its forces to help the other city.
---
In Javeldos, at the suggestion of his advisors, King Khalen officially declares war on the unknown northerners of this new land. His court wizards discover the existence of several cities to the south.
---
In the Far south, the Jylian caravan approaches the coastline where the strange lights were said too have been seen. What they find is a city that looks exactly like Anaree from a distance. Spellmaster Dandil Kyin wonders if the caravan went off course somehow. After some divinations, he discovers that the caravan is where is should be and that Anaree has not moved.

The caravan stops for the night, with the strangely familiar city just on the horizon. Kyin is left scratching his head after several failed divination attempts teaches him nothing about the City That Should Not Be. (This is one of the cryptic answers he gets from a contact other plane spell.) He insists on going alone to the new city in order to discover the truth about Anaree and this other city.

20. Windday
Several riders appear at the gates to the Fortress of Thenin. They bring word of the strange, unknown dangers threatening the soldiers sent to tame the ruins. The Consul reluctantly sends 50 more soldiers with a message that she expects better from Warriors of Thenin and that no more help will be forthcoming until results are achieved. However, she does have several rewards posted for exploring the new ruins. 500 gold pieces to each party member that delves into the ruins and comes back with useful information or a trophy.
---
In Javeldos, King Khalen sends two diplomatic missions south to the cities, against the wishes of his advisors, one by land and one by sea.

21. Starday
The Hutmallia riders sent to Anthmoor arrive at that city and petition its rulers to help defend Hutmallia. The Council of Elders agrees to help as long as Hutmallia agrees to become a vassal city to Anthmoor. The riders, given full decision-making authority before they left Hutmallia, quickly agree. Anthmoor sends several sorcerers and a small legion of troops to protect and occupy Hutmallia.
---
In the Monarchy of Avion, Siegfried Allowood leads his rangers and scouts back into the city of Ilasi with the tabaxi hot on their heels. By the end of the day, Ilasi is again under siege.
---
In the far South, Spellmaster Dandil Kyin casts an overland flight spell, takes to the air, and heads towards the City That Should Not Be. He stops 1,000 feet before the walls and is amazed to see that this city is indeed an exact duplicate of Anaree.

He goes the rest of the way on foot.

The surprised citizens look, behave, speak, and have the exact same names and lives as the citizens of the other Anaree. He has to cast comprehend backspeech to be able to communicate with them and meets with the exact same city leaders as he and his caravan master had met with in the other Anaree.

He tells them everything he knows, about the other city, where it is, and where this Anaree is in relation to it. He is able to tell them personal things about their lives that he shouldn’t know and can describe places in the city he had visited in the other city.

The citizens aren’t sure if they believe him. They ask for proof and Kyin is hard pressed, as they, like the other Anaree citizens can’t see beyond 1,000 feet. He could teleport some of their leaders to the other city but they aren’t sure they like that option. Magic has always been hazardous to use in the city.

Kyin ponders it over before going to sleep at his favorite inn in the city. He’ll travel back to his caravan tomorrow and discuss the matter with his caravan master. He notes in his journal that there is ‘something’ different about the citizens of ‘this’ Anaree, but he can’t fathom what it might be.