Shimotabi Xiim, the Most Venerable Dairuchi, was an old dracnari, old
enough to remember many things others had forgotten - and old enough to
begin forgetting things that were not worth so wizened a mind to
remember. However, the occurrences of a prior evening - nearly a week
passed, now - clung to his memory, unyielding and constantly pressing
upon his thoughts. He had awoken from a dream into another, rife with
the sounds of two animals fighting, a cobra and a roadrunner. He'd
watched as the cobra swallowed the bird whole, and settled upon the
floor. Unbothered, Shimotabi looked away, only to again look at the
serpent - this time to find the roadrunner breaking its way through the
cobra's stomach, ripping itself free violently. Once more Shimotabi
awoke, perturbed. Unable to surrender the ill-divining feel he held, the
Most Venerable Dairuchi decided it was time to do what he never thought
he would, in his old age - make a pilgrimage.

Whilst Shimotabi Xiim dreamt of horrors, the Collective of Hallifax
quietly considered the latest occurrences that it had detected during
its observations of the space-time continuum. The Collective saw what
the Venerable Dairuchi would himself come to the conclusion, after
meditating with his former students. The release of the cities of
Gaudiguch and Hallifax was an understandably immense instance - and it
was reverberating throughout time. A temporal aftershock, like a ripple
across a pond, was heading towards the current time period - and the
Collective had calculated its odds of prevention as moderate. Realizing,
however, the nature of the aftershock and that it would likely reoccur
continuously until permanently disseminated, the Collective of Hallifax
began initiating procedures to procure an object it deemed only as 'the
Conclave'. Temporal experimentation rocked the city of Hallifax for days
upon days as the Collective would continue its attempts, however each
time it would fail.

While Hallifax shuddered beneath the attempts of the Collective to
divert disaster, Gaudiguch was host to a gathering of the minds, so to
speak - for Shimotabi Xiim had reunited with Yiratcho Chum, his nephew's
son Chirungo Xiim, Masasachi Dith and Miseoki Tleeth, all former
students of the Venerable Dairuchi, all masters of the House of
Meditation in the city of Gaudiguch. Together they contemplated the
dream Shimotabi had endured, and all had come to the same conclusion -
time itself was rippling, and the ripple was coming towards them.
Together they pooled what magic they could, assisting the Guardian
Drachou as he took flight into the skies above the city, attempting to
raise wards against it.

Too little, however, and known too late. The ripple came and - despite
the Guardian Drachou and the Collective's efforts - the temporal
aftershock of the return of the cities collided high above the Balach
Swamp. As the edges brushed against one another the sky itself ripped
open, and the rift sank down to settle into the swamp. Immediately
setting into action, the Time Sentinels of Hallifax arrived first at the
temporal rift, noting its strangely stable condition just prior to the
arrival of Shimotabi Xiim and Yiratcho Chum, lead there by the free
citizenry of Gaudiguch. Drawing upon what chaos magic he could, the Most
Venerable Dairuchi attempted to destabilize the rift - but as he worked,
his frail and old body failed him. Dying, Shimotabi begged Yiratcho to
take him to Gaudiguch, so he may pass in the halls he so longed to see
for much of his life.

Arriving after Shimotabi's departure, Irima Ironwing, the first Sentinel
of the modern era, scoffed at the attempts that had precluded her own
and set to work to seal the rift. Several times she expressed her
concerns, noting that she may be forced to only distort it temporarily
while another means to close it permanently is found. Unfortunately, she
was not given time to finish. As the last of her crystals were placed
the rift erupted with a familiar, alien foe - great crimson dominators,
one-eyed, whip-wielding horrors, poured through the temporal rift and
into the Basin of Life, driving hordes of mangy, tortured scufflers
before them, all aching for the shedding of blood. Quickly those
gathered were slaughtered and, by the hundreds, the invaders pushed
south, towards the Glomdoring Forest.

For the first time the monstrosities spoke, their grotesque, horrible
voices calling for the Glomdoring to withdraw, their demands simple -
surrender your nexus, and we shall allow you to live on as slaves.
Resist, and you will perish. Even as Glomdoring fought back, Magnagora
found themselves pressed upon from all directions, the horrors crying
out for the city to surrender the Megalith of Doom. Within moments more
of the creatures were seen pouring through the rifts to support their
fellows, while other groups broke away to attack elsewhere. Hallifax,
Gaudiguch, Serenwilde, New Celest. In turn everyone found themselves
pressed against by the alien force, each rebuking the demands to
surrender their nexus.

As the entire Basin of Life was thrown into chaos, Mosachi Xeeth, the
Master of the laboratories of Mu, made a proposition to the dying
Shimotabi. Many of Gaudiguch stood on and listened as promises were made
between the dracnari, and that what was known only as 'the Secret of
Secrets' would be opened and save Shimotabi's life simultaneously.
Quickly Gaudiguch set to work, many seen toiling upon the Vortex for
days, while others defended their city against attack after attack.

The Collective of Hallifax calmly explained to the citizenry of the
crystal city that the Sentinels lacked the temporal control to close
such a rift, even theorizing that it was being willfully controlled by
the dominators and whatever drove them. Utilizing crystals from the
Transphenortex Grid and the jewels by which the dominators manipulated
the rift and managed to exert some measure of control over time travel,
the forces of Hallifax began erecting a great spire to draw what the
Collective called 'the Conclave' into their time period, saying that it
had fallen out of sync due to the timelock the city had endured as a
result of the Operation Crucible-Project Paradox phenomena.

Hallifax succeeded, their spire complete enough for the Collective to
discharge the city's generators through it and draw the Conclave of the
Matrix Research Institute into sync with the current time period. A
brief query of questions were offered to those who rushed into the
Matrix Research Institute and, once it had determined the date, the
Conclave set about destabilizing the rift. Exerting previously unseen
control over temporal energies, the Conclave assured those present that
the rift would soon be frayed enough to close easily.

In Gaudiguch, many mourned the potential loss of the venerable dracnari
- many because of what he meant to dracnari across the Basin, but many
more because it had been discovered that he was the Keeper of the
Illuminati. Whispering softly to Yiratcho, Shimotabi apologized many
times for being unable to pass on much of the knowledge of the secretive
guild, once thought lost to time but in truth had existed throughout
history. Mosachi Xeeth began a rite that saved Shimotabi's life, with
many staring in rapt anticipation as he was, by unknown means, saved.
All that was seen following the sudden and miraculous recovery of the
old dracnari was his robed, hooded and shrouded form as he deftly
vanquished the rift, shifting its energies until it was unable to
maintain itself.

Returning to Gaudiguch, the Most Venerable Shimotabi Xiim, Keeper of the
Illuminati opened what had been sealed for countless centuries: the
Pyramid of the Illuminati. What secrets lay inside few know, and likely,
few ever will. Some say the Secret of Secrets has been opened, and the
Illuminati have returned once more to Gaudiguch. Many whisper that they
have returned to the city in full, re-establishing themselves as one of
the city's guilds and reaffirming their link with the Eternal Flame and
the unborn cosmic creche known as the Vortex.

Meanwhile in Hallifax the city thrums with activity as the Matrix
Research Institute opens its doors once more, the Conclave quietly
watching from its containment as many trill and lucidian flood into its
ranks, hoping to bolster the city's exploration and re-affirm themselves
as the leaders of science and temporal studies within the Basin of Life.
Unsurprisingly, there have already began grumblings over the cost of
gems, as the Institute resumes its accumulation of the much prized,
precious stones for what has once more been deemed 'the greater good'.


Penned by My hand on the 12th of Avechary, in the year 268 CE.