A few months prior, cheers, laughter, and songs echoed from the Isle of
Nyalia as the merians of the Research Centre celebrated the beginning of
a grand and righteous expedition. The rest of the Basin was largely
unaware that anything important was taking place, though the citizens of
New Celest learned of the quest from a merian bravo while the latter
shopped in the city for supplies. The Celestians were content to leave
Nyalia Centre to their own devices - until, one month later, a strange
sensation rippled throughout the Basin, originating from beneath the
Inner Sea.

The sudden shift in reality triggered a vision that visited every
citizen of Magnagora: the image of a gaunt humanoid sitting upon a
sombre black throne seared into their minds, sending the whole city in a
clamour. During the mad search for the mysterious throne that ensued,
the Demon Lord Baalphegar contacted Kalas Destridas, Champion of the
Nihilists, and instructed him to calm his fellow Magnagorans. Baalphegar
continued to explain that an artifact of the Vernal God Urlach had been
awakened, and if possessed, could greatly benefit the undead of the
city. Speaking through Destridas, the Demon Lord reassured the
Magnagorans that he could provide them with an item, which would assist
them in finding the artifact. However, he needed time to prepare it, and
would not be disturbed until he was ready.

Meanwhile, Naralis Siarani, Briuur Eli'Silar, and Kelly La'Saet sought
out Marinus in his office on Nyalia, but the elder merian remained
stubborn. Questions about the expedition mentioned the month before were
met with vague replies until Marinus shooed them from his office. The
Celestians noted the worry in his voice, but did not pester him further,
instead leaving to check on the various inhabitants of the Inner Sea. A
few Hallifaxians and Serenwilders joined them, inquiring with those
dwelling within the Undervault as well in a hunt for answers.

Over the next several days, several members of the ur'Guard reported
receiving visions, some sensible, others not. They pestered their guild
tutor and several individuals known for their knowledge of Urlach, yet
none yielded the answers they sought. The undead knights were left to
ponder the illusions of pallid orclachs, black, foaming waters, and
bulky insectoid creatures that plagued them.

After searching the Inner Sea and returning with nothing, the citizens
of New Celest finally received their answers. Marinus made his way to
the city and held a private meeting with Naralis and Syridean Dawneye
within the Star Palace. There, he revealed to them the truth: Nyalia
Research Centre had sent a small group of researchers into the Inner Sea
to find the Throne of Urlach, which had been kept in a research facility
at the sea's bottom during the Old Celestine Empire. The expedition team
was led by Ganine Natharian and Marinus's own niece, Yaloth - both
bright, young archaeologists whom Marinus trusted. However, nearly two
months had passed without any word from the team, and the Archmage had
grown concerned over their well-being.

He also revealed that prior to his journey to New Celest, one of Ganine
and Yaloth's assistant archaeologists had returned to Nyalia, violently
ill and close to death. Before falling unconscious, the merian told
Marinus that the once righteous Ganine had become obsessed with the
power of the Throne and that the whole team was in danger. The dying
merian gave the Archmage a jagged bone shard, claiming it was from the
site where the Throne stood, before he fell unconscious and was sent to
recover in isolation. With no other options left, Marinus enchanted the
shard and brought it to New Celest, entrusting it to the city's leaders
and instructing them to use it to find Ganine.

At the same time, Baalphegar summoned the entirety of Magnagora to him
and gave his instructions through Othero d'Vanecu. A fragile bone
fragment fell to the ground at the viscanti's feet - the item of aid
promised by the Demon Lord. Immediately, and as a single unit, Magnagora
departed, led by Othero, Ruiku i'Viani, and the magical shard.

And so began the race to find the Throne of Urlach. In a extraordinary
display of quick thinking and observation, the citizens of Magnagora
followed their bone shard to various places around the Basin until they
arrived, at last, to a previously undiscovered tunnel by the Undersea of
Keph. While the Celestians struggled with their clues, the Magnagorans
stumbled through the damp passageway to discover the ruins of an
enormous facility.

They quickly found the Throne in its centre, but also found a strangely
gaunt and obviously mad merian who called himself Ganine. When Ganine
revealed that only he knew the secrets of the Throne, the Magnagorans
agreed to help him, quickly slaying the mutated, undead cave-fishers
that infested the ruins and recovering the cocooned bodies of several
merian archaeologists. Once free from the silken confines, the
archaeologists explained that in order to power the Conduit of Celestial
Fire, the altars in the ruins must be restored, but their pieces were
scattered throughout the rubble. While the rest of their companions met
the Celestian group that had finally arrived, Nariah d'Vanecu, Othero,
and Estwald n'Kylbar took it upon themselves to find the pieces and
restore the altars using clues found on scattered gem tablets.

Soon, however, the three had to abandon their mission as a battle raged
between the forces of Celest and Magnagora. The former called upon their
allies in Hallifax and Glomdoring, and shrines to Lord Fain, Lady
Terentia, and Lady Viravain arose amid the chaos to hinder the Orders'
respective enemies. Magnagora finally withdrew from the Undervault,
shouting that the merians were merely using them to fix the Throne for
the Light, yet a handful of their citizens continued to harass New
Celest, attacking their planes and sneaking into the shattered facility
to steal important items and kill merians. This back-and-forth struggle
continued over the next several days until, finally, the Celestians were
left in peace within the ruins.

A small group of Celestians decided to assist Yaloth Shervalian in her
attempt to infuse the Throne of Urlach with Light and thwart Ganine's
plans. While Nydekion La'Saet learned how to restore the altars from the
various archaeologists, Shric Dilculo and Telperion Eli'Silar led their
fellows around the ruins, gathering all of the necessary altar pieces
and, at Nydekion's instruction, placing them where they belonged. With
the assistance of Chixsanga of Gaudiguch, the citizens of New Celest lit
the Conduit of Celestial Fire, and though Shric manipulated it to fill
the Throne with Light, Azula Vivalde was the one to activate the Throne
at last.

Excited to see the fruits of their labour, the Celestians and Chixsanga
gathered within the throne room, an excited Yaloth Shervalian at their
side. At the researcher's instruction, Azula sat upon the glowing Throne
of Urlach; when she stood, she was aglow with its blessing. The others
with her took turns receiving the Throne's blessing - until, that is,
Esano Koicei returned to the ruins and fought his way to the Vernal
artifact. When he took a seat upon it, however, the celestial fires
answered in kind: they wreathed his body in flames, slaying him
instantly.

Impressed by their discovery and pleased with their success, the
Celestians returned to their city and spread the good news. Unbeknownst
to them, however, Esano returned to life within the borders of
Magnagora, and whispers soon spread throughout the city of the undead
about restoring the Throne of Urlach to its true purpose.

Penned by My hand on the 9th of Kiani, in the year 270 CE.