The First World rumbled ominously for many days, and some sought out its
source. Yet at every turn, their answers were the same - those close to
the elements sensed the pain and death of the lands and seas. Those fae
who were asked were more subdued, and even Wise Lamella of the Tryko
Forest uttered a dark premonition, warning those of the Serenwilde that
the end of the First World was near, and soon there shall be no return
from that point. The being known as Raezon smiled, and promised those
close to Him the time would soon come for them to serve.

As Lusternia cried out in pain, the Elder Gods began to appear once
more, after a long absence - first, three Lisaeras, Mother, Maiden and
Crone, attacked the Avatars of Moon, shrieking and demanding obedience
and servitude while threatening death. Once the Serenwilde came to their
aide, vanquishing the three manifestations of the Silver Goddess,
another appeared - this one distraught, sickly, and fretful of Selene's
cries. Protective and fever-wrought, Lisaera shunned the mortals as
attackers, and swept away with the Avatar of Mother Moon. Serenwilde
spent months searching for the First of Mothers yet could not find her,
worried this was another of what they presumed to be clones or
mimicries.

Upon the Plane of Celestia several manifestations of Eventru, Crown of
the Exalted appeared, rushing to attack Raziela, the Loving Radiance.
Yet as they entered her arbour, Nydekion of the Paladins stood waiting,
blade in hand, and grimly made quick work of them. Distraught, Raziela
fled to Elohora, sobbing and crying out for Eventru. Indeed did He
manifest, however sickly and weak, attempting to reassure Raziela.
Upset, the young Supernal lept into His arms, sobbing, and He took her
away. Many pondered if it was the true Eventru, or another of these
mimicries. And so chaos and confusion soon settled into the Basin of
Life as many began to wonder which, if any, of the Gods were true gods,
and which were false. Yet soon it would not matter, for the First World
was tearing itself apart from within.

As Lusternia marched onwards like the mechanical clockworkings of
Nosfydra, the three sisters of Fate would murmur to one another,
measuring threads, weaving them, snipping them, knowing that soon the
Tapestry of Fate would come to a cross roads - and greater grew the
probability that the Tapestry would cease to exist, severed, with
nothing more of the First World to weave. And while the Sisters of Fate
watched that point come, they saw threads begin to shift, as the
death-throws of the First World opened the path to salvation. They saw
within the Tapestry the chase that waged unseen within the realm of
dreams, where the Tide Lords and Earth Lords each fled from the beasts
that hunted them. It was Skerriagh, Lord of the High Tide who had made a
great and noble sacrifice, luring that which hunted the Lords of the
Tide to him, allowing the others to escape. As another creature joined
the hunt, Skerriagh had found his way blocked off - and so too had
Gravynia, who had lingered longest of the Earth Lords. Turning and
fleeing, they returned to the waking world.

Deep beneath the Sea of Despair a passage tore open in one of the many
earthquakes, sending great plumes of water into the air. Raezon, the
Forbidden stood upon the southern shore of the Sea of Despair, watching,
smiling darkly. Beside Him stood a Nihilist named Romero, who had sworn
to serve Raezon in the making of some dark pact between them. Diving
into the Sea of Despair, Romero sought out what Raezon sent him for -
but it was Esano of Magnagora who first found what the Fates eagerly
watched, the Taerin Passages. Within the remnants of two tribes of mages
were found - those of the aquamancers, and those of the geomancers.
Quickly the insane merian Nuchures began demanding assistance, and Esano
took a disc bearing an agreement, a would-be pact to Gravynia, who
agreed. Yet as Esano and Ixion went to work upon the Plane of Earth,
Sarrasri and Desitrus set to work within the Plane of Water, bearing a
pact for Skerriagh, who likewise agreed.

With much effort and bloodshed, the combined forces of New Celest and
Serenwilde slew Nuchures, the geomancer, claiming a blackened piece of
parchment from his corpse - and soon, Arix had begged and pleaded with
Meratin, who surrendered her piece after much coercion. Meanwhile,
Sarrasri had set to work upon the Ethereal Plane within the newly
discovered Crystal Meadows, which was a reflection of the crystal
lattice that surrounded and pierced the Taerin Passages. That lattice
upon the Prime Material harmonized perfectly with the elemental
vibrations, thus having made them ideal for research during the Holy
Celestine Empire, before destruction rained down upon them due to an
accident, sealing them off. In the accident, Meratin shared while
Sarrasri worked, the passages had flooded once more with water. The
researchers found themselves too far from the Pool of Stars upon the
Island Empire of Celest and the Stone of Truth in Magnagora, and those
without the natural ability to breathe underwater drowned tragically.

After several days of effort Nydekion took over the work for Sarrasri,
while Meratin continued to discuss the nature of her people to any who
would listen. The tales of their survival, living off of sea kelp and
the pure waters that had been sealed off in the accident, the last pure
remnants of the Crystal Sea, and the sad tales of the Great Madness and
the Culling that had occured in her ancestor's time. Cheers rose up from
the combined forces of the Forest of Serenwilde and New Celest as the
last crystal plinth slid into place, elemental energies flood through
the area as a gate opened to the elemental planes.

Many gasped in shock as they crossed the planar divide, entering a
frozen, glacial sea. A single aquamancer apprentice awaited them, ready
to help as he could, sent on by Meratin, who had returned to the Taerin
Passages to continue her studying. It was Shric of New Celest who
managed to plea for an ice pick from the igasho of Snow Valley, digging
up ancient equipment used for some experiment. As they attempted to
replicate the old methods, elementals of the plane of earth began to
descend upon them, attempting to uproot and destroy the poles and
equipment.

Eager for the fight, those gathered set to work, slaying the attacking
elementals. One in particular, Nejii Talnara of the Serenwilde, eager
and his blood still hot from the fight, paid little attention when the
glacier shattered, and out sprung a flow of dark water, quickly forming
into a woman who bemoaned her imprisonment and promised vengeance.
Lashing out, Nejii quickly slew the woman named Sarye, Lady of the Dark
Tide. Shrieking and upset, the aquamancers of the Taerin Passages
bemoaned the loss of one of the Lords of the Tide - indeed, even
Skerriagh became upset. Though with the Lord of High Tide's assistance,
New Celest restored Sarye, who returned to the Glacier Sea, and quickly
began instructing New Celest on how to create a vessel for her, so she
might claim vengeance upon the Lords of Earth.

Working together, New Celest and Serenwilde quickly formed the device,
which Sarye entered, and ordered them to deliver it to prime. As Meratin
explained the nature of the device, and how it represented the Lady
Sarye's travels through the planar fold, Desitrus of New Celest smiled
and volunteered himself for the task. Indeed, though he occasionally
lead Sarye into the stray trap set by the geomancers, he finally brought
her to the Prime Material Plane, where she synched with the elemental
vibrations of the crystals, and grew infinitely more powerful.

Visiting her brother, Skerriagh, Sarye gave her thanks for ressurecting
her by luring out that which hunted the Tide Lords in the Dreaming and
the Plane of Water. With assistance from Serenwilde, New Celest put down
the gargantuan creature, a massive, three-headed starsucker that easily
dwarfed even the bloated ones recently found upon the plane. As the sore
upon Avechna's Peak emitted a cloud of grey essence, Sarye returned to
the Taerin Passages, and so her own attack upon the Earth Plan was
initiated - though what that would mean for Magnagora has yet to be
fully seen.

Upon the Plane of Earth, several months later, Mistress Jezebel felt
drawn to but one conclusion - she herself stole the Tainted Staff of
Earthen Ire from Silvanus, the champion of the Geomancers, intending to
use its power to call out the creature that hunted the Lords of Earth.
And so she did - Magnagora watched on, several calling out for her to
stop, as Jezebel called out and called forth the creature, a worm of
massive proportions that towards nearly as high as the mountain Jezebel
stood upon, pulsing black with the tainted energies it had consumed. As
the worm dove towards the lady geomancer, she hissed and spit in
defiance, until it was so close she herself was nearly consumed. With a
cry born of hatred and perhaps insanity, Mistress Jezebel swung the
Tainted Staff of Earthen Ire, slamming it against the gigantic head of
the worm. As the staff shattered, the creature was thrown back from the
explosion, tumbling down the side of the mountain.

Eager to avenge the pain done the plane they have always known as their
own, Magnagora lept to slay the worm and, as it cried its final death
keen, Avechna's Peak shuddered, a cloud of grey essence leaking skyward.
The Earthen Lords slowly emerged from the Dreaming, pleased to see that
which threatened them now gone. Returning to her home, Jezebel of the
Geomancers nodded, pleased with herself.

Little did mortal-kind know, however, what had been done. Each city,
each forest had moved to defend themselves, yet in the process,
condemned themselves. Avechna's Peak rumbled ominously in the distance,
leaking essence into the sky above.

Penned by My hand on the 11th of Roarkian, in the year 225 CE.