"Aiiiii!"

That was the cry heard by Marcella of Magnagora one quiet evening in the
city, rising from the warehouse district. Drawn by the noise, Marcella
went to investigate, only to find a mysterious shadow leaping away from
her across the city's rooftops. The zoo also erupted in noise: a parrot
squawking in response to some disturbance, but Marcella arrived again
too late to catch the bright-eyed perpetrator, whose tall, slender
shadow left Magnagora by the Lich Gate.

Gaudiguch was experiencing similar concerns with a mysterious visitor.
Bairloch was having a quiet drink in the Watering Hole of the Wasted
Wakabi, conversing with Beloch at the bar, when the bar exploded in a
clatter of overturned stools: a blue blur dashed through the darkness
and into the streets. Though Bairloch gave chase, the mysterious figure
always seemed one step ahead of him, until he finally cornered the tall,
shadowy figure on the high balcony of Revelry. The figure gestured
wildly, speaking in a strange language, wary and frightened. Despite
Bairloch's best efforts to make it feel comfortable, the figure leaped
away and left the city by the Gates of Enlightenment, as witnessed by
Jolanthe, and then it escaped across the lava pools to disappear into
nothingness.

-----

"Tamaon mika?"

Those were the words first uttered by a likewise mysterious stranger two
months later in Serenwilde, who upset Abeytu's plant pots in the
Arboretum and leaped through the trees in fear and in alarm. Elexia,
Vefai, Tiandor, Millien, Karandyn, Fritholf, and Bakulao looked
everywhere for the stranger, but the very trees that kept Serenwilde
covered under the canopy also hid the shadow figure from curious,
seeking eyes. Eventually, at the very edge of the forest by the Inner
Sea, the shadow finally paused to crouch in the long grasses. Though
various foods and bracelets were offered and was eventually taken by
long, slender fingers, the shadow figure remained wary. In response to a
sudden movement, the figure leaped into the Inner Sea and was eventually
thought to be drowned--the only remaining evidence of its presence a
stretchy, waterlogged belt that washed up on shore. Despite efforts of
Tiandor to seek a translation for the figure's words from Weeky Peedia
and others across the Basin, the strange language spoken by the figure
remained a mystery.

Meanwhile, the southern forest of Glomdoring was playing host to its own
visitor, who leaped across trees and cried out in a high ululating voice
after struggling free from Glomdoring's spider webs. Shehrose was the
first to spot the stranger hiding behind a tree, its large, bright eyes
blinking steadily. Xenthos, Shehrose, Lyora, Crek attempted to
communicate with the creature, but they were met with similar
difficulties in language as the creature repeated asked, "Missaon
minua?" to the puzzlement of all. And soon the shadow figure slipped
away into the Southern Mountains, leaving those of Glomdoring none the
wiser as to its purpose.

-----

"Auttakaa minua!"

Eadei of Hallifax was startled out of his reverie by this desperate call
echoing across the clouds of the Beacon of Harmony after a loud clatter
echoing across the city. Climbing upwards, he discovered a strange, tall
figure clinging to the sides of the city's platforms, too far to make
out clearly, but apparently in desperate danger and unsure how to find
its way to solid ground. Eadei climbed his way to a platform that was
close to the figure and overlooking the city. Stretching, he offered his
hand to the stranger. However, though the figure tried to get closer,
reaching out with long, slender fingers, its grip slipped from the
railings, and it fell to its death: to end up as a bloody marking on the
Emerald Road below. All that could be recovered from the remains were
bits of bone and fur the colour of blue. Though Eadei and Ayisdra
attempted to learn more of this being, all they found in reply to their
questions was the answering wind.

Talkan of New Celest was alerted to his city's visitor by the sound of
loud splashing in the Gardens of Celestial Rememberance. When he
arrived, the shadowy figure dashed away to hide among herb bushes. The
stranger remained frightened and hidden despite verbal entreaties from
Talkan, and later, Romaan. However, it appeared ravenous, and it ate all
that was offered to it. Romaan, heartened by the figure's receptiveness
to food, went to seek a bucket of water to slake the visitor's thirst,
but thatvery moment, Aural Tildarmin cried out one of his many
announcements to the city. Alarmed by the noise, the figure dashed away,
leaving behind a single strand of blue-green thread and a trail of
crumbs. Romaan returned with the water bucket and was disheartened to
find the visitor gone. Undaunted, Talkan and Tridemon followed the
creature's trail, past the Great North Gate of Tridacna and the kitchen
of Phloish Medisopi and eventually into Oleanvir Valley, where they
discovered to their dismay a bloodied mess in the nest of the valley's
notorious rocs, their prey long digested.

-----

So in dream-like moments, the inhabitants of Lusternia encountered the
strange, shadowed beings from beyond--tall, slender, blue-furred and
agile--appearing into the world as suddenly as the muku, linorii, and
garosaurs before them, befalling terrible fates. Little did they know
that they would soon be visited by these same people in far greater
number and in an explosive encounter.

Penned by My hand on the 16th of Tzarin, in the year 516 CE.