Gathering 1106

Reports concerning the Gathering of Nations and the Cataclysm

The Cataclysm of Magic, originating from the Island of Helenica, in the year 1106

The Island of Helenica was, as expected, found to be inhabited by the Dracnor – children of the Ancients. For those still unaware, the Ancients were great Dragons created by the child Edreja in the earliest times, each representing one of the sixteen threads which make up our world.
The Helenican ritual circle was partially filled with the immense head of the Ancient of Water – trapped there within lava. Although it might have been expected to be so, the Ancient was clearly not dead – as could be seen by the puffs of smoke emitting from its nostrils as it breathed.
A chamber aside from the ritual circle held scrolls sent by the Ancestors to help us in our plight – something perhaps to remember and look for next time as well.
The ten factions of the Heartlands gathered on that island, knowing that in the next few days they would face not only the Cataclysm but also a potentially fatal attack upon the child Edreja from a force that had been termed Entropy. So the information is definitely recorded, Entropy was a force comprised of the tattered patterns of the four Ancients who had represented Famine in the early times. Used to the point of collapse during the Elder Wars their broken essences had eventually coalesced into a malevolent entity bent on destroying Edreja. This is not to say that Famine itself is a force for destruction on the world – from my own personal experience Famine in all its aspects fought incredibly hard to save Edreja over the time of this cataclysm.
After a few hours upon the island the Dracnor called all present to a ceremony marking what was to come. This ceremony was somewhat overshadowed by an attack upon the Lions which came to symbolise the problems of these end times. One way or another, during the run-up to the major battles of Helenica, the factions continually fought each other; decimating the reserves of people available to fight against Entropy upon its arrival. Although those who were at the last Cataclysm claimed the level of insanity was standard, it did not lend reassurance to those who knew that for Edreja to survive, everyone present upon Helenica would have to co-operate.
Despite extensive research into the topic, Spoon McTaff of the Jackals nation found the Norhault Library to be sadly lacking in information upon how to fight Entropy. This is something perhaps now to rectify.
During the months preceding Helenica, the factions had moved their individual libraries into Norhault. In order to enable knowledge to survive this cataclysm, Scullion removed Norhault Library from its position upon Edreja into the void late on our first day upon Helenica. Various groups from the Heartlands lent their aid to this, moving into the void with the library to join the fight against the Entropy creatures flooding towards Edreja. These peoples were the Company of the Blackened Staff (Harts), the Raggers (Wolves), Heather Sparrow (Mages Guild), Talos (Lions) and the Great Readers of Norhault.
From my own perspective, although we were only away overnight to those on Helenica, we fought in Norhault Library for five days and five nights, returning to Edreja exhausted only to be plunged headlong into the Cadre battle. Whilst in the void, we saw incredible things as some of the most powerful things in Edreja fought to slow the advancing forces of Entropy. Evil aligned with Good to string their forces in front of the hordes. Demons collapsed with exhaustion from two days non-stop fighting. Satun attempted to destroy the Ancient of Fire but was defeated in a bloody fight. The power of ritual circles was drawn up and pumped out in immense blasts of energy. An archon of Knowledge roamed the battle, dodging blows before they fell and holding out daggers for demons to fall onto. Temporal enforcers moved from place to place, giant stone cats ripped demons to shreds in their claws and all through it, the orders of those commanding could be heard roaring out across the library.
Upon return to Helenica, the Cadre battle approached. Existence took all those leading factions and guilds to another place, to show them a vision of the world that was to come so they might better understand how we could survive. Those remaining moved out from their camps to gain the field of battle. Individuals appeared at a particular point in the field, depending on their choice of cadre. Between those points, were sites where rites to dedicate the worlds items of power to a specific cadre had to take place. The idea seemed that in a rather metaphorical way, those supporting a particular cadre would take their items of power to the appropriate altar, dedicate them and the cadre which had the most items dedicated would form the world anew. From the individual perspective it became a big and confusing fight, where the winners appeared to be those who sneaked around and didn’t get stopped enough, rather than the cadre with the most support. Although a world where our people are fed is a good one, it strikes me through what I am that a world where Evil has some strength is a better one. Where Evil has strength, the Good in mens hearts shines all the brighter and people will strive and fight for what is right and good. Thusly I hope there is truth in the rumours that the success of Feast will be tempered by Famine, otherwise I fear for the quality of the world and the people who live on her.
As aforementioned, it appeared during the time on Helenica, that the imminent end of all times concentrates people not to banding together to fight what comes, but rather to indulging their own grievances and complaints to the end – even if in so doing they risk the world. The attacks and return attacks which had begun on the first day continued well into the third day, only stopped by the joint efforts of the Harts and Wolves diplomatic corps. Those who fought finally agreed to fight together against the approaching common foe, putting their hatreds aside until another, better day. So as that last day approached, it seemed that finally all those upon Edreja had decided to give her what she was owed – to give everything they had and their lives if necessary to save her.
As the sun rose, factions mustered in their own fields and the generals explained what was to come. Leaders strode their ranks, pledging to fight and die alongside their people, to do whatever was needed to turn back the approaching forces. Friends and lovers embraced and tears were shed as everyone made their goodbyes, knowing they would likely never return. For myself, my eyes fill with tears each time I remember the last words I exchanged with my sister before we marched out there; the tears in her eyes as we said our goodbyes will always haunt me.
As we took the field, banners flew and the people of Edreja sang and shouted to chase away their fears. And as Entropy’s forces began to flow through that rift and we began to fall, there was no time left to think, only time to fight and do what we could before we too fell with our friends.
As I saw Existence on that final battlefield, she looked exhausted – and scared. The number of bodies on the field was mounting, creatures of Entropy were rampaging through lines of warriors and horror was all around. Her arms were held broken before her, so I healed them, if nothing else a last act of kindness to a creature who had been nothing but kind and helpful not just to me but all of us. Even then she refused me but I held on until her arms worked again – she is the closest I have yet seen to a child of Edreja and I shall miss her.
So many fell on that battlefield and many of their bodies lost, denying those they loved even that chance to mourn them. But even as they fell, so did the creatures flooding through the void rifts. So many tales of love and nobility came to be in that place and truly in fighting what threatened her, Edreja was made again. Two of the masks are told to have escaped and if this is true they must be found. But the child dragon within our world survives and so we have succeeded. Those of us who survived however must never forget this battle nor this day.
For my part I dedicate this report to those who died to save Edreja. And for myself, I dedicate it particularly to my sister, Megan Fletcher, who died on that battlefield, beaten down and thrown through a void rift. I will miss her always. May none of them ever be forgotten, for we owe them everything, for all time.