Dedite War Continues - War Special
Trouble in Eastern Empire
Eastern Empire Threatened With Ejection From the Free Realms
Seaholm Free
Dedite Aligned Cult Defeated in the Dismire
Colossus in the Wild Lands
UFOs Seen Over Port Cuidad
Plague in Zakhara
Haranlarche Reorganisation Recognised by Free Realms
Warning: Dance Parties Haven For Blood Drinkers
Tragedy Strikes the Mythtropolis Gazette
Dwarven Forge Found - Iron City Overrun by Deepholm Dwarves
Attempt Upon Life of Top Cop
Society: Daykin of the Black Sword - A Profile
Mythtropolitan Opinion:
Editorial: Horror Hits Home as Gazette Struck
United We Fall
A House Divided Will Not Stand
The unprovoked agression from the Dedites continues to plague the world, battle after battle adding up to the massive conflict we find ourselves engulfed in. Here are the reports from the various battlefields:
Dedite allied dragons ave lead a series of "dragonstrike" raids on various townships of the Free Realms. In response, the Sky Federation has retaliated with bombing raids.
The Sky Federation then mounted a retaliatory strike against the Dedite army. A major battle occurred in secret, under the name "Operation Shelf". The largest skyships of the Federation fleet fought the massed forces of a Dedite army at the southern border of the legendary Floating Forest, a huge forest of magical trees that float in the air, anchored to the ground by massive aerial roots. The battle was swift, and the victory by the Sky Federation forces was complete. This whole region has now joined the Sky Federation along with its dominant race, the Shaggies. These ape-men live in the floating forest and are natural ace pilots.
Another wave of dragonstrikes then followed. The Dedites continued to send out Dragon squadrons with supporting humanoid and dragonspawn troopers carried in dragon howdahs. These strikes targeted Stormshell City, Freeport, O-Kai-Lia, Hsia-Ch'in, Dawnisle, Lyndorea and the Eastern Empire. A firestorm consumed a third of the capital of O-Kai-Lia. The houses and temples of O-Kai-Lia are constructed of wood and enchanted paper, which has made the fire attacks of the dragons much worse than they would otherwise have been. The metahuman superhero team known as The Rising Sun were instrumental in helping put out the colossal fire.
Contact was lost with the imperial capital and the northern regions of the Eastern Empire all the way to the western border with the Highlands and Korenzean protectorate regions. The northern provinces are in a state of open rebellion. Gnesius, a Consul from the northern province of Theng, has proclaimed himself Emperor of the North, and is occupying the still-being-constructed city of Novatis. With the onset of winter it will be impossible for the Empress to dislodge him before Threemonth of 1102, if she still lives. Braejr has already acknowledged Gnesius as Emperor of the East, and with the support of this neighbouring magic-user realm he has a powerful base.
A flight of red and vermilion dragons swept low over the Shallow Sea after firestorming Stormshell City, which has taken heavy damage. As the dragons rose to take a long parabolic flight home they were attacked by Sky Federation Wind Dhows SFV-19 "Beauty of the Nahmeh", SFV-39 "Pearl Princess", SFV-70 "Concord" and SFV-64 "Chlorodar Conveyor" supported by the Heavy Wind Dhows SFV-987 "Avenger" and SFV-941 "Raptor". With the loss of the Raptor to dragonfire and the heavy damage of the other Federation skyships, all of the dragons in the squadron were destroyed. The Sky Federation vessels have now limped to Ienos for repairs where they were joined by the floating smithyship SFV-777 "Endurance". Casualties amongst the sky corsair crews are the heaviest that the young realm has yet experienced. It is understood that one of the Sky Federation's 36th ranked wizards was in command of the Raptor and is amongst the dead.
It was announced in Skyreach, official capital of the Sky Federation, that a new Raptor will be commissioned to replace the destroyed vessel. It will be registered as the SFV-941a "Raptor II". First opportunity of command of the new vessel will be given to the best qualified of the next of kin of the fallen captain in accordance with the Uhainu ("Clan Law") of the Sky Federation guild-nation.
Dedite Dragonstrikes then continued with attacks on Ulgarth, Cestus, the Sky Federation bastion of the Sandsweep Mountains, and Edge City.
Edge City took heavy damage in its outlying "Rubble" district and in the tenderloin. Further damage was averted when the city's super-team, the Edge, and the city's resident Steel Dragon, attacked the Black Dragon dragonstrikers. None of the attacking Dragons were killed, but the city was also spared further damage. Missing in the city's bombed areas was the King of Haranlarche, who was visiting previous Dedite victims taking shelter in the city's temples when the attack began. He was later found unharmed and was a guest of Lady Talia, Countess of the Westshire and Wise Lawgiver of the Western Marches.
Ulgarth took severe casualties in its merchant city of Orcshield. The city is still on fire, with thousands of residents fleeing by boat only to be attacked at sea by three Dragon Turtles.
Cestus was set aflame, with all the nests of the island's Sea Dragons destroyed, the island's resident Witch killed, and the Citadel of the Republic atomised by spells. Also lost was the Collegium, a unique library of rare "service" spells considered indispensably useful for nonhostile magic users.
The Sandsweep Mountains launched rays of burning light at the attacking Yellow Dragons, killing all fifteen of them. Wind Dhows and Sandracers then finished off the Dragoons dropped by the attacking Dragons. There were no recorded casualties amongst the Federation forces in the mountains. Witnesses in Edge City claim that the rays that struck down the Dragons were "like something from the tales of the Long Ago", "coloured light and a false dawn".
The University of Whitemere has collated over a year of data from the Bards of the Realm and have issued a warning.
"It seems that the Dedites and particularly their priesthood and god-king have been running a 'Jawed God' style gambit involving the youth of the realms of the East and West," said Oidrokulus of Whitemere, sage of Human & Related Species Culture, Great Lyceum of Whitemere. "This involves offering an apparent alternative to lifestyle to youngsters who have recently undergone the Shearing Ceremony, promising them a life of peace and ease in a paradise beyond the Black Mountains. Recruiters for the armies of the Free Realms have noticed a decline in available youth. This is due, I believe, to the insidious effect of disguised Gorgon Priests, as well as the mind-altering drugs used by another group, a group of shadowy spellcasters using spells at once unfamiliar and familiar... We must be on our guard lest a war of the generations be waged on behalf of Gorgo."
One of the greatest living experts on these matters is Lady Eva Thieftaker of Threshold. The karameikan super-militiawoman is nowhere to be found, unfortunately, and the apartment she shared until recently with her offsider Earcus Silverskin is empty. Neighbours do not where the heroes have gone... Perhaps their enemies have finally claimed their lives. A hawk-faced man was seen in the vicinity. Neighbours remembers him inquiring of the Thief-Taker, and in particular remember his hawk-like profile and piercing blue eyes.
High Council of Chivalry and Sky Federation forces, supported by irregular units of the Free Realms, battled hard beneath the canopy of the mighty Nighweld Forest. The battle was hampered for some of the combatants by the thick forest cover. Sky Federation forces are operating from their smaller Wind Dhow vessels which are supporting in turn Windracers, new and much smaller one, two or three person aerofighter class vessels used to harass and raid the humanoid armies of the enemy, Gorgo of the Dedites.
After a "bombarding" raid by a "bombardeur" squadron of the Sky Federation led by SFV-80 "Sandsweep Sunrise", the Dedite city of Taekhow on the southern coast of the Greensea has suffered major damage. Fires rage all around the central tower of necromancy.
Following the raid, pirates from the Greensea island of A'Quil have invaded the city and torched what remained. They have carried off a myriad of Dedites as slaves and liberated many of the locals.
The Western Sky Marshall and the High Council of Chivalry are unable to communicate effectively with the A'Quilians but they have condemned the A'Quilian aggression.
A'Quil is a small island roughly the twice the size of Rockport. The misty waters of the Greensea conceal it from outsiders and as the waters are home to giant Pterosaurs and ravening Plesiosaurs few visitors choose to make their way across its green depths to ruin-haunted A'Quil.
In a combined sea land and air operation, the Free Realms forces led by a small contingent from the tiny nation of Rockport assisted the armies from the High Council of Chivalry members, as well as the fleet air arm of the Western Sky Marshall of the Sky Federation.
Port Cuidad was liberated in a day and night of the heaviest casualties yet seen in the war. Over 5,000 confirmed dead and twice that in injured were lost to the Free Realms and their allies. In the course of the Second Battle for Port Cuidad the city was liberated although little remains of it other than weirdly isolated pockets that were untouched through the initial siege, week-long occupation, razing and liberation. For the first time, significant numbers of Dedites were captured alive. Unfortunately for them, survival of the captured is lawfully a matter for the Regent of the occupied realm and the recently rescued Grand Duke Freduardo ordered all Dedites tried and executed, a process still occurring.
Simultaneous attacks by Sky Federation forces and Knightly forces liberated the rest of the southwest of the Dedite lands. Civilian government is now being reinstituted there, with Knights of the High Council of Chivalry contacting the resistance movement of the region, chief amongst which are the "Rogue Knights", surviving freedom fighters from the Order of the Blue Moon, Order of the Silver Oak and Order of the Winged Boar. The western Forest Kingdoms will soon be restored.
A titanic aerial battle was waged resulting in the loss of two of the enemies giant metallic disk ships, the "Iron Clouds".
SFV-71 "Stella Aeris", SFV-74 "Qasim's Menagerie" and SFV-46 "Verdant" were all too heavily damaged to function. With most of their crews dead the three Wind Dhows delisted and are currently adrift awaiting rescue by the Dwarf-crewed smithy skyship "Endurance", SFV-777. The "Avenger" (SFV-987) is now functioning as a picket ship, patrolling the skies around the liberated western Forest Kingdoms. In the midst of this area is the mighty aerial dreadnought SFV-3001 "Waterstone's Shard". This colossal island-ship destroyed both of the Iron Clouds sent against it, strewing gigantic pieces of wreckage in a 30-mile wide circle. One large piece is now a river island in the river system south of Steerhorn City.
Intense fighting is occurring throughout the Nighwhelm Forest with thousands of Dedite orc troopers and ogre raiders still forcing Knights with their retinues to battle their way for every inch of ground eastwards. Due to the tall and thick forest canopy air support is next to useless.
Port Cuidad is now used as the westernmost port outside of the Utter West (currently closed by plagues) and a resupply base for the Free Realms nations and the Sky Federation is being built there at joint expense. As it is an aerodrome as well as a surface port, the new port land of Port Cuidad will technically be a Sky Federation skyharbour. It will have both secure Sky Federation and open "merchant" facilities.
The Dedites have for the second time lost a decisive battle in the west. However, there are still strange rumours surfacing from the liberated areas about some sort of vast and ghastly operation that Gorgo is leading on behalf of his besieged empire. The Dedites are most certainly not beaten yet.
Escadrille "Boniface" (16th Air Arm) and Escadrille "Ghorshthor" (12th Air Arm) are providing the equivalent of heavy aerofighter cover for the 1st Air Arm Escadrille "Swift Dispatch" on its trade runs. Grounded elements of the Sky Federation still in Ienos are believed to be researching the mysterious UFO sightings during the climactic battles.
The 13th Air Arm, Escadrille "Mulinar" has taken extremely heavy losses during the most recent battles, which are basically a series of running skirmishes as Free Realms and HCOC forces head east along the Dedite-controlled river systems. The Escadrille has now broken off contact with the enemy and returned to the bivouac and airfield at Steerhorn City where they are defended by the looming presence of "Waterstone's Shard" as well as SFV-100, the Heavy Wind Dhow "Forest Conveyor".
29-10-1101 Year After Crowning
Emperor Gnesius of the North (Gnesius Caecilius Quintus Nordicus Imperator) has captured the Empress Olagna and executed her along with her chief followers. He has progressed by skyreme to the capital Empire City.
Unfortunately for Gnesius, the presence within the borders of "his" empire of foederati from the neighbouring magocracy of Great Braejr has caused huge consternation within the borders, and several provinces have taken severe steps to secede from the Eastern Empire entirely - declaring themselves as nations in their own right as well as applying to the Free Realms assembly for recognition as new realms. The Free Realms have currently declined to give a swift ruling given that Emperor Gnesius has promised to consider redrawing the Empire's borders. Of course, many people and regents are highly skeptical as to what this redrawing would consist of, when it could easily simply be Gnesius' method of concealing what many believe to be his real intentions - the annexation of parts of the Eastern Highlands, Korenzea, The Eastwind Empire and Karameikos. In the event of such a "redrawing" the Eastern Empire will be at loggerheads with the Free Realms, the High Council of Chivalry and possibly even the Sky Federation and nations beyond the Dawnsea.
29-10-1101 Year After Crowning
Seaholm, the most recently added province of the Eastern Empire, has erupted in extremely violent rebellion. The province is a series of islands due south of Empire City, and was annexed several months ago. The people of the province have now slaughtered their governor and his staff and are struggling to eject the two legions despatched to quell the unrest. It is most unlikely that the citizens can do this thing, but the Sky Federation traders who are maintaining shipments from Lyndorea to Empire City reported that they could see the outline of the islands in the Seaholm chain, marked out in lines of fire. Obviously the islands are aflame as the citizenry battle the legions. Most probably the legionaries have fired the fields, meaning great hunger for the people of the isles who must now suffer the consequences of their ill-considered treachery.
29-30 Tenmonth 1101 YAC
Legions of the usurper and the Empress met outside Attar on the night of the 29th of Tenmonth and fought on until the afternoon of the 30th, with little result other than great slaughter and the burning of Rattam, the capital city of the Imperial Province of Attar.
The Royal Legion, based in Attar, has now attacked both sides of the conflict to bring peace to the battlefield and try to make some sense of the usurper's claim. There are not at the moment enough surviving consuls and duces to sit as the Legions' Council to elect an Emperor or Empress from between the two main claimants.
Slaves also staged an uprising to the north of Attar near the Grey Mountains. These scum-soldiers will be made short work of by the legions once holy peace is reimposed on the centre of the universe.
Hsia-Ch'in is leading a push to have the Eastern Empire ejected from the Free Realms following confirmation that Emperor Gnesius has ordered the reoccupation of the Dawnisle and Seaholm. This follows earlier discovery by the metahuman superteam the Rising Sun that Eastern agents were also at large in Hsi-Ch'in and Minaea seeking to obtain information about the lost Valley of the Meks.
An informal vote of the Free Realms members will probably decide whether or not a formal vote is necessary, as if most realms vote to keep in or throw out the Eastern Empire, no formal vote will be necessary under existing conventions.
The High Council of Chivalry, still recovering from heavy losses in the Dedite War battles, has said it can only provide a token force to investigate the Hsi-Ch'inese claims.
The newly-created nation of Seaholm has cast off the Eastern Empire's rule and established itself with recognition from an absolute majority of the Free Realms through individual diplomatic approvals, without need for a formal assembly vote.
Seaholm's freedom was guaranteed after a final battle between the veteran legions sent by the Empire to crush resistance and the greatly outnumbered Seaholmers themselves. Their leader, Lord Orca, discovered the lost cavern where the Sea Master's Galleon was housed and after frantically working to make it seaworthy used it to support the battle ashore in a climactic fight in which the elements themselves seemed to take a hand.
Members of the Heirs of Skull Craig and others defeated a temple full of cultists of the Horned Beast in a battle in the Dismire, near the village of Greenstep.
The cultists, believed to be closely allied with the Dedites, have been attacking settlements across the Free Realms, and generally spreading chaos wherever they alight. They attack ferociously, take victims for human sacrifices or else they possess people and give them "animal powers". Around their base in the swamp, the cult had set up displays of the corpses of their victims as "scarepeople", in an effort to keep visitors away from their area of control.
As the companions made their way into the Dismire, they found themselves in a Borderland to another, more corrupted plane of existence. The cult had amongst their number, forces of "Harvesters" - black robed undead with skulls for heads. They had also perverted a group of youths wearing amulets of wilted flowers who had joined the cult as "Children of Light"; these young cultists were also deployed to attack the group. After a brief fight in which the mighty Oakman Wheeler of the Heirs defeated the Harvester, while the Children of Light were trapped and prevented from hurting themselves or others, the companions made their way towards the temple itself.
The temple itself was surrounded by over one hundred cultists, two more Harvesters and two priests of the rogue cult. Another mighty melee took place; one of the Harvesters and one of the priests were killed by Daykin of the Black Sword. Tryst the Trickster eliminated the other Harvester, as well as trapping the young cultisits in mud. The other priest was taken care of by Fedilah of the Sky Federation. The adventurers were then set upon by young Black Dragon, which was overcome by Oakman the Mighty.
Within the temple itself was a Roaring Demon in the form of an ogre slug, a hideous beast imbued with demonic power. The demon was defeated by the destruction of the altar within the temple.
Heading up to the top floor of the structure, past a trap of molten wax, the group found more Children of Light playing musical instruments, as well as a group of naked female slaves, chained together. The High Priest of the cult, a man named Pazektar, was present, defiling the robes of a paladin of a Gorilla church. He was challenged to fight Daykin one on one, which he proceeded to do.
The battle between the two combatants was intense. No quarter was given as the men tussled for victory. Daykin was badly injured by the sword of his evil opponent. But Daykin fought back, destroying the priest's sword, then throttling the blackguard to death. In Pazektar's possession was a crown which was used to control the dragons, prsumably assisting in the recent dragonstrikes. The crown was consumed in elemental fire fueled by amber.
The adventurers freed the slave girls, providing them with clothing and a share of the loot found in the temple, repatriating them to a civilised location. The Children of Light were given the opportunity to renounce their old alliegences and set free. The party then burned down the temple itself, dispelling the Borderland.
30-10-1101 YAC
"A mighty victory against darkness eternal was fought and won by Skut the Sellsword Pit Fighter, his friend and brother in arms Taggar Snow-White the Gambler with Fate, and their terrifying temporary ally in adversity The White Star, a bandit-girl of beauty matched only by her ferocity.
The trio of 'heroes' embarked on the second of the Pharaoh's tests, pitting wit and steel against hellspawn, inbred monster-men, Island Ogres and puzzles linking ancient bloodlines to a pair of genie-god brothers.
All was well that ended well.
I am available for further commentary (for a fee) on the riverboat stronghold of Taggar."
Merciless and extremely heavy spell and artillery bombardment was unleashed over Port Cuidad earlier today as a flight of nine unidentified skyships "buzzed" Dedite defences. The Dedites, trigger-happy as ever, blazed away for some two hours in overcast conditions. The UFOs, resembling black and green insects, seemed impervious to both siege engine shots and spell effects and left of their own accord with a peculiar "falling leaf" or "skipping" motion, heading south out to sea towards the Slagomann Isles and Shark Island.
The Free Realms has organised a colossal Circle of wizardry, and unleashed over 100 Realm Spells at the Dedite Realms. None succeeded and some were even absorbed to strengthen the Dedites' own magical arrays. At the same time, Gorgo and his Dedite Empire has successfully released magical plagues upon the Utter West. Zakhara has had to close its borders and shipping ports as plagues begin to kill its populations.
A small riot broke out briefly near the Mosque in Rockport when authorities there were forced to close the temple due to risk of infection. The temple was later reopened when the ruler and the high priestesses of Rockport purged the building and the realm of any plague bacilli.
Zakhara is underprepared for plague, as it normally relies on Genies to cure any such problems. The current pandemic diseases affect Geniekind also, and are arcane magic-immune. Already, heroes of the West have set off to find a cure for their kingdoms...
Haranlarche has had its political reorganisation recognised by the Assembly of the Free Realms. Haranlarche, Kingdom of Crossroads now consists of the Southshire, Eastshire, Westshire, Wildshire, Sandshire, Haranshire and Siltshire.
The capital of the Southshire, and the kingdom, is Mythtropolis. Capital of the Eastshire is Foley Keep, although the shire includes the large port town of Harandeep and is currently largely uninhabited. Capital of the Westshire is Edge City. Capital of the Wildshire is Highport. Capital of the Sandshire is Oasis City. Capital of Haranshire is Churncroft. Capital of Siltshire is the newly-built township of Calmaran.
A general warning goes out to all citizens of Haranlarche regarding the "dance parties" held on the outskirts of Mythtroplis with increasing frequency. These parties are actually being hosted in order for vampires, rakshasa and other varieties of demon and undead to feed upon the hapless revellers.
Those who attend these parties do so at the risk, not only of their lives, but also of their souls.
An horrific blaze tore through the offices of the Mythtropolis Gazette, burning to death the night shift staff.
Unconfirmed reports have placed a flamig skull and a giant white night bird at the scene of the fire, but it is uncertain if they were trying to assist the staff to safety.
Our condolences go to the families of the staff. The day shift of the Gazette pledge to carry on in tribute to the memory of their fallen colleagues.
The long lost forge of the Deepholm dwarves has been found by a party of adventurers, leading to the dwarves breaking their neutral stance and participating in the Dedite War, overrunning the Dedite-aligned Iron City dwarven settlement.
The party initially investigated the location of the legendary forge by consulting the library in Daggerford, whereupon they were attacked by a Mweltrim, the legendary reptilian shapeshifters deployed as agents provocateur in the recent war with Mogador. The Mweltrim was choked to death by Daykin Gundai.
The path pointed to the forge being somewhere near the village of Blasht Dale, a benighted little hovel bordering the badlands, where the inhabitants all seem to bear the stamp of an orcish heritage. Past the village was a mine, where the forge was believed to reside.
Inside the mine were the usual aray of death traps consisting of smelting pits and acid golems and such, all of which proved to be small impediments to the adventurers' progress. Deeper into the mine however, was a portal to the plane of smoke, from which emerged evil elemental mefits (or smoke demons). these were dispatched by the hero Snow White. While trying to shut down the portal, evil salamanders were summoned from the other plane, through a Pool of Radiance.
The samlamanders were fought to a standstill by the party and their leader killed. The other salamanders then stopped their battle, but by this point the temperature within the mine was steadily increasing thanks to the radiance flooding the chambers.
Making their way back to another chamber filled with water, several of the team were sucked into machinery providing water within the mine. Oakman Wheeler destroyed the mechanism forcing the water away, but at the cost of his lower legs, which had to be magically regrown. Unfortunately, this now started filling the mine with water.
The party then went on to fight fungus-hulks in the upper chambers as well as the angry shade of the mine's warden, Duchadein. After defeating these foes, they finally went up against bone golems, before finally freeing the forge. Ghosts of the dwarves emerged from the forge, cleaning out the mine as they travelled.
Having had the forge and mine returned to their possession, the dwarves have now prevented Iron City from providing more aid to the Dedite forces.
Centurion Wren Dairen, Heir of Skull Craig and role model to militia across the Free Realms, was attacked by an alien assassin known only as the 'Rose Raven', on his way between Churncroft and Bloomfield.
The badly injured Wren was taken to the Haranlarche cathedral, where divine assistance brought him back form the cold sleep he was heading towards.
After this shocking attack, the centurion went to ground in Daggerford, raising the ire of those who believed that this hero had been cowed by his brush with death. However, the centurion subsequently released the following statement:
"Wren Dairen calls upon all lawkeepers to band together to bring in the bandit known as the Rose Raven. He will head up the investigation into the location of this wrongdoer and will not rest until she is captured.
"The fraternity and sorority of lawkeepers when standing together cannot be defeated, and are greater in strength than the sum of their members. An attack upon on of us is an attack upon all of us, and this attack cannot go unchallenged.
"During this crisis, we must ensure that the citizens of our realms are protected. Wren apologises for the perception that he was considering his own safety above those who he serves, and he rededicates himself to the protection of the innocent and the just."
Wren has since returned to patrolling the streets of Daggerford.
Many tales have been told of the Black Sword which now finds itself in the possession of Daykin Gundai, Heir of Skull Craig. A blade forged in some demoniac realm, covered in runes of power and depravity, able to drink souls and rend the fabric of reality itself are some of the tales this sword has gathered about itself. Certainly not a weapon to be trifled with.
Yet the youth who now possesses this weapon is part of a group that has set new heights of heroic deeds. Daykin Gundai, gladiator and warrior, unchained barbarian and mighty hero, has been gathering legends about him that already start to rival the blade. How do we reconcile the evil reputation of the blade with the heroic deeds of its wielder?
The young hero already had a reputation for rash acts in the heat of battle and an unintended staightforwardness to solving problems that verges on thoughtlessness. But he also has a reputation for a true heart and unstinting courage in the face of insurmountable odds. Many occasions have the Heirs of Skull Craig had their lives saved by the actions of Daykin Gundai, and he forged a place within their team that cannot be easily ignored. He has singlehandedly defeated many foes with his mighty strength and terrifying combatative ability.
Daykin himself would tell you that the stories of the blade are true, and worse. It was trapped in a dimension far from our own, and only found when Daykin had to enter the realm as part of a quest to free the world from the blight of Mogador. He picked up the sword and initially seemed to fall benaeththe sway of its hideous nature; using the blade to slay his kinsman and free himself by cutting a hole to our reality with the blade. But something happened when Daykin became the blade's master. Daykin wrestled with the true nature of the souldrinker, and forced it to become something other than itself. An artifact consumed by an item of memory, Deathbranch, Daykin's inheritance; it became someting more than the sum of it's individual entities. After a mighty battle of wills, Daykin quieted the blade's appetite, and set it upon a new path. He reapplied himself to his quest to free the Forest Kingdoms, and in the process suborned the sword's nature in pursuit of this end.
The blade now has a new destiny, as has Daykin himself. He must now walk a dangerous tightrope, never allowing the blade a taste of its old life, ensuring that his deeds forge it a new future free of its past. This may prove difficult for the youngster, who has in the past had a history of misteps and errors of judgement at critical moments, but if anyone can make themselves a new destiny, it is most probably this remarkable young man.
History will be the judge of the success or otherwise of Daykin's attempts to change the course of destiny, but we wish him well in his endeavours. Certainly the freedom of the Forest Kingdoms is a noble goal worth pursuing to the bitter end.
We thank our readership for their messages of condolence regarding the deaths of so many of our valued colleagues. We will continue to produce a quality newspaper as a tribute to those who lost their lives in the fire that killed our night staff. We know that they would want us to continue our unstinting pursuit of truth regardless of the consequences.
We dedicate this issue to them.
28 10Month 1101 YAC
The Free Realms policy towards the Sky Federation has been nothing short of suicidal. Unlike the High Council of Chivalry which has in its short career offended no-one of good reputation and has battled magnificently against overwhelming odds, the Free Realms has gone from a homo sapiens only club to a group dominated by the Eastern Empire to a group dominated by self-interested capitalism. Only when the Free Realms guarantee the freedom of all peoples, members or not, can the organisation take its rightful place as the pinnacle of civilisation in the world.
28 10Month 1101 YAC
Senator Gnesius has gained support through the last few days and now controls all of the Eastern Empire other than the area immediately around Empire City. Empress Olagna has re-emerged from hiding and is trying to raise enough troops around the capital to strike back at Gnesius. This seems a vain hope. Too late she has realised how destructing her previous policies were. Having sown the wind she must now reap the whirlwind.
She who laughs last laughs longest, indeed.
