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The powers of magic had been
growing ever since the defeat of the Hopeslayer. Magi of the
School of the Arm had already gained access to another sphere of
influence and now they had uncovered the secrets of an ancient
order of Empyrean warrior magi who stood resolute against the
darkness during their greatest age. Those who command the sphere
of War, able to find and pass the tests placed before them are
able to forge Thaumaturgic and Exarch Platemail. This armor is
light enough to be worn by mages, yet is endowed with mystical
energies that afford its creator the defenses of the heartiest
warrior.
As the School of the Arm found
the Essence of Strife during the month of Snowreap, so too has
the School of the Right Hand found an essence bound to Derethian
“enchanting” magic. Sequestered in the wilderness and
surrounded by a Menhir, the pulsing Essence of Artifice grants
spells of the seventh circle to all who feed it the most
powerful item scrolls found on the Obsidian Plains. Armed with
these humbling spells magi now harden their armor and further
hone the steel of their weapons, making them more fearsome then
ever before.
Furthering the resurgence of
magic, deep within the Mines of Despair can be found an oblong
stone. Adventurers have discovered that this stone, carried by
an ancient guardian, can be enhanced within the very heart of
the dungeon using a piece of their essence and powerful returned
magic. The resultant item hardens the mind and heightens the
focus of whoever uses the stone, pulling away their access to
Mana at the same time.
But all is not well on Dereth.
Tumeroks have moved onto the
desert plains and opened installations there. Deep beneath the
sands their vanguard forces prepare what appears to be a staging
point. They have sent only an expeditionary force to fortify
these bases but there can be no question as to the ill nature of
their intent. Those who have entered these fortresses have
returned with tales of the denizens within and the items of
power they have retrieved.
Deep within the quagmire,
scrawled in his own hand, Sir Candeth Martine continues his
story for those with the fortitude to follow him. The darkness
within him grows and the grim trail he leaves will take its toll
on even most stalwart warrior's mind. The changes within the man
are growing more obvious with each letter he leaves travelers to
find; it is a trail that has become rife with murder and ill
tidings. At the hands of the Virindi his awareness has been
heightened and he has become something not wholly human. His
tale now leads adventurers back to the captors that traded him
to the Virindi, the Mosswarts deep within the swamp. Brave
parties recount his tale while speaking at taverns or in the
company of the smithies shining their newest creations, the
naginata.
As new arrivals are met with the
friendly gestures of Helpers something wicked brews in the heart
and sky of Dereth. The sky itself is filled with an unearthly
amethyst hue. The land itself is now bathed in a lavender
blanket that reminds the Children of Ispar that all is not well.
The Hopeslayer may be gone, but there are other enemies who
would take his place and remove the Children of Ispar from this
world.
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