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Original Link (now dead) - http://zone.msn.com/asheronscall/ASHEhistory06-02.asp
Castling
by Brent Schmidt
Turbine Entertainment Software
Dereth: Seedsow PY 13 / Earth: June 2002
With homes available to all Isparians now, traditions from Ispar have been given new life. Among the Sho, the tradition of leaving open the doors and windows before moving into a home has resurfaced. Any bad spirits the previous owner may have left can be released, so the new owner will not inherit the problems of another. At times throughout their lives on Dereth, many Isparians may have wondered, "How do you release the bad spirits from an entire world?" With the appearance of Gaerlan, this question haunts them once again.
Following Martine's rampages of the previous month, explosions early in the month of Seedsow destroyed the Magical Essences located in the far-flung corners of Dereth. For months, these Essences had instructed the people in higher-level magics, transmitting the knowledge into their minds. Now the Essences were gone, and the shattered Menhir Rings where they had once stood were filled with elemental creatures. As if the loss of the Essences were not enough, the explosions radiated along the lines of magical force throughout the world, causing spells to lose the power they once possessed. However, there was one welcome side effect from these explosions: spells now seemed to last much longer than they had previously. Depending on a spell's power, the effect could now last almost twice as long as it once had. Some felt that this change in the duration of spells was a direct result of their loss in power, but a definitive answer was never found.
Fortunately, Asheron's cooperation with the Arcanum, which had started the month before, was yielding results to help those dependent upon magic. Asheron was able to help the Arcanum find a means to distill the components used by mages into objects called "Foci." This resulted in the Arcanum creating four distinct types of Foci, one for each school of magic. These Foci, along with Prismatic Tapers, would allow mages to cast their spells without the traditional components that they had depended upon for so long. The Arcanum made another breakthrough, thanks to Asheron's help. Asheron's people, the Empyreans, had left behind many scrolls and tomes containing magical knowledge. Unfortunately only skilled lore scholars could understand the information recorded in these scrolls. With the insight provided by Asheron, the Arcanum found a means to record this magical knowledge in a form all could understand. Arcanum Scriveners almost immediately began setting up shops in various Isparian towns to sell scrolls that all could read and comprehend.
In response to Martine's attacks and the explosion of the Essences, High Queen Elysa Strathelar began calling her people together at the Festival Stones found throughout the land. At these stones she held ceremonies to symbolize that Dereth was now truly their home. At the first stone, the Thistledown Stone near the town of Cragstone, Elysa appeared with Asheron at her side and "lit" the stone. A cascade of magical energy shot from the stone into the sky, delighting all in attendance. Unfortunately, the proceedings were interrupted by the appearance of Martine, who shouted protestations of his love for Elysa while spewing hate for Asheron. After Martine killed several of her subjects in attendance there, Elysa was forced to leave, but she bade that the ceremonies continue.
Subsequent occasions were marred by interruptions and discoveries, until Elysa came to the fifth and final ceremony at the Midsong Festival Stone in the deserts of Dereth. The moment the ceremony began, Martine once again appeared. At a previous ceremony, Asheron had offered to heal the damage done to Martine by his Virindi captors; now Martine came to accept this offer. Sadly, however, Martine's unhinged mind reacted violently to a statement made by Asheron, and the insane man lashed out, firing a powerful spell into Asheron's chest. Mortally wounded, Asheron slumped to the ground, his lifeblood cascading onto the desert floor.
At this moment, Gaerlan appeared. Months before, adventurers had found a text in a wrecked Gelidite Library. The author had been named Gaerlan, and examination of this text had revealed that he had been studying the ancient Gelidite Library, as well as structures called "cisterns" which were located near where the Magical Essences had stood. Now, this Empyrean materialized before the gathered people, congratulating Martine on his attack. Gaerlan's very appearance revealed that he was a master of the elemental forces: his breath was frost, his hands dripped acid, lightning emanated from his head, and fire followed him wherever he walked. Later, after they had time to ponder recent events, it became obvious to the Isparians that Gaerlan had been their unseen enemy, not Martine. Somehow Gaerlan had been released from portalspace and was responsible for Nuhmudira's imprisonment, Martine's slide into insanity, and the explosions that had wracked the Magical Essences.
At the ceremony, Gaerlan barely acknowledged the Isparians that immediately set about attacking him. He simply summoned a titanic Crystal Golem to draw their attention as he moved toward Asheron. Fortunately, Queen Elysa and her people were able to divide their attention between the two, eventually destroying the Golem and providing the Queen with enough time to cast a recall spell that would return Elysa and Asheron to the protection of his castle. As the wounded Asheron slipped through his fingers, Gaerlan howled that he would yet have his revenge upon him. And as the Isparians continued their attacks on him, Gaerlan realized the fondness Asheron had for these people, and proclaimed he would destroy them as part of his revenge upon the man.
Once again, the Isparians find themselves inheriting a conflict started centuries before and only now reaching its climax. But this time, they do not have their protector Asheron to step in and aid them as he had in the past. Even those who have spoken against him wonder how they will face Gaerlan and his hordes of Elementals without Asheron's help. Yet there is always hope…or so the people tell themselves.
View the Videos of Queen Elysa's Festival Stone Ceremonies:
- Thistledown Festival Stone
- Frostfell Festival Stone
- Leafcull Festival Stone
- Coldeve Festival Stone
- Midsong Festival Stone
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