OOC: This is a prelude to a storyline I have been piecing together over the course of a few years, hopefully bringing a little bit of intrigue to the daily life around town. Things aren't fully finalized yet, but keep an eye to this space for details.
IC:
There has been some unsettling reports from the north, from the region of St. Eva.
- Remnants of the moriel houses of Tor`Nocturne and Melarnae, groups that were decimated after incursions against Nanthalion years ago, have formed small settlements close to the Kardiak mountain ranges. Even though it seems these settlements have been set up for the purpose of trade and above-surface cultivation, some of the locals are concerned that these actions would be a prelude to another invasion of the Northern Marches. Tensions at the moment are high, and envoys had been sent to the Viceroy Morgan Drakewing in response.
- As for Viceroy Drakewing, close sources have whispered that he has been of a sober mood since visiting the city-state of Gamelon in the Far North, situated in an area known as The Grove. Though of elven origin, the town is mainly seen as a haven for many displaced catpeople driven from the turmoil in Valencia and St. Eva. Conditions there seem to have unsettled him, especially hearing of recent attacks on catpeople settlements about the region by unregistered slaver bands. As of late, he has kept close to his estate at DragonRose with his domestics, having not been seen outside for a fortnight.
- Word has come from Valencia that the underworld there had gotten word of the appearance of a valuable mirror known only as a "Soul Mirror". Details are varied and far between, but it is said that a skilled practitioner of magic could use the artifact to draw out the soul of a victim and trap it within. One had said to have been used on Viceroy Drakewing around the time of the Moriel Invasions, and he was only saved due to the efforts of his closest friends. Either way, news of such a device is bound to attract the attention of the unscrupulous...
-To top all of this off, there is word that the person who wielded this mirror has appeared again. Arnoch Bretail, originally a healer, was a head researcher at Unigo under Kytara Sung. Once thought to become her successor, he was passed over for promotion to someone seen to be more adept in arcane knowledge. Disgruntled, he left the school and joined himself with the Melarnae as a bondsman, gaining access to their forbidden magical knowledge. After the defeat of the moriel, he had disappeared, rumored to be living in Valencia, a shell of what he once was. A few days ago, he had been seen working one of the caravans for The Works.
It has been unseasonably cold in St. Eva, even for the summer. It is shaping to be much chillier...