Happily Ever After

Julibation reigns in the kingdom of West Miras. The war with Delverne is over, won through the valour of people and the blessings of gods. The survivors of Cantor have returned, reuniting countless families and bringing a wealth of wisdom from underground. The trinity gods Themselves now lend Their aid, mending the shattered south and paving a way to underwater Nisalvini. Despite the long recovery that lies ahead, the West Kingdom is filled with hope, energy and optimism. Life is more peaceful than it has been in a long time. 

In the countryside of Miras, the Cantish settle and rebuild on lands gifted to them by the crown. With the help of neighbouring towns and the royal military, their new home quickly takes shape. Although its fields and buildings are still rudimentary, the budding village of Carmena soon feels like a piece of Cantor brought back to life. At last, the displaced Cantish have somewhere to belong. 

The survivors who don't settle in Carmena seek new lives in other parts of the West Kingdom, often joining existing friends or relatives. With so many cities damaged by the divine upheavals, there is no shortage of work for anyone - thus from Belport to Nisalvini, the kingdom bustles with new faces and helping hands. 

The capital of Miras, while unscathed by the cataclysms, teems with stories, inspiration and goodwill. Citizens pool their efforts to support the questers who saved the world - gathering donations to aid Cantish resettlement, writing songs to remember their bravery, and so on. The palace itself announces a nation-wide holiday in the coming weeks to honour the heroes of their kingdom. Festivities and memorials alike are swiftly planned, and the community comes together to prepare the city for what will be the greatest celebration since King Silvan's coronation.

In the East Miras Kingdom, Amedra welcomes its heroes home warmly, but celebrations are subdued compared to their western counterpart. Victory is not so simple here - although the questers have achieved an undeniable triumph for Alva, the subsequent world is less kind to the East Kingdom. The new empress of Koben has withdrawn the previous regime's alliance and protection. The quest for Iridus is unrecognised in the Empire, leaving all their efforts in Hangman's Cross unrewarded. The emergency truce between the East and West Kingdoms has ended now that the divine crisis is resolved. And with Delverne gone, Silvan can now focus his military attention on the rogue East. All in all, the East Kingdom has achieved much for the world but little for itself, and is now at real risk of subjugation by the West. 

There is thus little room for festivities when the questers return. Moving from the divine threat to a human one, Amedra refocuses its efforts on fortifying itself for a likely invasion. Without support from another nation, it must make the most of its own limited resources and build a self-sufficient defence. Aided by the many brilliant Arcanists who fled to the East, Amedra repurposes its shipyards to construct a new fleet of skyships, stockpiles food and supplies, and trains civilians to fight and flee. 

The lack of pomp and ceremony for the questers isn't so bad in practice, at least. Instead of scrutiny, they are given space to rest and find their own feet again. A few private celebrations are held for them in thanks, among them a pleasantly informal lunch hosted by Vinicio himself. With the Duchess busy handling the wider strategies of the East Kingdom, Vinicio ensures the questers are provided for as they return to their normal lives - and so, each one searches for peace again in their own way.

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Notes

The Iridus questers from the West Kingdom (e.g. Valskis from the Mareus quest) will be detained upon arrival in Amedra. Those who switch allegiances to the East Kingdom will be released and allowed to stay in Amedra. Those who want to go home to the West Kingdom will be (comfortably) imprisoned while the East and West governments negotiate. After 3 weeks, a 'prisoner swap' deal is struck and all West Kingdomers will be transported back to either Belport (by sea ship) or Miras (by train). They can choose which.

Please note that this prisoner swap does not involve all East Kingdomers who are imprisoned in Miras. Player OCs should remain jailed until further notice.

Trapped in the belly of the earth, the survivors of Delverne learn to live with their new situation. For a culture that values light and the sun, being in the dark so far underground is an unsettling experience. A mood of quiet fear runs through the people here.

However, they are alive - and once the most badly injured are treated and the population is mostly settled, there is plenty to do.

A new leadership forms, led by Curator of State Lumis Dormona and the Cardinals who survived. With the disappearance of the Templar head Solenie, a new Grand Master is chosen and a recruitment drive begins. After all, if they are to return to the sun and wrest back their place on Alva, they will need the manpower to do that. Combat training is offered to everyone who's the slightest bit interested, with an end goal of enlisting as many willing fighters as possible.

Yet 'towards the sun' is not the only direction they can look... The silver lining of their situation is that the ruins around them hold things - possibly powerful, amazing things - that were plundered from their people long ago. As the legends have it, Telurea rose to power by stealing knowledge, heirlooms, culture and identities that belonged to the light elves. Now they have a chance to take it back. Expeditions into the dark rubble begin as soon as enough explorers can be spared - reconnecting with their past, and perhaps finding their salvation in it.

After the red daytime skies clear and the nighttime sky changes from starry to iridescent, Empress Renata appears to the public to address the worrying happenings. Everything, she announces, is a result of Reluir's Machiavellian attempts to destroy the world and the former Emperor Artur's ambitions entangled with it. She points to Artur's mysterious 'projects' and his strange behaviour beforehand, like he knew what was happening but wouldn't say. She points to his harbouring of the Relan princess Lorna - and the Relan infiltration this was surely part of. But, she declares, everything is now under control. She has enlisted the help of Estraude to set the world right, and their special Inquisitor task force has apprehended the fiends orchestrating everything in Reluir. Everything is ok and will become normal again.

Koben's relationship with the Southern Federation surges. New caravans or airships to Tusa and Estraude open their services. Trade booms. The Tusars have not lost their suspicion towards Koben, but there is optimism from both sides that the relationship is on track to mend. Empress Renata organises a great fair to celebrate this new friendship - inviting Tusars and Estrans in to put their pride and culture on full display.

Her hand extends towards Song-Lu as well. She earmarks a run-down district in lower Koben, straddling the river, to house Songluan refugees. An influx of displaced people pours in to lay down new roots and help construct what will become the city's largest Songlutown.

Meanwhile, having proven their willingness to oppose her, Renata takes hold of the Wissen Fellowship. Their freedom is curtailed and their funds are dried for everything she doesn't approve of. A division forms - the Fellows who are willing to do what Renata wants are rewarded and thrive; those who won't are squeezed out and eventually leave in disgrace or disgust. Though on the surface the organisation is still as great as ever, the Wissen Fellowship becomes little more than a propaganda machine. The former Wissen folk retreat to their universities or sponsors. They keep contact in secret and protect the truths that Renata doesn't want to acknowledge.

It was a terrifying and amazing sight to see the 'green dragon of Linhythe' erupt from the harbour where legend said it lay asleep... but after the wonder Linhians are again left with their port in tatters.

But this time, there is help in the wings. The new Empress Renata seizes this chance to show the benefit of her reign and appeal to the locals. Money pours in from the imperial coffers for an exciting upgrade of the old and shabby docks. The Wissen Fellowship and other technology leaders in Koben are enlisted to turn the shipping hub into a marvel of the cutting edge. The project promises wonder and better living - but most importantly for the locals, it promises work and money and livelihoods restored.

Not everyone is happy with this transformation - in ratty pubs and old streets, some lament about losing Linhian culture to the shiny newness. Others grumble that this is just another exercise in nepotism - the developers and suppliers who win the valuable contracts are often those with connections to the Governor or the Empress. However their complaints are mostly shrugged aside with the classic Linhian pragmatism that accepts corruption as a rule of life.

As the weeks and months pass in Estraude, whispers of the crystalline monsters fade into distant memory. Questions about the strange incident are met with only persistent silence, so they gradually peter away. Life in Estraude returns to an almost strange normality - markets still bustle, students trail to and from school, and the Chamber of Aediles returns to work without a single mention of Kasem. The Estran Church becomes a new centre of activity, with Inquisitors now publicly known and lauded for their work in saving Koben, and the empty seat of the Therras Apostle attracting prelates who tentatively offer themselves to be the next one. The election process for the Apostle position is long and held in careful secrecy, but its start is well-timed with the rest of Estraude’s calendar. A most auspicious event approaches.

The arrival of brightly decorated boats along the waterways, each carved with an animal figurehead, signals the beginning. A flurry of activity erupts - shrines are cleaned and decorated, artisans craft charms and masks, and the local kitchens grow more hectic than ever. All start preparing for the rare Path of Beasts Festival, a colourful 60-day pilgrimage through Estraude’s waterways which is only held once every ten years. Following the story of Estraude’s sacred animals, people from all walks of life race to visit around 40 shrines throughout the rainforest, in a bid to prove themselves to the gods and earn exceptional luck for the next decade. Excited Estrans descend on the city’s bay and floating platforms to share food, stories and laughter before the start of the pilgrimage and its chaotic main attraction: the boat race.

As the explorations progress and the Delvans slowly build themselves a liveable home in the ruins of Riag, the panic of day-to-day survival makes way for more long-term concerns - society, culture, spirituality and a future return to the surface.

The shift is signaled by the first big ceremony since fleeing here - a great Mass held in the Red Tower central to their makeshift settlement. Now more than ever it bursts with soothing familiarity - the home-made decorations like a mother's patchwork blanket, the hymns woven from the voices of many, the uplifting sermons, the togetherness of shared prayer... And at the end, the return of structure with the swearing in of a new order of Cardinals led by Dominus-Exigent Lumis Dormona.

Yet it isn't the same kind of order as before. The Cardinals and the Templars are now merged - half the posts are mostly civilian, half are mostly military, and all the new leaders are skilled elite ready for battle. The message Lumis delivers is that they are entering a time of fighting for survival in a hostile world - and that means the leadership must be more ready than ever to fight for the Delvan people. The new Templar Grand Master also issues a rousing call to arms: In the darkest hour, the tiniest embers can become a bright beacon. All are equally capable of protecting, and so the traditional limitation of upper ranks to noble blood is no more - anyone may become a Templar Knight and lead their salvation regardless of birth. The declaration sets in stone something many nobles have feared coming... The first Delvan Barons were warlords, and now they must return to their warlord origins if they want to keep their relevance.

But military contribution isn't all there is. Though it comes with far less glory or promise of reward, there's plenty of important civil work to do as well. All the Cardinals have new condensed responsibilities, all areas of society are in need of more hands... and whether it be for purely altruistic reasons for more personal ambitions, none can deny that it's a truly impactful time in Delverne's uncertain future.

Many things big and small have been changing in Koben as the patterns of Renata's rule begin to solidify...

• The Wissen Fellowship, now barely a quarter of its previous size, continues to dwindle with her closing fist. Support for universities is drying up too as the money gets diverted to other pet interests - leaving the once-lauded scientists of Koben in a state of gloom. It's becoming clear that their futures will now depend on what private sponsors are willing to pay for.

• The only governmental R&D projects really taking off now are military projects thanks to a huge boost to funding for the army. Recruitment is at an all-time high with shiny promises of glory and a bright future on the back of it's new prosperity.

• The arts too are booming. Renata eagerly commissions plays, music, sculptures, paintings and more to glorify the Kaspars and Droste - leading to a surge in Drostian romanticism. The influx of money and new fashion for spending on the arts brings energy and vibrance to the scene.

• Meanwhile sentiments among traders is mixed. Kobeners aligned with Tusa and Estraude are basking in a bright future - but Linhians begin to feel the sting of narrowing trade with Amedra. It becomes increasingly clear that the sea trade with Estraude can't make up for what they lost with Amedra, as their economies were never that connected to begin with... and the current crutch of reconstruction won't last forever. Anyway, the longer that goes on the clearer it becomes that the real winners there are Kobener moguls close to Renata.

• It doesn't escape notice either that a flurry of new royal baronetcies has been handed out in quick succession to Renata's civilian supporters. For those aspiring to win a baronetcy or more themselves, it's a tantalising signal that the door is open.

For Renata, all is not as well as she'd like. Despite the intial excitement - and confusion - of her coup, she soon finds that not everyone who she thought was on her side is really as loyal as she first believed. Alarming whispers reach her ears that new challengers from the Roenach line are emerging in the shadows. It's still unclear exactly who these challengers are and who's backing them. What's more, stubborn rumours have been spreading that she brought about the old prince's demise through foul play. Not everyone takes them seriously or even cares, but enough do that she can't help but worry.

Her solution to all this is typically Renata - she decides to start the new social season with a grand dance party to show how generous and wonderful of an Empress she is to everyone. All are welcome from nobles to commonfolk, but she has a carefully crafted list of special invitees she's determined to win over - including fence-sitters, foreign nobles and important community figures. Starting from this party, the social games are on. The prize: true command of the Empire's political future.

Nothing has been normal in Iadlain since the forest awakened with Atros. For months now, Wispwood has been a strange and relentless nightmare, even for the most horror-hardened of locals. Spells and safeguards that once worked against the forest’s monsters no longer have the effect they used to, leaving residents to defend themselves with only tenacity, instinct and a bloody game of trial-and-error. For a people who has always relied on their knowledge to survive, this new ignorance is both terrifying and costly.

Iadlain’s capital, despite everything, holds on. Its remaining populace slowly and painstakingly builds areas of safety around the four pillar libraries, and warily attempts to reclaim - or at least scout and scavenge - the ruined parts of the city. Aid from the Imperial military continues to trickle in through the battered airship route, lending much-needed resources and allowing the more vulnerable residents to flee. Perhaps fortunately, the instability in the rest of the Empire is slow to reach the distant region. News of Renata’s coronation and the calamity in Linhythe arrive weeks after the fact. But when it does, the question weighs: what does this new Empress and world order mean for Iadlain’s future? Can she help them? Does Iadlain even have a future, if this is how the forest will always be now?

It’s a question that must be answered sooner rather than later. The mild days of summer offer a welcome reprieve for now, but come winter - and Harvest Eve, the most haunted time of year - Iadlain will need more than just tenacity to outlive the cold, starvation and countless things that wish them dead.

Ever since the return of Iridus, the sky has been changed. The night is devoid of stars yet filled with colourful auroras, and the day shimmers with fleeting, flashing shapes across the firmament that did not previously exist. With each passing day, the oddities in the sky seem to grow clearer, until enough people are seeing bizarre things that they can no longer be brushed off as just daydreams. Here, a child saw a swarm of orange fish in the sky. There, an old man saw a silver ladder dangling from the clouds. Each sighting is too brief to say anything for sure, but they pique curiosity and alarm alike.

At least they seem mostly harmless, so people learn to take them in stride. Compared to the blood-red skies and storms of midsummer, this is nothing. And yet, it isn’t nothing - as time goes by and the sky phenomena only grow bolder, perhaps the people of Alva must learn how to live with the whims of their new world.