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Events News Post #282

Wheel of the Goloths Retrospective

Written by: Anonymous
Date: Sunday, January 13th, 2013
Addressed to: Everyone


The Wheel of the Goloths has been banished deep within the Terminus of
Lirangsha, along with the dread Time Dames, their master Goloth Maxyenka
and hundreds of thousands of Dominator troops. Those who delved into the
dark histories of the Vernal Wars know that Maxyenka and the Time Dames
were members of a research arm in the Goloth Empire, a dominion of
krokani dominated by the Soulless God Crazen. Experimenting in temporal
phenomena, they created the Wheel of the Goloths enabling them and their
Dominator armies to travel far into their future. But when did they
first appear in modern times?

The first recordation of a Dominator incursion was over 80 years ago
shortly after the re-emergence of Hallifax and Gaudiguch, the two cities
that were thrown out of time and space during their conflict in the
Taint Wars. When a temporal shift set off alarms in the City of
Hallifax, witnesses reported troops of Dominators coming out of the time
rift. This event initiated the founding of the Time Sentinels in
Hallifax. (See Events 188.) Shortly thereafter, the Dominators
encroached upon the City of Gaudiguch and Mount Zoaka, prompting the
Templars rise up and deal with the threat. (See Events 189.) At that
time, neither Hallifax nor Gaudiguch nor indeed anyone in the Basin of
Life understood who or what the Dominators were, though it was
speculated they were shock troops of the Soulless Gods. Since the
Dominators did not return, their appearance was chalked up as a strange
anomaly caused by the temporal stresses of the returning cities and was
soon forgotten.

But, unknown to even the Elder Gods, that was just the beginning. The
Dominators had been sent by the Time Dames as an initial reconnaissance
party to test the temporal rifts caused by Hallifax and Gaudiguch. Up
until that point, the Time Dames were trapped in the Wheel of the
Goloths within the void outside of time and space. During the Taint
Wars, when Hallifax and Gaudiguch were thrown into this void, cracks in
time formed which could now be exploited by the Time Dames.

About 10 years later, temporal aftershocks caused by the returning
cities, enabled the return of the Dominators through another crack in
time. This time, the Dominators tried to set up a base in the Dark
Forest of Glomdoring and enslave the populace there. Eventually this
rift in time was sealed and the Dominators retreated. (See Events 196.)

Over 50 years would pass before the Time Dames would strike again, this
time personally taking the lead in their attempts to wrest control of
this strange future long after the Vernal Wars. A new rift in time
opened up, disgorging a battalion of tae'dae cavaliers of the Order of
Shallah as well as a horde of Dominators led by Rusacha, the Time Dame
of the Weft. Both were seeking the Heart of Shallah. For the cavaliers,
the Heart of Shallah was a holy relic they were pledged to protect. For
the Time Dames, it was an artifact that could be used to heal their
master, Goloth Maxyenka. The Goloths were the rulers of the Goloth
Empire, directly in contact with the Soulless God Crazen. When Crazen
was imprisoned, the Goloths began to shrivel up and die. The Time Dames
were able to rescue Maxyenka, placing him in stasis in a the Wheel of
the Goloths, where he was frozen in time between the last two beats of
his heart. Fortunately, the Time Dames were repelled and the Heart of
Shallah (later discovered to be just half of a heart) was placed in a
secure place where the cavaliers settled and teach a new generation
their remarkable skills. (See Events 257.)

Next, Ludlya, Time Dame of the Flow, appeared and focused her efforts of
the Feyranti Estate, for the Blood Diamond Mines held dark secrets that
could possibly offer a cure that would enable Goloth Maxyenka to rise
again. The Dominators she sent, however, were easily repelled. (See
Events 258.)

Once again, Rusacha, the Time Dame of the Weft, came forth with a small
force of Dominators, this time in an attempt to take control of the
hyfae in the Undervault. Apparently, the hyfae were experimenting with a
new breed of fungi which the Time Dames thought could help Goloth
Maxyenka escape the confines of his decayed body. Once again, the
Dominators were defeated. (See Events 260.)

In yet another twist, a mysterious cube from the far future appeared,
trying to send a warning of what the future could hold. It took many
months for scholars to piece together a message. (See Events 261.)

Intent upon curing Goloth Maxyenka, the Time Dames became fascinated
with the undead. Thinking this could be their hope to free Maxyenka,
they began a series of experiments. Their first attempts at creating
undead turned out to be failures which they flushed into the City of
Hallifax. (See Events 263.) Next, they sought to kidnap children of the
Basin as test subjects. Fortunately, this attempt was also met with
failure as the children were rescued. (See Events 264.) Finally,
Stepasha, the Time Dame of Destruction, sent forth her armies into
Magnagora and Glomdoring where the undead were most prevalent in an
attempt to wrest their secrets. Her forces were roundly defeated. (See
Events 265.)

At this point, the Dark Forest of Glomdoring decided to take the
offensive. The Great Spirits of Glomdoring, Mighty Crow and Mother Night
orchestrated an attack using the Ebonglom Wyrdling to take to the air
and directly attack the Wheel of the Goloths. While they were able to
successfully capture the Wheel, Mighty Crow was sucked into its temporal
vortex. (See Events 266.)

In the aftermath of the Glomdoring offensive, the Time Dames were intent
on carrying on with their investigation of the undead. They were able to
ally with Krangar, Guardian of the Shallach Gates, and learned of other
powerful undead. This knowledge took them to the i'Xiia Asylum and later
to the Shallamurine Cathedral. However, the Undead High Priestess Marani
Veloske was eventually able to defeat both Krangar and Time Dame
Stepasha. (See Events 267.) Despite these setbacks, their experiments
with the undead continued leading them to create a vast army of them to
attack the Basin of Life. At this time, however, a being known as the
Veiled God appeared and was able to destroy most of these undead. (See
Events 268.)

As most know by now, the Veiled God was in actuality Xynthin, the
Ascendant who used the Wheel of the Goloths to travel back to time and
rise to godhood. He was later punished by the Eternal. (See Events 259.)
In any event, the Ascendant God Xynthin was an anomaly who should not
exist, having risen in a timeline destroyed by the Eternal.
Nevertheless, because he existed simultaneously both as Xynthin and his
mortal form, Xenthos, both were slowly being driven insane. His
existence was also warned about in the sending from the future. In any
event, his sad tale ended with his death, though Crow was able to escape
from the Wheel. (See Events 269-271.) However, the Wheel of the Goloths
was gravely damaged and the Time Dames went into a full retreat. (See
Events 274.)

The unstable forces unleashed by these constant temporal manipulations
and the damaged Wheel of the Goloths were beginning to cause
manifestations unforeseen even by the Time Dames. Notably among these
were doorways from the future that opened in the druid and mage guilds.
(See Events 272, 275, 277.) It was through one of these doors that the
magical science of aquachemantics was learned, which led to the
construction of the N.C.S. Empress's Hope in the Starry Sea. (See Events
279.)

Finally, the Time Dames abandoned their experiments with the undead and
focused once more on the Heart of Shallah, having located the second
half of the heart in a far off place known as Lirangsha. Stealing the
half held by the cavaliers and using the other half in Lirangsha, they
were able to finally revive Goloth Maxyenka. Unfortunately, this led to
the weakening of the Nine Seals that hold the Soulless Gods. (See Events
281.)

Penned by My hand on the 23rd of Dvarsh, in the year 344 CE.


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