The Discovery of Gaaglin Swamp and Gorlognal Academy

A crocodile swims through a swamp.

At the entrance to what the expedition soon learned was called Gaaglin Swamp, they found a pair of mugwumps – brother and sister – arguing vehemently. One was called Phelbin Gorlogg, and he was the chancellor of a mugwump place of learning called the Gorlognal Academy, which had unfortunately been sunk into the swamp recently…

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Prophecies, Dreams, and Earthquakes

Dark clouds cover the sky in the picture, only a tiny strip of bright sky visible.

It is said that prophecy only becomes clear in hindsight, and that for every sentence of foretelling, there are a dozen interpretations. And yet, the peoples of Basin of Life gathered prophecy nonetheless, as one organisation after another were alerted in dreams, intuition, and sensations that something strange was afoot, and that the world itself…

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Of Moss and Machinations

Mossy rocks over which flows a waterfall in multiple streams.

From a torn page covered in flecks of moss, written by Pachidrui Etloo. It all started with a seagull, a nuisance of a bird that I’d rather avoid in the future. Still, it alerted me and later others to the plight that plagued the Toronada Tidal Flats. It seems a new variation of moss had…

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The Tale of Two Great Worms

Underwater, close to the surface.

Winter had released its grasp and spring had broken out in the early days of Kiani when sounds of a heated squabble echoed across the Basin. It would be Qistrel Strongleaf of the Serenwilde Commune who would first stumble upon Pachidrui Etloo, the herbalist newly settled there, being interrogated by none other than Ganine Natharian,…

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Of huskies, and abominations

Hukies in scarves sitting in the snow

In the deep darkness of an Avechary night, a blast of icy wind blew south across the Basin of Life, carrying upon it the howling of dogs and the sounds of battle. The baying of the hounds was enough to catch the attention of many and the search began, with adventurers heading off in all…

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Bored and Looking for Board

A great wave crashes down, two surfers attempt the wave.

One fine Dioni day, Pyrlios, the resident vagabond of the Toronada Tidal Flats declared that conditions were perfect for wave surfing! There was only one problem though. Pyrlios had no surfboard to ride the waves with! No less than nine brave adventurers quickly came to his aid, and in his joy, Pyrlios invited them to…

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Pachidrui’s Hunt For New Flora

Two glass mugs seen from above, filled with herbal tea.

A torn page from the journal of one: Pachidrui Etloo One last undertaking, it was to be. The final journey, as I had received word that there was a place in need of an herbalist, and I had grown tired of my home, of the plants and flora that grew there. I had taken to…

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Serenwilde Attacked

On a cold Roarkian day in the year 654 CE, a roar echoed over the foothills of the Northern Mountains, drawing the attention of those in the forest nearby. Soon, Qistrel, Veara, Huskii, Lendren, and Llani of the Serenwilde all gathered around Adasser and Caedir, two young warriors from the commune who were warily watching…

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Clandestine Correspondence

The smog-clad city of Magnagora.

Ghalib d’Murani of Magnagora is not what one might call an imposing gentleman, nor one used to drawing attention to himself. There are, after all, many ways to wield power in the Engine of Transformation, and one need not be loud or brutish to be powerful. Subtlety, patience, and resourcefulness are useful tools for the…

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The Navigator Returns

Against a darkened sky, a single light searches for the skies.

See… The night sky above Lusternia, dark, and as mysterious as the First World itself. Host to the great movements of the Sun and the Moon. To the dance of quick Eroee and slow Aapek; of Sidiak, Tarox, and Papaxi. To the eternal twinkling of the stars upon the firmanent. Except… not all the stars…

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The plight of Krug Fleshkeeper

Orcs preparing for war in a village.

A storm was brewing one night in mid-Shanthin when distressed shouts and accusations pierced through the otherwise pleasant sound of rainfall. Waykeeper Qistrel Strongleaf and Huskii Myeras of Serenwilde were the first to arrive at the Balach Swamp, where they found Krug Fleshkeeper, the orc butcher of the nearby village of Acknor, wallowing in the…

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The Blunder of Babette Boulanger

A pearl sits within a shell on the beach.

It was mid morning on a warm and pleasant spring day when the peaceful sounds of crashing waves were interrupted by the feminine cries of someone near the coastal village of Delport. Arriving upon the beach of the Inner Sea, Uzriel d’Vanecu of Magnagora stumbled upon Babette Boulanger, the Gold House attendant of Delport, who…

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Snow Valley Fish Tale

Icy banks of a river in winter

A peaceful Klangiary was interrupted by a dispute between Wapan Hromash and Worrel Fleece over which one was considered the better fisherman. What kind of fisherman could Wapan be if he lost his rod, however? Several targeted insults were traded across the Basin. Soon, a fishing contest was enacted in Snow Valley to cease the…

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A Storm comes to the Skarch

Sandy dunes of a desert

The Skarch Desert seems to be a place full of mystery, and unexpected developments. In the early hours of the 5th of Urlachmar, 651 years after the Coming of Estarra, a cry for help was heard around the Basin of Life, then quickly muffled, as someone tumbled underneath the Skarch’s vast sands. Quick adventurers would…

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Of Squirrels and Shrines

Hazeline, the hazelnut fae

It was a particularly nice day at the very tail end of winter in the year 650 CE, when a loud screeching pierced the peaceful quietness. The source was obviously coming from Tolborolla, but so annoying was the noise that those who gathered to investigate were frantically scrambling all over the valley, unable for a…

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Of Fire and Ledgers

A shelf full of books

From the diary of Xislia Dith, 19th of Roarkian, year 649: Knowing how much Chixesaka loves his coins, I figured I could really impress him with a nice ledger to keep track of all of his riches. So, not too long ago, I started studying how to bind books. Oddly though, every time I gave…

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Adventure is for the Brave

A trio of adventurers head off into the woods.

The call came out on the 21st of Kiani, in the year 648 after the Coming of Estarra: I am looking for an adventurer. Come find me at the Triple Junction Inn. And indeed, adventurers arrived to find none other than Tapif the Furrikin, an adolescent of mildly mysterious origin, seeking to go on an…

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Of squirrels

Squirrels sit upon cages in a forest, some are free.

In the thick of winter of 645 CE, the Kiakodan Nature Reserve was burglarised by unknown forces. Reported publicly by Gatekeeper Quillion Jones, the break-in resulted in the squirrel nursery, which was watched over by Tommut Whitlock, being utterly destroyed and the baby squirrels kidnapped. First on the scene was Exeryte Stormcrow of Glomdoring, who…

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A Very Frosty Education

Snowmen on skates on an icy pond

Earlier this year, in Urlachmar, Father Ratanele of Saint Gathlyn’s Orphanage undertook the long journey to visit New Celest. He had made an appointment with Ayehenue, the Civic Engineer, who greeted him warmly by the Pool of Stars. The weary Father explained he felt compelled to travel so far to seek help from the kindred…

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A Brilliant Revolution, Part I

There are many ways to describe this city, many epithets to label it and countless adjectives to apply to it and its people. A common one that is heard from any soul who has walked the streets for any length of time, whether they love or hate it, is that it is a contradiction; endless…

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