| Continued
. . . (previous) --
by Chris L'Etoile The Rise of
the New Singularity
The Virindi's exposure to Dereth has begun to exert a horrible corrupting
influence, a disease expressing itself as. . . individuality.
Now in this Hush
- from the
Zone
Dereth: Snowreap PY
12/Earth: January 2001
After several months of living in the darkness cast by the shadows of the
Hopeslayer and his minions, the children of Ispar looked out onto the land
and saw that the taint of hate and corruption was diminishing.
Gone from the night sky were the pervasive
red lightning and the watchful glare of Bael'Zharon. The waters regained
their sparkling blue hue and the snows of winter fell lighter than they
had the prior year. A quiet respite had fallen across Dereth.
In the silence there came a great sundering
as a floodgate of power unleashed by the return of the Hopeslayer and his
subsequent dismissal ushered in a new age for the Magi of Dereth. High in
the mountains, removed from nearly any sign of civilization, a Menhir
sprang forth emanating an essence of bygone power.
It was here, at the Essence of Strife, that
the Magi of the Arm transported scrolls of immense power garnered from the
chests strewn across the Obsidian Plains. These scrolls given over to the
Essence became an arcane understanding that had long been absent from
Dereth. A new sphere had opened to the Arch Magi of war, brought on by the
resurgence of more powerful magics.
As a result of this awakened power, Magi
traversed the land through the use of new gems capable of opening portals
to outpost towns. Through their use, Magi assisted trade caravans in
bringing the reagents necessary for casting the higher spheres to all
towns around Dereth. Aided by the explorer society, these caravans
assisted the outpost towns in making their wares more accessible to new
arrivals from Ispar.
In the hall of the fallen Hopeslayer,
warriors who wished to return to the scene of the final battle against
evil were met with an unusual discovery. An infusion of black blood could
now be retrieved from within the walls of this corrupt hall to alter the
Sword of Lost Light. Speculation arose as to whether this was a gift of
Asheron for the defeat of Bael'Zharon or a subtle reminder of the
Hopeslayer's influence. Though the truth of its appearance remained a
mystery, warriors forever altered their hard-won reward into the Sword of
Lost Hope.
Travelers discovered that the halls leading
to where the final stand took place had become more difficult to traverse,
bolstered by the remnants of those who would keep the Hopeslayer forever
imprisoned.
Traversing the land, aided by sword and
dagger warriors newly armed with hilted weapons crafted by the bandits of
MacNiall's and MacDugal's forces, parties discovered that the denizens of
Dereth had migrated over the land. The new groupings of like species
inspired the greatest of Dereth's guardians to journey the world together.
As they adventured and experienced the evolution of the Derethian
landscape, fellowships found that together they received greater rewards
than they had ever obtained before.
In the larger cities and outlying towns
however, there was the calm that had come after the storm, a time of
reflection and rest that was well deserved and hard won. Only one question
remained.
What was to come next?
Continued |