[Official NPC]

Stories about the unprovoked attacks on forest communes have spread like wildfire since Athendíl fell. Elysia is in shock, and fearful of these apparently alien creatures who appeared seemingly from thin air to decimate any population they encounter. Officials in various towns and across the Empire urge citizens not to panic, trying to downplay the threat by claiming that the rumours have been embellished, but fear of what the invaders might do if left unchecked has led to the forming of several groups intent on eliminating the threat.

Naysayers claim that the invaders are the long-forgotten and much-changed peoples of Anoria and that the expedition there garnered unwanted attention. The Voice of Xanth speculates that the Creator has opened a new portal deep in the forest so two of her creations can meet. The Sect of the Dragon is unusually vocal, prophesying the return of Dimitri, while the Monks of Shaddar welcome the invaders as the vengeful Arm of Xanth. Rumours have resurfaced regarding the existence of a secret, guarded portal leading to a world not of Xanth's making, and the League of Adventurers is preparing for a joint exploratory mission with the Cartographers' Guild. The already over-extended League of Protectors fronts a band of mercenary groups and representatives from law enforcement offices, intent on investigating the attacks.

Meanwhile, communes in the Sylvan Territories are shoring up their defences with help from local Therians. In a display of co-operation not seen since the Scourge and Dimitri Wars, the Anyeli factions are working together to heighten their own security against what are assumed to be advance scouts.

A call to arms has gone up in Alexandria, the staging ground for a growing army preparing for war. While the main group gathers with representatives from the Empire and the Territories to argue over who should lead and whether or not diplomacy should be tried first, a small vanguard has been sent ahead to assess the damage and locate the enemy.

Guided by a survivor of Athendíl and a cartographer, the group flies from one ruined village to another in the course of their investigation, trying to separate fact from fiction, but time is of the essence and more reports spill in almost daily of new sightings and raids.

The Investigation

This thread is a prologue of the plot proper. Feel free to roleplay the vanguard's travels and investigations! However, for plot purposes, please do not go further north than Athendíl or encounter the culprits.

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[Official NPC]

Alain Moreaux's message has reached the League of Protectors. Though the Malaki have been proven not to be an invading army, concerns have not been altogether abated. As a disorganised battalion marches through the forest to guard the portal in case the vanguard fail or fall, a second scouting party is sent ahead to begin Elysia's defense.

In the cities, the thinkers are talking up a storm. Stories of this new portal have founded yet more theories and rumours. Τhe Xanthian religions have come under fire from naysayers and Zanaryans alike, who believe that Xanth has abandoned their worlds in favour of this new realm. None are more criticised than the Voice of Xanth, who are vocal in Her defense.

The League of Adventurers and the Cartographer's Guild are eager to explore the world on the other side of the portal and to retrieve their missing member. Meanwhile, the Sect of the Dragon uses the news to their own ends: They claim the portal leads to Dimitri's cage, and are mounting their own expedition with intent to free him.

The dragons — and Xanth herself — remain conspicuously silent.

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[Official NPC]

The quake on Erimis 1 caused tsunamis that swept away many coastal villages across the mainland and devastated the fishing economy. It triggered a series of volcanic eruptions across Dardanos and many fortresses across the Anyeli Empire were obliterated by avalanches.

In the weeks since, Elysians have been focused on rebuilding and recovering from the devastation. Support for the vanguard's rescue and for exploration of Acantha has dwindled as a result, though a small force remains at the Chandric portal to serve as defense and early warning. The closest commune of Dryads has even engineered the growth of fortifications there, both on the ground and in the tree-tops, to surround the portal with a thick barrier and a single gate that will control who comes in and who goes out. It will be manned by League mercenaries until Elysia can come to a decision regarding who exactly should have jurisdiction here.

Meanwhile, many Zanaryans have withdrawn behind their own portal again rather than be caught up in things that, they claim, do not concern them. Their world has suffered similar incidents thanks to the quake, though they and the dragons of Nirim have managed to minimise the damage through use of elemental manipulation.

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