SPOILER WARNING

The events described below coincide with the events that take place within the first three Ephalon novels. Read ahead at your own discretion

Broken chains of Fate

The fourth Era - part 3

The Cult returns

Coincidence, the word holds little meaning to me anymore. Less than a week after Selene's departure I suddenly received news from one of my old contacts. The Cult of the Ninth element had resurfaced and was out for blood. The eldest of their members, the former second hand to the fallen leader, had taken up his duty.

Oh, that's right, I don't believe I'd written about that yet. The Cult had lost its leader thirty years ago during the battle that took place at the Temple of the Keeper. They've been dormant since that incident, going so far as burning down their old mainstay to wipe out any trace that they ever existed.

From what little my old friend could gather, they were on route to Sundia; apparently, someone had tipped them off about a particular artefact which would soon arrive there. For some reason, I can't help but think Maeyl is involved in all of this.

Revival of the hero

I did not learn this particular fact till much much later. Evidently, Selene Arramore's purpose in opening the Limbo gate was to retrieve Riptor Stormwolf. To even consider that man survived thirty years in Limbo is unthinkable. The entire dimension is made up of nothing but void-energy. There is no life there, only death, yet somehow, he lived through it, amazing truly.

Riptor Stormwolf, there that name was again; indeed Fate had grander plans for this man.

I would have loved to know how he managed to survive within that dimension, but I fear that is something I will never learn. Perhaps if you find the man himself, you might be able to ask him, though I doubt he'd be very inclined to discuss it openly.

Battle of Turnpike

It wasn't that long after Maeyl's disappearance that something unexpected happened in Turnpike; someone tried to invade the city and burn it to the ground. Everyone in Erafar was talking about it for many months after it had occurred. However, the events leading up it are perhaps more interesting than those of its conclusion.

A series of unfortunate events had beset the city of Turnpike. The incidents involved people suddenly acting out of character, ranging from violent outbursts all the way to committing suicide. Many of the inhabitants considered it a curse, though I have my suspicions to the actual cause.

The battle itself revolved around the Cult of the Ninth element, which had grown impatient and decided to attack Turnpike directly. A bold move, though a most unwise one as it brought forth the Highwall army to get involved in this little escapade.

Another one of those coincidences occurred as well. Four names kept coming up throughout the many retellings of the incident, namely: Riptor Stormwolf, Selene Arramore, Rhea Loveheart, and Dianne Morrigan. The latter two of which had perished in the battle itself. It seems that even after a thirty-year absence, Fate came calling for poor miss Loveheart.

There was something 'else' that happened during that horrid event. Supposedly, a new enemy arose amid the fallen soldiers, a feminine figure doused in green flames. The explanation for which no one has been able to ascertain, not surprising honestly, I don't consider most commoners capable of even basic analysis. It was oft repeated that the 'entity' was able to down a dragon single-handedly. That's a level of embellishment that I cannot trust.

No one can single-handedly defeat a dragon, not even Lord Maeyl.

Letter from another dimension

It was almost precisely a year after the battle of Turnpike that I received a most intriguing letter. I might even go so far as to describe that I received it from another world, though honestly, that is just me waxing poetic. Riptor Stormwolf, the man who Fate had a score to settle with, wanted to meet me in person in roughly a week from now. It would be impossible to plan this encounter to the letter; therefore I hired a man to travel to Tenebrae at the edge of the Ligan region and wait there for his coming. After the passing of five days, I would contact this messenger every night via the 'chair'.

Eventually, I received confirmation that Riptor had arrived, it was then that I had to travel to Parvus to meet up with him. Together with Reina's help, I planned out a method of contact. If everything went according to plan, we'd have some time alone. I had to consider that leaving the city for too long in Maeyl's absence would be found, suspect.

Call to arms

Less than a week after the meeting with Riptor, a massive shockwave struck Caldrigo. It was similar to the one I'd felt over a hundred years ago when Mount Arramore ruptured. My library was in shambles! Books everywhere, I was gravely saddened by this; however, I knew that this meant that Fate had finally come calling. The pieces in this one-hundred-year game were at long last converging. I had to act.

I showed Reina the secret compartment in which I kept the Forbidden book. We then gathered what was needed and made our way to the Dowder plains, east of Mount Arramore.

Celestial Selene, wearing the Shackles of Enterra, Ephalon

Tear into the Realm of the Forgotten, Ephalon

One final visit home

Coalescence was defeated, Maeyl was gone from existence, and as far as I'm aware, the last remaining Forbidden book had been destroyed, forever sealing Limbo away. Selene Arramore had become the new Dragon Queen-Empress, although somewhat overdue, I cannot help but respect her resolve.

I ventured back to Caldrigo with Reina and explained to the higher-ups that Maeyl had been killed. This turn of events created quite the upheaval as the rite of succession had been broken. To be honest, it was their problem now as I was free to do as I wanted. The city could rot for all I care.

I officially announced the end of the fourth Era, and I didn't care if my fellow scholars agreed with me or not. I was done with this place, so I packed my most valuable belongings as well as some food and currency and left together with Arlos and Reina.

Heir to the throne

I received a fascinating guest today. A human woman who claimed to be none other than Selene Arramore. It was hard to swallow as truth, but the things she told me gave me pause to deem it was true. I was fully aware that dragons could disguise themselves as humans, after all, my dear Reina was likely performing that little act as well. Nevertheless, to enter Caldrigo as a none-Cenebrian was a daring feat.

She wanted to know if I had one or knew of the location of one of the Forbidden book of the Ancients. It goes without saying, that I did not reveal to her that I was in possession of one. Near the end of our conversation, things turned a little sour, and I was forced to insult the poor woman; though honestly, dragons shouldn't resort to begging, it is so unbecoming.

After she left I was forced to inform Lord Maeyl of her visitation; he'd given me explicit instructions to relay any information or inquiries in regards to the Ancients. The man seemed overjoyed and declared that he had to speed up his plan. I wonder how the world would have looked had I not spoken of this incident, though it is unlikely I would have been able to keep it a secret for long, considering half the transients in Caldrigo had witnessed her entering my abode.

Limbo re-opened

Reports regarding the specifics of this event are somewhat scarce; regardless, there was no doubt that Selene Arramore had somehow managed to re-open a gateway into Limbo. To do such a thing she must have been in possession of a Forbidden book. So, there was another besides my own. Even so, I can't fathom why anyone would ever want to do such a thing.

Admittedly, a large portion of my information network went silent or missing after this event. Therefore my retelling from here on out, won't be as accurate as I like it to be. A significant share is made up of information I learned after the fact. I have tried to organise the sequence of events as best I could.

Maeyl disappears

Months had passed since the opening of the Limbo gate. I finally found out some pertinent information concerning one of the elemental masters who resided in Moridia. I relayed it to Lord Maeyl, and that was the last time I spoke to him, after that, he completely disappeared off the face of Ephalon. Not even my informants were able to gather his whereabouts; he'd literally vanished.

A day or so later something terrible transpired in Moridia, that much was for certain, though the exact details of the event were near impossible to ascertain. Not surprising, since those rock-lizards speak almost exclusively in that awful language of theirs, Eclasion, what a primitive form of communication.

Even though Lord Maeyl was gone, I never was able to rest easy as he could appear before me at any moment using that forsaken shadow step ability of his.

Coalescence, the necrotic void-hybrid, Ephalon

Year of Silence

After the battle of Turnpike things turned silent as very little information found its way to me any longer, and with Lord Maeyl's prolonged absence I had to take over several duties of his. There were a few fellow Cenebrians in the know of him still being among the living. Honestly, I did not doubt that he was, especially given his tenacious nature.

There was another event that would transpire this year, one I hadn't considered initially. It had been over one-hundred years since the passing of Celestus Arramore, which also marked Maeyl's rule as equal in length.

If Fate was planning to do something about my master, it was assuredly taking its bloody time!

Fated meeting

Reina led the Ancient to the Black Tongue Tavern, and the following morning we conversed. He began with a request that the Cenebrians of Caldrigo join a coalition that he was forming. It was to prevent a supposed war from sweeping Erafar. I'd heard a few rumours about this particular subject; they pertained to the being that had arisen from the ashes at the battle of Turnpike, the one they called Coalescence. She had escaped the battle and gone underground for an entire year. Suspicions were growing that she was amassing an army of so-called Aquinti. I informed the Ancient that it would be suicide for me to go against Lord Maeyl, it was the truth; however, looking back at it now, I should have helped Riptor then and there, a slight regret on my part.

I quite enjoyed the wolfman's brashness, especially with regards to Lord Maeyl. He told me of an interesting fact that I wasn't aware of. Almost a year ago, sir Stormwolf had fought my master and won. That meant that Maeyl had lost twice to this foe. Undoubtedly, this had infuriated my master to no end and served as a valid explanation for his absence.

After our little parley, we were attacked by the vile Aquinti. They were most dangerous indeed. I was grateful that Reina was there to assist as she together with Riptor quickly had things under control. I had to decline his invitation to the coalition, though it left me thinking that I could be of help somehow. After all, it had been forty-six years since I stole one of his people's Forbidden books. Perhaps it held a source of hope.

Maeyl's last stand

I hadn't left the Ligan region in over a century. To venture beyond was a refreshing joy and made me yearn to explore the world once more. I honestly forget how many days it took us to reach the field of battle, but when we arrived, I would never have imagined the things I saw. Hundreds of dead were strewn about the once pristine plains of the Dowder region; a gargantuan crystalline creature seemingly lay defeated on its side; a horde of insects was fighting those accursed Aquinti, and high above a massive Rift in space-time leading into Limbo spreading its necrotic energies in all directions. To end it all... the remaining Armoridians surrounded a battle between a Celestial dragon and Lord Maeyl.

I conversed briefly with Riptor; it quickly became evident we were under a severe time constraint, though admittedly the whole scene had me overwhelmed. I proposed that we use the Forbidden Karma incantation; something that was deemed so awful that its use was banned even during the War of Dominance. I had my suspicions as to what it would do as I believe my former mentor Lord Falloir might have had a hand in creating this particular incantation.

We had to summon forth Selene as it would only work if recited by all three 'pure blood' progenitor species simultaneously. The Armoridians offered themselves up to keep Lord Maeyl busy whilst we read the words. As I suspected, the Karma incantation tore the very fabric of reality opening a gateway to the Realm of the Forgotten. A creature, which I have come to believe is known as Dolor, touched Lord Maeyl and sent the poor bastard into a frenzy. I can't say what it did, but the man was unable to fight any longer.

It was in that moment that Selene Arramore stole the book from my person and threw Maeyl along with the tome into the Rift high above, putting an end to Fate's scheme once and for all. The Rift closed and Maeyl was gone from sight, after that, all the Aquinti melted as their source of life was now denied.

I had learned that Lord Maeyl had defeated Coalescence at her pinnacle and absorbed the remaining elements that he lacked into himself. This newfound power had elevated Maeyl to the status of Godhood. Regardless, Riptor and Selene somehow managed to defeat him. I, of course, played my part in this little tale, but things weren't over yet.

This changing of an Era will be the fourth in my lifetime; I can almost consider it a routine by this point. However, something was very different this time. I cannot get the image of that 'second' strange creature I saw in the Rift out of my mind. I feel like I know its name, eternally on the tip of my tongue.

This entry will be my last into this document. I have made arrangements with my assistant Reina to have her take over my duties from this point onwards. To help her in this endeavour I have shared with her my greatest secret. Sadly, this does mean that we will have to part ways. I shall miss her company and admiration for the written word.

However, I have a new purpose now, one that must remain a mystery until the time is right.
Goodbye, dear reader.