Love [illegible]: Part II
The bow of the storied ‘Sinope’ cut through the waters of eastern Sapience as Himalia, the Offspring returned to the continent whence she parted on such contentious terms. Her landfall in the wake of the turbulence witnessed following the wedding of Claes and Darona Ancyrion-Firedancer portended greater trouble still.
Drawing to her three souls burdened by their troubles, she quickly struck an accord with her would-be helpers: their assistance in exchange for a royal boon. All they needed to do was help her fray the already-thin veil made weak by the absence of a caretaker of the realm of Love so that she might bring back her lost lover, Ortho.
The agreement made and the terms accepted, Ortho did indeed return by mysterious ritual. But this act also meant breaking the last veneer of the order imposed upon the realm of Love. Echoes soon made their appearance in his wake, deep-feeling souls with unfinished business returning once more to find one last chance to resolve what they could not before their time was up.
It began in Hashan, where the ritual took place, and from there spread to the fount of the wound in the abandoned Temple of the fallen Goddess, Selene. Thence the phenomenon spread to Ashtan, Mhaldor, Eleusis, Cyrene, and Delos- and everywhere in between. Mortals across the world found themselves being possessed by these restless echoes of the past; a serial killer prowling Martin’s Sorrow, a Duke requesting a banquet in quiet Cyrene, a drowned sailor’s wife made angry by his delay. More troubling still, many gathered at times to witness a true glimpse into the feelings and thoughts of people long-dead.
In experiencing these turbulences to the fullest, it was abundantly clear that the fragmented and precarious state of Love could no longer be ignored.
The Elder God Scarlatti convened with His Divine Brother, the Skylord, upon the Shrine of Ascension. They spoke of the ongoing trouble; though the Great Bard pressed Vastar for a commitment to resolve the situation, He received only an assurance that a new custodian for the long-abandoned realm would be found. Time raced towards inevitable catastrophe, and the world would soon learn just how dire the situation could become if only it got but the faintest nudge.
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Summary: Himalia’s return to Sapience heralded a decided worsening of the situation with the realm of Love. She struck a bargain for help to bring back her dead lover, Ortho, and this further fractured Creation, resulting in many strange happenings.
Penned by My hand on the 11th of Mayan, in the year 984 AF.