Hail, Sapience.

From the brick-and-mortar legacies of Glanos and Sahart to God-gifted fortresses and refuges-turned-cities, we have celebrated the histories of the cities and Village that we call home upon this planet. It is then that we shall turn to the moment where our existence faced its biggest threat to date, for which we name this period: the Age of the Worldreaver.

[ AGE OF THE WORLDREAVER ]

None could have anticipated the sheer scale of devastation that would be wrought by the Divine entity known as Bal'met, summoned across time and space into existence by His devoted Krenindalan followers, the ormyrr and Dala'myrr. Collectively, He and His forces caused the death or disappearance of over a score of Divine, slew the white Dragon Ashaxei, and engineered the sinking of Shallam.

In tampering with the Fire Behind the Flame, He came so close to our undoing that Lady Maya sacrificed a portion of Her Divinity to temporarily elevate mortals as Demigods to battle Him, and the restored Logos departed Creation to tend to the damaged Fire forevermore.

= EVENTS =

The presentation known as Bal'met's Last Stand will take you back through time to immerse yourself in that monumental final battle, and to witness the Logos' final farewell.

The Ember Hunt, a conflict-supported egghunt, will mimic the then-violence of the realms as ormyrr and adventurer alike fought over the scattered but still powerful embers of Ashaxei.

Various presentations on the Divine continue, Each having been chosen the role They played in this Age.

The first of the Historical Art and Artifact Auctions begins at the Delosian Auctioneers. See Public news #22314 for information on the lots and how to bid, or contact Skye B. Anchors.

See UPCOMING for further details.

= EXHIBITS =

Images of the four Seleucarian locations previously transported to the Restoration are preserved at the mezzanine reading floor, where the Sojourn table is also temporarily available.

The HIMS Iridescent Moon now floats south and west from the portal to the Asterian Restoration, and all are invited to visit. Look closely at what lies within.

Choose and yield two memories to contribute to the Orb of Memories in the Asterian Restoration. Details are in Public post #22301.

The Path of Seleucar remains: a self-guided adventure that follows, as closely as possible, Nikolas and Severian's original journey to found Seleucar. Retrace their steps from the first monolith at the centre of New Thera and look out for the clues at the end that take you to the next.

= JOURNAL =

Your Festival participation will be tracked - by yourself - in a journal of your choosing. To qualify as completing this Age, you must cover at least ONE (1) of the following in your designated journal:

1. Attend any of the presentations or exhibits and write down your thoughts on what you saw, heard and learned. See UPCOMING for a list.

or

a) Explore: Seek out the memorial to the Gods that fell to Bal'met, down from the Shrine of Ascension in the Siroccian Mountains, and leave a memento to your God of choice. OR, search for Ashaxei's Mirror in the centre of the crater in the Mhojave and experience her final moments. OR, seek out the public temple of one of the fallen Divine, if it remains. Write about your experience.

b) Engage: Light the votive candle in the small chapel north and west of the Aster Crossroads, which honours one of the fallen Gods. It can be extinguished with a TOUCH and lit again for different Gods. Write about the particular God you choose to honour, and why.

c) Educate: Read either the Saga of Bal'met, or the tablet at the Shrine of Ascension, or any tome that details the events of the Worldreaver Saga. Write down your thoughts.

You may complete more than one task if you wish. This journal, ultimately, records your journey and growth.

Note: These tasks can be completed at any time, so long as it is before the end of the Festival. You do not need to complete Age of the Worldreaver tasks only in this Age, as we understand schedules can be unaccommodating. Events, of course, are time-limited.

= MISCELLANEOUS =

1. The Grand Bazaar, the largest bazaar in modern history, continues upon the Asterian Peninsula with around 25 carts stocking wares and goods from all over Sapience. See Public news #22289, or the poster at the portal on Meropis.

2. View the artwork and curios on display at the gallery of the Anchors Acreage in the Shamtota Hills (coordinates 56264 on most maps), and decide if you want to bid on any during the upcoming Historical Art and Artefacts Auction.

3. We are still accepting applications for the Asterian Masquerade. Information in Public news #22220.

As always, ENTER the PORTAL in central New Thera for easy access to the Asterian Restoration. We look forward to your participation in our Festival.

Regards,

Jurixe S. Nithilar
representing the Asterian Restoration

Penned by my hand on the 3rd of Ero, in the year 978 AF.