Into the Deeps 
The Yawning Chasm awaited them. Assembled before the maw that led down into the Deeps of the Warrens was a large expedition of soldiers, laborers, farmers, and suppliers ready to be guided down into the Second Deep. The Otherwilds awaited them. It was an unconventional gambit but it was a necessary one being implemented due to unprecedented circumstances.
“I should be going with you.” Aoren pressed their brows together. The two of them shared a moment of quiet intimacy, hands grasping each others forearms. Talon simply breathed. His ears attuned to the beating heart of his beloved dragon.
“I do not go willingly without you but one of us must safeguard the city.” Recent reports of shambling undead had been growing more concerning. Deathly corpses that arose from the frozen snow that was still blanketing the Northlands had been sighted in growing numbers. Many suspected that these were corpses of the dead from Zaichaer or poor souls who had been swallowed by the cold. With the winter still going strong, and no end in sight, people had been growing more restless. The Great Houses had been pooling their resources in order to face the Long Winter. Kalzasi was no stranger to the cold but this was requiring that they examine more inventive methods of combatting the growing crisis.
House Zatrian had commissioned the Guilded Expanse to build a central Steamworks for the city. The various engineers and artisans were working steadily to now build a more extensive plumbing system for the city in order to deliver steam and heat to homes. Working in coordination with House Briathos, the Steamworks plant would incorporate not just the natural mountain hotsprings but also a carefully designed dragonshard apparatus. From what Talon understood, the Steamworks would also incorporate a more robust water purification system intended to expand Kalzasi’s sewer and aqueduct capabilities.
House Briathos had been employing its Summoners to conjure more elemental spirits in order to combat the imbalance in the natural order of things caused by the Long Winter. There had been some success in revitalizing soil, creating sanctuaries of seasonal progression artificially urged forward by Elementalists, Summoners and Alchemists. Such provisions were helping to ward off some of the effects of an unnatural winter.
House Veyl had, after much persuasion and negotiating among the Assembly of Lords, instituted a price cap for many of the necessary goods that the people of Kalzasi would need to survive. Tizan Veyl had not been pleased but between the other Houses, fair compensation had been arranged to make it viable…at least in the short-term. Combined with the humanitarian efforts of House Ahtivin, the two families were doing a great deal to allay public fears through the services they offered.
Of course, the perils brought by both the Eclipse and the Long Winter had made the work of both House Dahshida and House Novalys more strenuous. Trouble was more present. The people were restless and that had caused an uptick in crime. With the Eclipse having ended, many thought the Long Winter would end with it. When it did not, that had caused some to fall into despair and turn to less constructive outlets. The task of keeping the peace however, was bolstered by the surge in recruitment to both the Sky Guard and the Dawnmartyr Knights. Although, the division between the two organizations was becoming harder to distinguish. It had shocked him, to be honest, but the number of Sky Guard soldiers who had flocked to the Order of the Dawnmartyr had been considerable. His mother and his advisers had not seemed as surprised. He was, after all, the Daizoku of House Novalys and his family had always been the financiers, trainers, outfitters and supporters of Kalzasi’s militant factions. As a result, many of the peacekeepers in the city and surrounding countryside now donned the armor and colors of a Dawnmartyr and Talon was already contemplating simply unifying the two factions.
And that left House Senue.
“My Prince?” He looked to the armored knight calling for his attention. Talon had ultimately chosen to step aside and cede the throne to Karam Senue, who now ruled as Shokaze in a historical move that had shocked many. To nobody’s surprise however, Karam had named Talon his heir, returning him to the status of Crown Prince as Shinsei. The move had helped to unify some of the more disgruntled political factions in the Assembly of Lords and among the Peerage of Kalzasi.
“Time to go.” Talon leaned forward and brushed a kiss upon Aoren’s brow. His dragon would stay behind to safeguard Kalzasi in the wake of some curious disturbances. Talon would be leading the group venturing down into the Second Deep of the Warrens, answering the call of House Senue to mount an expedition into the Otherwilds and reestablish one of the old farming outposts located there. This was not the first time that Kalzasi had turned to the lush fields and bounty of the Otherwilds for survival. Even so, the newly crowned Shokaze wanted the highest chance of success possible in order to contend with the growing shortage of food caused by both the Long Winter and the refugee crisis in the wake of Zaichaer’s decimation. Between that and the displacement caused by the weather, the country’s reserves were being depleted much more rapidly than anticipated.
“Don’t worry, Aoren! I’ll make sure he stays safe!” Mathias winked at Aoren who rolled his eyes. Talon chuckled. He then turned to the caravan.
There were five wagons in total. Each wagon was outfitted with an illumite dragonshard that would serve as a small deterrent to some of the creatures in the Warrens. Talon stepped up to each wagon and bestowed upon it an anchor centered on the dragonshards embedded in the wagon floors. Expanding outward from each dragonshard anchor, he wove an intangible field of protection. It was less of a physical barrier and more of an aura that would further dissuade attacks upon the wagons and their occupants which consisted mostly of the farmers and laborers who would be working at the outpost. Into the Negation aura he wove elements of Masquerade, creating a blur that would make the wagons difficult to assault from a distance. He then created a layer over the wagons infused with aspects of Kinetics, implanting a trigger that if the perimeter of the Negation aura field was breached, a field of Decelerative magic would be projected to buy the wagon defenders time to intercept any such attackers.
His warding of the wagons finished, Talon went to the head of the caravan. He flapped his wings and hovered into the air so that all could see him and hear him.
“We go into the Deeps and with us, hope for a way to face the challenges that seek to threaten Kalzasi. Do not lose yourself to fear of the Warrens, for I am with you. Be brave. Be vigilant. For the Light! For Kalzasi!” A chorus of salutes rang out from the soldiers and knights accompanying the caravan. Talon returned the salute then turned, lowering himself to the ground.
“Move out!” With one last look to Aoren, and with Mathias by his side, Talon began leading the caravan into the Deeps.
25 Searing 123rd Year, A.o.S.
The Yawning Chasm awaited them. Assembled before the maw that led down into the Deeps of the Warrens was a large expedition of soldiers, laborers, farmers, and suppliers ready to be guided down into the Second Deep. The Otherwilds awaited them. It was an unconventional gambit but it was a necessary one being implemented due to unprecedented circumstances.
“I should be going with you.” Aoren pressed their brows together. The two of them shared a moment of quiet intimacy, hands grasping each others forearms. Talon simply breathed. His ears attuned to the beating heart of his beloved dragon.
“I do not go willingly without you but one of us must safeguard the city.” Recent reports of shambling undead had been growing more concerning. Deathly corpses that arose from the frozen snow that was still blanketing the Northlands had been sighted in growing numbers. Many suspected that these were corpses of the dead from Zaichaer or poor souls who had been swallowed by the cold. With the winter still going strong, and no end in sight, people had been growing more restless. The Great Houses had been pooling their resources in order to face the Long Winter. Kalzasi was no stranger to the cold but this was requiring that they examine more inventive methods of combatting the growing crisis.
House Zatrian had commissioned the Guilded Expanse to build a central Steamworks for the city. The various engineers and artisans were working steadily to now build a more extensive plumbing system for the city in order to deliver steam and heat to homes. Working in coordination with House Briathos, the Steamworks plant would incorporate not just the natural mountain hotsprings but also a carefully designed dragonshard apparatus. From what Talon understood, the Steamworks would also incorporate a more robust water purification system intended to expand Kalzasi’s sewer and aqueduct capabilities.
House Briathos had been employing its Summoners to conjure more elemental spirits in order to combat the imbalance in the natural order of things caused by the Long Winter. There had been some success in revitalizing soil, creating sanctuaries of seasonal progression artificially urged forward by Elementalists, Summoners and Alchemists. Such provisions were helping to ward off some of the effects of an unnatural winter.
House Veyl had, after much persuasion and negotiating among the Assembly of Lords, instituted a price cap for many of the necessary goods that the people of Kalzasi would need to survive. Tizan Veyl had not been pleased but between the other Houses, fair compensation had been arranged to make it viable…at least in the short-term. Combined with the humanitarian efforts of House Ahtivin, the two families were doing a great deal to allay public fears through the services they offered.
Of course, the perils brought by both the Eclipse and the Long Winter had made the work of both House Dahshida and House Novalys more strenuous. Trouble was more present. The people were restless and that had caused an uptick in crime. With the Eclipse having ended, many thought the Long Winter would end with it. When it did not, that had caused some to fall into despair and turn to less constructive outlets. The task of keeping the peace however, was bolstered by the surge in recruitment to both the Sky Guard and the Dawnmartyr Knights. Although, the division between the two organizations was becoming harder to distinguish. It had shocked him, to be honest, but the number of Sky Guard soldiers who had flocked to the Order of the Dawnmartyr had been considerable. His mother and his advisers had not seemed as surprised. He was, after all, the Daizoku of House Novalys and his family had always been the financiers, trainers, outfitters and supporters of Kalzasi’s militant factions. As a result, many of the peacekeepers in the city and surrounding countryside now donned the armor and colors of a Dawnmartyr and Talon was already contemplating simply unifying the two factions.
And that left House Senue.
“My Prince?” He looked to the armored knight calling for his attention. Talon had ultimately chosen to step aside and cede the throne to Karam Senue, who now ruled as Shokaze in a historical move that had shocked many. To nobody’s surprise however, Karam had named Talon his heir, returning him to the status of Crown Prince as Shinsei. The move had helped to unify some of the more disgruntled political factions in the Assembly of Lords and among the Peerage of Kalzasi.
“Time to go.” Talon leaned forward and brushed a kiss upon Aoren’s brow. His dragon would stay behind to safeguard Kalzasi in the wake of some curious disturbances. Talon would be leading the group venturing down into the Second Deep of the Warrens, answering the call of House Senue to mount an expedition into the Otherwilds and reestablish one of the old farming outposts located there. This was not the first time that Kalzasi had turned to the lush fields and bounty of the Otherwilds for survival. Even so, the newly crowned Shokaze wanted the highest chance of success possible in order to contend with the growing shortage of food caused by both the Long Winter and the refugee crisis in the wake of Zaichaer’s decimation. Between that and the displacement caused by the weather, the country’s reserves were being depleted much more rapidly than anticipated.
“Don’t worry, Aoren! I’ll make sure he stays safe!” Mathias winked at Aoren who rolled his eyes. Talon chuckled. He then turned to the caravan.
There were five wagons in total. Each wagon was outfitted with an illumite dragonshard that would serve as a small deterrent to some of the creatures in the Warrens. Talon stepped up to each wagon and bestowed upon it an anchor centered on the dragonshards embedded in the wagon floors. Expanding outward from each dragonshard anchor, he wove an intangible field of protection. It was less of a physical barrier and more of an aura that would further dissuade attacks upon the wagons and their occupants which consisted mostly of the farmers and laborers who would be working at the outpost. Into the Negation aura he wove elements of Masquerade, creating a blur that would make the wagons difficult to assault from a distance. He then created a layer over the wagons infused with aspects of Kinetics, implanting a trigger that if the perimeter of the Negation aura field was breached, a field of Decelerative magic would be projected to buy the wagon defenders time to intercept any such attackers.
His warding of the wagons finished, Talon went to the head of the caravan. He flapped his wings and hovered into the air so that all could see him and hear him.
“We go into the Deeps and with us, hope for a way to face the challenges that seek to threaten Kalzasi. Do not lose yourself to fear of the Warrens, for I am with you. Be brave. Be vigilant. For the Light! For Kalzasi!” A chorus of salutes rang out from the soldiers and knights accompanying the caravan. Talon returned the salute then turned, lowering himself to the ground.
“Move out!” With one last look to Aoren, and with Mathias by his side, Talon began leading the caravan into the Deeps.
"Hope light's the way."
