Earthen Rift (Normal)

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*The time has come to avert disaster.*

## Summary

Lord of Avillon surmises that the Gallus Empire might have something to do with the fact that the Primordial Monster has woken up. The group manages to defeat the Monster and celebrates.

## Character List

### Major

* Lord of Avillon
* Dhurahan Atirkan
* Lairei Yen (Fire)

### Minor

* Fram Berge (Water)
* Johan Talede (Light)
* Mu
* Charlotte Grace (Earth)
* Mikhail Blake (Dark)

## Content

Fram: Something’s off. I don’t feel any magic through here, Highness.

"Lord": Your instinct are spot on, Fram. The magic here is being restricted, like it’s been tied up.

Johan: You mean…

"Lord": Someone’s using an arcane device in this rift to manipulate the flow of magic. That monster didn’t wake up naturally. Someone woke it up.

Dhurahan: What?! Are you certain? What sort of filth would do such a thing?!

Lairei: Are you positive it was deliberate?

"Lord": Yes. It may seem like it was done haphazardly, but this was all planned down to the smallest detail. Even just setting up the device must’ve taken months…

Dhurahan: Is the flow of magic… visible to you?

"Lord": Let’s just say I’ve got clearer vision than most. Were there any reports of suspicious figures near the rift before the monster appeared?

Lairei: Not that I know of. Granted, old wives’ tales say the region is steeped in bad luck, which is reason enough for most warriors to avoid this place.

"Lord": I supposed they wouldn’t even see the need to patrol the area unless they really believed a monster was slumbering in the grounds below.

Lairei: Whoever awakened the monster certainly believed it.

"Lord": Yeah, they may have even had proof, or at least reliable information… We need to think of who would stand to gain from waking up the monster. Who would benefit the most from the eastern side if Varhya being razed to the ground? Anyone you can think of, Grand Chief?

Dhurahan: Hmm… I can’t think of any enemies or kin I might’ve had a falling out with. The most recent conflict we’ve had is with Rhodon. Perhaps it was them?

"Lord": I think it’s safe to say it’s not them. We’ve already defeated them, and no one over there seemed interested in ancient legends.

Dhurahan: Then who on earth could it be…?

…

[Accessing the Chronicles]

"Lord": Mu, connect me to the Chronicles. I need information on Varhya.

Mu: Connection established. Awaiting orders.

"Lord": Search for traces of human activity in this region over the last… five years should be enough.  Wildlands warriors rarely visit the region, so there shouldn’t be much.

Mu: Search complete. Transmitting…

"Lord": … That’s…

Mu: Those clothes appears to be arcane armor from Gallus.

"Lord": Not surprising. They must be responsible for the chaos…

[Closing the Chronicles]

"Lord": If that’s true, it means Gallus has had its claws in every nation on the western continent, and its activity here is no doubt closely related to the war currently being waged in the East. But what is their goal? Reviving their Empire through aggressive invasion? It would be more than just that if they’re targeting the West, too… Are they trying to conquer the world and establish one huge Empire…?

…

"Lord": I’ve been thinking about who might’ve awoken the monster…

Dhurahan: Oh! And?

"Lord": There’s one place my mind keeps going back to.

Lairei: Where…?

"Lord": Gallus.

Dhurahan: Gallus…?!

Lairei: You mean the country on the eastern continent? Their Empire stretched from continent to continent long ago, but it’s been ages since their collapse. Now they are but a single kingdom belonging to the Dellos Federation.

"Lord": They’ve been hiding their claws until now, biding their time. If they’ve already started stirring up conflict, they must have finished their preparations.

Dhurahan: Preparations for what?

"Lord": To rebuild their Empire.

Dhurahan: Huh…? I’m… not sure I’m convinced. For now, let’s say you’re right. What could they possibly hope to achieve by waking the monster?

"Lord": I’d thought the monster might have been incidental to their plan, but now I have a sense of the bigger picture. As I said, their goal is to rebuild their Empire, to unify the world by bringing it under their control. Rhodon’s move to expand their army was actually part of Gallus’s plan. They wanted the western continent to fall into war and chaos.

Lairei: You’re saying they wanted to breed chaos here so they could swoop in at the end and take over?

"Lord": Exactly. With Rhodon’s military forces depleted, it wouldn’t be difficult for Gallus to overpower them. As for Varhya, they used ancient dark arts to awaken the monster. They may even be able to control it, as terrible as that would be.

Lairei: I’m still having a hard time believing all of this. How do you know any of it? Gallus is a nation far away in the East.

"Lord": Call them tenable observations based on clues I’ve been gathering. For now, we still have to defeat the monster.

Dhurahan: It all seems very complicated… But as for what we need to do in the here and now, I’m sure we’re all clear. We are almost at the rift where the monster awoke. Stay on your toes, everyone!

…

Fram: THAT’S the monster?!

Johan: I’ve never seen anything like it…!

Dhurahan: Beware its attack when it opens its mouth! None of our warriors have survived it!

"Lord": Seems like this one woke up grumpy… But we can’t have it wreaking havoc anymore!

…

Dhurahan: We… defeated it! We won!

Birdkin Warrior: Oohhh! The monster was defeated! It’s over!

Lairei: I can’t believe it… I didn’t think it could be defeated, at least not by mortal hands…

"Lord": Some catastrophes can be overcome. Great work, everyone!

Fram: I’ve still got jitters from that fight! Woohoo! That was amazing!

Johan: Did the beast return to its slumber?

Lairei: Legends state that they can only be put permanently to rest by the power of the gods.

"Lord": Seeing how much we damaged it, that monster won’t be waking up any time before the next ice age.

Fram: The more I think about it, though, if those legends are right… doesn’t that make Varhya the monster’s home? But like, from long ago?

Charlotte: That’s true, huh? Wait, wouldn’t that mean we’re the invaders?!

Fram: If I woke up and found a bunch of bugs crawling all over my house, I’d be mad too.

Dhurahan: \*ahem\* Bugs…?

Fram: Er, I mean…! Look, Dhurahan, I’m not calling the people of Varhya bugs! The monster! Think of it from the monster’s perspective!

Lairei: Ha ha, I understand what you’re trying to say. That’s a good point, actually.

Charlotte: Then the people are at fault here…?

Johan: Well, we’re different species with different thoughts. There are limits to viewing everything through a strictly dichotomous lens.

Mikhail: I don’t think either side is wrong… They are both simply doing what they can to survive.

Dhurahan: The bad ones here are the people who woke the monster…

Lairei: Are you sure it was Gallus, "Lord"?

"Lord": Yes, but we don’t have physical evidence to show you right now. That’s what we’re going to find next. Do we agree that Varhya is safe now, Grand Chief?

Dhurahan: Oh, I was so caught up in the moment that I forgot to thank you! I cannot even begin to express my gratitude… Varhya and its thickheaded Chief owe you an incredible debt. Now that the monster slumbers once again, we can focus on rebuilding our nation, and that is thanks to you.

Lairei: Grand Chief Garush and the rest of our fallen warriors would surely want us to thank you as well. And I must also extend my thanks. You have shown us so much grace and kindness.

Dhurahan: "Lord", is there anything you wish for? I will grant it to you, provided it is within my power!

"Lord": Anything?!

Dhurahan: Of… of course! Just name it!

"Lord": Then how about we drink to our newfound friendship? I don’t think there’s anything else I’d want more.

Lairei: Are you certain? That is really all you want?

"Lord": What else do I need? Did you want me to ask you to hand over Varhya to us?

Dhurahan: I-I mean… We could perhaps work something out if you—

"Lord": Stop! I wasn’t being serious. The wildlands are yours. Oh, but while you’re rebuilding, I want to offer you some administrative aid. The rules and laws of the Tribal Commune are a little lacking in some areas.

Lairei: I still can’t believe there is such a thing as a selfless Monarch…

Fram: I thought you already knew? I seem to recall you calling her a sentimental fool.

Lairei: I… Erm…!

Dhurahan: "Lord", you have proven yourself worthy! As son of the wildlands and Grand Chief to Varhya’s Tribal Commune, I, Dhurahan Atirkan, have a declaration to make. I swear that Varhya and Avillon shall always be united in friendship, and that our pact, forged in blood and iron, shall never weaken, even should I die and my soul wander the wildlands for eight lifetimes!

Lairei: Dhurahan! Must you get carried away with such heavy declarations every single time? Honestly… But I am in agreement. I, Lairei Yin, shall always welcome you as my own kin.

"Lord": Well, look at that! We just received something much more valuable than land…

Fram: Way to go, Highness! You just made a bunch of friends!

Zaira: You never cease to amaze me, Highness.

…

"Lord": The chaos in the West finally seems to have calmed down. There are still things we don’t know, but for the most part, the major issues have been resolved. Now it’s time to turn our attention to Gallus, who’s running rampant in the East. We may have repelled them for now, but once their Empire is up and running, they’ll some for the central continent and for us. We’ll have to keep moving…

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