User:TGM-Christ/Thrist Goldmiada/Biography

(non-canon)

Early life (1301 - 1324 AE)

Tristan Goldmiada, also known as Thrist, was born as the second child of a noble family in the Salma District in Divinity's Reach at 1301 AE. He was blessed by Kormir directly after his birth. Due to his ascalonian ancestry, he has light skin, blue eyes and blonde hair, like his father and siblings.

In his younger years, Thrist was a very playful boy who loved nature and animals and had a soft spot for pirates, but was still somewhat cautious. He also had many friends as a child, was very friendly with his older sister Deborah and had a good relationship with his parents. When he was 6 years old, Thrist met the young Mai Trin in the old Canthan district in Divinity's Reach and quickly became best friends because the two had a soft spot for pirates and were very similar in some aspects. Mai Trin told him that she wanted to be a pirate one day when she was older. Thrist then told her that she should never stop pursuing their dream, if she is happy with it, then he is happy too. When his younger sister Tyrinna was born in 1308 AE, he became a little more careful and looked after her if their parents or Deborah were not there.

During the time when he was 12 years old, he joined the Seraph led by Logan Thackeray, because he is a nobleman and it was his duty to become a seraph some day. Because of his training as a seraph, he had little time for Mai Trin, so the contact between them ended at some point. During his training, he become a ranger of the Seraph ranger division what suited him because he loves nature and animals. His first animal companion was a Juvenile River Drake from Queensdale. During his youth, he visited the Free City of Lion's Arch and was amazed by this city. It was like a pirate heaven with buildings made from shipwrecks and a place of unlimited possibilities and freedom.

At 1317 AE he received a terrible news: his parents were murdered by people from the White Mantle. He was upset and didn't know what to do. Deborah was already grown up and also became a seraph at the Falcon Company. That means they didn't had their time to care for their younger sister Tyrinna. Tyrinna once told Thrist that she wanted to be at the Durmand Priory someday. Thrist then took her to the Durmand Hall in Divinity's Reach and she was then accepted into the Priory. He wasn't ready to say goodbye from his little sister, but he also knew that he would see her again someday.

The years pass and Thrist continued to train to become a seraph.

Rise of a hero (1325 AE)

Becoming a local hero of Kryta

In early 1325 AE Centaurs attacked Shaemoor. Thrist was send there to help defend the village. He met up with Captain Thackeray at the garrison, and together they were able to defeat the centaurs and their summoned earth elemental. He returned home to a celebration in his honor and became the Hero of Shaemoor. Unfortunately, bandits crashed the party. They captured his old friend Faren. Thrist caught up and rescued Faren before they could take him out of the city. Faren said he heard the bandits talking about a hideout beneath an abandoned farm in Shaemoor. When he and Faren went to the bandit hideout, they had the advantage of surprise. They found prisoners locked in cages and freed them. One of the prisoners had managed to steal important papers from a bandit, including a missive ordering future attacks on the city. Thrist reported to Captain Thackeray, and he's eager to find hard evidence to convict Minister Zamon of treason. Logan has asked him to assist the investigation. He had to decide between searching Zamon's home, or questioning people who know him. They don't have time to do both. He and Captain Thackeray and searched Zamon's house. They found evidence: Queen Salma's chalice, floor plans of ransacked properties, and a letter from Zamon's sister, Lady Madeline, hinting at his suspicious activities. Zamon returned from the party as they were leaving, and Thackeray called him to trial right then and there, making their accusations both public and official. The Minister Court convened to try Minister Zamon, but he immediately invoked the ancient law of trial by combat. Fortunately, his second and he prevailed, justice was served, and Zamon was declared guilty...posthumously.

Search for his older Sister

Captain Thackeray asked him to investigate the veracity of Willem Harrinton's journal. He was a member of his sister's Seraph company, the Screaming Falcons. The journal casts doubt on the report of their deaths. Captain Tervelan has a pessimistic view of his investigation. He insists that all members of the Falcon Company are long dead. Thrist offered to help his soldiers attack a nearby centaur camp, just so he can have a look around it. He and Sergeant Bigsby were set up by Captain Tervelan, but they escaped the trap. When he caught up with Tervelan, he confessed that Minister Arton was the mastermind behind the ambush of Falcon Company. Thrist and Captain Thackeray told the queen what they learned. Minister Arton claims innocence, of course. They need more evidence to take him to trial, so he going to speak a former member of Tervelan's command who might know more. Sergeant Hal left Tervelan's command after the Screaming Falcons were ambushed. He directed Thrist toward a Lionguard who was also a member of the company. She might know more. Corporal Dansky, now Deputy Dansky, told him that she carried messages for Tervelan including information on the Screaming Falcon's patrol route. Dansky believes that any surviving members of the Screaming Falcons might be at the bandit camp to the east. They attacked the bandit camp and found the survivors of Falcon Company. He was reunited with his older sister at last. Thrist was so glad to see her again. Though her ordeal was difficult, she'll be safe now in Divinity's Reach.

He received then a letter from the Royal Palace, requesting he come for an audience with the queen.

Choosing an Order

Logan needed a favor to him. There are three Orders of Tyria: the Durmand Priory, the Order of Whispers, and the Vigil. The Priory and Vigil are arguing over jurisdiction in a private investigation. Logan asked Thrist to be an arbitrator between the two groups. Villagers around Lychcroft Mere often go into the swamp and gather moss to burn in the fireplace. Logan says to him that the undead roam the swamp. If that's true, those villagers could be in great danger. Thanks to the Mortus Virge, Thrist and Josir were able to pass safely through Lychcroft Mere, where they found several children hiding from the undead. They told them they'd seen a Seraph soldier in the swamp, doing something creepy. He should consult with the rest of the Order Representatives. Thrist met with the three orders and learned about a missing Seraph named Kellach. The Vigil and Order of Whispers each had their own ideas about what they should do next, but it was up to Thrist to decide. Triskell Quay was under attack by undead when he arrived. They helped the guards in the area, and their lieutenant told them that a soldier named Kellach had stopped at the outpost. He left in the night to look for the pirate captain Alastia Crow. He discussed the next course of action with the Order representatives, and chose a direction for the investigation. Thrist hoped they discover the cause of these problems soon.

Although they had to fight off creatures pouring through the portals to the Mists, they finally summoned the spirit of Alastia Crow. According to her, Kellach was obsessed with protecting Kryta, and wanted to use her scrying powers. He used them to look into Orr and something there corrupted him. When he demanded a cure, she bluffed that only "blood of great power and significance" would work. Enraged by this, he killed her. If he still wants that cure, there's only one thing it could be—killing the queen! They needed to let Logan know right away. Thrist returned home and spoke with Captain Thackeray. Once again, the Order representatives had good ideas about how to proceed. Logan believed it's time for him to join one of the Orders of Tyria, and he agreed to join the Order of Whispers. With help from his Order, he and Logan stopped Kellach before he could hurt Queen Jennah. Thrist traveled to Lion's Arch to meet one of Logan's old friends.

Thereafter, he began his new adventures with the Order of Whispers.

At the Order of Whispers

Thrist met with Logan and the remaining members of Destiny's Edge in Lion's Arch at the Grand Piazza and it was explosive. The death of their compatriot, Snaff, caused some real rifts in the guild. It will take a lot to mend those friendships.

He received later then a letter from Tybalt Leftpaw, who has been assigned to him as his new Order of Whispers contact. He met Tybalt in Lion's Arch at the Trader's Forum next to the bank, a Lightbringer of the Order of Whispers. They got a situation to investigate in Applenook Hamlet, north of the city. He meet him there. He learned that Demmi Beetlestone, daughter to Legate Minister Caudecus of Kryta and a friend of his younger sister Tyrinna, asked the Order of Whispers to give her political asylum, implying she knew something about her father that was worth finding out. The Order lost contact with Demmi somewhere in Applenook Hamlet. It appeared that she was kidnapped by Jackdaw pirates. In disguise they rescued Demmi from the pirates and got her safely back to Lion's Arch, althought Thrist liked being at the Jackdaw pirates as he still like pirates, also he was very drunk from a Belcher's Bluff contest. He also thought of Mai Trin and wondered where she was and what she is doing now. Demmi quickly recognized Thrist because he is Tyrinna's brother. She'll be waiting for him at the safehouse there. Thrist talked with the bouncer inside the tavern in Lion's Arch. With the proper passwords, he was allowed into the secret Order of Whispers hideout. Tybalt and Demmi arrived safely in Lion's Arch, but they were tracked via her enchanted necklace and she had to be snuck out of the city again. They left a great big trail for the Ministry Guard. By the time they're done, they'll be so lost they won't know where the sun rises. Tired of running from her father's thugs, Demmi finally stood up for herself. She joined the Order of Whispers, and together, they faced down Commander Landon and defeated him. Due to the success of Thrist's first mission, he was promoted to full Agent. He and Tybalt were assigned a mission to infiltrate and influence members of one of Tyria's tribal cultures.

He and his mentor established contact with Ikniu, a hylek from the village that is sacrificing its champions to the undead. They collected the head of their most recent champion as proof that the sacrifices aren't saving the village. Instead, the champions are being corrupted and joining Zhaitan's undead army. The village leaders were not convinced, however, so they decided to make our case again from a much stronger position so that no one could possibly deny the truth. They followed High Priestess Ecolotl's procession to Lorantl Grounds and confronted her with their proof of the undead corruption. She was convinced, but they soon realized that sooner or later, the undead will come to overwhelm the village. They decided to return and help the village prepare to defend itself. The hylek village was destroyed, but they managed to save most of the villagers. Chief Quecuan and Ikniu were grateful, and Ikniu promised to join their fight against the Elder Dragons to repay them for joining his.

During his time in the Order, he also befriends with Tegakk, a brilliant asura engineer from Rata Sum and Gravia Crookhorn, a friendly charr ranger with a devourer as her companion.

Battle against Zhaitan (1325 AE)

The Battle of Claw Island

Thrist was reported back to the headquarters, and was promoted to Lightbringer. Their next mission was to find a possible double agent, Yeng Isen, before he turns traitor. He hasn't reported in some time, and the order suspects he's betrayed them. Yeng had captured an Orrian scout—inside Lion's Arch. He and Tybalt are headed to Claw Island, to warn the Lionguard. They arrived on Claw Island just ahead of a Risen attack and found a new ally in the scholar Trahearne a sylvari. They lit beacons at the fortress to warn Lion's Arch of Zhaitan's offshore forces, and we saw the Lionguard survivors of Fort Stalwart safely back to the mainland, though our retreat came at a terrible cost. Tybalt sacrifices himself so that his partner, Trahearne, and the injured Lionguard can make it to safety. After the defeat at Claw Island, the survivors returned to Lion's Arch. It will take Zhaitan's minions some time to get reinforcements from Orr, but when they do they will attack the city.

The Order of Whispers are recalling its available operatives to Lion's Arch. After what happened at Claw Island, the city's scared. They need to be there. He and the Preceptors cleared out the undead that had crept into the city. Now, he must call on the order's contacts and gain allies. Tyria was in great danger. He and Trahearne helped Benn Tenstrikes to escape the Ministry prison. Once they told him about the events at Claw Island and Tybalt's death Benn agreed to call in every favor he could, and assemble a fighting force to help the Order in Lion's Arch.

Thrist and Trahearne went to the The Pale Tree in the Grove to show them a vision of Orr. Trahearne has pledged to find a way to heal that ruined land. For Thrist's part, he swear to find a way to defeat Zhaitan. These were dangerous, amazing times in Tyria's history. He hope he can live up to the Mother Tree's hopes for the future. He defended the Chantry of Secrets from the invading armies of Zhaitan. This victory at the Chantry has bolstered our confidence. Now, they are going to take back Claw Island.

The three Orders of Tyria met on the dock in Lion's Arch, and agreed to unify their efforts in Orr beneath a new banner: the Pact. As its first mission, Trahearne was leading them back to Claw Island, where they will attempt to retake Fort Stalwart from Zhaitan's forces. Together, the three Orders of Tyria took back Claw Island and defeated the Plaguebringer. The city of Lion's Arch was no longer in danger. With one blow, they avenged the loss of his mentor and proved that the Pact can conquer any enemy.

Becoming the Pact Commander

At Trahearne's request, Thrist joined him in Concordia to discuss preparing the Pact's campaign into Orr to confront Zhaitan. He met with Trahearne and some high-ranking members of the orders of Tyria. They confirmed Trahearne as the leader of the Pact, with the rank of marshal. They also agreed that he would be Trahearne's second in command with the rank of commander. They put the finest smiths in Tyria to work making weapons and armor for the Pact, and Trahearne led a rescue mission that not only saved the lives of stranded Pact soldiers, but also netted us a valuable dwarven tome of ancient knowledge. The Pact's campaign plans are broad and complicated, so Trahearne asked him to make sure a key element of that campaign is ready for the rigors of war.

Thrist and Crusader Apatia attacked the krait slavers in their tower fortress. They defeated the krait and freed their prisoners, including Warden Hywel. The prisoners told them of a krait orb with the ability to prevent Zhaitan's magic from raising the dead, and of a largos who might have more answers. He and Apatia set out to find this largos in order to learn as much as we can about this strange and powerful artifact. He and Apatia tracked down Sayeh al 'Rajihd, the largos they'd been told about. Sayeh gave them a challenge to prove they were worth her time, which they met. She then told them what she knew about the orb. Its origins, purpose, and true power are still a mystery, but they did learn where it will be, so Thrist and Apatia set out to claim it for the Pact. He and Apatia allowed themselves to be taken prisoner by krait slavers so they could get close to the orb. Everything went perfectly until he found and claimed the orb. The krait recaptured Apatia, but he couldn't stop to free her. He and The orb are both needed back at Fort Trinity. Thrist swore to return and rescue Apatia.

He helped Trahearne and the Pact to defeat a major attack against Fort Trinity. The dragon sent its army at them from all directions, but they were able to hold them off. Now the Pact is poised to go on the offensive and take the fight to Zhaitan in Orr—but first, he have to finish the mission he started at Trahearne's request. Trahearne joined him and others in storming the krait tower to rescue Apatia. They made it through, but they were too late. Like every krait they encountered, Apatia had been turned into one of the undead. It was a devastating find, but they agreed that the thing she had become needed to be put down. Afterwards, they set out for Hoelbrak to formally remember Apatia for what she truly was: a hero.

Thrist and Trahearne gave Crusader Apatia a hero's send-off. They traveled to the Great Lodge in Hoelbrak and shared tales of her courage and skill with the norn assembled there. Apatia should not be forgotten by the Pact or her people and when Zhaitan falls, they will dedicate their victory to Apatia and the other brave soldiers whose sacrifice made their victory possible.

Zhaitan's fall

The largos, Sayeh al' Rahjid, swore to honor a mysterious oath she made to Trahearne in the past. Acting on her information, they decided he would join her in investigating a sunken temple off Orr's coast. They arrived too late to stop Zhaitan's servants from claiming a powerful artifact, but they killed one of the dragon's lieutenants and collected some valuable information. The creatures they saw seem connected to Zhaitan itself and also seem to be acting on its top priorities. Thrist and Sayeh returned to Trahearne to figure out how to use this new intelligence. He reported back to Fort Trinity to tell Trahearne about the strange eye and mouth creatures they saw. Trahearne seemed to recognize the eye as the Eye of Zhaitan, which was acting as the dragon's advance scout. They set out to kill this creature in the hopes of blinding Zhaitan's war effort.

He and Trahearne needed a powerful magical artifact to attract the Eye of Zhaitan, so they turned to Carys and Tegwen, two sylvari Wardens who had discovered a magic Orrian mirror. The trap worked. Trahearne sent the Eye's body back to be studied by the Pact's foremost authorities in order to determine what it is and how they can use it against Zhaitan. Trahearne had the dead Eye of Zhaitan returned to Fort Trinity for study, and he requested Thrist join him there. He returned to the Fort Trinity airship docks and boarded the airship to conduct the study. He joined Trahearne, Professor Gorr, and Scholar Vivian aboard a Pact airship to conduct tests on the dead Eye of Zhaitan without endangering anyone in Fort Trinity. They established that the Eye literally sees for Zhaitan, and they saw horrific images from Orr. They identified another monstrous creature called the Mouth of Zhaitan and agreed that if the Eye finds food for the dragon, then the Mouth must consume it. They set out for Orr itself to prevent the Mouth from providing sustenance to Zhaitan. Thrist led a Pact squad on a mission to destroy the ship and the couriers that bring magical objects to the Mouth of Zhaitan. Their intent was to cut off Zhaitan's food supply by starving its Mouth, but the Mouth itself emerged and they were forced to kill it directly. He returned to Fort Trinity to meet with Trahearne and plan the Pact's next move. He met with Marshal Trahearne and decided the Pact's next step was to cut off the supply of dead bodies that Zhaitan corrupts into soldiers for its army.

Thrist and Trahearne led a mission into Zhaitan's ossuary to destroy the horrid process used to create Risen monstrosities. The ossuary was heavily defended, but they were able to shut it down. Now that we've crippled Zhaitan's surveillance, food supply, and ability to create reinforcements, it's time to press the advantage and establish a major beachhead in Orr. They established a forward command post for the Pact at Reflection Cove. We defended it from the ravages of a Risen prince, and it will be a critical part of their advancement into Orr.

After a long battle with no reinforcements and no safe place to retreat to, they reached the docks and took control of the area. Now that the ships from Lion's Arch have landed, the war machines can begin their march toward the city of Arah. As part of the Pact's march on Orr, Thrist led a squad charged with clearing a path for our heavy mobile artillery. They reached our destination, but lost a brave sylvari named Tegwen, who stayed behind to ensure their mission was successful. They mourned thheir loss, but prepared to move on to their next objective so their tanks could be put to good use. He met Tactician Beirne at Caer Shadowfain and defended the site against an Risen invasion from the sea. When the tanks arrived, they rolled on the main base of the undead. Although they were victorious, Beirne gave his life to save his friends. They won the day, but this victory has been paid for by the losses of many good people.

Thrist and Trahearne led a mission into Orr's Royal Tombs in an attempt to cast the ritual that will cleanse the land of Zhaitan's corruption. They got results, but the results didn't last. They realized they needed to cast the ritual in a different location known as the Source of Orr, and so they set out to find this location. With Trahearne's help and guidance from the ghost of the great norn explorer Romke, he recovered a magic map that will allow us to find the Source of Orr. With the map in hand, Trahearne should be able to cast his cleansing ritual and finally complete his Wyld Hunt task of reversing the corruption of Orr done by Zhaitan. To cleanse Zhaitan's corruption from Orr, they had to connect with the dying spirit of the land. After finding the source of Orr's magic, Trahearne performed a powerful ritual while Thrist defended him. Now, the land has a chance to recover—once the dragon is destroyed. He returned to Fort Trinity after a hard-fought battle and found the celebrations already beginning. Only Trahearne was solemn about their victory. He knows that the purification of Orr will only last if the dragon is destroyed. Next time, his battle will be with Zhaitan itself and Thrist will be victorious.

With the help of a reunited Destiny's Edge, the Pact was able to accomplish the impossible: the slaying of an Elder Dragon. Zhaitan has fallen, and while the Pact's work is far from over, they have achieved a major victory. They agreed to continue the fight against the remaining Elder Dragons after they take a moment to honor those who have fallen and celebrate this triumph. Thrist returned to Fort Trinity and joined the assembly of soldiers, scholars, spies, and citizens celebrating the fall of Zhaitan. The Pact stood triumphant, but they did not delude ourselves. Swarms of Risen still roam Tyria, and there are four more Elder Dragons to contend with. They knew that soon we would once again rise up to defend their world, but that didn't stop them from taking this opportunity to savor a well-earned victory.

Thrist then bought and moved into a house in Lion's Arch in the Western Ward near the coast.

Crises at Southsun Cove (1325/1326 AE)

Immediately following the death of Zhaitan, new ships appeared in Lion's Arch bearing a strange mark. The Consortium had arrived in the city and were advertising a new resort. Meanwhile, whales started beaching themselves on the shores of the city and rumors began to circle about sea monsters. Head Researcher Levvi arrived in Lion's Arch with her krewe and began researching strange readings signalling that something big was out in the ocean and incoming. She tried desperately to convince Captain Magnus of this, but unless something attacked Lion's Arch or threatened the trade, he would do nothing. Then the karka attacked and Thrist fought back, and provided samples to Levvi's krewe, until they drove the invaders away. Inspector Kiel was tasked with finding out who riled them up, while Levvi searched for a way to defeat them. Meanwhile, karka attacks continued in Garenhoff and Morgan's Spiral. Kiel's investigation utilized him to discover links from wreckage on the beaches to the Consortium. After intimidating Levvi's ex-boyfriend at the Consortium Lion's Arch HQ and then Subdirector Noll at Hanto Trading Post in Caledon Forest, Thrist was led to Canach, a sylvari secondborn, in Garrenhoff who filled he in and he notified Kiel to take him into custody. Canach had been in charge of an expedition to an unknown and recently discovered island as part of a Consortium group. They were forbidden from interfering with the wildlife, but he saw a loophole in the plants. This aggravated the local creatures, and they tracked him down. Meanwhile, Thrist asked Miyani and Zommoros about the karka, finding out they're an old race who used to live in deep waters from ages ago, but seem to have been recently driven to the surface. He was told to check with the aquatic races: the quaggan, the hylek, and the largos. After reminding her of the past, Pastkeeper Saballa gave a scroll that held their knowledge of the karka. Gukumatz helped create a powerful solvent using hylek alchemy, and Fahd al'Eshadhi provided a sample of the karka shell after the Commander proved themselves in combat. All of this was provided to Levvi for research.

When the karka attacked a second time, Thrist was armed with the powerful solvent and fought them back much easier. Kiel forced Canach to reveal his and the Consortium's involvement, and took the fight to the karka under Magnus' orders. She brought him along to Southsun Cove as they took the beach and blazed trails across the island. Halfway there, the Consortium split off to find their lost expedition in Pearl Islet. The Lionguard force continued on and ended at Camp Karka in Captain's Retreat, preparations began for the final assault on the Ancient Karka. Demolition teams planted charges, and he found and drove the Ancient Karka back to the hive. After blowing the charges and firing siege weapons, Thrist finally collapsed the ground underneath, dropping the karka into lava. Inspector Kiel and Researcher Levvi remained on the island to learn more about the karka and help prevent future issues, but Canach escaped during the chaos.

War against Scarlet (1326 - 1327 AE)

Battle against the Molten Alliance

In early 1326 AE, Thrist was asked by Logan to meet with Rytlock at the Black Citadel and walked right into a full-on war council. There've been attacks all over the southern Shiverpeaks, dredge and Flame Legion working together. They're calling themselves the "Molten Alliance," and the casualties are starting to stack up. On his way inside, he ran into Rytlock consulting with a charr named Rox. He found out that she is a ranger like him. She's trying out for his warband, so Rytlock's putting her through her paces. He ordered her to retake the recently captured North Nolan Hatchery from the Alliance. Thrist volunteered to tag along, see if he can get a better grasp of the situation. Then he went straight to Rytlock's office after the quorum. If the stakes weren't high enough, Rytlock was already at odds with another unfamiliar face: Braham Eirsson. His village was being threatened by the Molten Alliance. Rytlock rejected his request, despite their desperate need for reinforcements. The Legions are overwhelmed and Smodur can't spare the troops. Braham claimed to be Eir Stegalkin's son in an attempt to curry our favor, but it didn't work on Rytlock or him.

The air was already thick with smoke by the time Thrist and Rox arrived at the hatchery. The Alliance was using some sort of sonic emitters to incapacitate the devourers—the sound was miserable. Fortunately with a couple good whacks, they were out of commission. But if that was just a taste of the weapons they're fusing. The dredge and Flame Legion are going to be a far more destructive team than they imagined. After they destroyed the emitters and rescued Sithio Quicklash, Sithio gave them a key to travel further into the facility. They put down one of the Alliance leaders inside, a dredge named Marat. With Marat down, the attack was quelled and we were able to reclaim the hatchery. Though the reason for these attacks is still foggy, they do know that the Molten Alliance is taking prisoners. They need to find out where and for what purpose. In lighter news, Rox found a new friend. One of the lone devourers at the hatchery started following her like a lost puppy. She tried to shoo it away, but an ally is an ally. Rox gave in and let the little guy tag along. A small moment of reprieve on an otherwise difficult day. The devourers also make friends with Thrist's pet.

Rytlock asked Thrist to check in on the Cragstead situation. When he arrived in Hoelbrak to meet Braham, he walked in on a pretty colorful chat between him, Knut, and Eir. And here Thrist thought a war council of battle-hungry Tribunes was intimidating. The Molten Alliance has been striking small villages throughout the Shiverpeaks including Cragstead, Braham's home. Even though a raid was imminent, Knut was reluctant to send any reinforcements. They've got enough of a refugee crisis on their doorstep, same as the charr in the Citadel. Given the way things escalated at the hatchery, he volunteered to join Braham in fighting back. Their losses at Cragstead were brutal. They managed to rescue some of the homesteaders, but a few of them were taken prisoner, including Ottilia, an ex-fling of Braham's. They don't know where they were taken yet, but finding their base is next on our list, and the Vigil is hot on their trail. Thrist didn't know Eir had a kid, let alone one as hardheaded as Braham. His head may be full of steam, but he's got guts if he's willing to stand up to the Master of the Lodge. Reinforcements or not, he ran right into Cragstead, shield raised.

Agent Brandubh, a representative from the Order of Whispers, called on his collegue Thrist to help with their recon operation in Diessa Plateau. The countryside is currently littered with Molten Alliance attacks villages raided, homesteaders and charr being taken left and right. The Orders are working tirelessly to tame the chaos, but the Molten Alliance grows stronger by the hour. The Order of Whispers partnered with the Vigil to locate the Molten Alliance's base of operations. Brandubh's partner is currently undercover as Flame Legion, gathering intel on their goals and whereabouts. She's been leaving dead drops all over the countryside with vital information, ready for them to decode. The intel was scattered about the countryside, but Brandubh had a rough idea about where the messages were tucked away. The information they contained would have been deadly in the wrong hands. With the dead drops in hand, the Order was able to determine the location of the Molten Alliance base. They've been operating out of an old dredge mine right beneath their feet. They're getting a small strike group together to get the prisoners out, maybe see what else they can learn inside.

With the help of the Vigil and Order of Whispers, Thrist, Braham and Rox infiltrated the Molten Alliance base. The things they're doing down there, the weapons that the Alliance is building. They fought their way to the weapons-testing facility first. They tried to trap them inside of the main arena, subjecting them to their "games." Flaming walls, traps, explosions to think that they made some of the prisoners endure those tests. Well, there's not much left of the lab anymore. Kostya, one of the Alliance's leading scientists, tried to stop them, but Thrist don't think anyone was in the mood to talk things out. After destroying their weapons-testing area, they made their way deeper into the mine. They encountered a few survivors along the way. Braham, Thrist could tell that his stress was building. Finding some of his friends from Cragstead gave him a flicker of hope, but there were still more prisoners deeper in the mine. The smell of burnt flesh didn't instill a ton of confidence. As they made their way into the heart of the base, they found some sort of weapon fixed in the center of the main chamber. The size of that thing it was enormous. They didn't have a lot of time to inspect the device before they were ambushed by two more Molten Alliance warriors: Rodion and Gigarg. They looked like they were dropped straight out of the test lab. Blue flame pulsed through Rodion's veins. Thrist never seen a charr that big. Gigarg's armor was just as impressive. There was something eerie about them. Their size, their strength. There's nothing natural about it. They took them down, but they almost went down with them. After the fight, he and Braham planted bombs along the base of the mystery weapon while Rox secured their exit. Rox was reluctant to handle explosives, but that's a story for less dire circumstances. They escaped by the skin of our teeth, but at least they left behind a mess. Whatever that weapon was, Thrist hoped it stays buried along with the rest of the facility. The Molten Alliance were done. At least for a moment.

Thrist regrouped with Braham in Hoelbrak to report back to Knut and Eir. His friends, his family, most of them were killed during the raid at Cragstead. Knut expressed his regrets, but his remorse felt forced. He think Braham's anger was justified if anything, given the loss of his home his anger was modest. Rox was already hands-on with her interrogation when Thrist got back to the Black Citadel. Rytlock isn't ready to welcome her to his warband, yet. He doesn't pass out compliments as readily as, say, Logan, but his warmth is subtle. After everything he witnessed at the hatchery and his, he can tell Rox is a good one. A little weary, but she's sharp—and with the way things are escalating, they need more allies. Thrist finally regrouped with Braham in Hoelbrak to participate in "victory" celebrations. They sat by the fire for a while, listening to drunken ballads and clanking glasses of ale. Standing there, he couldn't help but feel uneasy. He suspect this is the beginning of something bigger. Thrist can't put hi finger on it, but all those experiments. Well, they'll see what happens next. This night, they celebrate. Even if all they're celebrating was a moment of rest.

Last Stand at Southsun

The merchants and traders of the Consortium had given shelter to refugees driven from their lands by the Molten Alliance, but many of the new arrivals felt more like prisoners than guests. After the events of the Molten Alliance attacks settled down, many refugees took the Consortium's offer of a new life on Southsun Cove. The Consortium was moving forward with turning the island into a resort, and several tourists as well as nobles arrived on vacation. The settlers later discovered that they were bound to the island by law of contract and couldn't leave legally. Some refugees, mostly norn, accepted the home even through unfair circumstances as they see they have nowhere left to go. However, most did not appreciate the trickery as tension between the resettled refugees and their Consortium hosts started to boil over. In response, Captain Magnus ordered Lionguard Inspector, Ellen Kiel to deal with the unrest before the upcoming festival in Lion's Arch. Even though Southsun Cove was under the jurisdiction of Lion's Arch, the Lionguard could not stop the forced settler's pleas as the island was still owned by the Consortium and they had not acted in any criminal way by the laws of the pirate haven. This led to general discontent, as well as a steadily increasing number of riots. Therefore Kiel and Thrist was ordered to keep the peace between the factions and did so by deputizing any able bodied individuals.

Subdirector Noll was assigned to oversee the work of the refugees and the establishment of the Consortium's resort. With the help of his golem, Job-o-Tron, he berated and subjected the settlers continuously throughout the day. When arguments arose around the resort (which was common), Noll used violent means to subdue and suppress the altercations. When signs of distress began to show, the subdirector was contacted by his superiors for 'confirmation of enthusiastic settler participation'. However when the unrest began to boil, Noll was directed by his superiors to immediately secure all refugee resettlement agreements and return them to the home office for safekeeping. Consortium management concluded that the contracts were under threat of destruction and vandalism. When the riots began to escalate to deaths of Consortium members, management expressed their extreme displeasure with Noll's handling of the 'resettlement operation'. In response, Noll was rejected passage off the island and directed to salvage what he can from their investment in the island resort. Many nobles arrived on the island enticed by the Consortium's promise of 'fun in the sun'. The nobles affected the Consortium's income, which affected the councillors who took money from them, which affected Magnus, so Thrist and Ellen Kiel were tasked with keeping the nobles safe, one of whom was Lady Kasmeer Meade of Divinity's Reach an old friend of Thrist. The Meade's we're good friends with the Goldmiada's for a long time. She arrived at the island to fact-find for Marjory Delaqua.

This settler aggression was mirrored by numerous reports of wildlife attacking settlements. Head Researcher Levvi began to investigate the wildlife and their sudden insurgent behavior. The wildlife within the island had become more aggressive as of late. Later on, Levvi discovered that the wildlife had become riled up due to a flora's toxin being introduced into the ecosystem. She also concluded that the flora resembles the same kind that sylvari utilize. When the effects of the riots increased rapidly into savagery, a rioter met with Kiel to confess her part in the attacks. The settler, Henrika, wanted freedom and would get a chance when a mysterious sylvari enticed her into rioting for the contracts that bound her. Kiel and Thrist were able to deduce that the sylvari was most likely someone who knows Southsun Cove and had a grudge against the Consortium: Canach. After the death of the Ancient Karka in 1325 AE, Canach fled from the Lionguard, becoming a fugitive. Canach begun to sojourn of the land and continued in hiding for half a year, becoming an expert on guerilla warfare. Throughout his flight, he was being hunted by the Consortium's 'decommission teams' for 'betraying' the company. Due to his grueling exposure in the wild and his hardships while being hunted down, Canach's appearance changed, becoming darker and grimmer. During the events of the Molten Alliance, Canach felt sympathy for the refugees and aided the Vigil in raiding the weapon facilities in secret. He forged a gauntlet of fused technology that he now wears as a symbol, seeing himself now as a hero of the people. It was later discovered Subdirector Noll was the individual sending hitmen after Canach. Noll blamed the events of the past year solely on Canach and not the responsibility of the Consortium. These events caused Canach to grow deep hatred for the subdirector.

After Canach was discovered to be on the island, a search went out and soon his hideout was located. After he was immobilised, Kiel and Thrist wondered why a man would come back after he was free. Canach saw himself as a symbol of hope and truly saw himself as helping the settlers; albeit through violent means. He believed as long as the contracts were destroyed, the sacrifices were worth it. However, Canach reasoned that he would get caught prematurely, and orchestrated the karka to attack all the possible Consortium record hotspots on the island. In response to Canach's plan, they gathered the contracts on the island to be sent to Lion's Arch. When the contracts were loaded onto the ship, they set off a rigged explosion destroying all the contracts in the process. Kiel insists that the attack was Canach's doing however the settlers are now allowed off the island. The wildlife, still marked for the hot spots, are still a threat on the island. Until now there is no clear way to reverse the effects of the toxin, so the Lionguard and Thrist sent the nobles off the island for their safety.

Meeting the Aetherblades and an old friend

Out of the blue, an elusive benefactor named "E" wrote and directed Thrist to the effigy ceremony at Dragon Bash, claiming that the Captain's Council was under some sort of threat. It was a faceless lead, but the only one he had. He made his way to Lion's Arch to see for himself. The ceremony started without a hitch, but then the effigies were lit. As the cultural representatives approached with their offerings, one of the dragon effigies erupted with arcane energies, emitting an electrical current that struck the captains on stage. Inspector Ellen Kiel immediately took control of the scene. With the help of her Lionguard, he and Kiel escorted the wounded to Fort Marriner. Along the way, they were harassed by a group of scrapyard pirates. They delivered the captains to the medical ward, but their wounds were critical. Kiel implored him to return to the festivities, but he wasn't in the mood for a celebration anymore. Between this and the Molten Alliance, something is brewing, and Thrist was fast growing tired of these constant surprises.

Captain Theo Ashford succumbed to his wounds after the attack on Dragon Bash. The festivities are ongoing, so the Lionguard are desperate to keep this investigation under wraps. E recommended that he stop by the Dead End Bar in Divinity's Reach to meet with Detective Marjory Delaqua. Thrist headed her way. He ran into Logan Thackeray inside the tavern; he was already speaking with Marjory about the case. She was accompanied by Lady Kasmeer Meade, Marjory's assistant (much to Thrist's and Logan's surprise). Ashford's family is looking into the incident, and they're afraid the Lionguard is too busy keeping things quiet to get any meaningful work done. Marjory and Kasmeer agreed to help. After regrouping with Ellen Kiel at the crime scene, Marjory lent Thrist's a device that detects energy fluctuations: she called it the Tassi box. Anything that came into contact with the arcane residue left behind from the attack should glow after being scanned, helping them find their culprit. While testing the device, they caught a trace of residue on one of the medics, a woman. The woman looked familiar to Thrist. She look liked Mai Trin, but older and he thought: could the woman be her? She turned out to be a false positive, though, as she'd been in contact with the wounded while tending to their injuries. Some of the cultural representatives fled the scene following the attack. Since they'd each approached the effigy to deliver their offerings, Marjory considers them all suspects. The Lionguard were able to track three of the five, so Marjory tasked him with bringing them back to Lion's Arch for questioning. Thrist spoke with Morraloo, the quaggan suspect, in Bloodtide Coast. They claimed that someone threatened them, threatened their tadpoles. The skritt suspect, Kasparak, was even less help. Whoever is behind this mess bribed her with something "shiny," which wasn't all that surprising. At the very least, he convinced both to return to the crime scene to share their stories with Marjory and Kiel. The third suspect was already dead by the time Thrist arrived; throat cut from ear to ear, tossed away in a cave south of Lion's Arch. The Lionguard were able to track down the final two suspects in the nick of time, so he headed their way. Astorra was tucked away in Caledon Forest and was immediately defensive of her actions. She quickly surrendered her side of the tale, citing manipulation. Thrist didn't get the impression that she was responsible, but naive. Trembling Song was the most helpful (and seemed at least somewhat remorseful). She was quick to share, sparing no detail, which shed light on the others' stories. During her journey to Lion's Arch, she was beckoned to join a group of travelers and sit by their fire. She believes that while she slept, they tampered with her offering to the effigy. Much like the other suspects, whatever was added to their offerings may have caused the chemical reaction that triggered the explosion. With the suspects headed to Lion's Arch, we're one step closer to the truth. Meanwhile, Thrist was still trying to investigate if the woman was Mai, his best childhood friend.

With the suspects returned to Lion's Arch. He regrouped with Marjory at the scene of the crime. While he was searching for our suspects, she was recalibrating the Tassi box with some of the chemicals found at the crime scene. Their culprit? The "ever-helpful" medic woman. It turns out that false positive was right all along. She's apparently the leader of those ragtag pirates that attacked them after the effigy ceremony. They call themselves the "Aetherblades." The woman told them that she was "Mai Trin". Thrist was hit in the face, it was actually his best friend from childhood. He called her by her name, but she looked at him with an angry face and didn't even recognize him at first. Maybe due to his ranger mask and deeper voice. They'd call the Aetherblades a bunch of brutes, though they must be competent enough if they're managed to remain this elusive. Unfortunately, Mai Trin fled the scene before Kiel could make an arrest. Kiel, Marjory and Kasmeer were surprised that Thrist knew her. Their next goal was to track her down and determine what the 'Blades are up to. Thrist plans an attempt to make Mai recognize him again. Deep in his heart he was happy that Mai had realized her dream to become a pirate. Thrist don't want to kill her because he still loves her at the end. While the Lionguard was busy tracking Mai Trin's movements, Thrist helped Kiel quell Aetherblade threats along the Bloodtide Coast. The Lionguard are decoding messages all throughout the area, containing vital information on the whereabouts of the Aetherblades' base. With that information in hand, they were able to track down its location. Turns out they were hiding in Lion's Arch all along, tucked away in a cave southwest of the city. Looks like he and Kiel and know where we're headed next.

Thrist and Kiel infiltrated the Aetherblade base and managed to fight our way inside. Seems the 'Blades are comprised of pirates and Inquest; they're rough in a fight, but also tech savvy. Their operation was impressive, especially given it was so close to the city. The base was riddled with traps and lasers, making it difficult to navigate. He and Kiel found our way into a lab run by an asura named Frizz. It was Unbelievable to him that a bunch of pirates managed to erect an entire Inquest laboratory inside of the cave, filled with strange technologies but he was amazed by this. It looked like they were tracing something, though it'll be hard to question Frizz about his findings now. He was squashed during the encounter. The main hub of their hideout was constructed from the remnants of beached ships. And the stormy alcove was filled with pirates and Inquest engineers; crates upon crates were stacked against the walls. Mai Trin and her First Mate, Horrik, were hiding in the center of the maze, waiting for us to arrive. During the fight, Thrist still attempted to make Mai recognize him again by calling her name and told that they were best friends in childhood, but it still didn't worked. They were able to take them both down but Horrik didn't make it out alive. After Mai Trin was defeated, Thrist went to her, took his ranger mask off and look directly at Mai's face. Mai finally realized that the man she was fighting was actually her childhood friend. She began to cry and Thrist hugged and comforted her and she apologize to him for what happend. He told her that everything was fine and that he was there for her. Mai Trin wisely surrendered to Kiel. With Mai Trin in custody, maybe they'll figure out who's behind this whole mess.

He met with Marjory and Kasmeer back at the Dead End Bar for a much-needed post-investigation drink. Logan expressed his thanks for their work in capturing Mai Trin. On his way out, I heard Kiel and Magnus discussing her future in Lion's Arch. He wants her to run for Ashford's spot on the Captain's Council, even commandeered one of the abandoned Aetherblade ships for her. If Kiel's work on the investigation was any indicator of her possible success, I think she's set up for a good run. First it was the Molten Alliance, now the Aetherblades. They don't know what's behind this mess, or who, but every time we think things have calmed down, something else wakes up. Mai Trin mentioned someone named "Scarlet" back at the hideout. Maybe that's their best lead. Thrist then explained how he and Mai knew each other and stated that there was still good in her, but the others were suspicious about that.

Later, he visits Mai at the prison of Lion's Arch at Fort Marriner and they discussed with each other why they had been separated for so long, had some arguments and tried to catch up on a lot of things first. He also told her that he was proud of her for becoming a pirate, a "sky pirate".

Arrival of the Zephyrites and Cutthroat Politics

Due to the assassination of the councillor, Captain Theo Ashford, and his second in line, the Ship's Council was obligated to organize an election for a new captain. Captain Magnus the Bloody-Handed nominated newly ranked Captain Ellen Kiel for the seat. However, Evon Gnashblade, owner of the Black Lion Trading Company was self-nominated for the council seat. This caused heavy friction and competition between the two nominees. Magnus informed Kiel that to get the edge on the election, she needs to get a signed trading agreement with the Zephyrites. Gnashblade, overhearing the conversation decides to barter the trade agreement himself.

The elusive Bazaar of the Four Winds had commenced. The Bazaar of the Four Winds is a black marketplace where many merchants trade in rare and unique goods at a lower price than that of many of the suppliers in the capital cities around the world, effectively undercutting their business. For this reason, the Bazaar is an illegal trade movement and many authorities, such as the Vigil, attempt to bring the events down. However, Lion's Arch being a pirate haven has gotten notice of when the bazaars commence, and the Bazaar is accepted publicly. To avoid being caught the Bazaar is set up at different locations throughout Tyria, and the notice is given very suddenly. The location of the Bazaar was located in the Labyrinthine Cliffs, a byzantine system of cliffs along the Deldrimor Front. Due to the nature of the deals, the Bazaar is notoriously known to be dangerous, especially if and when the Zephyr Sanctum docks. Thrist was in awe by the airship and the bazaar.

The Zephyr Sanctum is the floating sanctuary built by the Zephyrites, a secluded, zen-like organization composed primarily of humans of Canthan or Elonian descent. The Zephyrites rarely docked on land and mostly did so to gather supplies, choosing to live in the air for years at a time. This caused many of the Zephyrites to be disconnected with the world around, showing ignorance towards the sylvari race, the truce between the humans and charr, and other historical events. The Durmand Priory were able to discover more about the enigmatic organization during the Bazaar. They discovered that the Zephyrites were the successors of the Brotherhood of the Dragon. After the Transformation of the Dwarves turned them to stone, Glint passed on the guardianship to a select few humans. When Glint was killed by the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik in 1320 AE, her servants trekked to location of her corpse to prevent the magic imbued within it from falling into the wrong hands. It was there they found the Aspects, and with them they decided to build a Zephyr Sanctum, where they could live above the clouds and study the Aspects in peace. During the Bazaar, some Zephyrites can be heard singing a song; a testament to Glint's legacy.

During the election Thrist votes for Ellen Kiel.

The council seat was to be determined by whom can get the Zephyrites to sign a trade agreement with Lion's Arch. The Council attempted such a feat many times before but was always rejected, therefore the notion was seen as a noteworthy characteristic of a captain to be on the Council. When both Kiel and Gnashblade met with the leader of the Zephyrites, Master of Peace, it was determined by him that a trade agreement would be needed and would be signed to the individual whom the people cared for. Hence a pirate voting session was established, causing much theft, vandalism, numerous entries, but all being accepted under the nature of the election. In the conclusion, Kiel was able to get the majority vote and get the trade agreement signed. She was then able to win the Council seat.

A royal celebration interrupted

Few months later, Thrist was invited to attend the Queen's Jubilee, where he met up with Rox and Braham to watch the festivities. Queen Jennah used the fanfare to introduce her watchknights—gilded mechanisms, crafted to protect the people of Divinity's Reach. Logan Thackeray valiantly stepped into the arena to spar with one. The whole thing was an odd show of force—on one hand, Anise was displaying her resourcefulness and wit in commissioning the creation of these mechanical wonders, and on the other we had the queen's most loyal defender and confidant who was likely trying to prove that he was still Her Majesty's most ardent sword hand. Midway through the demonstration, the watchknight malfunctioned and started going haywire, leaving Logan overwhelmed and the crowd distressed. Before they could intervene, the Aetherblades ambushed them. A hooded figure mocked them from the sidelines; Rox attempted to snipe her, but she was fast. They eventually reached Logan and quelled the frenzied machine, but the hooded figure leapt back into the arena and mocked them again. Logan tried to strike her down, but his efforts were ineffective. The figure threatened to return before taking her leave. Jennah refused to let someone dampen her message of resilience. Despite the city being on high alert, the festivites continued—with additional protection from the Seraph.

A few days later, Thrist attended the closing ceremony for the Queen's Jubilee with Rox and Braham as promised, the festivities continued despite the attack. Unfortunately, the city's blissful ignorance was cut short when the hooded figure revealed herself during Jennah's concluding speech. Scarlet Briar is her name, and I have a sneaking suspicion she has something to do with Tyria's recent misfortunes. Scarlet wrested control of the watchknights, employing them as her muscle in a hostile takeover of the jubilee. She then fired her rifle at Queen Jennah's dais and detonated a bomb, causing it to collapse. Lord Faren was able to grab hold of the queen, but she shattered in his arms—a mesmer illusion. Faren fell to an uncertain fate, unable to maintain his balance. To complicate matters, Scarlet planted bombs throughout the Pavilion's courtyard, sending the city into pandemonium. They were able to disarm most of them, but the causalities were significant. All the while Scarlet continued to mock the panicked civilians, claiming that this is "bigger than them." They regrouped with the real queen (safe and unharmed), along with Countess Anise and Logan. While Anise and Logan were at odds about their preparedness for the situation, Rox announced that the asuran cultural representative, Vorpp, might have some usefull teleportation technology that could help them breach the Pavilion and confront Scarlet. Vorpp immediately agreed to help, claiming that Scarlet had previously made her way through the asuran colleges and was a blister he wouldn't mind popping. Thrist traveled to Gendarran Fields to help regain control over the countryside and assist Vorpp in studying Scarlet's portal technology. While the city was occupied with Scarlet's invasion of Divinity's Reach, her clockwork beasts were tearing up the land outside. Thankfully, by helping quell these threats they were able to gather more intel on Scarlet's portal technology and help Vorpp secure them a route into the Pavilion to rescue their friends and allies.

With Vorpp's portal functioning, they were able to infiltrate Scarlet's Playhouse. She filled the Crown Pavilion to the brim with Aetherblades and her horrific clockwork creatures. First, they located Faren and Scarlet's other captives. While they watched in horror, Scarlet slowly brought Faren to a steady boil inside of a fiery cauldron. He shrieked for relief while we attempted to quell the flames; Scarlet eventually conceded and retreated further into her "playhouse." While Rox and Braham tended to the survivors, Thrist made his way through the rest of the maze—finally confronting Scarlet at the apex of the arena. Before their fight began, she threatened him if I didn't stop meddling in her plans. As their weapons clashed, she utilized every trick available in that arena. She almost soccumbed, but Scarlet knew when to pull back. She stared him down, noting his role in foiling her operation before fleeing the city for her own safety. Scarlet keeps a short list of people who've gotten in her way, and guess who just earned their place at the top.

In a moment of reprive from Scarlet's twisted games, he regrouped with Logan at his office. Inside, Logan and Marjory were rummaging through evidence from Scarlet's attack piecing together any intel they could gather. Lady Anise stopped by to hand over additional evidence to Logan, but the two were at odds again. Logan believes that Anise is leaving him out of her schemes, and that she's putting the queen's safety at risk by keeping him in the dark. They're both working toward the same goal, but can't seem to cooperate long enough to internalize it. Between the events in the Shiverpeaks, the tragedy at Dragon Bash, and the lives lost in Divinity's Reach, Scarlet might sit at the center of it all. Thrist can only hope they're prepared for her next strike.

Thrist visits Mai again at the prison of Lion's Arch and they discussed why she is working with Scarlet. Mai was very open to him and told him that she feels something special, if she is working with this crazy sylvari. That broke Thrist's heart because he thought that he and Mai had something special between them. Mai noticed that and was also very heartbroken. It seems that she might regrets working with Scarlet and didn't meant to hurt Thrist's feelings.

After learning of the supposed connection between the Aetherblades and Scarlet, the Lionguard begun to list her as a high priority target. More than law enforcement, the pirate haven wanted vengeance for the late Councillor Theo Ashford. Intelligence gathered that the fugitive was located in Twilight Arbor; within sylvari territory in the Tarnished Coast. By orders of Magnus, the Deputy Turma spearheaded a raid on the supposed stronghold of Scarlet Briar. However, Caithe; a firstborn of the sylvari, was also on the scene with her own agenda. Caithe reveals that before Ceara left the Grove, the firstborn met her and was not impressed. She explains that Scarlet sent a direct challenge to Caithe, claiming to know secrets of the secretive sylvari. At the time, the Lionguard was prepared with a large strike force to raid the stronghold, but the security system was impenetrable by the pirates. Caithe decided to send a small Lionguard contingent and Thrist into the Arbor, while she would attempt to undermine the fortress from the shadows. The contingent was able to get past the diminished defenses of the Nightmare Court before being stopped by a holographic message. The hologram depicted Scarlet as she taunted Thrist and mainly Caithe. It didn't take long for the stronghold's security system to take note of the intruders, however Caithe was able to use the distraction to sneak past in the shadows. The team was met with heavy resistance from Aetherblades, and curiously steam creatures. Throughout the experience, the holograms continued to jibe and berate the intruders, however, the group was able to pass through into the stronghold. It was discovered that the area was used by the Aetherblades to train and build airships. The Aetherblades also showed an unusual amount of loyalty for pirates. As the group reached the airship stations, a hologram greeted Caithe with pre-recorded messages taunting her of secrets that not even Faolain knows. They also learnt that the Aetherblades were able to reconfigure the hologram technology to be used as bombs. It was also discovered that the Aetherblades showed great fear of Scarlet. As the contingent attempted to fight against the holographic enemies, the real Aetherblades were able to capture Caithe, under Scarlet's suggestion of where she would attempt to access the stronghold. How she knew where Caithe would be, is yet to be revealed.

Within the heart of the facility, Scarlet continued to berate the now incarcerated firstborn. As Thrist got through the main room, they discovered Scarlet experimented on an oakheart with machinery and cogs, akin to the Watchknight sentinels. The small group was able to shutdown the system, as the main Lionguard force swarmed into the stronghold easily. It was discovered Scarlet was not inside the Arbor; only communicating with her crew through holograms. Nevertheless, the Lionguard closed down the operations and did damage to the Aetherblade pirates.

A Nightmare grows

Few months later, Marjory called Thrist attention to Kessex Hills, where some invisible anomaly formed in the center of Viathan Lake. Kasmeer was sent by the Mesmer Collective, a mysterious, low-profile society of powerful magic users to investigate and disarm whatever illusion or veil was covering it up. When he first arrived at the scene, it was hard to ignore the barbed, rugged tower at the center of the lake. It looked like a krait structure, with a massive spore fixed at the height of the spire. Shortly after his arrival, Thrist was greeted by his former trainer, Sergeant Walters of the Seraph. She had strict orders to escort him to Kasmeer and Marjory in the ruins nearby. As they navigated the toxic landscape, they were attacked by krait and members of the Nightmare Court. Spores lined their path, and whatever toxins they're emitting not only affected the environment but their minds. On their way to the rendezvous point, Sergeant Walters was overcome with mania and started attacking the escort group, claiming they were all rampaging centaurs. They were able to quell her frezy, so he headed to Kasmeer and Marjory while Walters stayed behind to tend to the wounded. After securing the shore from wandering krait and Nightmare Court, Thrist finally reached Kasmeer and Marjory hiding at the edge of the lake. Kasmeer cast a spell that revealed a tower of nightmares. It's surrounded by a thick plume of toxins, and they can't get inside until they have some way to do it safely.

After revealing the malignant Tower of Nightmares in the heart of Kessex Hills, Kasmeer and Marjory returned to camp at Thunder Ridge. Marjory tasked him with collecting toxic spores from across the region, and with those spores in hand, she was able to successfully create an antitoxin to counter the plume of toxic discharge inside of the tower. Priory researchers are going to attempt to quell the tower by injecting the antitoxin into the chamber at the tower's core, but they've yet to see or hear if that effort will be at all successful. With the antitoxin in hand, they were able to enter the tower. Thrist comrades and he navigated the treacherous maze of endless corridors, which was filled to the brim with krait, Nightmare Court, and other toxic horrors. The Priory's initial attempt to quell the tower failed, so it was up to him and his comrades to fight their way to the top. Once they reached the apex of the tower, Thrist, Marjory and Kasmeer entered the core, it was filled with illusionary tricks. Nestled at the heart was a massive, pulsing organism. As they approached the mass, Scarlet finally graced them with her presence. She gallantly admitted to her hand in the chaos to date: her alliances, the devastation at Dragon Bash. It was all Scarlet, and the Nightmare Tower is simply the latest of her cruel games. They were ambushed by a krait-turned-beast, a monstrous creation of the Toxic Alliance. With the beast defeated, they were finally able to inject the antitoxin, but the heart barely squirmed. It looks like it will take more than one dose to bring down the tower after all.

Thrist regrouped with Marjory and Kasmeer inside of the tower's innermost chamber a few weeks later. Even though they were able to clear the way to the heart, giving them ample opportunity to inject the antitoxin, the Tower of Nightmares continued to corrupt Kessex Hills with toxic spores. No matter how many doses they injected into the heart, the tower stood tall. Marjory knew they were missing something. They took a small portion of the leftover antitoxin and used it to break their way into a hidden lab near the injector. Inside, they found several Molten, Inquest, and Toxic Alliance devices presumably being used to maintain the integrity of Scarlet's wild contraption. They were able to extract various materials from the devices, and when combined in Scarlet's personal forge, they created a magical, antibarrier compound. They injected the new mixture, along with the remaining antitoxin, into the heart of the tower. The new compound shattered the heart's defenses and allowed the antitoxin to take its toll. The tower began to collapse and Kasmeer started conjuring them a portal to escape, but they were ambushed by a small squad of lingering Nightmare Court. Thankfully, Kasmeer was able to finish the portal in the nick of time and they watched the whole thing crumble to the ground from the shore of the lake. They made a real blow to Scarlet's plans today, but knowing her. Well, all they may have accomplished is making her that much angrier. Thrist regrouped with his friends back at camp, where Kasmeer and Marjory were finally acquainted with Braham and Rox. They got on well, bonding over the shared experience of combating Scarlet's various schemes to date.

Standing among all of his new comrades, I can't help but feel like they're at the catalyst. I don't know what Scarlet is going to pull next, but he feels they're nearing the peak of this mountain.

The Thaumanova Disaster

Some days later, the now-elected Captain Ellen Kiel was at work delivering one of her promises to the people. Kiel, under the authority of the Lionguard and the Captain's Council took control of the Mistlock Observatory for research into the Thaumanova disaster.

While Ellen commanded Dessa to calibrate the machine to the event, the mysterious asura honestly believed that no such disaster ever occurred in the reactor site. When the asura was threatened to be taken to Lion's Arch, Dessa expressed complete adamancy to stay with her work. Ellen discerned that Dessa was unusually loyal to her superiors and her work. She looked like her world was ending when told to leave the Observatory, Kiel observed. When the event had been isolated, Thrist along with the Lionguard went in to investigate the fractal with Ellen Kiel staying in the Observatory to observe from the outside. Within the fractal, Thrist and allies were turned into Inquest scientists. The fractal took place minutes before the reactor exploded, and as such the fractal showed off the charts energy readings and random teleportations. Upon two dead asura, Dessa explains that they used to be part of her former krewe. The groups task was to reach the reactor core and take a sample, however, the reactor was too hot to retrieve the sample so they were tasked first to cool it down. They disabled the colliders in the adjacent labs to lower the temperature.

Minutes later, the reactor began to overheat drastically. Scarlet Briar was also observed within the reactor site, where she explains that she warned the Inquest that chaos magic was a misnomer. She was also able to discover a breakthrough in magic; identifying a network of magical channels that crisscrossed the globe. Briar was able to conclude that the type of research the Thaumanova Reactor was used for, shouldn't have been done on an intersection of those channels. When Scarlet disappeared, Dessa observed the energies with the site becoming something of an anomaly. She surmised that the full meltdown was only moments away. The anomaly was observed to be a creature of magical energy that was not seen in Tyria before. Neither Dessa nor Kiel were able identify the anomaly. Thereafter, the Thaumanova Reactor reached critical mass and exploded.

Later, within the Mistlock Observatory, Thrist and Kiel gathered the information to take back to Lion's Arch and also asked Dessa to come back with her. Dessa refused explaining she cannot, but Kiel was adamant in not leaving the Observatory in Consortium hands. However, when Dessa attempted to walk through the portal to Lion's Arch, she reappeared back in the Observatory seemingly not remembering any of the events that have transpired. Back in Lion's Arch, Ellen gathered the information on the disaster. She concluded that the Thaumanova Reactor was intended to study chaos magic, however the Inquest drove things in dangerous new directions. The Inquest claimed there was a link between chaos energy and Elder Dragon energy, but they ramped things up past the point of safe operations and caused the meltdown. They were also able to identify channels that this magical energy follows as it courses around and through the globe.

A giant marionette and Lion's Arch in danger

In early 1327 AE, Thrist received a priority message from Logan Thackeray about a developing situation in Lornar's Pass. Scarlet's latest handiwork, a massive watchknight mechanical puppet chained to some kind of hovering fortress, was wreaking havoc as part of a deadly weapon test. He met some familiar faces there: Braham, Rox, Marjory, and Kasmeer were fighting against this abomination when an unsupervised and spunky progeny named Taimi charged into battle before he could stop her. So he gave chase. Their group split up and teleported to the individual platforms to disable each power regulator, all while fighting off clockwork monsters and ducking attacks from the colossal marionette. To his surprise, Taimi and her golem proved themselves a capable duo. Eventually, they forced Scarlet to pull her broken toy back for repairs. Afterward, Taimi mentioned something about Scarlet using an array of devices to probe Tyria, but they couldn't figure out for what purpose. The others headed to Lion's Arch to recoup for the marionette's inevitable return. They were met by Captain Thackeray, who showed up to take the progeny off their hands. Taimi showed some real courage, but her obsession with Scarlet was concerning to Thrist.

Soon after, Thrist received a missive from Steward Gixx of the Durmand Priory. At the same time, Thrist was greeted by his sister Tyrinna and, after a long time, they are reunited again. He was amazed at how his sister has become a Magister and one of the best in the priory and was very proud of her. Also she was now a top necromancer. She also now had a girlfriend, a female sylvari named Tulipgamina. After a little chat, he disclosed the location of a recently discovered lair belonging to Scarlet Briar in the caves below the Priory itself. Lucky for him, Gixx offered him a first crack at investigating the place. At first glance, Scarlet's Lair appeared to be nothing more than a candlelit hideout with simple furniture and pages scattered about. After a bit of digging through her notes, he uncovered the passcode for the magitech console in the corner. Once accessed, the console projected a series of moving images and maps that he surmised would help uncover Scarlet's next big move. As Thrist puzzled over the images, his eyes were drawn to a crude and unsettling painting of a large beast on the ceiling.

By the time he regrouped with his friends in Lion's Arch, they'd put down Scarlet's Marionette for good and were taking some personal time. Rytlock Brimstone had tracked down Rox to give her a new assignment after some business taking down the dragon lieutenant Tequatl and aquiring a rotten tail trophy as proof. She was ordered to kill Scarlet Briar as her final test to secure a spot in Rytlock's Stone warband. Braham seemed upset by the news; Thrist think he's worried they'll lose his new friend. Logan Thackeray was there, too, with Taimi and her golem still in tow. The progeny made an optimistic attempt at playacting her way into Braham's charge, which worked. Taimi brought up the probing devices again; she suspected that Scarlet's plans were somehow tied into the Elder Dragons. Thrist thought back to the painting in Scarlet's Lair. After, he overheard Kasmeer confide in Marjory about a family matter. Today was the anniversary of her father's death. Her father was a good friend of Thrist's father. Kasmeer's brother gambled away more than he could pay, which led to her father's imprisonment and demise. Her family had lost everything: titles, home, every possession. Thrist was also very sad to see what became to the Meade family, as their families were good friends. She was deeply upset, but Marjory offered her a place to stay.

More bad news wasn't far behind. Thrist received a note from Captain Ellen Kiel and rushed over to Fort Marriner. With lightning precision, the Aetherblades had attacked the fort and freed Captain Mai Trin from the stockade. After mopping up the leftover pirates, he and Captain Kiel spoke with the sheriff. From the sound of it, Braham and Taimi got wrapped up in the mess and gave chase as the Aetherblades fled through a portal into the Mists. Thrist caught up with Braham and Taimi in the Edge of the Mists, a series of fringe islands floating between Tyria and whatever lies beyond. Mai Trin and her Aetherblades were long gone. Taimi's golem, Scruffy, had been damage while investigating one of Scarlet's probe devices and was undergoing repairs, stranding her for the time being. Braham kept watch over the progeny, trading stories and banter. Looking to kill some time, he got to know the "prodigy progeny" a little better, and her thoughts about Scarlet. She suspects Scarlet's probes were made to search for Tyria's ley lines, some kind of pattern of magical currents spanning the world. Thrist eventually began secretly searching for Mai Trin in the Mist whenever he had time.

After returning from the Mists, Marjory requested Thrist presence at the Dead End Bar to help figure out Scarlet's endgame. With some help from Emissary Vorpp, they pored over the evidence. Scarlet - Ceara back then - had studied at all three asura colleges and attracted the attention of Omadd, who wanted to understand the very nature of the Eternal Alchemy. Omadd took Ceara on as an assistant and eventually experimented on her with a special mind-isolating machine. As her mind was exposed to Tyria's magical network, she encountered something that drove her mad. Sporting a new name, Scarlet went on to make friends and allies of various outcast factions across Tyria, pairing them together for their mutual benefit, but also her own. These groups began to terrorize the lands from Ascalon to Kryta all while she set up her probes, virtually unnoticed. She used intel about ley lines gathered from her studies in Rata Sum and her time in the inquest to narrow her list of targets. Her tampering with the watchknight allowed her the chance to bolster her ranks and reverse engineer and modify future versions. Finally, Scarlet's ploy to install Captain Mai Trin on the Captain's Council in Lion's Arch was attempted to weaken the city's defenses and leadership from the inside. Mai Trin ultimately failed, but with the rest of the evidence taken into consideration - Scarlet's gathering armies, airships, and equipment; probes searching for ley lines; assassinations - they came to an alarming conclusion: Scarlet Briar's next target was Lion's Arch.

The Battle for Lion's Arch

Two weeks later their fears were realized: Lion's Arch came under siege. Aetherblade airships swept in and opened fire without warning. Chaos provided the perfect cover for Scarlet's forces to move in for the kill. They rushed into the city to give aid as best we could, but the enemy had overwhelmed and routed the Lionguard amid a growing miasma of toxic gas. They did our best to push back against our foes and evacuate the citizens, but the loss of life was severe. Thrist never seen such ruin in Lion's Arch; not since Zhaitan's assault on Claw Island. He took a moment between escort groups to peer over to the harbor, where a massive drill had lowered from Scarlet's flying fortress, pushing deep into the bedrock below.

Camps in Lornar's Pass, Bloodtide Coast, and Gendarran Fields were set up by the Orders of Tyria as refugees poured out of the city. Thrist made the rounds at the camp near Vigil Keep. Taimi was there, questioning the refugess. He never seen her so deflated. Her impression of Scarlet had changed a lot after she saw what the "brilliant" engineer was capable of and what she was willing to do. That said, there was something new about the progeny— a fresh determination, a focus. Meanwhile, morale was low among the refugees, but the Lionguard and the Orders of Tyria were already poised and prepared for a counterattack. They were going to retake Lion's Arch.

The combined forces of the Liongard and the Pact descended on the ruins of Lion's Arch with fervor and purpose. Little by little they pushed back, cutting through Scarlet's forces and capturing key checkpoints throughout the city over the weeks. After a heated struggle against a trio of Scarlet's upgraded watchknights, they secured the teleporters that would allow us to infiltrate the Breachmaker fortress above. Aboard the hovering command center, Thrist, Rox, Braham, Marjory, and Kasmeer were immediately greeted by Scarlet Briar and her newest toys. She conjured giant hardlight holograms of herself that would split and reform, making them difficult to pin down. After a grueling fight, he finally landed a wounding blow on the crazed engineer. Enraged and frantic, Scarlet retreated further into her fortress with all following close behind.

They reached at the final push and found Scarlet Briar wounded in front of a central control console for the entire operation. She ranted and raved at them, mocking their heroics and gloating about what was to come: that Tyria would serve a new master. Marjory and Braham moved in to apprehend her, but the crafty engineer still had one last trick up her sleeve.

Marjory and Braham took the brunt of Scarlet's trap, getting thrown back by a concussive force and lightning. Rox ordered Braham to stay put as she treated his broken leg, refusing to leave his side. Marjory appeared far worse off. She was lying on the floor motionless, bruised, and burned. Kasmeer tried to wake her, but there was no response. The mesmer's expression darkened and she rose to her feet, staff trembling in hand. Enraged, she cried out and sprinted back toward the fight.

Scarlet was ready with a stockpile of grenades, but it couldn't hold the two of us at bay for long. She became distracted by Kasmeer's illusions just long enough for the opening Thrist needed to deal a fatal blow. With her last words, Scarlet said her death wouldn't save us. He glanced at the main screen of the console behind her. They were too late, the drill was about to breach its intended target, the ley-line hub beneath Lion's Arch. Kasmeer had returned to Marjory who, despite Rox's efforts, was still unresponsive. Cradled in Kasmeer's arms, the detective slowly stirred awake. The two embraced and shared a touching moment. Seconds later, the Breachmaker shook as a blinding column of light shot up into the center of the fortress. As the shaking grew in intensity, they hurried our injured friends back through the portal and down to the city. The Breachmaker collapsed shortly after, debris crashing below and littering the whole of Lion's Arch.

A victory, but for what?

Some days had passed since Scarlet's demise, and while the battle was won, they all heard the echoing roar that shook the foundation of Tyria. Ominous signs aside, Kasmeer invited Thrist to a little gathering at the Dead End Bar. The whole gang was there, even Taimi. She was up in arms about Scarlet, the drill, they ley lines; all out it. When he finally spoke with Kasmeer, she touched on the topic on all of our minds— they were dealing with a new Elder Dragon. The sobering moment was interrupted by the arrival of a Seraph soldier: Belinda Delaqua, Marjory's sister. The two of them caught up a little after introductions, but Belinda didn't stay long; she was headed west to a new assignment near the Maguuma Wastes.

After the small celebration at the Dead End Bar, Thrist went to the ruins of Lion's Arch to retrieve some things from his destroyed home. In his passage through the ruins, three memorials were erected for those who had died in the battle of Lion's Arch, those who have gone missing in the attack, and finally those who showed great prowess and heroic attributes during the invasion. The first wall is a monument that displays the names of those citizens, Lionguard, and brave volunteers who fell during Scarlet's siege of Lion's Arch. The second wall showed all who perished in the attack. Thrist talked to Ellyna Graidy, daughter of the late Priest Graidy. The priest was confirmed to have died in the attack when he chose to use the lighthouse to warn ships to stay away. The wall with the missing persons is filled with flyers and crude pictures inquiring about missing Lion's Arch citizens, some simple drawings by children who lost their parents. The last wall bears a list of names and an inscription that reads, "Let it be known that these brave souls saved Lion's Arch in its darkest hour. May history regard them as heroes."

Among the looters and gawkers, the Pact made an official appearance through the sylvari member Laranthir of the Wild. In Lion's Arch, he was there representing the Pact and, by extension, the orders. Laranthir explains to Thrist that the reason the pact did not officially help save Lion's Arch is because that is not the mission of the orders. They have been tasked with slaying the Elder Dragons. Defending a city from an attack falls outside their charter. However when a dragon's cry was heard throughout the realm, the Pact decided to make an appearance. The Pact believes that Scarlet's drilling roused a dragon. Laranthir explains to him that if they had known that was her plan, they could have justified getting involved in the affairs of the independent city.

A new chapter in Tyria

Some weeks later, Thrist received a letter from Captain Kiel. The reconstruction of Lion's Arch was already underway, thanks to the support of Queen Jennah and the charity of the Zephyrites. The captain hoped that our little group of heroes would be available to receive the nomadic group's leader, the Master of Peace. After some formalities, they were finally introduced and received compliments from both the captain and the Zephyrite master. They suggested they make themselves seen at the various events being held to support the Lion's Arch relief effort, if only to drum up donations. Braham and Rox were quick to depart to the Crown Pavilion, while Taimi stuck with Marjory and Kasmeer, opting to visit the Labyrinthine Cliffs and the festivities there. As his new comrades went their separate ways, Thrist felt as though they finally turned the page on a new chapter.

Rise of Mordremoth (1327 - 1328 AE)

Disturbances in the Maguuma Wastes and the Fall of the Zephyrites

Some weeks later, Thrist received another note from the cryptic "E" asking hin to investigate mysterious incursions at the edge of Brisban Wildlands, while suggesting that these incursions may be an early sign that a new threat to Tyria was in fact roused during Scarlet Briar's attack on Lion's Arch. He joined Marjory, Kasmeer, Braham, Rox, and Taimi at the Seraph outpost in Tangle Root, and worked with the Seraph to defeat the hostile Inquest krewe that was harassing them. They fought in areas that are being choked with gigantic, thorny vines. This merited further investigation. Taimi seemed to be clashing with Rox over little thing. She's just a smart kid who means well, they just have to remember she's a child. She talks about Braham like he's her big brother, which is probably good considering her situation. Braham's leg seems to have healed since the Scarlet fight.

Thrist, Marjory, and Kasmeer investigated the Zephyrite airship crash in Dry Top. Wreckage and bodies were strewn about the canyon, making it difficult to piece together the sequence of events. They learned of a Soundless sylvari named Aerin who attacked the ship's crew and set off the explosives that ultimately took down the aircraft. They have reason to believe this murderous saboteur is after the Master of Peace, who has been missing. Thrist head to the nearby mining town, Prosperity, to see if he's there. Kasmeer worried that Marjory still hadn't healed from the fight against Scarlet, but her fears were put to rest after Marjory held her own in our repeated fights against the Inquest operatives at the crash site.

He headed to prosperity to find clues that would point him toward the Master of Peace. Once there, Thrist found the body of a poor merchant who presumably was killed by the saboteur. It's possible that the merchant had sold the Master of Peace some supplies, and the saboteur demanded information. They probably never know. Thrist found a frightened woman inside the mine who witnessed the murder. She said the killer was chasing the Master of Peace, and that he should head toward Spurbend Canyon. He read the torn pages from Aerin's defaced copy of a Zephyrite manuscript, and followed the trail to the top of a ridge where he will meet his friends.

Thrist rejoined Marjory, Kasmeer, Braham, Rox, and Taimi to search for the Master of Peace before the saboteur, Aerin, could catch him. They found Aerin and pursued him deep into the canyon. Aerin's behavior was manic, almost like Scarlet's during her final days. He fought fiercely, but ultimately lost. The Master of Peace said that Aerin wanted great power but was refused. He didn't explain what that meant, nor did he say where he was headed next. His backpack was loaded with something—probably supplies. He may be embarking on a long journey. Thrist searched Aerin's corpse. He was carrying a note with frantic scrawlings that said a "leader will die" and that "the rest will fall in line." Did he mean the Master of Peace or someone else? He also found some animal hairs on Aerin's corpse that probably came from livestock back in Prosperity. They should return there and continue their investigation.

Discovering Scarlet's Breakthrough

Townspeople in Prosperity revealed that a strange (and dangerous) sylvari kept a room there. No one has dared go in, even though the sylvari hasn't been seen for years. They suspect it was Scarlet. Thrist asked the people of Prosperity about Aerin but instead learned that Scarlet rented a room in town. It was full of her belongings. He never seen Taimi so excited. She left behind a holographic journal that chronicled her transformation from a lab assistant named Ceara to the Scarlet that was universally loathed. Other artifacts were scattered about the room, including a strange drawing of the Pale Tree. Scarlet was researching magical energy here and seemed to have found something significant near where the miners were digging. A local miner named Toska may know more about this. Taimi found reference to a norn miner named Toska who was among those who first broke through to the ley line chamber. Thrist located Toska nearby. She said the mine mysteriously caved in, but she thought that Scarlet may have found another way in.

Some days later, Braham notified him of an attack on the Dry Top town of Prosperity, Thrist headed out there to check on Taimi. They found that Taimi was okay, despite the horrible destruction of Prosperity. The upheaval caused by the vines, however, revealed a secret passage behind Scarlet's bookcase. In the tunnels under her room, Thrist found a map tracing her route to some unknown destination to the southwest.

Finding the secret passage out of Scarlet's former home in Prosperity was only the beginning of a new search to discover the truth of what Scarlet was after in Dry Top. Thrist retraced her route across the Uplands to a place that the Maguuma centaurs called the Cavern of Shining Lights, and along the way he found components of her arcane machinery and a few of her broken-down steam minions.

Trouble at Concordia and Fort Salma

While Taimi continued her research at the ley line hub, Thrist, Rox, and Braham investigated a waypoint disruption at Concordia. They found the fort ravaged by jungle tendrils and other creatures. He led the search party that rescued Lindsay and some of her colleagues before fending off the remaining attackers at Goldenlight Hallow lab. Tactician Art mentioned that the vines started sprouting from the ground shortly after a shipment of magical artifacts arrived. Thrist was not sure of the connection there. Rox made an offhand comment about Taimi. He think the kid is getting on her nerves.

Over at Fort Salma, things are not going as well. Thrist fought his way into Fort Salma to fend off a monstrous Mordrem thrasher alongside Marjory and Kasmeer, only to discover that they were too late to save Belinda. Marjory will return home to bury her fallen sister, while Thrist and Kasmeer head back to Dry Top to rejoin their friends. He could tell Kasmeer was upset that Marjory is leaving her behind while she takes care of funeral arrangements for her sister. The relentless fighting and sudden loss is taking its toll on their relationship.

Omadd's Machine

In Scarlet's one-time lab at the ley line hub beneath Dry Top, Taimi started developing a device to recalibrate the waypoints so as not to attract Mordrem. She'd also discovered Omadd's machine, the device that Scarlet used to see the Eternal Alchemy. Thrist unwittingly entered the device and experienced his own cosmic vision—one that included the Pale Tree and a handful of mysterious orbs representing Elder Dragons. He had to speak with the Pale Tree to learn more.

Rallying Call

Kasmeer would like me to meet up with her, Rox, and Braham in the Grove for an audience with the Pale Tree. Thrist discussed the growing threat of Mordremoth with the Pale Tree. She knew it had reached full awareness and has been increasing security around the Grove. He called for a world summit to rally forces against the Elder Dragon, and the Pale Tree graciously agreed to host. Braham, Kasmeer, and Rox agreed to appeal to the leaders of their home cities, though each expressed personal hesitation. Kasmeer's family was stripped of its titles after her father was incarcerated, leaving her with a mark of shame and limited clout. Braham has had an uneasy relationship with his mother, Eir, since she left him in his father's care when he was young. Rox disobeyed orders to kill Scarlet and chose to tend to Braham and the others during our battle aboard the Breachmaker. Her actions could be viewed as treasonous, so she's not looking forward to seeing Rytlock.

(Under Construction...)