Update 13 - 2013 FF The Year of Squirrel Meat
Update 13... Unlucky number? OH, YEAH!
SPOTLIGHT: Academy of Fire, City of Shaemar
The dormatories were all silent. The halls were shrouded in the night's darkness. A few teachers were walking to keep watch so none of the students went about the Academy complex at night. More than once, they had caught students raiding the pantry or engaged in "inappropriate activities". Such were inevitable in an institution where youth of both sexes were lodged. Still, the punishment was severe enough to discourage the most: being expelled was quite disgraceful for an Adept student.
This particular night, there were fewer patrols than usual, since the Shaemaran tradition of celebrating the year's newest spirits still continued even after the Soltyrians occupied the city. This was more like a common excuse to binge and horse about, and as many of the teachers were native Shaemarans, this meant a good chunk of the staff were "off duty" and not to be found in their beds or at their posts. Well, not in their own beds, anyway. More seriously, this night would be remembered for something far more dramatic than a teacher being spotted examining the wares down in the bordellos.
A door opened, and a hooded head bobbed out and turned both ways. The door shut again, and reopened a few moments later. The student was carrying a small candle, a vial, and a scroll. He looked both ways again, apparently pleased at the absense of patrols, sniffed his candle and went down the hall towards the heart of the complex. After leaving the dormatory wing, he uncapped his vial and emptied the contents, while still walking purposefully towards the Academy proper.
The main hall was naturally closed, and kept under guard. There was always the Gatekeeper, a burly bearded Shaemaran brute, who sat by the entrance with a worn club and a large square shiled. The student was apparently desiring to get inside the building, and snuck up in the shadows, until he was about thirty feet away from the gate. There he rolled out the scroll and studied it for a moment. Then he cast a simple spell that made the gates heat up and grate. This startled the Gatekeeper, who instantly took his torch and walked to check up on the noise. The student shifted into the form of a floating flame, and hid himslef in the torchfire.
The gatekeeper went inside, and soon came out again. Just as he turned, a flicker of light traveled from his torch, and further inside the building. Then the Shaemaran locked the gates again, and went back to his guardhouse.
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"I made it!" The student whispered between tight and blue lips. He was merely a boy, about fifteen years old, mayhaps. His eyes were changing color from brown, to yellow, to red. He breathed heavily, and was shaking uncotrollabily. Then he reached inside his simple but clean robe, and took out a tiny phial containing a viscous liquid. He stared at it for a second, then uncapped it in haste and emtied in one gulp. Then he began drawing in magic.
A minute after, the Gatekeeper was sent flying into the statue in the Academy plaza by a deafening blast. The Academy of Fire was aflame. The feasting and binging citizen of Shaemar bearely noticed, and the irony struck nobody. Afterwards, however, a tremendous shock and a grief struck Soltyira. The Wardruid's hopes for the Island of Tranquility seems all but dashed.
Global Events: The undeads are still marching. Nothing new, really. The cloud cover is finally over, and warm, refreshing sunlight floods the entire Southern Continent. Almost too much, really, since there has been sparse rainfall since the clouds vanished. It seems like the sunny weather only replaced the harsh cold. Still, there is plenty of moisture in the river valleys and coastal regions. But if this trend was to continue, the Southern Continent will see another climatic disaster in the form of a terrible draught. Oh, and the Grey Island is still moving southeast.
Spine of the World: Konahn has gone to war against the regional lord, tired of their squabbling and infighting. With the use of the new Totems and upgraded Wild Walkers, the campaign was a great success. Now the entirety of Konahn is under the firm rule of the Emperor again.
Islands: Felaskhar has started a project to co-operate with the Sea Serpents. The Sea Serpents are a species of dragonkin who live underwater. the Sea Serpents have been dormant for a long time, but the appearance of mareghar (?) has awakened them and their hunger. Now it looks like Felaskhar and the Sea Serpents will band together against the Empire
Which is struggling with domestic unrest and instability. Just after new year, one of the generals of Wu'di took over nearly half of the army and demanded reforms and the Emperor to resign. This turned into a violent civil war. Although the general had more martial might and know-how, the Emperor commanded his many Adept Soldiers. This tipped the sclae in the Empire's favor, and the rebel general was defeated and publicly executed. This, however, has given the people yet another reason to doubt the Empire and the insecurity still clings to the entire nation. Many think it's only a matter of time before the next rebellion ignites.
Borderlands: Pashawan has increased their army greatly, and won a few battles domestically as well. First, the Nature Adepts went out and helped the population grow crops and mingled with the dirt of the kingdom. The Adepts have also received increased funds to study, and the Academy of Pesh is seeing a golden age. Still, there is the threat of Shaba in the south, and many of the Adepts will likely fall on the battlefileds soon. That is, if the two parts do not come on better terms.
Shaba has taken a turn towards the chivalric. Their esteemed Shabows have gradually lost prestige to the new and profilic Bitran Knights. These knights, clad in full plate and armed with long lances and greatblades, are now the staplemark of the Shaban cavalry. Extremely powerful, and even more boisterous, the Knights follow a code of Honor and act pretty much like the champions they are. It remains to be seen how well they fare on the battlefield, but the aweful

lol

rumors about them is already spreading quickly.
Delenlor is no more. After a desperate fight for the Easting Pass and the Citadel of Sorrow, the Delenlori finally were defeated. First, General McKrawl resigned, and gave the power to the people. Then the republic with no name started mass recruiting the destitule commoners to man the barricades in a desperate effort to keep the Ramonians back. This was not to happen. After a full month of continuous bloodshed, the battle was won by the Ramonians. After years of fighting and falling on the western side of the Easting Pass, they managed to take and retake the Citadel for the glory of Ramon. Then, the bloodshed continued, as the Ramonian army slaughtered every Delenlori citizen and harried the fleeing further east into the heart of Delenlor itself. A massive surge of refugees moved as fast as they could northwards into RRRollux, where they have been peacefully allowed to stay. Only one question remains about the Delenlori: will Ramon continue to pursue them and fight Rollux as well?
Western Shelf: Shaemar continues its project to revolutionize the nation and bring about a golden age. They seem blissfully free of the terror that storms around them on both sides. Let us take a closer look at the Second Soltyrian war, or the Disappearance of Magic, as it has been named.
Winter: Benethrezim Morag Tong is activated. Plans are made in detail to strike at a series of vital targets in both Tori and soltyria. Seth Dethos proclaims the Republic of Benethrezim.
Spring: A few clashes between Benethrezim and Tori. Morag Tong agents assasinate profilic characters in the Tori Senate. Albeit the capture and execution of the agents, the Republic is tossed into a state of chaos. Aminds this, the Morag Tong successfully destroy the Academy of Earth, literally incinerating all the magical records. Soltyrian forces land on the Torinnin islands.
Early Summer: First contact between Benethrezim Riders of the Storm and the Soltyrian fleet. The former tried to sink the ships by forming great ice crystals and floating them up under the enemy. This was largely a failure, since the tactic was new and unusual for the Adepts. Benethrezim army mop up the remaining resistance in the southern regions.
Mid-Summer: the Academy of Fire in the city of Shaemar is destroyed by a Benethrezim Fire Adept undercover as a student. A similar attempt is averted by the Wardruids in the Academy of Nature in Cha'dra. In both cases, the agents were either killed or committed suicide.
Late Summer: Soltyrian forces split in two and land on the Turin peninsula. they proceed liberating the lands from Benethrezim rule with little or no resistance.
Fall: A series of small clashes are fought between the two, while Soltyria slowly but steadily advances on Drach'nyen.
Late Fall~Winter: The siege of Drach'nyen. Seth Dethos moves to his Tower of Great Satan and the Death Academy. His second-in-command and "combat buddy", Big Boss fights desperately against overwhelming odds, but in the end loses the Citadel to the Soltyrians.
Winter: Soltyrians carry away the Academy of water from Drach'nyen. They are currently being transported to their new destination.
After this year, the Morag Tong is left decimated, with almost no agents remaining alive. Although the agency is crippled, its final blow was a fierce one, one that might have robbed Soltyria and its Wardruids of their greatest dream. If the Republic of Benethrezim goes down like so many others, they did at least deal a critical strike on their victors.
That's it. I have no more time. Sorry for the sketchy update. yes, I know I have left out quite a bit, and the spotlight literally sucked. But that is beside the point: that I actually managed to do this update in THREE HOURS! HAH! Now start praising be again like the obedient subjects you are!
Oh, and the first one to badger me for a stat update will be "Scapegoat of the Turn" next update.