In a dingy hut in the depths of the Vampyre Mist, Shaman Celah scribbled vigorously on parchment by the soft green glow of his emerald staff, which he had propped against the table. Outside, the wind howled, battering at the rickety structure.

Not the most luxurious writer’s retreat, but then… needs must, he thought.

Celah knew that the Lord of the Void, Wizard #4298, held an uneasy treaty with the vampires of the Mist, so he would be reluctant to enter their domain uninvited. This was why Celah had hurriedly returned to his homeland, despite the haunting memories and the dangers he faced here; vampires were notorious for holding eternal grudges against anyone who escaped their clutches.

Nevertheless, Celah would rather take his chances with a bunch of bloodsuckers than with a deranged cyborg who could shift between the worlds of the living and the dead, and who harboured a vendetta against Blue Wizards. Especially Blue Wizards who accidentally uncovered that cyborg’s plots and were then foolish enough to publish their findings!

Perhaps Isaac could have helped, but the Arch-Magician had vanished after the rebellion at the Temple. Celah certainly did not believe the official reports that Isaac had been executed for betraying the temple. Wizard #3904’ religious fanatics were known across the realm for concocting whatever reality suited their agenda. Yet her influence had been growing these past years and the Celestials had swelled their ranks.

On his travels, Celah had seen the results of the troubles their travelling preachers were able to stir up. It wasn’t hard to start a panic among the Rudimentals about the dangers of magic, while there seemed to be a new wave of wizards who held nothing but disdain for the old ways. Fuelled by religious rhetoric, there was a wave of sentiment sweeping the land, turning the masses against magic-makers who kept familiars, or communed with the arcane powers and the natural world.

Celah got up, stretched, and moved over to the small fireplace, stoking the coals. Then he returned to his desk and began to read over the last paragraphs of the letter he had written:

… Wizard #3922 was ever a conscientious and benevolent leader. He kept the Temple in harmony with the rest of our kind, seeking to work alongside other beliefs. He sought the Divine in all aspects of magic – from the glories of the Astral Plane to the arcane ways of the Druids, even sharing peace meals with Necromancers.

Yet now the Celestials set themselves apart from the rest of the wizarding world. They seek to raise themselves above us – to convince wizard and Rudimental alike that their High Priestess is the link between the physical realm and the Divinity; that her proclamations come directly from a higher power.

Despite the declarations of this pretender on the Temple’s throne, I can not bring myself to believe that Isaac is dead. Where he might be, though, I must confess I have no idea. Be that as it may, we cannot allow the Celestials free reign across the Runiverse. Already, battalions of the Hands of the Havens branch out from their territory, hunting down Shamans and other animists. I have also heard reports that they seek to infiltrate the Atheneum and the Druids of the Hollow. I fear they will move on to deem other things unholy, too.

With the backing of the Blue Wizards, we may be able to find Isaac and convince others to join us in the fight to reinstate him to the Temple and bring Archmagus Soya to justice.

A respected figure like you should approach the Blue Council to make the case for declaring against this new order. You still hold weight with the Council, despite our disputes with Scryer Apollo and others in the past; I trust in your wisdom to bring enough of the councillors to our side. I fear you were correct from the beginning; Apollo is definitely hiding things and it is troublesome that he continues to lead the Council. I have uncovered further inconsistencies about Voidoth’s origins since we last communicated, but lacking hard proof, I will not put them in writing just yet.

For my part, I must lay low for a time. I can feel the Voidlord’s cold breath at my back. When I have the chance, I plan to travel to the Elders of The Sacred Pillars to ask for their aid – they were always good friends to the Arch-Magician. I am not sure if all this news has made it to the Bastion, but there are mysterious forces at work in The Thorn, and Frog Master Marsh continues to wilt and decay.

Conflict is upon us and worse is to follow, but though we have long been separated, I still feel the touch of your magic. Even if we are destined to be apart, know that you will always be in my thoughts.

Yours always,

Celah

Leaning back from his writing, he wiped a tear from his cheek. Not for the first time, he lamented his own lack of power, which prevented him from contacting Ozohr more directly than any Rudimental might. A lot hinged on whether Celah’s previous letter about the Sacred Flames had reached Ozohr, and whether he had managed to spread the research to other scholars so that something could be done to stop these awful transmutations. While Wizard #3917 was a stubborn old fool, there were others who were sure to recognise the threat against Blue Wizard Bastion.

Rubbing his temples, Celah brought his thoughts back to his present position, making a mental check of the wardings he had put in place around the hut. Everything was secure.

At the very least, the spells should keep out the vampires. He tested the point of one of the sharpened stakes that lay on the counter with his thumb. Magic was all well and fine, but one could never be too prepared. Vampires could be tricky… often the magic just seemed to slip off them. Sometimes a good staking was your best bet.

When daylight returned, he would send the letter with Warrior #6897. So long as the goblin’s pockets were well weighted with gold, and there was the promise of more upon delivery, he could be counted on, and Celah knew all too well that the local Transporters could not be trusted with such delicate information. Once the letter was on its way, Celah would set off to The Sacred Pillars.

Story Arc Index:

Prologue: Soul #7186

Part 1: Wizard #314

Part 2: Wizard #2398

Part 3: Wizard #134

Part 4: Wizard #3920

Part 5: Wizard #7935

Epilogue: Wizard #291

Entered by: 0x24D7…e52b and preserved on chain (see transaction)