Category: Event

#Lore24 – Entry #217 – Helica Month #5 – Bound to the Will of Saghirah

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica

As I carefully rerolled the scroll, I sensed a change in the chamber.  The air grew heavier with Saghirah’s presence, and I felt the dry heat of the desert suddenly consume the chamber.  As I looked up, I saw that the visages of the Amaranth that surrounded me were glowing with faint golden light.  In the next moment, I was suddenly far beyond the cavern below the temple in Grad Artanais, standing atop a massive, pyramidal temple in the center of a great oasis in a desert.

Sensing the Amaranth behind me, I quickly turned, going to my knees before the massive form of Saghirah herself, looming over me in all her majestic glory.  I was too stunned to speak, for I never had the capacity to become a summoner, and why I was suddenly in this vision before Saghirah, I could not fathom in those moments.

“By reading the sacred scroll of Saghirah, thou hast become bound to Her will,” she said to me, her voice rumbling as thunder over the expanse of the oasis.  “Thus, thou must continue the task She has set before thee.  Seek the other scrolls, traveler of Helica, that the truth of the Transgressor be revealed, but use the greatest of subtleties in this matter; reveal not thy forbidden knowledge of Saghirah to those incapable of understanding it, to those who will destroy thee for it.  Seek those of likeminded intent, those who can see beyond the doctrine of Phyresis.  In this quest, Saghirah grants you her blessing, that time may not ravage thee, Seeker of Knowledge, for thy task will take many lifetimes to complete.  Thou will knowest thy task approaches its end when the Angel of Grad Artanais reveals herself upon the grand stage of the arena in San Granalle as a beacon of hope unto Helica, and thou will knowest she is the true Angel, a true vessel of the will of Saghirah, for She will appear alongside the Angel.  Go now, Seeker, for thy long journey has begun.”

I awoke from my vision with a start, disoriented and freezing, my eyes focusing upon the night sky and the stars far above me.  As I regained my senses and got to my feet, I realized that I was no longer within the shrine, no longer in Grad Artanais at all in fact, for the ancient ruin lay far below me.  I had somehow come back to the small campsite I had occupied on the lower slopes of the sacred mountain Temismere before my journey into the holy city.  Only now I had the faintest sense of Saghirah’s presence within my mind, a sense that her ever-watchful eye was upon me, perhaps a sign of the blessing she spoke of.  Thoroughly exhausted, I started a fire and settled in for the night, my thoughts filled with a vision of where I must travel next, the island of Ukejama, far to the south.

#Lore24 – Entry #216 – Helica Month #4 – The First Scroll

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica

I approached the scroll case reverently, for Saghirah’s gaze still weighed heavy above me, and I could not help but wonder if the reasons the Church had disavowed the existence of the Amaranth were in fact true, for their doctrine is absolute, and all are raised following it.  Still, I willed myself forward and gently opened the case, finding the rolled parchment inside to still be intact, and for a wonder, not as brittle as I feared; something of the Amaranth’s influence had preserved it well over the centuries. 

Always eager to absorb new knowledge, I suppressed my eagerness and carefully unrolled the scroll upon the altar, translating the ancient text easily enough through my many years of study of the world before the Wicked One’s arrival.  I committed the words of the Amaranth to memory, reading and rereading the scroll several times until I was certain not a word was out of place in my mind.  Normally I would have transcribed the words of Saghirah to my journals, but I knew instinctively that was not her wish, and with good reason.  The full contents of her scrolls will be revealed when the time is right.

What I will say of the first of the scrolls of forbidden knowledge is that the contents shook me to my very core.  Any remaining faith I’d once had in Phyresis, the One True God, fled me as I read and reread the ancient words.  At the time the scroll was created, faith in beings beyond our mere mortal existence was at an all-time low amongst all the peoples of Helica, with the Amaranths, the ancient guardian spirits of our world, becoming relegated to myth and legend by most. 

Faith, more specifically, the lack of faith by the people of Helica, would lead to the Downfall.  This was how the Transgressor had prepared our world for its arrival, by patiently seeding distractions and false beliefs amongst the people.  And when the Wicked One did come, that fateful night so many centuries ago when Grad Artanais fell, the world was simply not prepared to mount a defense, so scattered and divided was its people. 

The true nature of the Transgressor is positively vile, but no more can I say here.

#Lore24 – Entry #203 – Supers Month II #22 – A Beautiful, if Unexpected, Explosion

Musings of Demon Lord Kurae

I must admit, even with multiple millennia and countless wondrous experiences in my life, I too can still be surprised.

When I sent forth my minions to find these relics, I expected it to take some negligible amount of time, a few years perhaps, a decade, maybe two or three.  I’m patient, and what dangers do the humans of this piddly little world bring to bear against me?

Certainly, I was not expecting this.  Humans…ever the resourceful beings, even with their miniscule lives.  What were they researching in this facility, exactly?  How did they tap into the power of the reenergized leylines so quickly with no mystic training?  And, more importantly, how exactly did they manage to narrowly avoid destroying the entire world by flooding it with more raw magical energy than it has ever seen?  This made our dam bursting look absolutely pathetic in comparison!

It was rather pretty, though.  Almost like a flood of bright blue, mana-infused flower blossoms swirled up and exploded across the width and breadth of the planet and beyond.  I daresay that if this mudball had gone unnoticed by other beings in the galaxy and beyond, it was just noticed in a very dramatic way.  I do appreciate the absolute chaos here.  It’s quite lovely, actually.

BUT.  But…this is going to complicate my plans.  Do you see what I see?  Look at how the excess magical energy is fusing with people of this world.  Instead of burning away harmlessly or diffusing into the planet and its closest planar realms, or even simply igniting and turning the mudball into a fireball, it’s seeping into the people of the world, and some seem to be absorbing much higher amounts of this energy than others.  How very curious indeed.  My, what would it do to someone like you, pet, if you had been there when it happened?  Unfortunately, it seems to have been tied to the planar resonances of those from your world, otherwise my minions, and my own power, would have increased dramatically just now.  Is this a reaction by the planet itself perhaps, a fortunate accident that it engineered when it realized that it was being invaded? 

Wouldn’t that be most interesting? 

Queen!  Oh, Queenie, my dear…I have need of you my loyal servant!  Go forth onto this world and bring me samples of its people.  I wish to study what this sudden infusion of magic will do to them.  And while you’re there, find out exactly how this happened, what they were researching and how they blew the font of magic wide open.  No, wait…focus only on bringing in samples for now.  I’ll use Kitsune to find out what caused the explosion; she needs her exercise, after all, and she’s got a more…delicate touch that could be useful here.  Focus on where your talents lie, my dear; concern yourself not with this.  Oh, and be sure to snare a few souls for yourself while you’re there and add them to your carnival.  I’m quite curious to see what you’ll bring back.

The souls of this world have suddenly become much more spicy than I could have imagined.  But did it spoil their flavor altogether, or have we just found ourselves a trove of the most delicious souls we could have imagined?  And I wonder…could an explosion of this nature be replicated for our own purposes?  Wouldn’t that be something…

Are you as excited by the possibilities as I am, my pet?  Why, you’re absolutely shaking with anticipation, aren’t you?

#Lore24 – Entry #169 – Wild West Month #18 – The Towns that Vanish

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

As the People from Beyond the Great Walls spread into the lands of the Bitter Frontier, they bring their towns and buildings with them.  The wisest amongst these build new walls to protect them from the many dangers that roam the land, along with many armed with the Thundering Weapons.  However, even all of these precautions were not enough to save some of these towns.  The Towns that Vanish are many, though most are easily forgotten by the People from Beyond the Great Walls, for they do not understand the dangers of the Bitter Frontier and are blinded by their lust for the treasures they seek.

Sometimes the Bitter Frontier and the Many Spirits upon it simply reclaim the land upon which the town was built.  It is during these Little Uproars that the landscapes which were once familiar change, sometimes overnight, sometimes over the course of several days.  The Little Uproars leave only scattered remains behind, sometimes broken shells of the buildings that once stood there, perhaps a handful of survivors, those fortunate enough to have been away from the towns when the changes occurred, seeing some land that is familiar, thinking they have come home, only to find new land before them, little or no sign of their homes or families remaining.  Some are driven mad by such a thing, for it is hard for the minds of those who cannot comprehend the ways of the Many Spirits to understand what has occurred.

One of the reasons we of the Kerra-Kerra travel is because of these Little Uproars.  Our bonds with the Many Spirits allow us to know that such an event is coming; thus we do not linger too long in one place.

There are Towns that Vanish that are not the work of the Little Uproars.  You will know these, because the buildings of the towns are still there, perhaps even the valuables and perhaps even the animals as well.  Only the people of these towns are gone.  There are several of the Ghost Towns of the Vanished Peoples that dot the Bitter Frontier, and these places we do not go, for even we do not know exactly why such a thing would happen.  To the south, perhaps it is the Goblin People who are the cause, sneaking in at night and stealing the people away, but in other places, there are no such dangers.  Perhaps it is the Reaper Spirit at work, claiming the entire town in its hunger to end all life.  Or perhaps it is something of the Devil-Wardens, their lost dark sorcery at work that steals the people away, perhaps to other long forgotten Cages deep within the earth, or perhaps in realms beyond.

#Lore24 – Entry #158 – Wild West Month #6 – The Golden Star Serpent Which Breaks the World

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

Our Great Mother Saressh, in her divine wisdom, gifts her most faithful children with the gift of the Sight, of visions of futures that may or may not come to pass.  It is with her guidance that we have found our way, alongside the many spirits of the land and seas and air that dwell upon the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons. 

Yet, all that he has shown us does not bode well for our people or for those who are not of the Kerra-Kerra or the Other Peoples who Roam the Bitter Frontier, or even the places within the world we do not travel.  For there exists a prophecy that has not come to pass, but has been shared by the shaman of all tribes, that I have experienced myself.

One day, there shall be a great Golden Serpent from the Stars beyond the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons who shall fall upon our world.  This Golden Star Serpent shall seek truths that we ourselves do not know, buried in the deepest and darkest of secret places within our world.  We know that what this Golden Star Serpent seeks lies within our sacred lands, within the Bitter Frontier.  This much Saressh has shown us to be true, though when it shall happen, we cannot know for certain.

She has also shown us that should this Golden Sky Serpent find what she seeks, the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons shall be changed forever, the very nature of our world torn asunder.  This will scatter our peoples amongst the stars themselves, not only the Kerra-Kerra, but those dwellers in the Cities from Beyond the Great Walls and even in lands far beyond our own Bitter Frontier.  The very nature of life upon our world will be changed forever.  Our world will be broken; this we cannot prevent.

And yet there is hope, for the Great Mother has told us that not all is lost, for even in the darkest of times, the spirit of our people shall continue to thrive through and beyond this Breaking of the World.  Though we of the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons may be changed forever, we will not allow our spirits to die, cannot allow our ways to be forgotten.  We must adapt to whatever changes may come, for that is the life we have always lived upon our Bitter Frontier.

#Lore24 – Entry #155 – Wild West Month #3 – Spirits of Nature Arise

As told by Kumiko Stalks-Amongst-the-Stars, shaman of the Midnight Panther tribe of Kerra-Kerra

So, it came to be that the Devil-Wardens’ power would come to wane, and ruin would follow soon after.  Our ancestors say that the Devil-Wardens had imprisoned the very spirits of land and sea and air, had used foul sorcery to shape the land itself to their dark desires.  However, the spirits of nature would not take well to such treatment, and soon enough would prove that they were more powerful than even these sorcerers and their Ships that Sail the Stars.

It would come to be that one day, the bound spirits of nature would tear free of the great devilish device that the Wardens had created to contain them, had used them to reshape the world as they saw fit.  Then, without the dark sorcerers knowing, for the Many Spirits are more cunning than we can fathom, they gathered their power and begin to dismantle the evil spells which bound them.

In a Great Uproar, the spirits of nature would break the sorcerous chains that bound them and bring terrible destruction upon the Devil Wardens and their Fortresses of Stone and Metal.  In great torrents of wind and water, of eruptions of earth and fire, with fury that rent the very earth beneath us, they would tear down the walls of the fortresses that once imprisoned our ancestors and drive the Devil-Wardens from the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons.  They would flee in their Ships that Sail the Stars, and, for a time, even the future of the Many Peoples would be in doubt, for the Great Spirits were angry, and their fury would not end for many moons. 

Though the Fortresses of Stone and Metal once imprisoned the Many Peoples, some would find safe shelter within them during the Fury of the Spirits, while others, our ancestors, would follow the guidance of our Great Mother goddess, Sarresh, and embrace the will of the spirits who had freed them, to learn to worship and appease their volatile moods, to find harmony amongst them, and so we would prosper in the wilds beyond the Fortresses.  And this is how the many tribes of the Kerra-Kerra came to be, of how each tribe learned of its sacred totem spirit, and how the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons came to be as it is now.

But do not think that the Great Spirits are tamed.  Never assume such!  For the Great Spirits still hold memory of their own imprisonment, and they will lash out with their rage and fury, just to remind our people, and the Many Peoples who are not of the Kerra-Kerra, that the spirits are to be respected and feared, for it is they who hold the true power of life and death upon the Broken Cage that Still Imprisons.

#Lore24 – Entry #123 – Muckenmyre Month #2 – Awakening Upon an Unfamiliar Bed

From the journal of Takara, Slave Inquisitor of the Stellae Illustris.

I have vague impressions of the times following the storms.  The seas were peaceful once more, perhaps within minutes following the sinking of our fleet.  I can recall the sunset as I lay upon the piece of shattered wreckage, too incoherent to attempt to free myself from the rigging.  I could tell I had many broken bones, that I still bled.  Pain is a constant companion for one such as I, and though I can deal with it far better than most, even I can become overwhelmed if it is great enough.

My next memory is perhaps of the following morning, or perhaps it was a day or more later; regardless, it is of the ship approaching, turning alongside the wreckage.  Ghostly images then, of the sailors cutting me free, hauling my shattered body aboard their ship.  I cannot remember their colors, only vague images.  I think I had began to hallucinate, perhaps I even had a fever as my body stubbornly refused to submit.

As they cared for me the best they could, perhaps only in the hopes of giving such a pitiful creature as merciful ending as they could, I dreamed.  Strange visions, likely caused by the fever that ravaged me, or perhaps it was the souls of those who were lost alongside me, coming back to try and draw me into the void alongside them. 

Perhaps the tormented screams I heard were my own; I had not screamed from inflicted physical pain in decades, so perhaps this was purely my own internal suffering given voice by the fever?  I have a vague remembrance of one sailor’s face, pale and terrified as he backed away from me.  What demons did I release during my lapse in control?  Perhaps I will never know.

It was sometime after this that I awoke on land, in an unfamiliar bed, in a strange room.  It was the morning sun beaming through the window that awoke me, the sound of distant thunder filling my ears, normal thunder, not that of the Dragons’ Fury.  Beneath the heavy aroma of healing poultices, I could smell odd scents, people I didn’t know, a land I had never been to before, the thick, sickening odor of the swamps.  Beyond the small room, I could hear the din of a busy town, the chatter of its people as they went about their lives.

For a wonder, I was not restrained, and I had survived the fever, though some of the visions within my mind will forever remain burned into my memory.  For a wonder, I was not bound, aside from the bandages that were wrapped around my various wounds.  I could immediately feel the pain in my bones, knew immediately that some had begun to knit crookedly. 

I then realized that I was naked.  Not for lack of clothes, for I had been covered in a simple linen smock that smelled faintly of dust and age.  No, someone had removed my collar and cuffs, the spiked steel that marked me as not only a slave but a trainer of slaves, the metal that had been sealed upon my body for over a century, perhaps never to be removed.  As I breathed faster and became more aware of the place I found myself, I realized that I could not feel their reassuring weight, could not feel the internal spikes that constantly pricked and pinched at my flesh, their reassuring touch that signified that I was property of the Inquisition, of the Emperor’s most loyal Stellae Illustris.  Perhaps in another few decades I may have even earned the privilege of wearing a mythril version of them, that I would have become a full-fledged slave knight as a reward for my loyalty. 

To my horror, as I forced myself to rise from the bed, my body protesting with fresh pain that sharpened my senses, though I made not a sound, I saw my cuffs and my collar sitting on the nightstand by the bed, the metal ravaged by rust and sea salt, their once welded clasps broken and newly melted in order to remove them.  Panic filled me, for it was not allowed that a slave of my position ever allow their collar and other adornments to show such lack of care.  I reached simultaneously for my collar and my neck, wincing as the broken arm I extended to the collar refused to move as I had intended it to, the fingers of my other hand finding my throat, bare but for the bandages. 

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed then, gritting my teeth against the pain of a shattered femur and broken ribs and picked up the spiked collar once I could finally reach it.  My tail twitched anxiously as I stared at the broken, rusted steel, my mind struggling to come up with some way that I could fix it, some way that I could atone for the offense of going uncollared, that I would dare disrespect my Emperor in such a way.

That was when I heard the sound of heels crossing the wooden floor, then that door opened, revealing a human woman, wearing a most curious smile upon her face.  It would be some time before I understood what her smile indicated.  At that moment, I was simply too distraught over the loss of my adornments to process matters.

I may have even had tears in my eyes.

#Lore 24 – Entry #107 – Sci-Fi Month II #16 – UEF-04, Maharani Morgiana, Launching!

Special Announcement!  For Immediate Release!

From the observation deck of the Maharani Morgiana, Seiko Kajira reporting.

Today marks an important moment for the United Expeditionary Force as we announce the official launch of the Fourth Demon Sector Expeditionary Fleet, led by its mothership, the mega-carrier Maharani Morgiana, herself captained by the venerable Durgen Silvercask.  Spearheaded by the joint efforts of the Veylani-Varmyrl Transport Corporation, Aurum Associates Amalgamated, Fizzlesprocket Microelectronics, and the many other members of the Aphelion Station Council, this mission has become the single largest expedition into the Demon Sector to date.  Bound for the distant Marchosias system, the journey is expected to take some five years at least, likely longer depending on what amazing discoveries are made along the way.

The Morgiana herself has been expanded to over 7500 meters in length and is capable of transporting an unbelievable amount of personnel and material within her many modular compartments and has all the manufacturing and production ability to create practically anything they could need while on their journey; certainly handy when the nearest support will be many lightyears away!  Not venturing into the deep dark alone, she is accompanied by multiple support vessels and a fleet of smaller research ships drawn from across known space, a mix of private and corporate-owned vessels representing the best of the best.  Supporting her already formidable defenses are no less than six starfighter squadrons, half a dozen battlecruisers, two heavy cruisers, and multiple smaller military vessels, including the venerable and decorated battlecruiser Obstinate Phoenix.  Remarkably, the Morgiana herself can carry ALL of these capital-class vessels through hyperspace, docked to an outer framework in a first of its kind advance that will surely become a standard of long-range space travel in years to come.

Countless groups are represented aboard the Morgiana in a combined effort to provide a diverse and varied wealth of experience, skills, and magical talents that will see that this journey is the most successful to date.  Their goals will be to learn all that can be learned about the Marchosias system, trailblazing routes through space on their way there, while opening the possibilities for countess resource mining operations, long-range colonies, and the spread of faiths to regions once believed unreachable.  Truly this will be a new historic milestone as we expand deeper and deeper into the Demon Sector.

May fortune favor the bold, and may the gods bless and protect our brave explorers in this momentous endeavor!

For further information on this incredible expedition and the many companies and groups sponsoring it, refer to the links below.  Be sure to keep an eye on our continuing coverage for the latest and greatest news and stories from the voyage, from the edge of the frontier itself with the Most Trusted Name in Galactic News from your favorite reporter, Seiko Kajira!  Until next time!

#Lore 24 – Entry #99 – Sci-Fi Month II #8 – First Contact

 

From the Personal Journal of Primula Tallfoot, Arcane Support Division Head, assigned UEF-04 Maharani Morgiana

On the one hand, I can’t stand Mizutani; he picked up all the worst qualities of the little rich twats at that fancy Academy he went to on Andyllion and is just shy of being a complete airhead; maybe he should’ve gone through the reversion process to regain his manhood, or at least a little of it?  He’s been late every day so far, can’t seem to get himself familiar with the ship at all, and apparently hasn’t figured out he could just create a homing ward in his office to follow.  On the other hand, though…at least he’s easy on the eyes, and he is so much fun to bully; I’m starting to think he does things on purpose to hear me dress him down.  Might have to see just how far I can push him; wonder if he’d do better wearing another cock-cage to improve his focus? Maybe he’d like to go back to playing the maid?  I like the idea of a personal assistant, actually, especially one that gets off on me treating him like dirt.  These boots of mine could use some spit-shine, after all.  Oh yeah, he’s totally into it, no question.  Well, I can work with that.

Anyway, at least he’s not a complete idiot, and actually started a halfway interesting conversation today when the Knowledge Seekers of Goldeneyes showed up to introduce themselves.  We’ll be working with them quite a bit during this expedition, especially when we discover any sort of ruins or relics to study.  “First Contact” isn’t something I’ve cared to think about much on this trip.  I can count on one hand and have fingers left over how many “alien” species we’ve encountered thus far, and it comes back slimy; never could stomach those shokushu-juu.  It’s not going to be aliens we come across, it’s going to be other societies that have either advanced on par with our own, have advanced beyond ours, or are lagging behind, maybe only to a pre-industrial level, maybe even a primitive level. 

It’s no question that multiple worlds we’ve discovered thus far have followed this pattern, indicating that societal transference between worlds happened long ago.  Architectural styles, cultural behaviors, magical processes, deities, pretty much everything has spread in one way or another, and can be traced back to other worlds.  Andyllion would seem to be one of the major hubs of this expansion, likely stemming from the Great Cataclysm that occurred there several thousand years ago; the societies weren’t consumed by the upheaval, they just got the hell out of there.  Planar travel was a lot more common in those days, when magic was vastly more powerful, and a few historical records still exist indicating that certain peoples came from other worlds, through the interconnecting planes.

Then there’s the Draconic Migration theory.  All those ancient ruins, from those on the Dragon Isles of Andyllion to the ones discovered in the Valefar system last year, may as well have been created by the exact same society.  Hundreds of examples across explored space support this.  Maybe the big lizards were hiding out in the Demon Sector all along?  There are some indications from extreme long-range scans that a greatly advanced society still exists in the central area of the region, in the sectors in and around the system that has been named Bael, but as unreliable as sensor data is on this side of the Barrier, I’ll believe it when I see it.  Given the distance, I’ll probably never see it unless we find a portal or teleportation circle that still functions and links into that region, but stranger things have happened.

But what if we encounter an actual alien race, the conversation persisted.  I don’t see why there was even a debate; it’s going one of two ways.  Either they’re peaceful and strike up a conversation with us and join our little excursion, or they’re hostile, see us as a threat, and attack, in which case we attack right back with overwhelming force.  Now, sure, maybe they’re just so advanced that our tech and magic won’t have any effect at all, in which case we’re probably fucked, but it won’t be for lack of trying.  They wouldn’t have sent us out packing this much firepower if they weren’t expecting trouble, would they?

I called a halt to the conversation when it got ridiculous and started drifting off into the existence of elder beings and creatures too alien for our puny little minds to comprehend.  Mizutani was getting all worked up and imagining nameless horrors from beyond the stars, and I can’t have that kind of silliness in my department.  Definitely going to have to have another discussion with him in the morning; maybe I’ll make a quick visit to the Yurisayans about that dick cage after all, add a little magical enhancements for my own amusement…

 

 

#Lore24 – Entry #86 – Fantasy Month #26 – The Wolf Princess of Kenbakku Wood

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

I wonder if Mother has been considering attending this year’s celebration, perhaps?  While I wouldn’t mind the opportunity to see the festivities, I certainly won’t be the one volunteering (or volunteered!) to be the titular princess.  Fortunately, the position is chosen long before the celebration begins, as I understand, due to the extremely physical nature of the honored position.

The story of the Wolf Princess of Kenbakku Wood is rather ancient, dating to a period in which the region of Agreacian, in which the titular woods lie, was not yet part of the Empire.  The tale revolves around the guardians of the Kenbakku Wood, a mixture of druids and rangers, human, elven, and otherwise, who have seen their sacred woods encroached upon by order of the Princess Lupania, who had been given authority to develop part of the region as she saw fit.  Though efforts to stop this desecration were initially peaceful, when Lupania proved that she would not be convinced to stop her plans to level a section of the woods, more drastic steps were taken.

In a bold maneuver, the Protectors of the Wood kidnapped Princess Lupania and brought her into the very heart of Kenbakku, where their sacred stone circle lay amongst the massive trees, and enacted their revenge upon the Princess, sealing her within a special wolf-hide costume that would grant her a more lupine nature, though still possessed of her own identity and (mostly) human form, albeit with some severe restrictions to her movements, at least initially as she struggled to adapt to her new situation.  She was then given a head start, after which the Protectors would begin hunting her; all she had to do to escape her trapped and animalistic state was to escape the wood on the edge of her realm, after which all pursuit would end and she would be free to do as she would, likely leading to a war against the people of the Wood. 

What followed was a frantic rush through the strange and unfamiliar forest, in which Princess Lupania struggled to come to terms with the strange suit which trapped her while trying to evade the seasoned hunters.  She would soon learn that she had an additional ability, specifically to understand the speech of the animals of the forest.  Though in the form of a predator, many of the woodland creatures sensed something different about her, and she was able to convince them to aid her in her flight.  Though many dangers lay ahead and the hunters were all around, Lupania, with the aid of newfound friends of the wood, managed to escape, and as promised, the wolf suit fell away, returning her to her normal state, though with a drastically changed perspective.  She would no longer seek to ravage the woods for expanding her kingdom, rather, having learned more of the nature of the forest than she could previously have imagined, she instead came to terms with the Protectors, and aided them with their task of protecting the sacred land.  She would even return to the woods frequently, even learning the druidic ways of changing her shape to that of a wolf when she did so, becoming as one with the flora and fauna.  It is said that her spirit still roams the Kenbakku Wood to this day, still in the form of a majestic wolf, encountered rarely by those traversing the forest, aiding those who respect the Wood, and hunting those who would seek to harm it.

The annual celebration commemorating this story, while mostly a local festival, has garnered some attention from the outside world, growing in popularity.  In the centuries since the original story supposedly took place, the festival has evolved and now centers around the Flight of the Wolf Princess, in which the chosen woman is sealed inside a suit similar to the one Lupania wore, and the escape through the is reenacted, the story retold through a much shorter section of the woods.  Once the ceremonial Princess has escaped, the festivities begin in earnest, lasting through the three nights in which both of Andyllion’s moons are at their fullest.  The Wolf Princess returns to wearing her lupine guise each night following the initial retelling of the story, ever present throughout the festivities, and supposedly the spirit of the original Wolf Princess appears on occasion, perhaps even possessing the ceremonial princess on even more rare occasions.