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A short letter embroidered with a peculiar symbol laden with the
Eye of Azdromoth found its way to the notice boards of cities around
Almaris, particularly to those harboring the Paladins of Xan.
14th of the Grand Harvest, Year 11 of the Second Age
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Into the desert wastes they went, these Men of the North. A foreign land unknown, coarse with rough sands and thick with ashen smoke which plumed in great swathes from the fiery volcano afar. Brimstone littered the pyroclastic hellscape in their approach, but alas they pressed on. In a valiant effort did they lay siege to the Mouth of the World there. Ballistae emblazoned with the divinity of daemonic Xannic fire wrought their 'holy' might unto the slumbering drake therein which called this place home. They were invaders to this land, trespassers on soil they did not own.
Just as these Paladins of Xan had done to the great Empire of Oren, their terrorism once more strikes hot -- now at the behest of Norland. They had awakened a terror, just as the drakes of lands past. Just as Avendal of Atlas, just as Gudour of Athera, just as Malghourn of Anthos -- drakes of immense power who dead or alive live on by physicality or myth, legend, and fire-side tale. Once more and yet again as these Paladins had done throughout the ages past have they awakened upon the Lands of Almaris an old, timeless drake. For why?
In their brazen attacks and outright ignorant, impossible assaults on beings as mighty as drakes such as these do they raise an endless threat and unstoppable power. They endanger the people of Almaris -- threatening nations, cities, capitols and the innocent. The bounty of a fallen drake would line the pockets of these 'holy' knights in gold should they succeed -- but they failed, and utterly so. It is with solemnity do we of the Titan Arch-Drakaar express our disdain with these Paladins of Xan, purveyors of dark daemonic influence and their taint unto the world. You know not with who or what you toil, and a reckoning will come.
We may only hope now that the drake returns isolated to its home. If not and instead a city, this was your doing. You are our undoing, this world's undoing.
- - -
The letter is unsigned, but the message was clear.