Dear reader,

I hope you enjoy this book. As always, I and the other Heralds try to
gather as much information as possible and pass things on to you. As I am
now High Herald, I consider it a pleasure to know that you are continuing to
get new issues of the Mystique. My predecessor left us in a terrible state,
and I have improved the state of affairs.

Finally, I must extend my thanks to Andrael and Benno for helping compile
this collection of words into a book for you to read.

Enjoy!

- Beljia Wildfire, High Herald of Serin

Contents:

The death of the Forsaken has sent shock waves tumbling through Serin.
He took his own life. Some of the animals rejoiced that he was dead, but
others wept. His body was found mangled and torn apart, but it was still
identifiable as the corpse of the Forsaken himself. Valour declared a
holiday, the halls of Justice withdrew the bounty on his head, the Keepers
noted that a major threat to the balance was gone. All seemed quiet.

Within Darkhaven, there was turmoil and chaos, as Legion was without a
leader and none could claim control of the city. Days passed. The chaos in
the rest of the world was also showing up. Since then, a new Immortal has
risen from the depths of the Underworld into Legion. Her name is Nycticora
Corvus, and she is the Princess of Chaos. Her name may well translate to
"Night heron crow". The old tomes say that "Corvus" means "crow", and
"Nycticora" roughly translates to some form of heron or nightbird.

Who knows what will happen now?

- The Mistress of the Tiger

Rumours have been spreading of chaos howlers and an item in all corners
of Serin! Might they be true? Probably. There has been a lot of chaos
lately, changes are happening all the time, we've seen the death of Valox
lately (see VALOX).

The Shire was destroyed in a mudslide created by a great white dragon, then
we saw a blue one at some point. Solace was razed, the draconians yelled
that the Chaos Dragon would come. Two other dragons appeared, and all
seemed quiet. Then the chaos howlers made their first appearance. I found
the Chaos Spike, which is the key behind all this chaos, but had to get it
again. Teav and I went all over Serin looking for it, finally got it, and
we placed it in the altar. A hole was torn in the fabric of reality, and
the chaos howlers again descended upon Seringale and Timaran.

Will the Chaos Dragon appear some time soon? How can we know? Much remains
unknown at this time, but be assured we will keep you updated in future
editions.

- The Mistress of the Tiger

Drinks with Niusan the Begotten of the Astral Plane, Cigar Connoisseur

For those who don't know, Niusan is an immortal patron of the Mystics. He
was a member of the Invokers guild when he was walking the earth. He was a
little out of it as he had a hit from one of his cigars. When asked about
any of his adventures he mentioned a being named Trogm. A dwarf who he
traveled about with. Trogm was the one who turned Niusan onto scotch and
whiskey. I asked how long he's been in the realms, he replied that he has
been about a bit before Glelif, a former High Herald was first born. When
he transcended he was 35 years old. Along with the drink and cigar, Niusan
as a fond love poker and enjoys playing in the tournaments. When asked if
he had anything else to offer, he said he believed that the Heralds and
Mystics should always work together. "We aid the land in many a things and
we can learn and grow with each other. In the long days of old, Heralds and
Mystics did not quite get along. I like to believe that in my mortal days I
helped put that resentment to rest, as I believe our hearts need not for
such resentment."

Baking time with Vanisse, the Myth Weaver

Vanisse for those of you who don't know, is the Myth Weaver, one of the
Matron Immortals of the Heralds. When in her mortal years, Vanisse was a
bard. And then later became a cook-bard. She is always on the look out for
some new recipes. Some of which include a crackers made from elf ears, a
Kitten eye cookie and the Gnome un-Appetizer. When she was young she
traveled about with Calram, Artos and Zanderic. Vanisse became a Herald
young, it was when Torkalen was the Herald's Immortal Patron. Torkalen
inspired Vanisse to use her wits to write instead of singing awful ballads.
I had asked Vanisse who was the High Herald when she was part of them. And
she lamented that she was too old to remember. She might not look it, but
she's been about for a long time. I made a comment that it helps to look
young when you're Immortal. To which she replies she might as well put a
bag over her head. "This attempt to walk down memory lane has brought back
a lot of vague cheese-holy yet very nice memories of the olden Herald days,
and I think we are on our way to returning there." This concludes the
interview. At this point, I handed Vanisse a bag that she put over her
head.

A Sad Lonely Mountain by Andrael

A beautiful land, full of green,
that had a lovely glass's sheen.

On a tall, solitary mountain,
the green could not maintain.

The silent peak started to cry,
deep red tears that burned all dry.

The mountain's sadness turned it,
a raging beast that died bit by bit.

After the darkened, sad days passed,
the light of the sun crept back in.

The green came back and surpassed,
the mountain couldn't help but grin.

The green forgave the mountain spite,
even though its anger was bitter.

The mountain died and slept with sprites,
as he was fuel for the growth of a litter.


War! by Vanisse

Two storm giants stood on top of a hill,
decided to test their mettle and skill.
Hurtling lightning and bolts of wind,
they found themselves suddenly hungering.

One of them took out an apple to chew,
the other one lifted his herbal brew.
When by 'accident' the first's core hit his face,
and splashed that brew all over the place!

'TIS WAR!' cried he, that drenched old giant,
and flung a banana peel, soaring so pliant.
To splat on his opponent's startled forehead,
and so began the fruit war of dread...


Unnamed Poem by Olyn

There once was a man from all places,
who shaped all his oranges like maces.
When the weather was right,
he'd start many a fight.
By smashing them in people's faces.

Dotel vs. Cen

Dotel blinded Cen in town, and most of the battle he was chasing her around
from Seringale, to Timaran and back, and Cen died too quickly. Dotel did
not even commune any more curses from Tyrone after blinding Cen. Cen
demanded he submit while she was blinded and pretty hurt. But it was no
contest, Dotel won with ease. - The Mistress of the Tiger


Benno vs. Aechara

I just witnessed Benno and Aechara have a bout in the arena. The first
round Benno tried his very best to hobble Aechara with his weapons, but it
would seem Aechara had the advantage with her weapon style. She sideswiped
him a couple of times with her shield and raked his weapon to the side.
Eventually Benno used his shield and upon Aechara's sideswipe there was a
massive collision of metal. Aechara claimed victory during that skirmish.

In the second round Benno learned from his mistakes and wielded a weapon in
each hand. He then preceded to barrage Aechara's shield until she suffered
from arm distension. Aechara fled to regain her composure and double
gripped her sword. Benno was on her case in an instant and kicked dirt into
her eyes. To the observer it would seem Aechara panicked and fled with dirt
in her eyes, only to stumble and lose her footing. Followed by a quick bash
from Benno. This happened a few times until Aechara finally yielded.


Eldroc vs. Tyrzerz

I've had the pleasure to witness a battle between Eldroc and Tyrzerz in the
arena of Seringale. It was a very odd fight to watch, as both fighters
struggled to keep up with one another. One would think that they merely
swung their weapons at each other and hoped that chance would deliver a
blow. Neither of them really used a trained art save for when Eldroc
attempted to bash his opponent from time to time. Tyrzerz never changed his
weapons during the entire fight. Nonetheless, Fortune favored Tyrzerz and
he killed Eldroc in a rage.


Eldroc vs. Eloret

The fight took place in Seringale at the arena. Eloret shielded himself
against Eldroc with fire, while Eldroc continued crushing the gnome. When
Eloret filled the room with meteors and cast ray of vindication, Eldroc
was soon defeated. The duel lasted for two minutes and twenty-four seconds.


Eldroc vs. Tyrzerz (2)

Eldroc and Tyrzerz did multiple duels. In one of them, Tyrzerz bested
Eldroc, but in another, Eldroc easily won by abusing sideswipe. Tyrzerz
raged and had to yield. In a third and final duel, Eldroc badly hurt
Tyrzerz, and asked if Tyrzerz would yield. Tyrzerz didn't answer, and
instead waited, presumably to regenerate. He then killed Eldroc and
recovered from his wounds.



Chandran and Anisa vs. Valox

The legion's cabal leader was deathmarked and bountied, when the two mighty,
Anisa from the Justice, Chandran from the Keepers of Balance, decided to
raid the Legion's cabal. Anisa and Chandran were at the Entrance of the
Mausoleum, where they attacked and killed the Shadowdemon Guardian! The
intruders were later on seen near the grand city of Seringale. Anisa and
Chandran had clear intentions to hunt down the human ranger. The fight
continued on the plains of the north, in the Sylvan Vale! Chandran kicked
dirt into Valox's eyes when Anisa with special guard followed from behind
and attacked to apprehend the criminal. Valox's shield wobbled and barely
deflected slashes coming from Chandran's weapons, while Anisa hellstreamed
what soon caused the battle to end by Valox fleeing to safety.


Beljia vs. Legali

Beljia and Legali fought in Gnome Village. It was a brief fight, and
Beljia easily overpowered her opponent while riding her stallion. As she
said earlier, she planned to be a rider of the Apocalypse. Legali nearly
died at the end, but he yielded, and his life was spared from the Reaper.

Life as a dark-knight is never easy, and when you're a Herald it's even
harder. As a Herald, I am bound by a set of rules, and have obligations to
meet. Many of these obligations are contrary to the ways of my guild, which
creates some conflict. I feel it is easiest for me to compare this with the
rules of the Knights of Valour, to give you some idea of what I want in
part.

The Knights live through their honour, courage, and respect. As a
dark-knight I might be expected to have none of these nor desire them. Yet,
I do live by a set of similar rules or desires. The virtues mean different
things to each one of the Knights, as does my interpretation and use of them
in my life. To give one clear example, I keep to my word and don't go back
on my promises, which is a form of honour. I've maintained the oath for
years, and I do not plan to break it. This puts me at odds with Legion, and
opens the question to another virtue. I openly face Legion with defiance.
This is not the sign of a coward, now is it? It may sometimes be foolish,
but still I do not consider myself lacking in courage.

As for respect, I consider it one of the most important things in my life.
Few things can match respect in my eyes. Whether I am hated, loved, liked,
or even feared, I feel respect is the most important thing. I want to be
respected, if I am not liked, and hope that even my friends will respect me.

And that is one of my desires.

I also want to make the world a better place. As High Herald I have that
kind of power, but I must use it well. I also want to see Andrael become my
Master Scribe, keep the Heralds in a good state, spend more time with my
husband, and enjoy life.

How do I go about these things? Respect comes from proper action and words,
so I should start with respecting both my enemies and my allies. Hopefully,
they will recognize that I am being respectful and (presumably) courteous to
them, and react accordingly. Making the world a better place can be done in
a number of different ways, but I'd say that helping people enjoy life and
enjoying life myself is a good way to make the world better. Fun events,
taking pleasure in simple things, having friendly duels to release tension,
being with your loved one(s), all that counts. I have no control over how
much time I can spend with my husband, it is all dependent on when he shows
up and if his duty takes over.

Keeping the Heralds in a good state might be difficult if I don't recruit
more members, though Andrael and I do a good job and I'd say she's helping
me a lot. I want her as my Master Scribe, which means working with her a
lot, getting her to pinnacle, and being her tutor, master, friend, and
adopted mother. It won't be easy to get her there, my emotions play too big
a role sometimes. I love her like she was my daughter, but she is also a
colleague. Some of my goals will be tough to meet but I will do my best.

- musings of Beljia Wildfire, Mistress of the Tiger

Teav was about while Savas was attacking Mikoos within Seringale. Teav
slayed Savas within South Square.

Anisa came around to find Jaux hidden in the woods for a while, battled back
and forth with him running mostly for his life. She continued to intrude on
him to prevent him from departing. Soon after Wilbrym arrived, they
continued their assault on him and his sacred grounds. He took a fall and
is no longer bountied.

Recently Mikoos had invaded upon Anisa and she drove him out of town while
chasing another criminal. He paid his fine and Anisa mistakenly attacked
Mikoos just inside the North Gate of Seringale. She was later marked Wanted
and brought to Justice by Wilbrym. The incident has come to conclusion and
Anisa is in good standing with our Halls and the Law.

An interview with Jaux

From the beginning of his life, Jaux had wanted to be a Keeper. He always
thought that the best fights were that of balance. As Jaux learned how to
fight, he figured out what the realms really needed. He has seen it change
over the years. Many cabal leaders come and go. Many cabals strive for
power and thats where the Keepers are needed most. An important trait of
the Keepers is to be trained. Jaux himself has mastered an impressive
amount of his skills. Jaux has been able to take down many powerful
opponents, a feat he is proud of. He has defeated some such as Valox,
Eloret and Graulog, but he has done with honor. His fights were his own.
His toughest foe so far in his life was Ikaork. When Jaux joined the
Keepers he was the only member. Not every applicant makes it into the
cabal. Jaux has removed a few members over the years. He would rather have
good, strong members as opposed to numbers any day. When asked about his
meeting Beljia, he said that Robhyn had a hand in it. She opened his mind
to the thoughts of marriage. And that more or less him and Beljia would
make a good fit. So that started to put thoughts into his mind. Before
that duty had always clouded his mind. At this point, I opened the
interview to Beljia as well, not as the Master Scribe but as Jaux's wife.
The pair together is a cute thing to see. Jaux said that it was Beljia
opening his mind that opened his mind is what could be considered the first
move. Beljia claims that she remembers a time that she saw him while he was
camouflaged. But the main companionship started when Beljia lost two
friends and when she sought comfort, she thought of Jaux. Jaux comments
that at that time Beljia was less confident and was a bit cold-hearted. But
now that has changed. I asked both Jaux and Beljia how their marriage was
going and they both said it was strong. The only fights the two have are
spars for fun. They help each other and understand each other. They have
grown to be great friends. I asked Jaux if he has accomplished the goals he
set for himself when he was younger. His reply is as follows. "I have but
one goal left in life. I am happy with my wife and being the leader of the
Keepers. My last goal is to train someone to take my place. When the time
comes of course. It is my duty as a leader. And I wish to leave things
better than I took them over."


An interview with Ona

At a young age Ona was escorted by a dragon-knight to the town of Timaran,
where she found the temple of Light. The priestess there guided her on a
pilgrimage to the shrines of Serin. There were many shrines where she was
too young to enter, but she found faith in the temple of Sedgwick. After
her pilgrimage she joined the healer's guild. "Pacifism, generosity,
knowledge, these are strong beliefs for us followers of Sedgwick. These
were also morals I came to believe in even before my pilgrimage." Many of
the people with whom she joined for hunting have passed on. She remembers when
she was about the 37th rank that she was hunting with applicants who are now
known now to be strong Keepers. She was not worried about having nice
things as she had her faith. She decided to become a Mystic around the time
her sleeping disorder became known. But she didn't apply until she was
pinnacled. Being part of the Mystics has enriched her life by fulfilling
her desires to share knowledge and wisdom to those who wish it. It has been
a blessing to her to aid others. Her father was a rich man. He doted on Ona
when she was younger. Though when she left to be on her own, she refused to
ask her parents for anything. In her finding of the Mystics gave her a new
family. Sedgwick does not judge and she, being a member of his faith, does
not either. She accepts born evils like Naskel or Beljia, because they are
similar to her, as family. When asked if she had anything else to say, she
seemed to have a sense of forlorn in her tone. She started out by saying
that when we go to the grave, none of the material positions will go with
us. Though fame, riches and royalty were never a big interest for her, she
is happy with her place in the Mystics.

Cabals

Justice - Arbiters of Law. Immortal Patron - Jeradan. Cabal Members -
Eloret, Teav, Anisa, Wilbrym. Situation- Check the patrols section for
Justice activities.

Keeper - Keepers of Balance. Immortal Patron - Hrimoyan. Cabal Members -
Jaux, Aechara, Meerah. Situation - Aechara is currently the officer right
behind Jaux, she is well versed in weapons and a darn good fighter. Her
knowledge of weapons has helped the Keepers gain the right weapon for
combat. Meerah is a little shy, but she has handled herself well in combat
and dealing with marks. We hope to see her pinnacle any day. In general,
there are only a few marks these days and I would say that Serin is well
within balance. Most of the marks are old marks that do not appear in the
realms very much.

Knight - Knights of Valour. Immortal Patron - Ceridwel? Cabal Members -
Airelyn, Zildea, Lyradan. Situation - Unknown.

Legion - Legion of Darkness. Immortal Matron - Nycticora. Cabal Members -
Mikoos, Nenthendil. Situation - Unknown.


Coteries

Herald - Historians of Serin. Immortal Matrons - Vanisse and Vevier.
Coterie Members - Beljia, Aldinio, Andrael, Bilinks, Yarianne. Situation -
The Heralds are busy working. Thinking of new ideas for events and
gathering pieces of information for the Mystique to share with the realm.

Mystic - Preservers of Knowledge. Immortal Patrons - Niusan and Taleroth.
Coterie Members - Noliperus, Ona, Kazoreck. Situation - Aiding newcomers to
the realms whenever they can.

Noble - Nobles of Valour. Immortal Patron - Unknown. Coterie Members -
Rimera, Aedeile, Finaeus, Valicia, Lir. Situation - Unknown.

Strife - Challengers of Honor. Immortal Patron - Unknown. Coterie Members -
Benno, Gihkig. Situation - Unknown.