[Alneyan]

As word from Pythium grew scarce, they faded away from the prime concerns of the people: never the prideful Pythium had fallen to an enemy, strong in the confort of her walls. And whatever their fate was, precious little could be done. Rather, the closer neighbours were becoming a concern. While in the past borders were held by mild hirelings, lords and even royalty were now strengthening their hold on their provinces. Sometimes the quill determined where the border between two realms was to be; other times the sword solved such disputes. Peace still reigned, but already skirmishes occurred, and talk of war could be heard among the bolder soldiers.

Winter was coming to an end, more sharply than in known memory: it was as hot as in springtime, flowers were blossoming, and the land was almost wakening. A fiery cult was gaining in influence, or so was said; others spoke of the ever-burning pyres of Abysia, where more of their folk worked than was usual, and the ones with the "inner flame" were often sighted far from their birthplace. But late blizzards brought the painful reminder that winter was not over yet; Abyssians were not the only ones having such power as to alter the weather of the land.