Season 2020 Progression Mirrors From The West

The Sendrassian-Regalian war had absorbed much of the attention of the Regalian public for the last few months, making the Empire relatively blind to other events in the world. With the recent Songaskian war over, the Elladorian conflict with the Isldar still raging, and the recent victory over the Kathar and the Avanthar, most of Regalia's informants were busy with the southern conflict, ignoring the events transpiring in the Altalar lands. With the most recent victory over the Sendrassian Allar causing a peaceful lull over the warfront, and with merchant shipping resuming due to the retreat of the Sendrassian convoy raiders, news from traders started reaching further away from the Empire, bringing back alarming news from the western lands and the old Altalar states.

News reached Regalia about a tale, starting on Talea Scansä, the birthplace of Talea and the home of the last devout zealots of Talea and Estellian purists who followed the prophetesses' belief. While Regalia was busy focussing its military might on the Sendrassians, and the Altalar wide and far were busy reeling form the Kathar invasions and their own divisions, an event that the Talean fanatics would later refer to as the "Second Walking" unfolded. Rumor has it that Talea herself ascended from her tomb, breaking open the many magical seals that had held for millenia from the inside, flanked by eight tall beings, twice the height of mortal men, who guarded and proclaimed her arrival.

The first was a towering male, clad in Altalar ceremonial Armor bearing an Asha moon-blade three times the size of an adult man, with a cape made of feathers, and a wreath of thorns around his neck, reaching to the ground, with gold and crimson eyes burning with fire. The second was a towering female, with white hair that shone with opalescent sparking, the light itself reflecting from her causing rainbows in all that bestowed her, with a dress that appeared to drift in the air like a stormy afternoon, her silver and blue eyes bright like a thunder strike. The third was a stout female, carrying all kinds of pans and pots, her strong legs causing thunderous thuds on the ground as she walked, with each part of her garment set for a different season, and short crimson hair, only brightened by her equally crimson and gold eyes. The fourth was a thin and taller male, with body and limb so spindly that one might mistake him for a wiry tree, his hands brilliant glowing porcelain white, his bald head seemingly reflecting starlight even during day, and his complexion with blue and silver eyes set to permanent boredom with the mundanity of the world around him. The fifth was a shorter male clad in tyrian purple robes, his face obscured save for the crimson crown on his head under a hood, and his piercing gold and red eyes, moving almost as if he was levitating from the ground and scanning the faces of all who stood before him in the blink of an eye. The sixth was a young looking male with vibrant golden hair and juxtaposed silver and blue eyes, a whimsical wispiness to his clothes, while seagulls nestled on his shoulders and between the folds of his sashes, carrying an anchor by a chain behind him. The seventh was an older woman whose entire appearance seemed bereft of color, besides the eerie gold-red glow from what passed as half-lidded eyes that saw not the living, her hands making unnatural movements as her arms jutted from under her robes, seemingly deaf to all around her. And finally the eighth, a young bald female whose eyes despite closed, still radiated an intense silver and blue light through her eyelids, seated on a cloud of pure light in meditation, ignoring the world around her, yet speaking to all with her lips closed.

The eight towering heralds announced the second coming of Talea, to unify that which had been broken, and to again re-make those who bore the Crown of the World. Talea's fanatics were quick to buckle and kneel for the arrival of what they proclaimed were the Avatars of the Gods, deigning to walk the world again and bring them back to providence. The young man with seagulls in his clothes raised his arms, splitting the sea with such ferocity that it made two massive walls of upwards moving water, the procession of the supposed reborn Talea walking back to the lands of past-Allorn, a holy procession with Talea at the front, followed by the eight heralds, and Talea's fanatics behind them in solemn celebration of faith.

Upon arriving at the nearest land nation, the Fin'ullen when commanded to submit, fielded an army to try and push back their arrival into the sea. It was the woman with opaline hair that raiser hands, turning all that was mounted and rode on horseback into smaller critters and creatures that fluttered and fled from the field of battle. Then, the spindely man raised his arms too, turning all weapons and all armor into brittle dirt, as if their forgers had simply glued together the cheapest material they could find to pass. With nothing left to ride, nothing left to strike, nothing left to defend, the army buckled in kneeling to the Second Walking, and joined the procession on its way to Tanaar Ivaëlle. On the way, Teledden, Fin'ullen, Lesara, Cielothar, Avanthar settlements all fell under its sway, the procession gaining ever more traction and picking up ever greater speed as it progressed towards the ancient heart of Altalar lands.

Upon arriving in Ivaëlle, the local princes were hopelessly outnumbered by the massive pilgrimage army that stood before their gates, having no other option than to simply open the gates, and call for an emergency session among the princedoms before the Allorn Throne, at least among those that had not already sworn fealty to the return of Talea. This council unanimously chose to recognize Talea's ascent to the throne, as the first of her name and first of her reign, bestowing to her the Crown of the World, or at least a temporary replacement while the real one was rotting in some Ailor vault as a trinket of victory.

With the capital taken, the eight heralds turned in all directions, subjecting more and more regions to the now re-proclaimed Second Allorn Empire, even taking in some Oscithar regions, integrating some Kathar populations into the land. They strode as far as the south, east, and west seas, re-gaining all the lost lands of Teled Methen and Hyarroc, though refraining from outright marching north and taking the last free Avanthar tribes and Ailor lands that now occupied lands once claimed by the Allorn Empire. To the far east too, several Altalar island states and border states with Hadar remained free and untouched, unwilling also to join this second Allorn Empire due to their close bonds with the Regalian Empire.

To the furthest west, the Suvial Altalar remained fiercely independent. Despite the immense Magical might of the Heralds of Talea, the Suvial Altalar had turned the Fire-scar Magic upon the Herald, and denied them entry to the Suvial lands. Despite the Teledden, Fin'ullen, Lesarra, and Cielothar, with some Avanthar support, practically acknowledging the second coming of Talea, the Suvial refused. The Suvial refused on grounds that Scansä in their dialect of Altalar had become known as "rescindend", and that Talea rescinded her right to the throne when the people suffered more death at the hands of Void-outs than anything that Talea supposedly saved them from millennia ago. While the Heralds were powerful, the Suvial defenses were a greater risk to them, keeping them at bay. Lofty words for the Suvial, or so the Teledden thought, who whispered that they simply did not wish to join the Second Allorn Empire, on grounds of refusing to be ruled by Teledden from far away, having tasted independence for so long in the Avela lands.

The news having been brought to Regalia caused an immediate concern and call for the Marshal cabinet and Government to assess the risk of potential all-out war with a second Allorn Empire, especially since Talea had proclaimed that whatever or whoever she was, would re-unite the lands of Nelfina, the Ancient Altalar dialect for "those who rule all". An immediate panic arose in Daenshore with the kingdoms of Lusits and Ithania ramping up military spending, while the Asha Corsair fleets were all recalled to the Asha States by the Conclave, to resume a defensive perimeter around their isles. Some reported that pockets of Altalar, Cielothar and Avanthar still held out, not content in believing this sudden second coming of their prophetess, and needing more proof or providence, while some outright rejected Estel worship and this blasphemy, openly engaging in guerilla warfare.

By far and large however, the majority of the Altalar states had subjugated and formed the Second Allorn Empire. Still a far-cry from the Empire of the past, the supposed return of the Avatars of the Gods would certainly spell uncertainty for the world at large, as even the Sendrassians seemed to reconsider sending more troops and shuffle their coastal fleets around so they could cover the Allorn Sea as well.

A reborn Allorn Empire. What could this mean for Regalians? Would the Altalar, now unified, start warring Regalia again? Would the slave raids begin once more? Was all good will between the Altalar and Ailor now truly forlorn? Only time would tell.