As Reported by The Avalon Press

The Host of Avalon helped defeat an ancient foe in the Great White Swamp, along with fighting several other hierarchs in an unexpectedly busy June gathering. In our top story, the Avalonian Host was asked to travel to the Great White Swamp, now named the Commonwealth of Nomana, to fight a great evil known as the Broodmother of Oblivion. This creature, possibly an unseated hierarch although it was never determined, was a creation of the old Lord of the Deep when he was still a seated Hierarch. In ancient times, the Saurians and Lizardfolk had a civilization known as the Sunscale Empire. The Ancient Elves were jealous of this empire and went to war, which they were on the verge of losing. In desperation and vanity, the Ancient Elves asked the Lord of the Deep for help. When the Ancient Elves met with the Sunscales to negotiate peace, the Ancient Elves unleashed the Broodmother, whose skills focused on amnesia, forgetting, and oblivion. The Broodmother unleashed massive fetid water floods that quickly overwhelmed the Sunscale Empire, causing a genocide. In the Broodmother’s rampage, it attempted to attack a Temple to the Sun. However, the Followers of Light sacrificed themselves to seal the creature and trap it with a powerful ritual that froze time in the temple. Eventually, the temple and what we now know as the White City sunk under the fetid water. In the present, King Slade asked the Heroes of Avalon for help opening this ancient Temple of the Sun. The Heroes agreed and in January 1125 opened the temple revealing the Broodmother’s offspring within. A wave of evil poured out of the temple when it was opened, calling Drowned Ones to the Broodmother. It is believed that the Drowned Ones were called to the Broodmother because of its connection to the old Lord of the Deep: when the Lord of the Deep Ascended, it abandoned the Drowned Ones, causing them to become despondent for the past several years. 

Over the next several months, the Heroes worked to solve trials, one representing each of the Draconic seats, to gather the necessary components to break the seal trapping the Broodmother. Prior to the June gathering, King Slade asked for aid because the number of Drowned Ones, Hags, Void, and weirdly enough Darkwood attacking proved too great for the Saurians and Lizardfolk. During the June gathering, the Heroes completed the last few trials, which involved being transported by a celestial to the trial location. All the while, Avalon fought against Drowned Ones, Hags, Void creatures, and even a Kraken that appeared on the Friday evening of the gathering. In addition, Avalon also faced Darkwood, Vipermen, Greater Saurians, Swamp trolls, and other creatures native to the Swamp. 

This culminated in Saturday evening of the gathering. With all of the seals gathered, the Heroes went into the Temple of the Light. After breaking each seal, the center dias of the temple rose, revealing a hidden staircase. Rushing out was the Broodmother and her offspring. At the start of the fight, the Broodmother called upon the Powers of Hell and made everyone present forget all their Fourth Rank skills and abilities and above until dawn. This included magics of all kinds, preventing the Heroes from casting Life spells. Part way through the fight, a fetid pool appeared, with Void creatures, Drowned Ones, and a bizarre creature of the Void known as the Architect. According to reports, the Void was there to “reclaim” the Broodmother into service for the Lord of the Deep, not the Dark Lord. 

After a brutal fight and several close calls, the Heroes were successful in destroying the Broodmother and its offspring. As thanks, King Slade allowed the Avalonian Followers of Light to choose an artifact from the temple’s reliquary to keep. Onto the next story, Shaun Vicks was unfortunately also one of the main enemies the Host fought. The Darkwood was being controlled by Shaun Vicks in an attempt to find the Ring of Bazmodeous. However, Avalon managed to find the ring first, to Shaun’s ire. During the Saturday night fight against the Broodmother, he kidnapped Duchess Nimue and High Inquisitor Nathan into the Darkwood. Upon seeing their disappearance, the Heroes performed a rite, calling on the High Lord for aid. This rite worked, calling Mardukes to save them and fight Shaun Vicks. The Fae  Equinox also appeared, as High Inquisitor Nathan asked for their aid to help save them. 

On Sunday, Shaun Vicks rallied a massive amount of Darkwood. The Heroes raced to the Darkwood’s edge to confront this army. Shaun Vicks, with a black eye, ranted that all he wanted was the ring and offered the Handmaiden in exchange for the ring. When the Host refused, Darkwood attacked. The fight was brutal, leading to several Avalonians being dragged into Darkwood. This included Lord Chancellor Ventrick, who died in Darkwood. However, Lord Chancellor Ventrick disappeared into a magical bottle at the moment of his death, saving him. The drake Zimiir arrived to help turn the tide of the fight but not before Shaun Vicks retreated with Lord Chancellor Ventrick’s soul bottle. During this time, reports began arriving of High Inquisitor Nathan going on a rampage. According to eyewitness accounts, High Inquisitor Nathan began on Sunday of the June gathering a campaign of terror against the Dale, destroying several towns. Between gatherings, a group of Heroes and guardsmen attempted to confront him and his golem bodyguards, but were halted by the High Inquisitor invoking several Raise Graveyards. High Inquisitor Nathan escaped while there were several Dale casualties. If any reader spots anyone matching the High Inquisitor’s description, do not engage and take extreme caution. He is to be considered dangerous. Flee to safety and inform the Heroes immediately. Moving on, unfortunately Shaun Vicks was not the only hierarch or evil being present during the June gathering. On Saturday afternoon Etrigant was seen at the Copper Crow, although it is unclear what his goals were at this time. A shadow lord and a lich also appeared late Saturday afternoon, although this shadow lord offered the lich to the Heroes as a show of good faith, asking for their aid on a mission of some kind to the Old Barrow underneath the Barrowdowns. Saturday evening Pid arrived, claiming someone “left the door open” for him and fought against several of the Heroes. 

Finally, in this chaos, the Lord of the Deep appeared as well. In our next story, the Great White Swamp formally became the Commonwealth of Nomana. This new nation is named after the Dragon Herpata, whose last name was Nomana. As she was once the Great Queen before she Ascended, the Saurian and Lizardfolk wanted to honor her as they entered this new chapter of development. In this, a formal treaty was signed between Avalon and the Commonwealth. This treaty declared the two people as formal allies. But not all Saurians and Lizardfolk greeted this change. A group known as the Children of the Great Queen protested throughout the gathering. This group argues that the best ways for the Commonwealth moving forward are its old ways: keeping isolationist policies, having the magada’s be more separated, and trying to return to their old system of teaching and way of life. Many of the Children of the Great Queen expressed their doubts over if their culture would be lost in this change or if they would become “just like the smooth skins.” Only time will tell if this group will continue to protest the changes happening in the Commonwealth. On one final positive note, many amongst the Host of Avalon are excited. The Prince has announced a ball will be held in July. Many are excited for the ball, as the Prince has not been seen for some time, with rumors suggesting he has taken ill.