Entry 07 - Familiar Foes
Lyrans and Brethren,
Our latest expedition into the Rifts has revealed some disturbing news. The Hota are here. Our scouts observed a battle in progress near what appeared to be nests of some kind. Our old enemies, the Hota, have set their sights upon Underlight. They fought against other creatures that were similar in construct and strength. Their opposition was aided by other dreamers much like us. These dreamers wore strange crests resembling those from our ancient past. We believe these dreamers are descendants from our own lands.
Many cycles ago, our great master, Idoaclese, sent legions of dreamers into the Rifts to explore the Dream. Our wise master believed that our realm was but one of many in a greater realmscape. Unfortunately, most of these dreamers vanished into the void and were never seen or heard from again.
Long after the murder of Master Idoaclese, two dreamers found their way back to our realm and identified themselves as Lady Soraya and Lord Ralnora of the Order of Idoaclese. They told of their warriors battling powerful and terrible foes. Most of their companions fell in battle, or were scattered in the void and Soraya and Ralnora believed they were the only survivors of the Rift Walkers.
Ralnora explained that many of the initial legions were overwhelmed by powerful beasts of terror. When defeat seemed immanent, the ranks broke and many dreamers fled in different directions.
Soraya provided a different account from Ralnora's. She spoke of her warriors fighting with great honor and courage although they were overwhelmed by the greater numbers of the creatures. One of the commanders ordered them to break off formation and return to Master Idoaclese with word of the failed campaign.
Upon their return, they were met with news of Master Idoaclese's murder at the hands of one of his own apprentices, The Rift Walkers were taken into the ranks of the Sect by Igteus, however, Ralnora attempted to break away from the Sect shortly thereafter. Ralnora's dreams came to an abrupt end at the hands of a DreamStrike Master and the Cult of Bashir.
Soraya often went into the Rifts, unaccompanied. Many speculated she would return to honor her fallen comrades while others believed something far more sinister was in motion.
The Hota would invade two cycles later and overrun our realm. They are relentless creatures of great strength and numbers. The few surviving scholars of the Emergence Academy have begun to devise a plan to stop the Hota before history can be repeated and Underlight falls to the Hota.
We must uncover the origins of the dreamers we witnessed fighting the Hota. It is quite possible that the Realmscape still harbors many other realms like our old home and Underlight. As I told the Templars and the Vanguard, we stand on our own and do not require approval to mount our own defense of Underlight. We now share this home with you and we will surrender our lives in defense of it. We have shared this information with you as a gesture of courtesy and good will in hopes of being able to co-exist with all of you. You can seek to welcome us or fight us, but we will not lose another realm due to inaction.
Talberon,
Elder of the Idoaclesians
