Current Age

Period: 250 S. to Present (287 S.)
Duration: Last 37 years
Status: Precarious stability threatened by converging crises
Outlook: Uncertain (potential catastrophe or breakthrough)
Defining Characteristic: Everything happening at once

“287 S. We survived Shattering, endured Rot, rebuilt civilization. Now we face everything at once. Multiple crises converging. Multiple factions maneuvering. Maybe we’ll endure again. Maybe this time we break.”

Quick Reference

|| Attribute | Details | ||———–|———| || Timespan | 250-287 S. (37 years, ongoing) | || Population Start | ~250,000 (Year 250 S.) | || Population Current | ~180,000 (Year 287 S.) | || Decline Rate | ~2,000 per year (accelerating) | || Major Threat | Rot acceleration (5 islands/year lost) | || Political Status | Fragmented (multiple power centers) | || Economic Status | Strained (Guild monopoly, resource scarcity) | || Religious Status | Crisis (divine silence, faith eroding) | || Outlook | Critical (multiple crises converging) |

The Current Age - Year 287 S.

Table of Contents

• Overview
• The Stable Years (250-270 S.)
• The Crisis Years (270-287 S.)
• Political Developments (270-287 S.)
• Present Day (287 S.)
• Regional Situations (287 S.)
• Possible Futures
• Key Events (270-287 S. Chronological)
• Tensions and Conflicts
• In-World Documents
• Quest Hooks
• Related Topics

Overview

The Current Age—the last 37 years from 250 S. to present day 287 S.—represents humanity’s most precarious period since the Early Aetherium. After two centuries of gradual recovery and stabilization, multiple crises are now converging simultaneously: the Rot is accelerating, the constellations have fallen almost completely silent, refugees overwhelm settlements, political tensions escalate toward war, and the population continues its inexorable decline.

What makes this period unique is not any single crisis—humanity has faced each of these threats before—but their simultaneity. The Rot alone is manageable (barely). Divine silence alone is survivable (with difficulty). Political tensions alone can be mediated (usually). But all at once? With a declining population, strained resources, and eroding hope?

The Current Age is humanity’s test. Will we endure as we have for 287 years? Will we find solutions to problems that have plagued us for centuries? Will we unite against common threats, or fragment into factional warfare? Will we discover the Luminar Archives and recover lost knowledge, or repeat the Apogee’s mistakes?

No one knows. That’s what makes this the Current Age: We’re living through history, not studying it. The outcome is unwritten. The future is uncertain. And every choice matters.

The Stable Years (250-270 S.)

Relative Prosperity (250-260 S.)

Population: Growing (slowly) - Year 250: ~250,000 - Year 260: ~260,000 - Growth rate: ~1,000/year - First sustained growth since Shattering - Hope renewed (maybe we’ll survive)

Economy: Flourishing (relatively) - Trade routes stable (regular schedules) - Guild monopoly established (but functional) - Prices stable (no major inflation) - Food production adequate (no famines) - Standard of living improving (slightly)

Technology: Advancing (slowly) - Airship designs refined (crash rate down to 2%) - Agricultural techniques improved (yields up 10%) - Medicine advancing (alchemy developing) - Construction better (understanding island physics) - No breakthroughs (but steady progress)

Peace: Mostly maintained - No major wars (since 251 S. Ironhold-Outlands conflict) - Minor disputes (arbitrated by Guild) - Factional tensions (managed) - Rot-Beast attacks (routine, handled) - Relatively calm period

Optimism: Cautious - “Maybe we’ll make it” (common sentiment) - Children born with hope (not despair) - Long-term planning (not just survival) - Cultural flowering (arts, philosophy) - Best period since Apogee (low bar, but still)

The Drifting Sanctuary Founded (260 S.)

Founder: Abbot Silas (mysterious past)

Concept: Mobile monastery - Island that drifts (intentionally) - Visits settlements (healing, refuge) - Neutral ground (all factions welcome) - Free services (healing, counseling, sanctuary) - Funded by donations (surprisingly successful)

Impact: Humanitarian - Healed thousands (no one turned away) - Mediated disputes (neutral arbiter) - Provided hope (tangible kindness) - Symbol of what humanity could be

Mystery: Silas’s past - No one knows where he came from - Rumors: Former Council member? Rot-Touched who recovered? Divine avatar? - He won’t say (deflects questions) - Doesn’t matter (his work speaks)

The First Hollow Transformation (267 S.)

Event: Kael Rotborn transformed - Late-stage Rot corruption - Entered coma (expected death) - Awoke changed (conscious, intelligent, no longer human) - Proved: Rot-corruption can lead to transcendence (not just death)

Implications: Theological crisis - Rot-Touched saw hope (transformation possible) - Clergy saw horror (abomination) - Scholars saw data (evolution or devolution?) - Common folk saw terror (monsters are conscious)

Kael’s Existence: Ongoing - Lives in Murky Chasm (Year 287 S.) - Teaches Rot-Touched (how to transform safely) - Revered by some (prophet) - Feared by most (monster) - Proof that everything we believe about Rot might be wrong

The Last Survivor Dies (267 S.)

Event: Mara Windborn dies (age 287) - Last person who lived through Shattering - Witnessed Year 0 firsthand - Spent life recording testimony - Died peacefully (rare for survivors)

Impact: Historical - Living connection to pre-Shattering ended - Now only oral tradition and texts remain - Sense of finality (that era is truly gone) - Increased urgency (preserve what we can)

Her Final Words: “I saw the world break. I saw everyone die. I survived 287 years. And I’m still not sure why. Maybe there’s no reason. Maybe survival is enough. Tell my story. Remember what we lost. Don’t repeat our mistakes.”

The Crisis Years (270-287 S.)

Population Decline Accelerates (270-287 S.)

Year 270: ~265,000 (peak of Current Age) Year 280: ~220,000 (decline resuming) Year 285: ~185,000 (accelerating) Year 287: ~180,000 (current)

Decline Rate: - 250-270 S.: +1,000/year (growth) - 270-280 S.: -4,500/year (decline) - 280-287 S.: -5,700/year (accelerating)

Causes: - Rot: 5 islands/year lost (vs. 2/year in 250s) - Falls: Constant (accidents, suicides) - Violence: Increasing (resource competition) - Birth Rate: Declining (despair, resource scarcity) - Emigration: To where? (nowhere, but people try)

Projections (Archivist Report, Year 285 S.): - Year 300: ~150,000 - Year 350: ~80,000 - Year 400: Extinction - Unless trends reverse (how?)

Rot Acceleration (270-287 S.)

Pattern Change: Dramatic - 250-270 S.: 2 islands/year lost - 270-280 S.: 3 islands/year lost - 280-287 S.: 5 islands/year lost - Exponential growth (terrifying)

Major Losses: - Year 274: Clearwater (800 dead) - Year 279: Windcrest (400 vanished—Silence event) - Year 282: Thornspire (1,200 dead) - Year 285: Three small islands (combined 600 dead) - Year 287: Two islands currently evacuating

Causes (theories): - Natural acceleration (Rot has lifecycle?) - Aether changes (environment shifting) - Divine withdrawal (constellations no longer protecting) - Voice Beneath strengthening (intelligence growing) - Unknown (probably)

Defenses: Failing - Prayer less effective (divine silence) - Alchemy expensive (can’t afford) - Quarantine harsh (but necessary) - Evacuation difficult (where do refugees go?) - No solutions (only delays)

Divine Silence Deepens (270-287 S.)

Pattern: Prayers unanswered - 250-270 S.: 30% of prayers answered (low but functional) - 270-280 S.: 10% of prayers answered (crisis) - 280-287 S.: <5% of prayers answered (catastrophic)

Impact: Faith crisis - Clergy losing credibility (gods don’t answer) - People abandoning religion (what’s the point?) - Alternative beliefs growing (Serpent worship, nihilism) - Theological debates (are gods dead? Angry? Gone?) - No consensus (but hope fading)

**Bishop Vael‘s Crisis** (ongoing): - Leads Constellation’s Reach Observatory - Spent 15 years studying constellations - Conclusion: They move mechanically (like clockwork, not consciousness) - Crisis: Serves constellation he’s not sure exists - Paradox: Can’t admit doubt (would destroy others’ faith)

Clergy Response: Varied - Conservative: “Have faith despite silence” - Progressive: “Admit uncertainty, maintain hope” - Radical: “Gods are dead, find new meaning” - Serpent-curious: “Maybe forbidden constellation answers”

Refugee Crisis (275-287 S.)

Scale: Overwhelming - Year 275: ~5,000 refugees (manageable) - Year 280: ~15,000 refugees (strained) - Year 285: ~30,000 refugees (crisis) - Year 287: ~40,000 refugees (catastrophic)

Source: Rot-consumed islands - Evacuations (before islands fall) - Desperate flight (during corruption) - Nowhere to go (all settlements strained) - Dying in transit (airship capacity limited)

Destination: Major settlements - Skyport Eos (accepts most, overwhelmed) - Ironhold (turns away most, selective) - Outlands (scattered, limited capacity) - Murky Chasm (accepts all, including corrupted)

Impact: Social strain - Overcrowding (housing insufficient) - Resource competition (food, water scarce) - Cultural tension (natives vs. refugees) - Crime increasing (desperation) - Resentment growing (on both sides)

Responses: - Eos: Accept all (Elder Mira’s policy, unsustainable) - Ironhold: Turn away most (Vask’s policy, cruel but practical) - Outlands: Help when able (limited resources) - Clergy: Provide sanctuary (Drifting Sanctuary overwhelmed)

The Question: Where do they all go? - No answer (settlements at capacity) - Can’t turn them away (they’ll die) - Can’t accept them all (we’ll collapse) - Impossible choice (someone suffers either way)

Political Developments (270-287 S.)

The Vask-Song Alliance (275 S.)

Formation: Military-economic partnership - Commandant Vask (Ironhold military) - Guild-Master Elara Song (Sky-Guild economic) - Mutual benefit (power consolidation) - Coordinated policies (trade, security) - Concerning to others (too much power)

Goals: - Vask: Military expansion (control more settlements) - Song: Economic exploration (find Luminar Archives) - Shared: Stability through strength (authoritarianism)

Opposition: - Elder Mira (Eos democratic tradition) - Outland Clans (resist centralization) - Independent merchants (resist Guild monopoly) - Clergy (resist secular authority)

Status (287 S.): Strained - Vask suspects Song’s embezzlement - Song fears Vask’s ambition - Alliance of convenience (not trust) - Could collapse (or strengthen)

Guild-Master Elara Song’s Rise (279 S.)

Election: Controversial - Youngest Guild-Master ever (age 33) - First woman in position (broke tradition) - Brilliant economist (undeniable competence) - Ruthless politician (concerning to many) - Won by narrow margin (factional support)

Policies: Aggressive - Monopoly enforcement (crush independents) - Price controls (Guild sets all rates) - Route expansion (explore Periphery) - Secret expeditions (embezzled funding) - Authoritarian (efficiency over freedom)

Secret: Embezzlement - Diverted Guild funds (millions of coins) - Funded Periphery expeditions (5 years, ongoing) - Seeking Luminar Archives (obsessed) - If discovered: Economic chaos, political crisis - Vask suspects (but no proof yet)

Motivation: Unclear - Ambition? (personal power) - Duty? (save humanity) - Hubris? (repeat Council’s mistakes) - All three? (complicated)

Commandant Vask’s Consolidation (275-287 S.)

Background: Rose through military ranks - Born 235 S. (age 52 current) - Joined military 250 S. (age 15) - Commandant 275 S. (age 40) - Youngest Commandant in Ironhold history

Philosophy: “Only strength saves humanity” - Authoritarianism (order over freedom) - Militarism (force solves problems) - Pragmatism (survival justifies anything) - Nationalism (Ironhold first)

Policies: Harsh - Refugee rejection (can’t afford them) - Military expansion (conscription, training) - Fortification (walls, defenses) - Surveillance (control information) - Oppression (dissent punished)

The Murk Campaign (planning, 285-287 S.): - Goal: Invade Murky Chasm (eliminate Rot-Touched) - Justification: Preemptive strike (before Rot spreads) - Opposition: Everyone (insane, doomed to fail) - Status: Planning (hasn’t launched yet) - Risk: Could trigger civil war

Motivation: Complicated - Genuinely believes Rot-Touched are threat (possibly right) - Wants to expand Ironhold influence (ambition) - Fears losing control (paranoia) - Thinks military solution exists (probably wrong)

Storm-Captain Kiera’s Arrival (280 S.)

Background: Storm-Sailor from Howling Expanse - Born 249 S. (age 38 current) - Storm-Born (born during Aether-Storm) - Captain 275 S. (age 26, youngest ever) - Legendary navigator (instinctive storm-reading)

Arrival: Mysterious - Appeared in Skyport Eos (280 S.) - Refused to explain why she left Expanse - Vask suspects spy (paranoid) - Mira trusts her (intuition) - Truth: She saw something in Black Tempest (won’t say what)

Role: Independent power - Commands airship Tempest’s Daughter - Refuses Guild membership (independent) - Refuses military service (free agent) - Takes dangerous jobs (exploration, rescue) - Respected by many (competent, brave)

Conflict: Vask vs. Kiera - Vask wants to control her (recruit or eliminate) - Kiera resists (values freedom) - Standoff (neither can force the other) - Tension (could explode)

Secret: The Storm’s Secret - Saw something in Black Tempest’s calm eye - Pre-Shattering city? Entity? Horror? - Won’t speak of it (traumatized) - Haunts her (nightmares) - Relevant to current crises (possibly)

Present Day (287 S.)

The Year of Convergence

Why 287 S. Matters: Everything happening at once - Rot acceleration (5 islands/year) - Divine silence (deepest ever) - Refugee crisis (40,000 displaced) - Political tensions (Vask’s war plans) - Economic strain (Song’s embezzlement) - Population decline (accelerating) - Multiple factions (maneuvering) - No solutions (only choices)

The Feeling: Apocalyptic - “This is it” (common sentiment) - “Everything’s coming to a head” (true) - “We’ll either solve it or die” (probably) - “No more delays” (time’s up)

Major Figures (Year 287 S.)

Elder Mira Thornwell (age 67): - De facto leader of Skyport Eos - Mediator, diplomat, wise elder - Secret: Stage 1 Rot-corrupted (hiding it) - Conflict: Duty vs. survival (if discovered, political crisis) - Time: Limited (corruption advancing)

Commandant Theron Vask (age 52): - Military dictator of Ironhold - Authoritarian, ambitious, paranoid - Planning Murk invasion (insane or necessary?) - Conflict: Control vs. chaos (fears losing grip) - Danger: Could trigger civil war

Guild-Master Elara Song (age 41): - Economic power of Sky-Guild - Brilliant, ruthless, obsessed - Embezzling funds (secret expeditions) - Seeking Luminar Archives (five years, no success) - Risk: If discovered, economic collapse

Priest Valeria (age 44): - Clergy representative in Eos - Orthodox, faithful, doubting - Suspects Serpent cult (in refugees) - Conflict: Faith vs. evidence (gods are silent) - Crisis: How to maintain hope?

Sister Morrigan (age 38): - Rot-Touched evangelist - Charismatic, terrifying, honest - Preaches in Murky Chasm (openly) - Believes Rot is salvation (controversial) - Growing influence (desperate people listen)

Alchemist Kael Greythorn (age 38): - Mad scientist in Glimmering Spire - Experimenting with Rot samples (dangerous) - Claims breakthrough imminent (always says this) - Possibly Serpent-worshipper (unconfirmed) - Risk: Experiment could go catastrophically wrong

Storm-Captain Kiera Windcaller (age 38): - Independent airship captain - Legendary navigator, mysterious past - Saw something in Black Tempest (won’t say what) - Vask’s rival (refuses control) - Wild card (unpredictable)

Vex Shadowhand (age 35): - Black Sky Cartel leader in Murky Chasm - Criminal mastermind, morally flexible - Manipulates all factions (profit from chaos) - Controls Rot-Shard trade (illegal, lucrative) - Dangerous (but reliable)

The Captain (age unknown): - Black Sky Cartel supreme leader - Identity completely unknown (no one’s seen face) - Controls piracy, smuggling, black markets - Mysterious (deliberately) - Power: Vast (but hidden)

Captain Jorah Ironwind (age 45): - Legendary airship pilot - Independent (refuses Guild, military) - Most reliable transport (expensive but worth it) - Has map to hidden islands (valuable secret) - Neutral (serves whoever pays)

Converging Crises (287 S.)

Crisis 1: Rot Acceleration - 5 islands/year lost (vs. 2/year in 250s) - Defenses failing (prayer ineffective, alchemy expensive) - Refugees overwhelming (40,000 displaced) - No solution (only evacuation) - Timeline: Bright Reaches will have significant corruption in 20-30 years

Crisis 2: Divine Silence - <5% of prayers answered (vs. 30% in 250s) - Faith eroding (why pray if gods don’t answer?) - Clergy losing authority (what’s their purpose?) - Alternative beliefs growing (Serpent worship, nihilism) - Theological crisis (are gods dead?)

Crisis 3: Refugee Overflow - 40,000 displaced (vs. 5,000 in 275 S.) - Settlements at capacity (can’t accept more) - Resources strained (food, water, housing) - Tensions rising (natives vs. refugees) - Violence increasing (competition, resentment)

Crisis 4: Political Tensions - Vask planning Murk invasion (could trigger war) - Song embezzling (if discovered, chaos) - Mira’s corruption (if discovered, political crisis) - Eos-Ironhold rivalry (cold war heating) - Factional maneuvering (everyone preparing)

Crisis 5: Economic Strain - Guild monopoly (prices rising) - Independent merchants (being crushed) - Trade routes (threatened by Rot, storms) - Resource scarcity (declining production) - Inflation (or deflation? Both?)

Crisis 6: Cultural Fragmentation - Void-Kin vs. Elders (generational divide) - Orthodox vs. Serpent-worshippers (religious schism) - Centralists vs. Independents (political split) - Returners vs. Traditionalists (philosophical divide) - No unity (everyone disagrees)

The Convergence: All at once - Any single crisis is manageable (barely) - All simultaneously? (possibly catastrophic) - Solutions to one crisis worsen others - No good choices (only least-bad) - Humanity’s greatest test since Shattering

Regional Situations (287 S.)

Skyport Eos

Status: Central hub, politically strained

Population: ~8,000 (up from 6,000 in 275 S.) - Natives: 5,000 - Refugees: 3,000 - Overcrowded (housing insufficient)

Government: Elder Council (12 members) - Leader: Elder Mira Thornwell (age 67, secretly corrupted) - Faction: Pro-refugee (accept all, unsustainable) - Opposition: Elder Joram Steele (pro-Guild, wants refugee limits) - Tension: High (council divided)

Economy: Strained - Guild influence growing (Factor Marlena Swift) - Independent merchants struggling (Guild pressure) - Prices rising (supply < demand) - Black market thriving (Merchant Vex)

Issues: - Overcrowding (refugees) - Resource scarcity (food, water, housing) - Crime increasing (desperation) - Political maneuvering (Guild takeover attempt) - Mira’s secret (corruption discovery = crisis)

Atmosphere: Tense - Hope mixed with fear - Kindness mixed with resentment - Stability mixed with chaos - Could tip either way

Ironhold

Status: Military stronghold, isolated

Population: ~15,000 (stable) - Strict entry requirements (skills, loyalty) - Refugees rejected (unless valuable) - Homogeneous (conformity enforced)

Government: Military dictatorship - Commandant: Theron Vask (age 52) - Authority: Absolute (within Ironhold) - Opposition: Underground (resistance movement) - Control: Total (surveillance, oppression)

Economy: Guild-dominated - Guild headquarters (economic center) - Iron production (monopoly) - Trade (controlled, profitable) - Wealth inequality (extreme)

Military: Powerful - 2,000 trained soldiers (largest force) - Advanced weapons (iron, steel, some pre-Shattering) - Fortifications (impregnable walls) - Airship fleet (50+ vessels, including warships)

Issues: - Authoritarianism (freedom suppressed) - Resistance movement (underground, growing) - Vask’s war plans (Murk invasion) - Isolation (cultural and political) - Paranoia (Vask suspects everyone)

Atmosphere: Oppressive - Order maintained (through force) - Safety purchased (with freedom) - Stability (but at what cost?) - Resentment (simmering)

Murky Chasm

Status: Rot-infected, dangerous, thriving (paradoxically)

Population: ~600 (criminals, exiles, Rot-Touched) - Growing (refugees, outcasts) - Diverse (all are welcome) - Desperate (last stop before Hollow)

Government: None (anarchic) - Black Sky Cartel (de facto authority) - Vex Shadowhand (enforces “rules”) - Survival of fittest (harsh but functional)

Economy: Black market - Illegal goods (Rot-Shards, weapons, slaves) - No Guild control (independent) - Cash only (coins, barter) - Profitable (for those who survive)

Culture: Dark - Morality dies here (anything goes) - Rot-Touched accepted (openly) - Serpent worship (tolerated) - Freedom (absolute, terrifying)

Issues: - Vask’s invasion plans (existential threat) - Rot spreading (island slowly corrupting) - Violence (constant, routine) - Desperation (everyone here is desperate)

Atmosphere: Vibrant darkness - Alive (despite everything) - Free (despite danger) - Honest (no pretense) - Doomed (probably)

The Outlands

Status: Independent, strained

Population: ~50,000 (scattered across dozens of settlements) - Declining (Rot, emigration) - Aging (youth leaving) - Resilient (survivors)

Government: Clan Councils - Independent (each settlement autonomous) - The Moot (occasional gathering) - No central authority (by choice) - Democratic (within clans)

Economy: Subsistence - Farming, fishing, hunting - Limited trade (with major settlements) - Barter common (Guild Coin reluctantly accepted) - Poor but independent

Issues: - Rot pressure (frontier settlements falling) - Youth exodus (leaving for opportunities) - Resource scarcity (declining production) - Isolation (cultural and geographic) - Refugee source (people fleeing to Eos, Ironhold)

Atmosphere: Determined - Won’t surrender (to Guild, Vask, Rot) - Won’t compromise (independence sacred) - Won’t give up (despite everything) - Admirable (or stubborn)

Possible Futures

Catastrophe Scenarios

Scenario 1: Rot Overwhelms - Defenses fail completely - Bright Reaches corrupted - Major settlements fall - Humanity retreats to Periphery (or dies) - Timeline: 20-30 years

Scenario 2: Vask’s War - Murk invasion launches - Disaster (Rot-Touched fight back) - Ironhold military destroyed - Murky Chasm falls (Rot spreads) - Civil war (factions choose sides)

Scenario 3: Economic Collapse - Song’s embezzlement discovered - Guild credibility destroyed - Currency collapses (chaos) - Trade networks fail - Settlements isolated (back to Year 0)

Scenario 4: Divine Abandonment - Constellations never answer again - Faith collapses (mass despair) - Clergy dissolves (no purpose) - Serpent worship rises (forbidden becomes mainstream) - Theological chaos

Scenario 5: Factional War - Eos vs. Ironhold (political) - Guild vs. Independents (economic) - Clergy vs. Serpent-worshippers (religious) - Everyone vs. Rot-Touched (existential) - Humanity destroys itself (while Rot watches)

Hope Scenarios

Scenario 1: Ancient Knowledge - Song’s expeditions find Luminar Archives - Technology recovered (carefully) - Rot cure discovered (maybe) - Civilization restored (possibly) - Risk: Repeat Apogee’s mistakes

Scenario 2: Rot Cure - Alchemist breakthrough (Kael or others) - Cure developed (affordable, effective) - Islands saved (corruption reversed) - Humanity survives (Rot defeated) - Question: At what cost?

Scenario 3: Divine Return - Constellations speak clearly again - Miracles resume (prayers answered) - Faith restored (hope renewed) - Clergy empowered (authority legitimate) - Problem: Why were they silent? What changed?

Scenario 4: Unity - Factions cooperate (common threats) - Vask abandons war plans (reason prevails) - Song shares findings (transparency) - Mira’s corruption managed (treatment, acceptance) - Humanity united (against Rot, against despair)

Scenario 5: Adaptation - Accept Rot as evolution (Morrigan’s view) - Transform safely (Kael’s method) - Transcend humanity (become something new) - Controversial (but might be only option) - Question: Are we still human after?

Key Events (270-287 S. Chronological)

Year 270: Population peak (~265,000)

Year 272: Bishop Vael’s Brightening (constellation responded? Or coincidence?)

Year 274: Clearwater consumed by Rot (800 dead)

Year 275: Vask becomes Commandant, Vask-Song alliance forms

Year 279: Elara Song elected Guild-Master, begins secret expeditions

Year 280: Storm-Captain Kiera arrives Eos, Drifting Sanctuary reaches 20 years operation

Year 282: Thornspire falls to Rot (1,200 dead), largest loss in decades

Year 285: Population census (~185,000), Archivist report projects extinction by Year 400

Year 286: Vask begins planning Murk invasion, Song’s fifth expedition fails

Year 287: PRESENT DAY - Multiple crises converging - Decisions must be made - Time running out - Future uncertain

Tensions and Conflicts

Authority vs. Freedom

Vask’s Position: “Only centralized authority can save us. Freedom is luxury we can’t afford. Survival requires sacrifice.”

Outland Position: “Authority is tyranny. We survived this long through independence. We won’t surrender it now.”

Stakes: Governance model for future (if there is one)

Faith vs. Doubt

Clergy Position: “Have faith despite silence. Gods are testing us. Prayer still matters.”

Skeptic Position: “Gods are dead or gone. Faith is delusion. Face reality.”

Stakes: Meaning and hope (without faith, what sustains us?)

Preservation vs. Progress

Traditionalist Position: “Apogee’s hubris destroyed us. Don’t repeat their mistakes. Preserve what works.”

Returner Position: “Apogee’s knowledge could save us. Recover it. Complete their work. Restore the world.”

Stakes: Humanity’s direction (backward or forward?)

Unity vs. Independence

Centralist Position: “We must unite. Fragmentation weakens us. Central authority is necessary.”

Independent Position: “Unity is tyranny. Diversity is strength. Local autonomy is sacred.”

Stakes: Political structure (unified or fragmented?)

Memory vs. Present

Nostalgic Position: “Pre-Shattering world was better. We should try to recover it.”

Pragmatic Position: “That world is gone. We must adapt to this one. Nostalgia is trap.”

Stakes: Cultural identity (who are we?)

In-World Documents

Elder Mira’s Private Journal (Year 287 S.)

Entry 1, Day 134

I’m Rot-corrupted. Stage 1. Early. Manageable. For now.

I discovered it three weeks ago. Black veins on my left arm. Unmistakable.

I should report it. Step down. Seek treatment. That’s protocol.

But if I do, political crisis. Council divided. Vask would exploit it. Guild would exploit it. Refugees would panic.

So I hide it. Long sleeves. Careful movements. Lie to everyone.

How long do I have? Months? Year? Unknown.

How long can I hide it? Until someone notices. Until it spreads. Until I transform.

I’m 67 years old. I’ve led Eos for 30 years. I’ve mediated countless conflicts. I’ve saved this settlement from collapse a dozen times.

And now I’m corrupted. The thing I’ve fought for decades is inside me.

Ironic. Tragic. Inevitable.

I’ll keep serving. Until I can’t. Until I’m discovered. Until I transform.

Eos needs me. That’s what I tell myself. Truth: I’m afraid to face what I’ve become.

Vask’s War Plans (Year 286 S., Classified)

OPERATION: PURGE

Objective: Eliminate Rot-Touched threat in Murky Chasm

Justification: Preemptive strike before Rot spreads to Bright Reaches

Forces: 500 soldiers, 10 warships, full equipment

Timeline: Launch Year 288 S. (pending final approval)

Expected Casualties: 30-40% (acceptable losses)

Expected Outcome: Murky Chasm destroyed, Rot-Touched eliminated, Rot spread slowed

Risks: - Rot-Touched fight back (they will) - Casualties higher than expected (likely) - Rot spreads during battle (possible) - Political backlash (Eos, Outlands will object) - Civil war (if opposition unites)

Assessment: High risk, high reward. But doing nothing guarantees slow death. Better to act.

Personal Note: They’ll call me tyrant. They’ll call me murderer. They’ll call me monster.

They might be right. But someone has to make hard choices. Someone has to do what’s necessary.

If I’m wrong, history will condemn me. If I’m right, history will forget me.

Either way, I act.

—Commandant Theron Vask

Song’s Expedition Log (Year 287 S., Secret)

Expedition #17: Periphery Exploration

Objective: Locate Luminar Archives

Duration: 47 days

Result: Failure (again)

Findings: Three new islands discovered (uninhabited, no archives). Aether-Storm encountered (two crew injured). Supplies depleted. Returned empty-handed.

Cost: 50,000 Guild Coins (embezzled)

Total Expenditure (5 years): 2.3 million coins

Total Findings: Nothing (no archives, no breakthrough, no justification)

Assessment: I’m obsessed. I know it. I can’t stop. I’m so close. I feel it.

The archives exist. Salis Voidgazer hid them. His testament says so. I just need to find them.

One more expedition. One more try.

If Vask discovers the embezzlement, I’m finished. If the Guild discovers, I’m exiled. If the public discovers, I’m lynched.

But if I find the archives, I save humanity. All of it. Everything.

Worth the risk? I think yes. I hope yes. I’m not sure anymore.

One more expedition.

—Guild-Master Elara Song

Archivist Population Report (Year 285 S., Classified)

CONFIDENTIAL - ELDER COUNCIL EYES ONLY

Subject: Population Trends and Extinction Timeline

Current Population: 185,000 (down from 265,000 in Year 270)

Decline Rate: 5,700/year (accelerating from 4,500/year in 280 S.)

Causes: - Rot: 40% (5 islands/year = ~5,000 deaths) - Falls: 15% (accidents, suicides = ~850 deaths) - Violence: 10% (murders, wars = ~570 deaths) - Disease: 15% (no antibiotics = ~850 deaths) - Birth deficit: 20% (deaths > births = ~1,140 net loss)

Projections: - Year 300: ~150,000 - Year 350: ~80,000 - Year 400: Extinction

Assumptions: Current trends continue (Rot acceleration, birth rate decline, death rate stable)

Recommendations: 1. Increase birth rates (incentives, cultural shift, resource allocation) 2. Reduce Rot deaths (cure research, evacuation, quarantine) 3. Reduce other deaths (safety, medicine, conflict resolution) 4. Expand habitable territory (explore, discover, settle) 5. Unite factions (cooperation, not conflict)

Implementation: Unknown. Political will uncertain. Resources limited. Time running out.

Recommendation to Council: DO NOT RELEASE PUBLICLY. Panic would accelerate decline. But leaders must know: We’re dying. Slowly. Inevitably. Unless something changes.

—Chief Archivist Theron Bookbinder, Year 285 S.

Graffiti (Skyport Eos, Market Square, Year 287 S.)

“The gods are silent. The Rot spreads. The islands fall. The people die. And the leaders argue. We’re doomed.”

—Anonymous

“We’ve survived 287 years. We’ll survive 287 more. Have faith. Have hope. Have courage.”

—Anonymous (different hand)

“Both of you are wrong. We’re not doomed. We’re not saved. We’re choosing. Every day. Choose well.”

—Anonymous (third hand)

Quest Hooks

1. The Convergence: All crises happening simultaneously. Help navigate them. Every choice affects multiple situations. No good options, only least-bad.

2. Mira’s Secret: Discover Elder Mira is corrupted. Expose her (political crisis) or protect her (moral compromise)? Time limited (corruption advancing).

3. Vask’s War: Stop Murk invasion (prevent disaster) or support it (eliminate Rot-Touched threat)? Both options have consequences.

4. Song’s Expeditions: Discover embezzlement. Report it (economic chaos) or help her (find archives)? Knowledge vs. stability.

5. The Refugee Crisis: Help settle 40,000 refugees. Where do they go? Who accepts them? How to prevent violence?

6. The Divine Silence: Investigate why constellations don’t answer. Astronomical research? Theological inquiry? Dangerous truth?

7. The Population Decline: Implement solutions to prevent extinction. Increase births? Reduce deaths? Expand territory? All difficult.

8. The Factional War: Prevent civil war between Eos, Ironhold, Outlands, Rot-Touched. Mediate. Negotiate. Threaten. Whatever works.

9. The Rot Cure: Help Alchemist Kael (or others) find cure. Dangerous research. Ethical questions. Possible breakthrough.

10. The Choice: Year 287 S. is turning point. Humanity’s future decided by choices made now. What do you choose? Who do you help? What future do you build?

Related Topics

• Middle Period - The period before (100-250 S.)
• Timeline - Complete chronology
• Elder Mira Thornwell - Current leader, secretly corrupted
• Commandant Theron Vask - Military dictator, planning war
• Guild-Master Elara Song - Economic power, embezzling
• Skyport Eos - Central hub
• Ironhold - Military stronghold
• Murky Chasm - Rot-Touched haven
• The Rot - Accelerating threat

“287 S. We survived Shattering, endured Rot, rebuilt civilization. Now we face everything at once. Multiple crises converging. Multiple factions maneuvering. Maybe we’ll endure again. Maybe this time we break.”
—Common sentiment

“Current Age is test. Not of strength (we’ve proven that). Not of intelligence (we’ve proven that). Of wisdom. Can we make right choices when all choices are hard? We’re about to find out.”
—Philosopher’s observation

“Year 287 is turning point. Decisions made now determine whether humanity survives next century. No pressure.”
—Archivist’s dark humor