What follows are overviews of what's gone on between Paragon and Epic in worlds of interest:
Loranna (Othyr, Tir'buk)
The War of Three Mountains proliferates, nearing a year since the first skirmish, a continental strife subsuming all but the Azerbadian south. The formidable forces of the Northern Alliance: vampires, Athanians, and the people of the Holy Mountain struggle against the colossal Nors war-machine, which utilizes Imperial Dragoons, psionic inquisitors, firearms, explosives, overwhelming numbers (supplemented by the imperial territories of Tolerna, Otezum, and Soveros), vast sums of coin, dwarven crafts, and alien technology to claim victories. While the initial warring saw both sides equals, the Nors are slowly taking a position of dominance, due largely to the direction of Emperor Endymion Norson's (informed by his Anubian Crystal Ball).
Yet the empire is not without its problems.
A resistance led by The Scarlet Blade and a long-lost elven queen Glorianna Gloriandel skirmish from within the Norsland itself, the former eliminating the emperor's psychic mannequins (viewed as mundane assassinations by the wider world) and the latter liberating and conscripting slaves (elven and otherwise) oppressed in the central empire. Their freedom fighting has proven difficult to stamp out despite the Nors' military superiority, and for every cell destroyed others take its place. Yet the Nors are resolute in eliminating this domestic threat, pouring mounting resources into capturing the ring-leaders. Recent weeks have seen hundreds of rebels captured and, without a gulag and its Holy Redeemer device, executed.
Edmark, the largest imperial port, found the nerve on the new year (Alo 1st of 20 AS) to secede from the empire and become a free and independent city-state. They haven't officially chosen to enter the War of Three Mountains, but representatives and merchants from the Northern Alliance have been welcomed warmly. Lord Corbin Wright, who some recognize as the fair-minded father of Percy and Bremen, has been elected ruler of the city. The former Imperial Admiral, the surprisingly democratic veteran Harold Crest, currently operates the largest fleet in Othyr. The blow is most heavily felt in the Nors' naval capacity, now greatly diminished, and the lost trade routes with the plentiful south. Edmark has always been rife with free-thinkers and hushed rumors suggest Azerbadian manipulations finally coaxed them over the edge. What imperial armies have been dispatched to retake the city have failed, and no assassin has been quite able to penetrate the close circle of Edmarkian delegates, calling into question how long it'll be before Lord Yathnoc pays a visit as he did in Provia...
The past months have also seen the rise of three queens.
Saspien is now ruled by Queen Isabella Rose Il'spana, First of Her Name, and over seven months nearly every influence of the treacherous Tirbukkans has been scoured away, leaving the vampires more unified than ever beneath a capable monarch with the favor of Hecate behind her. The more predominant introduction of Kalinda into the city, as well as the criminal conscriptions via the burgeoning Cultu Solis, has also led to a sharp drop in unrest. However, so long as Kalfar al'Zareef remains sire of the House of Summoner, there will never be total contentment. And still the House Calalas remains dark and nigh impenetrable.
The next queen, Heliza Domidar, stands as both monarch and Hecatean high priestess of the theocratic city-state of Clandash. Jewel of the deurgar (gray dwarves) race, it embodies all their greed, paranoia, ingenuity, and deviance. While claiming neutrality, the grays possess strong ties with several vampiric leaders, which has already benefited both sides. Over the last months, the Clandashi have spread beneath the extreme eastern region of the Soveros, and what wildfolk still roamed those isolated stretches have largely been enslaved. Whole tribes of Jiwari (free Soverosi) are now forced to raise Clandashi domes and turrets beside the duergar's servitor quaggoths.
Finally, Drelzna Zarvoc reclaims her birthright from the ruins of the ancient witch-kingdom of Izolda. She sits queen in her Mountain of Power, fortified in the subterranean city of Tsojcanth, and stakes claims to both the Rakados Crags and Arcouth Wood. It is a region teeming with monsters and miscreants, numbering trolls, ogres, orcs, goblinoids, hill giants tribes, as well as minor vampire nobility. Properly massed, Drelzna possesses a terrifying army, however she is in no position to formally assemble while constantly contending with a vicious drow resurgence on her borders. The aggressive dark elves of Kauth, spurred by the ruthless Spider Queen, combine what followers of Tenebrous yet survive on Othyr with demonic hordes. Only the spells of the perished Wich-Queen Iggwilv protect the kingdom from annihilation.
Across the Atilan Sea, Tenebrous lairs deep within the jungle continent of Tir'buk, biding his time after a defeat during Nightfall. Renato learned the shadow dragon has been performing genocidal blood sacrifices to power the Anubian Pyramid of Time. His plan, divulged to Isabella by a tortured soul, involves artificially aging wyrmlings into obedient ancients to create the ultimate Othyrian army (if not the greatest army in the Nine Worlds). Yet it may be that the population of the entire continent will be expended before he's through, begging the question what he'll do then, or what civilization might topple. Could it be the Tirbukkan Vampires...
Wyld
The Green God's hold on the Wyld is unshakable, his power rooted in the green lands of Druatha, and extending into the Courts of Autumn and Winter. Similarly, Chernobog possesses the most Elder Trees, which enables him to alter and manipulate the entire planet as one, single demesne. With Reedthagn out of the picture, armed in eight of the nine Raiment Lordanae, he's very nearly what he claims: a god.
However Tyvis, and indeed all Primal servants, sense his abuses taxing the spirits and threatening the balance of Nature. Should the delicate scales of Nature be tipped, it could destroy the Nine Worlds faster than the Yith in the way of worlds-wide cataclysms. Far be it to reason with the Darkdruid, once adored Sev Torban, lost in his monster born of (what he believed at the time) necessity. Yet was it not Yggdrasil himself who called to embrace the enemy, not shun him, lest the last Archdruid lose something of his own self?
Chernobog is not entirely unchecked, opposition now centered in Annwn. Eglantine prospers under the rule of King Arinew and Queen Dewdrop, and the Green God's full force has not yet fallen upon the city. Yet in his apparent mercy, Chernobog has allowed the new Tyvisiri Norn, Nalua, to commune with the last remnants of the Spring Court, or Blue Fey. Joined with Summer's own Green Fey, their might may be too much to ignore any longer.
Though conflict in his own lands prevents him from sending aid to the beleaguered Northern Alliance, King Arinew does sue for peace in the Wyld, willing to parlay with Autumn, Winter, even Chernobog if it means ending planar war and addressing the larger, more alien problems facing the worlds. This may just make him a primary target of the Yith, intent on maintaining strife across all planes...
Cadavera
Barovia remains the people's, protected by the established order of Raven Knights and guided by the wisdom of the Council of Burgomeisters. Yet Castle Ravenloft is again Strahd's. Resurrected, it's become apparent Angelique is no more, lost in whatever strange phenomenon reconstituted the ancient vampire. The count makes preparations for the inevitable clash with his hated foe, Azalin Rex, whose empire of Darakaan has nearly conquered the whole of Cadavera, and in so doing made an entire planet the lich's plaything.
While Strahd is relegated to the confines of his keep, and thus unable to march on his foe, the opposite could be said of the Rex, whose revealed communion with the Yith has given him the ability to cross domains and heap darklordships upon himself. He's on a collision course with Barovia village, presumably Castle Ravenloft, though it's only speculated why. Diana believes it's because the castle is in fact one of the Anubian vessels in disguise, which Rex may need to fulfill the finer details of his great mission.
Azalin's mad ambition is a relatively simple one, spare the greater populace annihilation by delivering unto them the gift of undeath, By his tone during his meeting with Diana, it seems the majority of Darakaan has already accepted the offer of unlife. In so doing, they have met a requirement that's part of the deal brokered with the Yith.
The Assassin's Vale continues to grow with each kill Renato makes, gorged on the murderous skill of its darklord. However, the Grave (ruling force of Cadavera) has not relinquished its hold on the young vampire, and it appears Renato's merely on some leave of absence while he endeavors to save Creation- the promise of an eternity in the domain looming larger, and larger still the notion of spending death not in Hell, certainly not in Heaven, but buried alive, in the dark, to go mad forever as the darklords before him have.
Hell
The Harrowing continues, galvanizing Hell into two factions: those loyal to Hecate and those loyal to Asmodeus, splitting largely down gender lines. The Queens of Hell (save Malcanthet) pour their resources in support of the Goddess, and in turn the prophet Isabella Il'spana, while the Archdukes uphold the sovereignty of the Lord of the Nine. The fighting is barbaric by any other world's standards, what the infernal forces know is just the preliminary moves in a prolonged chess match. Winner take all.
In this turmoil, the cosmic function of Hell is being disrupted, namely the storing and punishing souls. The agony evoked is, in part, required to maintain the health of Creation. These last two years, the damned are being thrust into unruly hordes which rampage across the scorched openness of Perdition. Some manage to escape into outlying planes and moons (places like Ribcage), but many more souls simply vanish, victims of the underlying plots of the King of Hell or, perhaps, the Yith. Regardless, the turmoil has agitated forces far outside the infernal...
Strangely, the Magog of Hell remains unseen, calling into question Archmage Serren's potential involvement in the Harrowing, and the possibility he is in fact Asmodeus. To think, Hecate's own father her usurper. Only in Hell...
Heaven
The Choir oversees Heaven as it has these past 45,000 years, independent of any kind of deity. The Empyrean, its ruling body of archangels, has long maintained the ancient responsibility of Afterlife, transporting, processing, and ultimately placing souls in one of the two finalities (Heaven or Hell). These archangels are among the most powerful beings in the Nine Worlds, on-par with the oldest demonlords and archdevils, yet much less is known of their number and quality. It is by design they keep to the Light, blinding all those who would know them. However, two have been called into the mortal realms for matters most dire, She Who Bars the Way and Ezariel the Watcher.
She Who Bars the Way is charged with preserving the barrier between Heaven and the other worlds, and concerned with keeping the souls of Heaven contained. She clearly doesn't like Tyvis very much.
Ezariel the Watcher held an even more important charge, protecting the Nine Worlds from Far threats. In this he failed many times, including the troubles with the Hearts, Vessels, and Helms. It's actually unclear if he is still a member of the Empyrean at all, or some sort of fall outcast. Regardless, he made his intentions known to one iteration of he party, to safeguard the Hearts and keep them from falling into the wrong hands while preserving the sanctity of their consciousnesses. In this, too, he seems to have utterly failed. It noteworthy Ezariel and Zerthimon, in the likeness of the Dark One, fought brutally both times they met- the reason why still not entirely clear.
Astral Sea
The self-proclaimed Queen of the Universe, Vlaakith CLVIII, has secured a vast swath of Githspace in which to observe the course of history as it unfolds. Zerthimon warned she was from a million years in the future, a time when the Void was all that remained and Gith were the sole survivors, living in stealthy citadels beneath the notice of aberrants. If he is to be trusted, Vlaakith traveled back to ensure Armageddon arrives without err and the events which eventually lead to her dominance come to pass. This would make her a powerful and prominent enemy, as would her githyanki.
Ethereal Plane
Narra has uncovered a miraculous plane of existence accessed not by planeshifting out into the universe, but by looking within, and finding a portal into the infinity of the collective consciousness, of knowledge dating back to the beginning, dreams and nightmares, memories, and bottomless emotions fed by every sentient being. Strange 'idea' creatures inhabit the space, the greatest and most mysterious being the Archetypes.
The Void
All throughout the worlds, people begin to take notice of the darkening evenings and the dying of the stars. Each night it seems there are less and less in the sky, supporting Zerthimon's claim that the Kalindian System is truly the last flicker of Life in the otherwise dead cosmos. Nine stars, bloody red in hue, actually seem to grow in size and intensity, however.*Please note the battle with the Worldhaunt left Tyvis and Narra aged a year (but, strangely, not Shard). Also, some characters may have passed a birthday during the break and actually aged a year on the record books besides.
