The Cataclysm was the collision and merging of the previous Xalmyrran cycle with the current one. It devastated Xalmyrra and restored memories of the previous cycle to some survivors.
Background
After Eira took Xol'Zahir's shard from the Temple of no Return, black smoke spread from the temple. It was the old world bleeding into the new one. The golden mage guiding Deylin wanted the Xalmyrrans to remember their earlier lives and ultimately break free of the cycles. He told him that Aurion's new orrery would speed the process.
The disaster struck after the finals of the tournament in Irrathis. Aurion had demonstrated his first large orrery outside Zeydrith the preceding night, and its beam persisted after the machine's destruction. The tournament had brought many strong mages together, allowing them to protect Irrathis when the catastrophe began.
Course of Events
Soltheris
Aurion used the orrery's gathered Essence to raise an immense starfield barrier. Black smoke then surged toward its beam. Removing the starting cores failed to stop the device, which continued using the Essence it had gathered. Brynor smashed the machine and its protected central core, but the released Essence rose into the smoke and the beam persisted.
A shockwave struck the gathered mages. Their shields failed in places, killing many of them and Seralyth. Across Soltheris, fissures released lava, volcanoes erupted and rivers overflowed. Black rain hardened into barbed spikes that pierced the ground and buildings. Survivors retreated toward Zeydrith's shields.
Irrathis
The River Selvryn flooded the lower districts while lava and falling spikes tore through the city. Xarion supplied Essence cores to Cassian, who shielded large areas, while Aldar raised ice barriers and Eira pulled survivors into protected buildings. Council mages and adventurers cleared debris, sheltered civilians and healed the injured. Lyssara was killed while her constructs were protecting children.
Xarion sent Draven to help Aemrith. A great meteor then struck the port outside Irrathis. Eira and other mages held barriers against its shockwave. The port was obliterated and the sea surged inland.
Other Settlements
Valcirae was mostly spared, although some of its outer villages were badly damaged. Blackened spikes, dried lava and charred ruins remained across the countryside.
Aftermath
The merging left some survivors with two simultaneous sets of memories, containing slightly different versions of their lives. Aldar and Maelis remembered another Eira.
Xarion blamed Aurion's machine and marched on Soltheris to remove him from power, leading to the confrontation between their armies. Rebuilt orreries subsequently operated without another cataclysm.
Reconstruction began immediately, with mages clearing streets, treating survivors and rebuilding settlements. Zeydrith was largely restored, while damaged land began to recover around the ruined settlements.
The Cataclysm was the collision and merging of the previous Xalmyrran cycle with the current one. It devastated Xalmyrra and restored memories of the previous cycle to some survivors.
Background
After Eira took Xol'Zahir's spiral shard from the Temple of no Return, black smoke spread from the temple. It was the old world bleeding into the new one. Xelthys, the golden mage guiding Deylin, wanted the Xalmyrrans to remember their earlier lives and ultimately break free of the cycles. He told him that Aurion's new orrery would speed the process.
The disaster struck after the finals of the tournament in Irrathis. Aurion had demonstrated his first large orrery outside Zeydrith the preceding night, and its beam persisted after the machine's destruction. The tournament had brought many strong mages together, allowing them to protect Irrathis when the catastrophe began.
Course of Events
Soltheris
Aurion used the orrery's gathered Essence to raise an immense starfield barrier. Black smoke then surged toward its beam. Removing the starting cores failed to stop the device, which continued using the Essence it had gathered. Brynor smashed the machine and its protected central core, but the released Essence rose into the smoke and the beam persisted.
A shockwave struck the gathered mages. Their shields failed in places, killing many of them and Seralyth. Across Soltheris, fissures released lava, volcanoes erupted and rivers overflowed. Black rain hardened into barbed spikes that pierced the ground and buildings. Survivors retreated toward Zeydrith's shields.
Irrathis
The River Selvryn flooded the lower districts while lava and falling spikes tore through the city. Xarion supplied Essence cores to Cassian, who shielded large areas, while Aldar raised ice barriers and Eira pulled survivors into protected buildings. Council mages and adventurers cleared debris, sheltered civilians and healed the injured. Lyssara was killed while her constructs were protecting children.
Xarion sent Jin Leiyun to help Aemrith. A great meteor then struck the port outside Irrathis. Eira and other mages held barriers against its shockwave. The port was obliterated and the sea surged inland.
Other Settlements
In Varentis, Silas spread a cosmic barrier over the city, Rhalyn shielded people with divine magic and Khoradyn raised earth and ice defenses. The city suffered deaths and damage but remained standing. Valcirae was mostly spared, although some of its outer villages were badly damaged.
Aftermath
The merging left some survivors with two simultaneous sets of memories, containing slightly different versions of their lives. Aldar and Maelis remembered another Eira, while Dorian and Rowenna recovered memories that later helped them reconsider Cassian's origins.
Xarion blamed Aurion's machine and marched on Soltheris to remove him from power, leading to the confrontation between their armies. Rebuilt orreries subsequently operated without another cataclysm. Deylin confirmed that the cycle collision caused the disaster, while allowing that Aurion's machine might have accelerated it.
Reconstruction began immediately, with mages clearing streets, treating survivors and rebuilding settlements. Zeydrith was largely restored, and Irrathis's harbor was rebuilt. The wider countryside retained lava scars, blackened spikes and ruined villages; Soltheris was still rebuilding afterward.
The Cataclysm was the collision and merging of the previous Xalmyrran cycle with the final one. It devastated Xalmyrra and restored memories of the previous cycle to some survivors.
Background
After Eira took Jorhan's spiral shard from the Temple of no Return, black smoke spread from the temple. It was the old world bleeding into the new one. Hrzai, guiding Deylin as the golden mage Xelthys, wanted the Xalmyrrans to remember their earlier lives and ultimately break free of the cycles. She told him that Aurion's new orrery would speed the process.
The disaster struck after the finals of the tournament in Irrathis. Aurion had demonstrated his first large orrery outside Zeydrith the preceding night, and its beam persisted after the machine's destruction. The tournament had brought many strong mages together, allowing them to protect Irrathis when the catastrophe began.
Course of Events
Soltheris
Aurion used the orrery's gathered Essence to raise an immense starfield barrier. Black smoke then surged toward its beam. Removing the starting cores failed to stop the device, which continued using the Essence it had gathered. Brynor smashed the machine and its protected central core, but the released Essence rose into the smoke and the beam persisted.
A shockwave struck the gathered mages. Their shields failed in places, killing many of them and Seralyth. Across Soltheris, fissures released lava, volcanoes erupted and rivers overflowed. Black rain hardened into barbed spikes that pierced the ground and buildings. Survivors retreated toward Zeydrith's shields.
Irrathis
The River Selvryn flooded the lower districts while lava and falling spikes tore through the city. Xarion supplied Essence cores to Cassian, who shielded large areas, while Aldar raised ice barriers and Eira pulled survivors into protected buildings. Council mages and adventurers cleared debris, sheltered civilians and healed the injured. Lyssara was killed while her constructs were protecting children.
Xarion sent Jin Leiyun to help Aemrith. A great meteor then struck the port outside Irrathis. Eira and other mages held barriers against its shockwave. Thalena also intervened unseen from outside the city, diverting enough of the impact to prevent Irrathis from being leveled. The port was obliterated and the sea surged inland.
Other Settlements
In Varentis, Silas spread a cosmic barrier over the city, Rhalyn shielded people with divine magic and Khoradyn raised earth and ice defenses. The city suffered deaths and damage but remained standing. Valcirae was mostly spared, although some of its outer villages were badly damaged.
Aftermath
The merging left some survivors with two simultaneous sets of memories, containing slightly different versions of their lives. Aldar and Maelis remembered another Eira, while Dorian and Rowenna recovered memories that later helped them reconsider Cassian's origins.
Xarion blamed Aurion's machine and marched on Soltheris to remove him from power, leading to the confrontation between their armies. Rebuilt orreries subsequently operated without another cataclysm. Deylin confirmed that the cycle collision caused the disaster, while allowing that Aurion's machine might have accelerated it.
Reconstruction began immediately, with mages clearing streets, treating survivors and rebuilding settlements. Zeydrith was largely restored, and Irrathis's harbor was rebuilt. The wider countryside retained lava scars, blackened spikes and ruined villages; Soltheris was still rebuilding afterward.