Winter of 1561 Post-Convergence

In the Guild of Dwarka, one of the major cities of the Sundan Empire –

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A Guild was the haven of any adventurer and a staple in any major city across every single realm.

Among the many often vastly different peoples and cultures of the Common Realms, if there had to be one thing that connected them all, it was the presence of guilds.

Large, domed buildings that functioned as training grounds, living quarters, hospices, and, most importantly, information hubs for picking up contracts and reporting them all at once. Ordained and guarded by Common Law set down by the gods themselves.

For the Adventurer's League and its sister organization the Sorcerer's Order were divinely founded and responsible for fending against the calamitous threats of monsters and undead respectively.

Constant defense against the World Dungeons and their unending spawning of monsters.

Constant surveillance against Null Zones and their tendency to spread the Undead Curse.

Without the League and the Order to face these threats, civilization would have ended long ago. The League and Order therefore transcended the differences between borders.

And in the highest point of a certain guild's dome, there stood a meeting room. Carved from stone of a grey and muted shade lined in a bare, austere circular construction. A round table of equally simple stone build circled this room with seven stone seats surrounding it.

This was the meeting room of the High Council comprised of the greatest authorities within the Adventurer's League.

Upon the head of each seat, there was carved a single large sigil, each different from the other.

On one seat, there was a sigil of a sword to represent the seat of the Leaguemaster of the Adventurer's League.

On the seat opposite to that one, a sigil marked by a staff denoted a spot reserved for a Zenith of the Sorcerer's Order.

The rest of the sigils on the seats followed similar dynamics, though they symbolized seats for the representatives of the Common Realms instead.

A sigil of a simple circle for Terra, realm of the humans and their many tribes.

A sigil of three straight lines for Mercia, realm of the Dwarves.

A sigil of a tree for Foraoise, realm of the Fae and Elves.

A sigil of three triangles connected together for Xin, realm of the feathered Karasi, scaled Yin, and furred Hwaran.

A sigil of a wave crest for Alo, realm of the mysterious Aumakan that are said to swim in a world filled only with water. Once, this sigil would have been marked with a crescent moon for Zerul, realm of the daemons and vampyrs.

And finally, separate from the table and carved into a throne of rock that towered over everything else, was a sigil of seven interlocked rings to represent Aetheria, realm of the gods.

The throne room was dark, illuminated only by the glowing visages of figures that sat around the round table, each filling their respective seat at the table though notably, there was no figure seated upon the throne meant for Aetheria.

At the entrance of this room kneeled a young man. He notably had only but one arm, and that was crossed over his heart in a traditional salute of honor.

"We have heard enough," said Ferdiad. He sat upon the Leaguemaster's seat.

His voice projected outwards in a powerful, stern tone that had the capacity to equally inspire or rouse fear. "Go to the hospice and take some rest. We will discuss this matter among ourselves."

"Understood, Leaguemaster," said the young man as he nodded, stood up, bowed, then left.

A sliding door of stone closed behind him, clicking in shut and sending a crackle of magical energy streaking out throughout the room, preventing any hostile, prying magic from entering.

Feriad put a carapaced hand to his sharp chin, the mandibles at the sides of his gaunt face clicking together. He did this from the comfort of his own underground burrow in Foraoise, but his magical projection in the meeting room mimicked his movements.

"You have all heard his testimony," said Ferdiad. "I apologize for calling for you at this odd hour, but my people are active at night, and thus it is in the dark that I favor my work."

"I do not mind," said Xie Bao, representative of Xin. He was from the kingdom of Yin, and it showed in his appearance.

Tall and lean. Dressed in blue, wave patterned robes that showed he had dressed up for this meeting, even though he was remotely projecting himself just like everyone else. A sheathed blade with a golden tassel lay wrapped to his hip.

His face had sharp, angular features. A few blue scales dotted the curve of his forehead. His long, pointed white ears twitched when he spoke, and as his thin lips parted to speak, his sharp, bestial teeth showed themselves.

"It is only proper that we conduct ourselves to the safety of the Common Body, and the good of the realms is a duty that we must be prepared for at all hours. Though I see that some of us are not of the same opinion, as always."

Xie Bao leered, and the slit pupils of his cyan eyes narrowed first at Leanan, representative of Foraoise, and then at Sieg, representative of Mercia.

He did not even bother to cast a look at the empty seat of Alo.

The Aumakan people throughout history had always lived in their own realm, and theirs alone had not converged with the others with the dawning of the gods.

They did possess their own way to traverse the realms, but none knew the mechanics of it, and they were inherently reclusive people.

Thus, the Aumakan had been thought mere myth until twenty years ago when the daemons and vampyrs invaded the Common Realms.

It was then that the Aumakan had shown themselves to lend their aid, but when the battles were fought and finished, they vanished as suddenly as they had appeared.

An honorary seat had been provided for a potential representative of theirs to replace the now disgraced realm of Zerul, but Alo had not offered a representative to take up the seat so far.

As for those present -

Leanan, in contrast to Xie Bao, was barely dressed at all with the barest of silken undergarments providing the most basic level of decency possible. She rubbed her twinkling golden eyes and yawned, messy curls of blonde hair framing her face and shoulders.

Sieg was, well, he was not really here at all. His projection crackled and fizzled in and out of existence.

Connection issues, probably.

Xie Bao pointed at Sieg. "The dwarves are masters of mana-tech, and yet, he is always the one with connection issues. I am beginning to think perhaps it is a convenient excuse to slip away from his duties."

Ferdiad raised his hand, beckoning for silence, and Xie Bao nodded. "It is fine.

Truthfully speaking, I do not believe this matter worthy of a High Council meeting, and normally, it would never have ended up at my notice, but with how unstable the world has been, I have told all the guildmasters to inform me of any potential abnormalities, no matter how small they might seem."

"You are way, way too cautious, Ferd," said Leanan. She leaned forwards, resting her chin on both hands.

Her faerie wings sprouted from behind her, fluttering lazily and showing off the floral patterns dotting their orange, butterfly-like lengths. "Sometimes, you should ease up – stress is bad for you. It's no wonder us fae live longer than you elves do."

Feriad ignored Leanan and continued. "Now, do all of you consider the young adventurer's testimony believable? Considering, of course, that you have read the Order's reports on the general situation."

Leanan crossed her arms and made a pouty face. "Ignoring me, huh? Well, I guess I'll contribute. Do I think his story's believable? No way!"

"Duly noted," said Ferdiad. "Now, on to more expert opinions-,"

Leanan raised her hand up and waved it vigorously. "You didn't let me finish! I did read the reports, you know."

Ferdiad nodded to her, and she continued. "I think his whole story is impossible. A random monster that just gets stronger and stronger by eating things?

No limits? Intelligent but no Primal Density? In a place like the Darkwoods where there's just dirty and creepy weak bugs – no offense to you, Ferd – but you see what I mean, right?

Come on, who ever has heard of anything like that? We should all know, right? Considering we're all seven stars at the very least. Right? Right?"