tyriatimes

[tyriatimes]

The End of the Dragon Cycle: The Start of Something New?

Issue 01 | Editorial | 18 Colossus 1337 AE

All at once, Tyrians far and wide seemed to heave a collective sigh of relief with the close of the Elder Dragon Cycle. Many believed this was the start of an era of peace; a sign of better, calmer days to come. Nations near and far healed old, unresolved wounds, reopening borders once thought to be permanently closed.

Then the attacks started.

On what was an otherwise unremarkable day, horrid, fleshy beings wreaked havoc indiscriminately on communities large and small across all of Tyria. Some described them as beings turned inside out, their innards on full display as though their skin had been peeled.

Distrust and animosity brewed, with some blaming the disappearance of the Wizard's Tower from its vigilant post over the shores of Garenhoff months prior.

A vacant night sky above the shores of Garenhoff.

Garenhoff, a small port town once protected by the wizard Isgarren and his guardian elementals, stands abandoned in the wake of the tower's disappearance. Streets once teeming with curious tourists lie silent in the aftermath, save the mournful sobs and pleas of its remaining residents.

The town's leader, Mayor Manrin, refused an interview, but could be overheard fretting to Town Guard Plesci about the lack of protection and his reputation. Along with the tower, most of the elementals who patrolled the town vanished, leaving residents vulnerable and afraid.

"The mayor claimed that he made regular visits to the castle; but after the tower disappeared, we learned the truth," Lasha, born and raised in Garenhoff, said. "Now, we feel lost."

Little is known about Isgarren beyond his name. "[He] is a grand wizard, but beyond that, most know very little," Lasha confirmed. Other residents were too distraught to comment, eyes fixed on the sky as though thought alone could will the tower back into existence.

"Everything we thought we knew turned out to be wrong. The castle was the anchor around which this town revolved; but it turns out, we were not important to Isgarren," Lasha said. "He abandoned us."

Lasha, lifelong Garenhoff resident, overlooking Wizard's Fief.

Elementals did more than just keep the townspeople safe; they were diligent laborers, hauling heavy shipments from the docks up steep pathways to the surrounding shops and homes. Trade has come to a complete standstill in their absence, forcing residents to negotiate private deals with surrounding farms to ward off starvation.

A once popular local inn bears a "Closed Permanently" sign on its barred door. Many Tyrians have fond memories of being served by elementals there, the inn's primary attraction and a large source of its income. The former innkeeper could not be found for comment.

Though most residents seem to share an unshakeable loyalty and devotion to the wizard Isgarren and his tower, a select few have had their doubts due to mysterious disappearances of townsfolk over the years.

"My friend's sister left to harvest strawberries and never came home," one small boy near the docks said before being ushered home.

Most of Garenhoff's residents assume their friends and loved ones simply received an invitation to the Wizard's Tower and saw no reason to return. Many seemed to hope this would one day be their fate as well, but such dreams are now mourned along with the wizard and his tower.

A town forever changed by an all-powerful presence left in shambles stands on the cusp of a new era with a chance to redefine itself as more than host to something beyond its comprehension. But its residents and leaders seem frozen in terror and grief, adamantly holding onto hope that the Wizard's Tower will return.

"It's been up in the sky as long as I've been alive," a young boy commented. "I hope it comes back one day."

The Garenhoff docks in a standstill.

Though the attacks by otherworldly creatures have since subsided, Tyrians can't help but wonder if this is an ill omen of worse things to come.

While much remains unclear, one thing is certain: The Commander is inexplicably absent. A sometimes controversial figure, their presence is almost expected at the center of any noteworthy event.

Those closest to the Commander declined to comment on their whereabouts.

Whether these flesh beings or the Wizard's Tower will return remains to be seen. For now, Tyrians attempt to pick up the pieces of their lives once more, grieving the hopes and loved ones lost.

By Kailithe