[Balanor]

Seldom before had the Judge seen such a divided school as the evokers when they met to decide on their new zulkir. The vote had come down to the frontrunners. The cunning Malythist, powerful Maurin Greyhand, and eloquent Ihshan. The votes had primarily occurred outside of the conclave itself, with most already making their decisions long before the frontrunners had a chance to speak on their behalf.

All that remained were a handful of Red Wizards, among them, Vokala Smith and their Red Wizard apprentices such as Alahna.

Speaking as the third-largest vote getter, Ihsahn withdrew from consideration and threw his support behind Maurin and urged a united school to counter the threat of civil war. Maurin spoke on his behalf and, in the style of a true politician, agree with the sentiment - but was critized by Malythist and his supporters for speaking vaguely and presenting no concrete ideas.

After the new votes were tallied, those at the conclave went last with Vokala and several others voting on Maurin’s behalf. Eventually the vote came to Malythist and two of his supporters, with Malythist behind by 2 votes. As Malythist cast his vote in favor of himself, powerful shadows appeaered from the walls behind his supporters and rushed to attack them. Both fell before the other Red Wizards could act, but Maurin, surprisingly, used some of his magic to raise one of the fallen supporters who, grateful for his life, broke his deal with Malythist and voted for Maurin.

The result left Malythist lacking the necessary votes and he left enraged at the brazen attack on the conclave and death of his supporters promising Maurin that if it was civil war he wanted to resolve, then it would be civil war he gets. The result of the conclave spread quickly throughout Thay: that Maurin Greyhand has become the new Zulkir of Evocation, succeeding the late and powerful Aznar Thrul.


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Thessaloni Canos opened her eyes, staring at a pale blue sky. The sound of waves crashing on the shoreline brought the memory back. Her ship. The freak storm out of nowhere that blew it far off course. The cracking of the hull as it hit the reef and here and her sailors being thrown overboard. The dark outline of the island not far off from the doomed ship.

She turned her head to the side and found the shore littered with debris from her ship and the bodies of her sailors. She closed her eyes and thought The Uncharted Land has finally claimed me as I have long feared. Perhaps aid would come, but most likely those who came would never return either.

Her last thought, as consciousness left her again, was that she must leave a message for those who came. The evil was rising, and she knew what and where it was coming. She must warn her homeland before it was too late...