[Maya]

The below summarises a long and complicated storyline that has recently been resolved in the realm of Achaea. I have attempted to impart the general recent narrative and flavour of the storyline while remaining brief, although some may say I have failed where brevity is concerned! Please check out the footnote at the very bottom for an interesting peek behind the scenes.

An Ending; A Beginning
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In March, Achaea bid a fond farewell to Eris, the Goddess of Chaos, and welcome to the chaos god Babel, God of Oblivion!

Throughout the month of March, numerous strange incidents had the realm abuzz. Following a ritual within the Great Rock by the House of the Arcane Kindred, a tentacled monstrosity began devastating nearby villages until finally its lair was found hidden deep within the Rock. The fearsome beast was eventually slain, and a mysterious seal was discovered in its lair.

These events were accompanied by the sudden return of the long-banished Aldar named Han Silnar from the distant Crystal Plane; the use of a relic called the Eye of Golgotha by the House of Occultists to channel chaotic energy to the Living Spire for unknown ends; the unearthing of a mysterious jade token within the ongoing excavation of the Chapel of All Gods by the cult of the Babelites; the discovery of a crystal of Agatheis, the God of the Elements from the days of the War of Humanity; and more.

The meaning of these seemingly isolated events became clearer as the month of March progressed. The seal within the Great Rock became damaged by the anti-chaotic properties of the Agatheian crystal, and when the jade token was used to focus the chaotic power from the Living Spire towards the seal, it finally crumbled completely, releasing the long-lost god of chaos, Babel.

At that very moment, however, Eris, the Goddess of Chaos, appeared and revealed her hidden hand at work behind his release. The cult of Babel looked on in horror as Eris proceeded to overpower Babel and drain him of his divine essence. With this and the chaotic energy channelled from the Living Spire, the power of the Goddess of Chaos magnified a hundredfold and all of creation shuddered. However, her schemes ran deeper still as she used her great puissance to pass beyond the bounds of reality and claim a birthright of which perhaps even she wasn't fully aware, fading beyond all perception forever.

As the realm reverberated from the shock of the departure of Eris, a rumbling voice cried out to the powers of chaos remaining in Achaea: the voice of Babel, whose last spark of divine essence remained in the mysterious jade token. With the spectacular explosion of the Living Spire, the god Babel came to life once more, risen now as the God of Oblivion!

Footnote:
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The god Babel did not exist in Achaea originally except for a brief mention in the original mythology, his realm (chaos) having been overtaken by a newer god (Eris). Real-life YEARS ago, several of our prominent players took it upon themselves to begin roleplaying a cult to the dead chaos god Babel. They did so with such steadfast excellence that the Achaean administration eventually crafted the above storyline in part for their God (who is now played by an anonymous volunteer administrator) to be resurrected and to join the Achaean Pantheon.

This is a lovely illustration of how, with perseverance, players in Achaea have the ability to influence and change the world around them in major ways. We sprung the above storyline upon the players of the cult of Babel as a surprise; they had no idea what was planned or how events would wind up. I can safely say that we all had a great time with these events, administration and players alike!