Talis Allied Calendar 23/1/S/2921

To the Honorable Sochi Minamoto, Santsiryo of Kalsteris,

I pray this letter reaches you, for I write of urgent matters. As you know, the economic policies implemented in Kore three years prior have led to unprecedented growth. The lenient laws towards all paraphernalia pertaining towards magical development have spurred the investments of the Mages Tower and of Darinford Academy.

The city mayor and central government have disregarded my warnings again and again of the potential repercussions of such foolish and relaxed guidelines, resulting in the mana signature of Kore tripling in the last two years.

Though the recent monster surges have caused a pushback in their decisions, I fear that it is too late.

The consequences are already upon us.

The initial reports of the city guard matched the ones provided by the adventurers guild and mage association. An intense negative field was detected north of the city following a recent blackout. Previously weak monsters have become unusually strong and we saw none of the supply caravans we were expecting in the past week. 

Several parties were sent to investigate the disturbance, but the only personnel who have made it back alive are two wounded members of the B ranked adventuring group ‘Blade Recoil’. They were questioned separately but their answers were hauntingly similar.

A demon has emerged, Fenrir class. They called it Nyxarus.

The swordswoman died of her injuries the next day while the marksman is a shivering, unresponsive wreck, repeating the same words over and over again.

‘The Slaughter Hound leaves none alive.’

We have confirmed that spells are ineffective in the demon’s negative zone, unless they are of Lord class or higher; long range scouting has revealed the demon is partially incorporeal and cannot be wounded normally, furthermore, all who are killed within its negative zone are shackled to its will as undead.

Our only saving grace is that demons have historically been unable to regenerate mana. Hearthholm’s doctrine for dealing with these threats have always been, in short summary, ‘throw bodies at it until it tires’.

However, a city’s worth of inhabitants will hardly be enough.

As I am writing this now, Nyxarus and his pack have surrounded Kore. I am sheltered in the basement of my home with my family. I hope that Nyxarus shall not spot us, but if it does we have resolved ourselves to not become its undead pawns and have prepared leafkin poison.

Sochi, if this letter by some miracle reaches you. Please send help. 

But if that’s not possible, run. 

Close your borders to Hearthholm and evacuate the nearest cities. Shut off all mana intensive facilities and pray the Slaughter Hound does not target you next. My only solace is that those greedy pigs in the central government will have their just desserts.

My dear friend, I don't say this enough but I've always enjoyed the Sencha tea you brewed for me. I hope I shall get a chance to taste it again in my next life. 

Blessed be thy Fortune,

Counselor Havis Cornelius of Kore