As I suspected, the confrontation with the Hunger was grueling for many of the Exalts, especially as it came directly on the heels of the already exhausting events of Caer Nilam. Despite their reassuring claims about their condition, I had to request reinforcements from Asgartha to preserve their morale and overall well-being. Even if it is a small thing, one new Exalt has nonetheless been deployed by the Tagmata to lend us assistance. I should already consider myself fortunate for this allocation, given that the Exalts who remain in Asgartha are normally assigned to defending the Peninsula—or still in training. That said, we are not entirely without resources. Chimeras have been discovered within Caer Oorun and Caer Nilam, and the Muna have been petitioned to call upon the Musubi… Moreover, rumors speak of an unregistered Exalt already present aboard the Wayfarer. I will have to look into this matter further, to invite them to contribute to the common effort—if their very presence is not already a strong sign of their willingness to integrate into the Corps.

Sofia
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According to the numerous archaeological testimonies gathered during our incursions, the historians of the Sanctum agree that a great city once stood here before the Confluence, in the very place now known as the City of Scholars. Back then, it was called Serdica or Sofia, and its layout had nothing in common with the present one. The Yzmir theorists claim that the Sap was responsible for its awakening as a conscious entity, identifying it as a “vital fluid” capable of giving life. And indeed, Sap once flowed abundantly through the City of Scholars. Like blood nourishing organs, its circuits spread this energy everywhere, powering streetlights, ventilation systems, and the city’s machinery. The soul of Sofia manifested in the form of a young child, as though shaped from golden light. She seemed joyful, mischievous, endlessly curious. Nothing like the behavior she later displayed in the guise of the Hunger. The Ordis historians had hoped to open a dialogue with the little girl, to learn more about her, about the City, and about its inhabitants. That is no longer possible. In other circumstances, perhaps we might have seen her wandering the rooftops after dusk, casting her innate glow across the skyline. But the destruction of the memory blocks has brought her existence to an end. Even so, contingents have been assigned to man the relay outpost, which now grows visibly by the day. Sofia, as it is henceforth called, has been entrusted to the Bravos for its protection, and to the Muna, who will ensure its steady supply of provisions.

The Signal
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Yet our greatest concern now lies in the agonizing choice before us. Do we continue without delay to the northwest, towards Avalon, which seems to be the next stage of our journey? Or do we permit ourselves a detour to the southwest? When the Hunger was destroyed, a column of light erupted from the dying entity. For long minutes it surged from the Crow’s Eye, illuminating the night sky, pushing aside the clouds as it rose to the firmament. To our astonishment, we then saw, on the horizon, a second luminous pillar rise into the heavens—hundreds of kilometers away. Since then, it has continued to burn without cease, like a beacon. Some of my advisors believe it is an invitation, a hand extended. Others are convinced it can only be a trap. Yet that radiance may be proof of the survival of another human community—or even, perhaps, of another being akin to Sofia. There is, however, a problem: between us and the source of the signal rages a Tumult storm that has never shown the slightest sign of weakening since the Nilam’s Spires first came to gaze upon it. Its currents are so violent that even the Exalts themselves may struggle to withstand them…

Temera Singh’s log,
Grand Admiral of the Expeditionary Corps
September 17, 393 AC