After a grueling journey, the Expeditionary Corps have finally reached the estimated location of the City of Scholars. The site may hold valuable clues about the source of the Tumult. And yet, Admiral Singh is putting the brakes on any immediate exploration of the buried city—a decision that’s frustrating opponents to the Rediscovery Endeavor.

Four months. That’s how long it took the exploration forces to cross the frozen expanse of the Storhvit—recently renamed Caer Nilam. Four months to cover nearly 250 miles from the borders of Caer Oorun. Senator Muttunbaal was quick to remind everyone of that timeline during his campaign speech, describing it as “a mouse’s pace with an elephant’s weight”—a phrase that drew resounding applause from many in the political intelligentsia. “What has Avkan’s costly whim brought us,” he asked, “other than the pointless addition of a new region to the Protectorate?” He concluded bluntly: “Nothing but another name on a map.”

That was more than enough to set off a storm of debate, both in the Assembly and in the streets, as elections loom to determine the successor of Basileus ruun-Heshkari. The Rediscovery Endeavor had been pitched in part on the promise of new veins of Kelon and other critical resources, but it's become clear that the initiative has struggled to deliver on that front. Still, some credit must go to Avkan’s leadership for the recovery and restoration of the Mesektet wreck and the agricultural lands of Caer Oorun. “The benefits of the Rediscovery won’t appear overnight, but their effects will be felt in the long term,” reminded Senator Noya Kagama.

Her comment didn’t sit well with Amaro Arundhani, who emphasized the patience already demanded of the Asgarthan population. “The people have waited long enough, and they have every right to demand answers when the promised deliveries are slow to arrive,” he said simply as he left the Oratorium.

The surprise of the day came from Senator Anuncia Synd, who unexpectedly interrupted her colleague during a live broadcast of the Radio Guild. “My brother is on the front lines right now, fighting the Tumult alongside other sons and daughters of the Asgarthan people. They face countless obstacles every day and give everything they have—for us, who remain here. Don’t they deserve our support? There is no ‘us’ and ‘them.’ Isn’t the very idea of the Concord built on unity?” she said, visibly moved. Senator Arundhani appeared unbothered by the interruption and even seemed somewhat amused.

Admiral Temera Singh’s decision to delay exploration of the so-called City of Scholars may have a significant impact on the political chessboard, fueling broader public dissatisfaction. Yet there's no guarantee that investigating the cyclopean ruins will provide the much-needed boost to the Rediscovery Endeavor, which is already under heavy fire from its harshest critics. Worse still, if the city turns out to be nothing but an illusion or a dead end, it could prove the final nail in the coffin of Avkan’s grand project. What was once a headline-grabbing initiative might fizzle out into nothing more than a damp squib.

In the end, despite all the turmoil in the Assembly and behind the scenes of power, it will be the people—through their support or rejection—who determine the fate of this ambitious venture. One way or another, the answer will be found at the ballot box.

A vast crater—remnant of a volcanic eruption or perhaps the impact of a massive celestial object. Human-made structures line the concentric, grassy terraces that descend along its rim, clear evidence that a community of survivors once called this place home. And at the center of the crater yawns a gaping chasm: the Crow’s Eye, a black pit plunging into unfathomable darkness. Around this abyss, the Expeditionary Corps have established their first forward outpost, a staging ground for their initial forays underground.

The Screed. That’s the name they’ve given it. You might think of it as merely a lid, beneath which lies the City of Scholars—the true target of the expedition. But the Screed is a mystery in its own right.

As you walk through the ruins, you can’t help but feel the lingering vibrance of what this city must once have been. You can almost picture children playing in squares now swallowed by ravenous plant life, or street vendors setting up their stalls along roads now silent and abandoned. In many ways, it’s a scene not unlike those of our own capital. But this city is silent now. No laughter, no voices calling out prices in the streets. Only the serenity of a tomb.

And yet all signs point to a once-thriving metropolis. The architects who've surveyed the site are unanimous: its urban planning is a marvel of ingenuity. Axiom engineers have been awestruck by the technological sophistication the city's inhabitants achieved—without even a trace of Kelon to power their devices. Their technology may look primitive at first glance, but its inner workings defy all current understanding. So if this civilization was so far ahead, what brought about its collapse?

The leading theory, of course, is the Tumult. Early teams that surveyed the surface found signs of Alteration and parasitic mutations—but most of these appear to have occurred after the population had already vanished. Some sociologists suggest a possible social collapse, though no signs of violence have yet been found. Historians are leaning toward the theory of a massive, sudden exodus—though this can only be confirmed through deeper, more time-consuming research.

At its peak, the population here is estimated to have exceeded 100,000 souls. For explorers hoping to find the descendants of the Lost Tribe, the first photographs from the surface came as a bitter disappointment. “It’s frustrating that our first encounter is with a dead civilization, but the study of its remnants will offer valuable lessons for all the Asgarthan people,” said Waru Toowoom, the Ordis Exalt. Still, despite such reassuring statements, the mood remains one of disillusionment—especially after months of grueling travel.

That’s the rationale Admiral Singh gave for delaying the descent into the depths and the buried city: to “lift the troops’ spirits” and “provide a welcome reprieve.” From the panoramic windows of the Ouroboros, one can watch daily progress as construction continues. The Ordis have begun raising their Town Hall, the Axiom their Refinery, the Muna what they simply call the Farm… Every Faction is settling in for a long stay on the surface, awaiting the green light for subterranean exploration.

Still, that hasn’t stopped Axiom operators from deploying drones and automated probes into the abyss. While the Admiralty has so far declined to comment, early rumors speak of buried megastructures and “fractal” architecture. Enough to stir the imaginations of even the most jaded explorers. One thing is certain: the City of Scholars has yet to give up all its secrets.

It was no later than yesterday that tragedy struck on the Ulica Trismegistosa. The lifeless body of Takao Cordisco, a well-known alchemist with a long-standing storefront, was discovered in his shop, the apparent victim of arsenic poisoning. An autopsy was conducted overnight, and the authorities are expected to release the results soon.

A police cordon now blocks access to his establishment, though jars, amulets, and occult trinkets still sit undisturbed in the cluttered display window, as if nothing had happened. Everyone remembers his white hair and moon-shaped spectacles, as well as his quiet generosity, often hidden beneath a stern demeanor. But it seems the hermeticist may have fallen victim to his own craft. For nearly twenty years, every Monday without fail, Takao Cordisco would leave the safety of the Kadigir to offer passersby an array of brews, liniments, and tonics at cut-rate prices. Curious onlookers, drawn by the shopfront that had remained open through the night, stepped inside the apothecary, and in the back room, they found…