The Wizard's Tower is unlike anywhere I've traveled to within the bounds of Tyria—it looked much smaller from below. To think this place floated just above the coast of Garenhoff all this time—silently watching us wage war against the Elder Dragons... I still wonder why they didn't intervene, but that's a question for Isgarren when all of this is said and done.
Just as "Bad Lyhr" managed to squeeze his way through the tower's defense mechanisms, so did the Kryptis. Mabon and Zojja took a small group to clear one wing, while Lyhr and Dagda led another. We regrouped outside the Hall of Confluence—the heart of the Wizard's Tower—once the inner perimeter was secure. With the apex of the tower's magic functioning once again, we'll be able to travel to Amnytas and support the Astral Ward on the front line.
Mabon led the wizards in an archaic ritual to gain access to the Hall of Confluence, reciting an enchantment called the Unlit Moon. Lacking Isgarren's presence, they asked Zojja to step up and assist them in the ritual. She seemed hesitant at first, but Dagda and Mabon both encouraged her to step forward. I've never seen her out of her element or so unsure of herself; I'm used to the hypercompetent and defiantly confident golemancer of legend. This is an entirely new side. The more I witness her operate in this strange Astral Ward, the more I realize how much she's grown. She has a completely new life here; a home. I'm starting to understand how much the Astral Ward means to her—and how much she means to them.
As soon as they began to unseal the chamber and breathe life back into the tower, Kryptis emerged like a swarm. We fended them off as Zojja and the wizards channeled the spell. Toward the end Zojja gasped in pain against the swell of magic, but after the Kryptis were cleared, it was done. The tower unfurled itself and let us inside the innermost chamber.
Mabon turned to us in a moment of vulnerability, indicating that his ability to resist them was dwindling. I've been fighting off Peitha's voice inside my head since I got here, but I haven't been attacked in the same way as Dagda—or Mabon.
He looked to us and took on a foreboding tone, which seemed unlike the calculated mursaat I've gotten to know since aiding the Astral Ward. "When the time comes, do not hesitate." Even Lyhr remarked on the nature of his cryptic message. Before departing to Amnytas in search of Isgarren, Mabon made Frode promise that he'd watch over everyone in the meantime.
***
With Mabon headed to Amnytas and the tower secure, the Astral Ward flooded the halls and tended to restorations. I aided in various tasks, but most importantly I helped Dagda locate the bastion keys that would restabilize the tower's portal system and regain direct access to Amnytas. Even Peitha was impressed, expressing curiosity and mild surprise over Eparch's fascination with Isgarren's tower. I get the feeling there's some history between those two. Similarly, I shuddered to imagine what Aurene would think of this place, what with its grand pillars and celestial portals. Peitha asked of our bond as scion and champion, sensing the lingering emptiness in my gut evoked simply by mentioning her name. She was incredibly curious to learn of our relationship, and I might've detected a hint of jealousy in her tone.
I wonder if Aurene even knows what's up here. She must have some idea in serving as the filter for the entire magical ecosystem of the planet. Just as Soo-Won likely did before her. As the wizards supposedly connect to the ecosystem to siphon their magnitude of power. I like to think she'll meet the wizards one day, as part of her everlasting responsibility to protect Tyria. And with the threat of the Kryptis out of the way in the future, hopefully they could work together toward that goal.
Once preparations were complete and the bastion keys were securely in Dagda's possession, portal transport to Amnytas was regained. Before I departed, Lyhr thanked me for all I've done to support them in their fight against the Kryptis, granting me a new title under the umbrella of the Astral Ward: Wayfinder. He says that it's bestowed upon individuals who have aided Isgarren and the Wizard's Court throughout time—an honorary title, so to say. It's been a while since I was a commander of anything, so Wayfinder feels like an apt title, at least while I'm here and helping the ward. Whatever happens to the world after all this—the dragons, now the Kryptis—Tyria needs people like me to hold the torch and light the march forward.
But, back to the war at hand: I'm headed to Amnytas next. It's time to witness the bloody front lines with my own eyes. Isgarren is still missing, and after hearing Mabon's somber message, I have a feeling the worst is yet to come.
And hey, Dagda didn't toss me from a window after the title bestowal. I guess she doesn't think I'm a bloodthirsty dragon killer anymore.
