Tieflings, Primal Magics, and an annoying banging...
It would appear that the changes wrought upon this world were greater even than I expected. While a shifting of the metamagical planes had obvious effects upon the performance of both Arcane and Divine conjuring, it also appears that there were additional implications.
I will be ordering my notes by topic rather than a strict chronological ordering as the usefulness of this is greater.
It would appear that the nation of Barrera has been afflicted by some form of transformational magic. The result of this is that they have been infused with extraplanar energies resulting in a change of form. I have witnessed this event in action as Olen, the brother of my challenging student Voss, was exposed to these energies. It has resulted in him growing horns and a tail. It has also had some emotional and intellectual impact upon him but I have been unable to fully determine the extent of these changes. It remains to be seen if these are simply the result of the trauma of transformation or if Olen is now being influenced by another presence.
The encounter that resulted in Olen's transformation seems to fit a pattern that was outlined on a map we obtained from some other transformed creatures. Unlike the residents of Barrera (who referred to themselves as Tieflings) these creatures did not have the same level of civilization. They resembled wolfmen or bipedal hyenas. I believe the old Eladrin wordform would be gnoll. They had captured a number of races (humans, goblins, elves, Halflings, dwarves, wolves, dogs, and cattle) and were exposing each in turn to extraplanar energies. We stopped this exposure but I was forced (as a precaution) to dispose of the goblins who seemed to be about to transform. I would have wished to hold at least one as a specimen to examine the transformation but felt that the ethical argument with the rest of the party untenable. As it was, Olen's newly agitated state seemed to have made him unable to listen to my reasoning. Perhaps if he better understood the metaphysics...
During the encounter I was, at least, able to take extensive notes on the rift itself. It seemed to be leading to a plane of anger and fire (not a plane I am familiar with further increasing the evidence of a planar flattening). We have since also encountered some undead that seemed to be animated with pieces of demonic flesh rather than the typical application of necromantic energies.
In any event, having rescued these groups, we led them back towards the elvish settlement. At the settlement, I engaged some shamen and druids in a discussion of magics. Several decades after the fall (the fall was timed at our crossing between universes) it appears that they began to draw energy through nature. Druids existed in our time, of course, but they drew their magical control through a Collective Spontaneous Thaumological Field (see: A treatise on the origins of magic in the modern world - Savin Thonät). It appears that this is different now. At first, while wading through the nature coloured gibberish of these "practitioners" I assumed that this was the manifestation of a Collective Spontaneous Thaumological Field coalescing a new consciousness. Or, given the constant reference to the Mother, simply a new manifestation of an old one.
But this is different. Before, druidic powers manifested as divine energy. Now they are something different, something more primal. Indeed, the forest itself seems to have taken on an intelligence and will of its own. We encountered this phenomena while moving through the forest to return the dwarves to Seigholm. The forest has grown wild, way more quickly than the passing of 97 years would account for. A central tree, towers over the forest and here we encountered creatures that appeared to be ambulatory fungus. They appeared to share a hive mentality of a sort so it is unclear whether they were actually intelligent or simply the puppets of a central mind. The result is that these primal powers are subtly different from the divine that they seem to have replaced. More raw and less controlled. It will be curious to see what their long term consequences will be upon their users.
Oh for access to an arcane library! All I have picked up is a basic magical primer from a goblin caster (a poorly instructed specimen to say the least). I am familiar with the book but this copy has an added introduction. It also, curiously, lacks a scrivener's mark. Clearly a scribe too embarrassed to admit to the work (I don't blame them, it is a poor tomb)
Finally, there has been an intermittent "banging" as if upon a great forcefield reverberating through the magical field (or manasphere). This event has been increasing in frequency but is, blessedly, getting less powerful. It originates to the South East (towards Barrera) and is quite annoying.
A bit of history we have heard it (I definitely question the source). It appears that Barrera and Ascension have been at war for fifty years (hence the Ascension citizens using the Barreran's transformations to literally demonize them). Local belief (at least amongst those of Ascension) is that during the fall, the Son tried to kill the Father and successfully killed the Daughter and wounded the Mother. I suspect if I could question a Barreran on the topic they would (given their worship of the Son) give quite a different answer.
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