The morning of Early Dyo 14 was disturbed by a gruesome discovery in the streets of Janardan, Swaraj. Pendragons heading to work or to do their groceries were greeted in the centre of the city by the sight of messages and sigils written in blood on the ground - and twenty corpses, clearly killed in various different ways. Investigations revealed more details about what had happened: all of the victims had been conscripted by the USR to work as suppressors during the two and a half years that magicka had been banned. As some had chosen to stay with the USR after the ban had been lifted, it was initially suspected that these had been the killers' targets; however, this was quickly disproved. What was proved was that they had been killed by various forms of magic, each clearly with specific targets in mind. A fire mage had been burned to death, a biokinetic had been eaten out from the inside by insects, an illusionist's brain had been shut down and irreversably damaged, and so on. Perhaps more disturbing, though, were the messages written around the victims. Written in various languages, they were all accusations directed towards the Council of Thirteen and the USR, claiming that they were tyrants and that they had oppressed the people of Ramath-Lehi in the name of keeping control. Amongst them were calls for the mages of the world to go to war with the Council, and to join the Free Mages - a group previously unheard-of, but which presumably had been formed in response to the Ban. However, it was one particular message, written in Common and large enough to be seen from the rooftops of nearby buildings, that would remain in pendragons' minds. Pakaros lives again. Long live the Free Mages. Down with the Council. It was a name that, prior to this, had only been spoken in hushed tones amongst the magic-using circles of Ramath-Lehi. Pakaros was a mage who was largely known for the fact that s/he (their true gender is unknown) had managed to conquer death with his/her magic, and had become nothing more than a soul and an animated skeleton - and raw power drawn directly from Fromina. S/he was said to be a skilled and powerful necromancer and illusionist. S/he was said to have a deep, abiding hatred for the Council. And now, s/he had announced him/herself as the leader of the Free Mages and declared war on the Council of Thirteen.
