I am Aurellis Ongwe-Ias Quellen of the forest of sacked forest of Taurenalla. Elayne Ramirez pointed me toward this discussion. I have lived in Neridia for over one century of human years and I have devoted much time to the study of the goings on in Neridia.
Throughout the history of Neridia, Augury and its related arts have been outlawed many times. It is a most strange practice in my opinion. However it is neither my kingdom or my place to judge.
I believe Galwyn and the Herald are either the same or of some similar relation as both make references to the same phrases and passages to the New Book of Solace.
Yes there were five Great Wizards, Elder, Golem, Pale, Oracle and Enigma. They were not however the only participants in the Wizards War and many powerful mortals participated in the war. Considering magics in Neridia it would suprise me none if there were others who still remain from the Wizards War or any period before or since that time. Considering my experiences in the Spirit Plane, I would count no one to be completely gone.
The Great Wizards did infact fight the Dread Ones, however it remains clear that none of the Great Wizards were actually slain in the collision between the Librham the great flying tower of the Great Wizards and the Black Tor the great flying tower of the Dread Ones. Nor do I believe any of the Dread Ones were slain. However it was during the fall of the Librham that at least three of the Great Wizards went missing from Neridia for a long time. Oracle was captured to be tortured, for causing trouble for the power that backs the Dread Ones. Pale was turned to the other side, and none know what happened to Elder, but to believe him to be deceased would be foolish at this juncture.
Enigma and Golem have shown their faces to the Neridians on occasion since then, saving the Neridian's from various threats and foes, and aiding them in times of need. However they have both spoken with their own voices, and need not a Herald to speak for them, of this I am fairly certain.
I would also note that anyone who wishes to warn us of the Dread Ones at this juncture should be considered an enemy or a fool, for the Dread Ones have already begun to strike, and a warning after the first blow has fallen is hardly a warning at all.
One who studies the history of Neridia will see a constant pattern a cycle. Events that come and go, and ebb and flow. This cycle has proven itself to preexist the wizards war, the coming of the dread ones, the coming of the benthen or any of the other recurrant foes of Neridia. I believe that the source of our lament is in the founding of Neridia itself and that which was deposed when Neridia came. So why have the Dread Ones resurfaced now? For that is the cycle, that is the way of things. Events have come full circle, once more, and a time of great strife, conflict and hate is to bear. This is not prophecy, this is logic. Just as autmun will follow summer, will follow spring, will follow winter, will follow autumn once more. In the strictest sense it does not matter why the snows and freezes are to come, what matters is that we prepare with food and shelter for the season that is to come.
Weal means Health or Prosperity, that is to say that a force of prosperity is needed to stand against a force of dread. This is as most portends, prophecies and pieces of wise and insightful advice I have heard from the mouths of sages and great wizards, nothing more than the blatantly obvious. This is nothing so suprising or grand, but fancy wording can make even the most humble things sound earth shaking.
Those who remain will and have always taught in their manner. This is again the cycle of life and death, as the young are born, those of experience and wisdom will train them. If this was not true we would all be feral, illiterate and uneducated. I am not wholley sure this would be a bad thing. I believe specifically what is being referred to is that those powers who remain from the old times, such as the wizards war, and those events since, those powers who stand for Neridia and are part of the magic of that kingdom, for the kingdom does have a magic unto its own, beyond the magic of the land or the magic of the people. Will endeavor to preserve Neridia. For there are many beings of great power, the Great Wizards included, but many others, some may stand before your eyes and you will never know while others may have hidden for centuries. I might be persuaded to discuss this more in person. I do not mean to constantly be belittling the statements of anonymous strangers bearing cryptic phrases and fancy words, however nature is nature, and to describe it in tricky verbage with the intent of sounding wise, is nothing but more smoke and mirrors, something those of us who live in Neridia have certain seen quite enough of.
The Dread Ones have not been beaten before, and they may or may not be beaten again. The best way to fight them is to wait until such opportunity and tools present themselves, and then throw yourself upon them with as much weal as you might muster. My observation at the last Neridia is that people were thinking of the problems they faced in too large a context, that one must tackle one problem at a time, and in each problem there is a clue to the rest. You might call it 'holistic adventuring'. That the great goal will not be accomplished without solving all the little goals along the way.
In anycase I hope that I have aided to shed at least a little light on things. I have gathered a small library of my observations and notes on various goings on in Neridia. If you wish to pick my brain on any other topics, or get my rather jaded opinions on anything else, I am more than willing to share information, for only through an open sharing of information do we have any chance of defeating our nemesis.
Aurellis Ongwe-Ias Quellen