The mission to the New World had been issued, and the NPC faction had already begun to act. Forces from the Old World had gathered and were marching toward a legendary land. Even just that sweeping description would have marked the beginning of a major event in any other story, much like how Roger's shout ushered in the Great Age of Piracy.
However, for Transia—or at least for the material world—this expedition didn't mark a beginning. It marked the beginning of the end.
The chaotic age that had lasted a thousand years since the Golden Era was about to end. No one knew whether the age that followed would be good or bad, but no one wanted to miss the final battle that would witness the end of an era.
In fact, just as the "guests" were making their way to the New World, King Osiris, far away at Feathered Serpent Fortress, received the same warning.
This time, the Aztecs' Feathered Serpent God didn't toy with vague prophecies. She told her followers what was about to happen in very direct terms and ordered the Aztecs to prepare.
Her priests conveyed the oracle to the king and his ministers, stirring up the kingdom's four great tribes.
"Is the rumor true, Your Majesty? The forest leading to the sacred Heart of the World is about to open?"
The elder of the Fire Clan asked loudly in the fortress's council chamber, half shocked and half worried. King Osiris, whose mind was occupied with the meaning of the oracle, didn't try to put on a show about it.
With the solemn authority of a king, he replied:
"Yes! The Feathered Serpent God's words were explicit. The noble successor of the Artisan God will soon set foot on our land. Under the protection of the