17 New Year, 6099 RTR
A riot breaks out in Darkside, and several blocks are burned in the disaster. The fires are contained so that they do not spread into the Bazaar area and the city proper, but attacks against firefighters by Darksiders prompt the Guard to let the fires in Darkside burn themselves out, though some Water Mages and Air Mages assist with conjured rainfall, and Fire Mages help with containment. Under cover of the riots, a major operation is carried out by Faraon the Friend. The Warrens are infiltrated, and the Assassins' Guild is crushed. The Old Well, a major landmark of Darkside associated with the Assassins' Guild, is filled and plugged as a largely symbolic act … even more symbolic since it is filled with the bodies of several Guild assassins and other enemies of Faraon. Shadowspite flees for her life. Faraon places a considerable bounty on the vixen's head, and makes it clear that he will not suffer any assassins to operate within his "domain" without his express approval. Faraon's place as ruler of Darkside is firmly established.

15 New Year, 6099 RTR
Captain-Astromancer Tahir Archelaus the First proclaims that "slavery-by-birth" shall be abolished in Rephidim and its protectorates, with slavery only being preserved in certain cases, as punishment for crimes. By his proclamation, the Savanites are freed. This stirs up quite a bit of controversy, and a few slave-dependent businesses collapse, though many Savanites end up working as employees (at minimal wages) at the very places where they were slaves previously. It is rumored that this move was Archelaus' reaction to hearing that Leeta, his personal slave, had been killed in the attack on the City of Hands by the forces of the Nagai Empire.

New Year, 6100 RTR
Babel is bombed by renegade Rephidim Captain Rockmore, a veteran of the Battle of the Plaguebringers, decorated hero, and strong advocate of retaliatory action against the Babelites in the aftermath of the death of the Sabaoth and the sudden Babelite surrender. The palace, the Mages' Guild Hall of Babel and several noble houses are caught in the explosion, and by reports that escape Babel, a section of the city completely disappeared, leaving a deep pit in the ground, rather than replacing it with a section of another planet.

High Princess Saraizadze and Grand Vizier Thath are away from the city when this happens. When they return, they express outrage at this act of "savagery" and "hypocrisy" by Rephidim, and vow to press on in the struggle against Rephidim, despite Nagai's destruction of the City of Hands. Most of Saraizadze's major political rivals were killed (or vanished) during this incident, and despite the loss of the palace and this affront to Babel, her position is considerably strengthened. (The Guild Hall of Babel, caught on just the fringe of the blast, is a very major loss, though.)

In Rephidim, some legal papers are quietly passed to reaffirm the Temple's status as a leader of the people in the veneration of the First Ones. The Star and other deities are to be "tolerated", but not to supplant the First Ones.

New Year 1, 6100 RTR
News first reaches Rephidim by magical means of the fate of Babel, though it does not yet become common public knowledge.

New Year 8, 6100 RTR
The sky island of Caroban, which circuits the globe in seemingly random fashion, but frequently converges upon Rephidim, is the site of the new College Esoterica of Sinai. Ground-breaking begins for the new facilities. The move, which had already been in discussion for some time, is hastened in light of the loss of the Collegia Esoterica of Babel, and the danger of further losses as the war wears on.

Midsummer's Eve, 6100 RTR
Jingai thieves steal the body of Priest-Queen Third-Vision, so that it may be properly buried in Xenea. Rumor has it that the nigh-legendary Wooden Shekel is involved in the bizarre scheme.

Midsummer 4, 6100 RTR
A funeral service for the Priest-Queen Third-Vision is secretly held in Xenea. Among those attending: the mysterious "Wooden Shekel", Count Feli Kurai, Duchess Eve Kurai, Lancer Eclipse, Prince Sebazhan and Lady Willow Dack, Priest Testament-Blaze, and Apprentice Envoy of Lothrhyn.

Midsummer 5, 6100 RTR
The Khattan Emirate annexes Himar and several smaller territories, expanding the Khattan Emirate beyond the Himaat. The Red Cliffs are claimed as a possession of the Emir, though he allows the Silent-Ones and a Savanite settlement to remain on top of the plateau, and Titanian "pilgrims" as well, so long as they do not interfere with mining operations at the base.

Ring Day, 6100 RTR
Jezebel Nene Dack is born to Prince Sebazhan Dack and Lady Willow Dack of Kroz (Dack Principality). A tribute to weird Krozite genetics, the mother is a Skreek and the father a Khatta. The child is a black Khatta with red hair and green eyes.

New Year 6, 6101 RTR
Nicodemus of the Shiny Shoppe passes on in his sleep. He is mourned by the Vartan community of Rephidim, and buried with honors on Paradys.

Landing Day, 6101 RTR
In a choice of day that serves as a demonstration of typically morbid Gallisian humor, several Gallisian sea vessels hit the beaches of Sylvania (on the Northern Sea), and drop off invasion forces that cut into the northern reaches of Sylvanian territory along the coastlines. Thus, they bypass the quagmire of swamps and fortifications that has for so long halted the Gallisian northward advance, and grab for the more highly prized coastal region, under the combined pretenses of fighting "robber barons" and bandits, of fighting the Nagai Coalition (under the false assertion that all of Sylvania has allied itself with Nagai and Babel), and of bringing "order to replace anarchy". While they're at it, they also grab some land from neighboring Tursdi, despite Tursdi's reputation as a fairly harmless and neutral country. Nobody really notices (outside of Tursdi, that is).

10 Unity, 6102 RTR
In an eventful day, the territories of Zahirinee and Saskanar declare their independence. The large, mostly agrarian territory of Saskanar breaks away from Babel's influence, despite later and repeated attempts by Babel to beat it into submission. A sizeable territory on the south part of the Ashdod Territories secedes as well, the people naming the territory "Zahirinee", after their new governor, a renowned seer. The Pool of Zahirinee is reportedly restored, and it is credited for the repeated times that the people of Zahirinee are able to repel Babelite attempts at regaining control, by foreseeing each military move before it happens.

Ring Day, 6103 RTR
Shabar, formerly a protectorate of Rephidim (and still a Forbidden Zone), and populated only by those living at the monastery known as the Sanctuary of Amber, declares that it is breaking away from the authority of the Rephidim Temple.

8 Landing, 6103 RTR
Construction is declared completed of the College Esoterica on Caroban, though it is expected that further construction will actually continue on for decades to come. Classes in magic use are no longer taught in Rephidim with the approval of the Mages' Guild. With the College Esoterica/Guild Hall of Nagai decimated, and the College Esoterica/Guild Hall of Babel completely obliterated, Caroban becomes the ultimate center of authority on things magical on Sinai. "Guild Halls" still exist in various locations (Rephidim, Abu Dhabi, Parthos, etc.) but they are not places of instruction for mages. Rather, they are closer to "embassies" for the College Esoterica. (Since there is now only one "College", the term "Collegia Esoterica" becomes obsolete, though it's still used out of habit in some circles.)

Landing 1, 6103 RTR
Temple Scout Den Leader Danae Sapphire is dismissed from her duties as such, though she still retains employment as a Temple Guard. The reason for her dismissal is listed as "lack of proper enthusiasm in the veneration of the First Ones, and failure to act as a proper role model for the youth." Temple Scouts are to be led in hymns and other activities of veneration toward the First Ones, and any mention of the Star is to be given "equal time with other deities of primitive surface societies".

Landing 6, 6103 RTR
The Emperor-Potentate is reported slain by a Kavi assassin, who claims to have done this "for Rik' and for the glory of Rephidim". The assassin is apparently killed before he can reveal how he managed to get past such tight security to strike at the sizeable serpent leader. The regional governors are all convened in Nagai City at that time, and they immediately fall into squabbling over who shall succeed the Emperor-Potentate, since he has no known heir.

Landing 10, 6103 RTR
Bloodshed marks the struggle between the governors for domination in Nagai, and a new serpent takes the throne. Bromthen immediately secedes, declaring itself an independent nation, and sues for peace with Rephidim. Other territories follow suit. In the span of the next few days, the "Nagai Empire" now only consists of the territory and city of Nagai, as much as the new Emperor-Potentate and the Loyalists might claim otherwise.

Landing 15, 6103 RTR
Khattan merchants begin setting up operations in northern Kilmanjar, which is largely frontier, and minus any governor in the bloodshed of the struggle over the Emperor-Potentate's throne. They are met with no opposition, and Kilmanjar effectively becomes another possession of the Emir, even if it doesn't say so on the maps.

5 New Year, 6103 RTR
Priest-Queen Jade-Eyes (Azhtar) declares the ruins of Safar as the site of a new capitol of the independent nation of Xenea. Slavery is declared illegal in Xenea, and it is billed as a place where all people "warm-blooded, cold-blooded or otherwise" may live together in peace.

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FIRST ONES MOVEMENT
Spurred by a movement amongst the rich noble youth of Rephidim, a movement spreads to assert Rephidim's identity by establishing the veneration of the First Ones as the official religion of Rephidim, and solidifying the doctrine of the Temple. Other deities are to be "respected" (tolerated), but any official Temple function in which, say, the Star is featured, must give proper veneration to the First Ones as well, and "equal time" with "other deities of primitive surface cultures".

Several Templars within the Rephidim bureaucracy resign, request transfer to remote outposts, or are forcibly removed from their positions when they are found to be "improperly venerating the First Ones". Most Star-worshippers in the Temple quietly go along, compromising, justifying that "venerating the First Ones" is simply "respecting" worthy ancestors, rather than "worship". The Knights Templar, very visible in their veneration of the Star, become less popular with the Temple. As their numbers dwindle in the war, the Temple doesn't move quickly to replace them. Rather, many squires are drawn away from the Knights Templar with attractive offers of employment in positions in the Guard and the Elite Guard, and the Knights Templar are placed on the most risky of missions.

Violent acts by zealots among the Abaddonian Silent-Ones do little to help public opinion of Star-worship. Despite Tahir's banning of slavery-by-birth in Rephidim, the Star is often derided as a "slave god", regardless of its former prominence in some circles of Rephidim worship.

Among the more vociferous proponents of tolerance and unity in the Temple is Arch-Inquisitrix Esther yod Rahab, oddly enough, rumored to have something of a following amongst the Jupani in various branches of the Temple.

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
The Knights Templar dwindle in number. Diamond and Cobalt Lances are wiped out. The Magenta Lance takes many losses, despite temporary reinforcements, and the Champion of Roses dies. At the end of four years, all that is left of Magenta Lance is Thorn and Blossom. The Champion of Amber dies, though of old age, not wounds.

Violet (Shadow) Lance is largely spared, though Shade is battered after many magical conflicts, and her susceptibility to hostile magic worsens, to the point where she no longer flies with the Lance, but instead operates in a support role, placing protective dweomers on them before they go into battle. Vague is horribly scarred, and put at death's door many times, but pulls through each time, and his armor covers his grisly trophies of the battles he's seen. Silhouette suffers her share of war wounds, but comes through it relatively well. Eclipse takes repeated beatings, due to his tendency to put himself in harm's way rather than letting his comrades be hurt or worse … but he proves himself to be virtually a flying tank, and survives the war as well. At the end, Silhouette is moved to become the new Champion of Diamonds, and Eclipse becomes the Champion of Shadows. However, Violet Lance does not get any reinforcements, so in battle, it is effectively a team of two – Vague and Shadows – while Shade provides magical support from the safety of a support vessel, only fighting in the most desperate of circumstances, or when no magic is involved.

CHANGING MAP
The Nagai Empire fragments into several smaller nations. Bromthen casts aside the old "Nagai/Jingai/mammal" hierarchy, in favor of an "amphibian/reptile/mammal" one instead. Jadai is an island nation (and stepping stone to Lamu) dominated by Kirigai. Xenea is declared a free nation where all are welcome to live in peace, despite differences in species, ruled by Priest-Queen Jade-Eyes (Azhtar) in the new capitol of Safar. Kilmanjar is still largely a frontier, and its governor is dead, thanks to the bloodshed in the struggle over the Emperor-Potentate's throne – It becomes easy pickings for the Khattan Emirate, though the Emir doesn't go so far as to claim it officially as a holding.

The Khattan Emirate is no longer synonymous with the Himaat, formally annexing Himar and several surrounding, much smaller territories. A colony of Savanites (including some Silent-Ones) and some Titanian "pilgrims" are allowed to stay atop the Red Cliffs, though the Titanians eventually lose interest and head back home. The "no magic" effect of the Red Cliffs dissipates to a great deal, until it becomes comparable to the level of magic/technology at sky island level.

The Emirate grows in power and influence, and is the master of the Gateway Tower, present at any noteworthy exchanges with "alien cultures". An alliance is formed between the Khattan Emirate and the humanocentric Kampfzengruppe of Abaddon – possible perhaps because of the shrewd yet exceedingly polite Khattan negotiators, capable of appeasing their human "masters" with their subservient flowery speech, yet also quite capable of taking advantage of Kampfzengruppe pride (and naivete) to personal gain.

Savanite settlements pop up in several places. The largest is Xenea. Several more settle in various parts of Sylvania, despite the Gallisian invasion attempts. There is a small settlement on the Red Cliffs. A colony is formed on Arcadia and small settlements in Kilmanjar with the blessing of the Emir, though slavery is still legal in the Khattan Emirate (and most of them are still Savanites). It is surmised that the Emir's representatives may have supposed that any colony on Arcadia would be dependent upon the Emirate for supplies, and thus be effectively "slaves", but the Arcadian colony thrives and proves itself to be self-sufficient. The Savanites in Kilmanjar, however, more serve as a buffer in case of feared incursions from the former Nagai Empire, and as low-paid labor in mining and lumber operations in the forests.

Saskanar secedes from the Ashdod Territories, despite attempts by Babel to beat it into submission. Master Zahirinee, famed seer, manages to regain the use of his pool, after a secret effort by a select group of mages to restore it. What they see, they do not reveal, but an uprising follows, and a large wilderness territory secedes, naming itself Zahirinee after its newly named "governor". Repeated efforts by Babel to subdue the territory are thwarted by Zahirinee's ability to anticipate the majority of such attacks, and the determination of the people to repel the rest.

Shabar becomes a center of derision by the Temple, as the remaining members of the Amber Lance, and the monks of the Amber Sanctuary, announce their split from the Rephidim Temple. Shabar is far enough removed and secluded, however, that the general public of Rephidim doesn't hear much of anything about it, as the Temple is not inclined to spread word of dissent in its ranks.

SAVANITES ON SINAI
Tahir's proclamation of freedom for Savanites and an end to slavery-by-birth in Rephidim and its protectorates greatly overshadowed the Emperor-Potentate's exception-laden "freeing" of the Savanites in the Nagai Empire. 15 New Year has become a holiday for Savanites, not only in Rephidim.

Prejudices cannot be wiped away by proclamations, and there are still places on the surface where slavery is practiced. There is always the possibility of some able-bodied Savanite getting kidnapped and sold off to slavery in one of those places … and there's the chance of some angry former businessmen beating Savanites while the local City Guard keeps clear. Still, with most of Nordika slave-free, and now Rephidim entering the fold, being a Savanite does not make one automatically a slave anymore on Sinai. One is still likely to encounter considerable prejudice and even peril in such places as Babel or the former Nagai Empire (except Xenea, of course), but that's on a case-by-case basis.

MAGIC AND TECHNOLOGY
A combination of technologies shared from the Abaddonians and an apparent shift in quantum uncertainty results in technological advancements on Sinai. Steam engines on the surface no longer explode as a matter of routine. Chronotopian clocks prove to be more accurate than ever – and the Chronotopians, already accustomed to nearly religious devotion to maintenance of their contraptions, respond to this not by relaxing a bit in maintenance, but rather by coming up with even more complex designs that push the envelope.

It is discovered that many Abaddonian artifacts which displayed a certain resistance to the effects of magic have had these effects lessen or die away entirely over the span of four years spent on Sinai. Persons who came from Abaddon who displayed innate resistance to magic found this resistance slowly fade over time … while persons who spent this time on Abaddon and then came back displayed a certain magical resistance instead. Given that "meteoric iron" is held to have magic resistant properties, it is widely theorized that if magic is unique (for all anyone can tell) to Sinai, then prolonged absence from Sinai's magic may cause one to become resistant to magic's effects. This phenomenon does not, however, seem to apply to Exiles, who seem to follow a different set of rules entirely – Perhaps the process of being transported to Sinai "acclimatizes" one to Sinai's magical effects.

With advances introduced by the Abaddonians, and use of old technology known to the Temple (but long unused due to instability), the Rephidim air fleet slowly gets refitted with alcohol-powered engines driving propellers, instead of relying on sails. Due to decreased reliability of such machines in certain areas of high magic, and when going down to the surface, and due to limited fuel supplies for the engines, Air Mages are still in as much demand as before, but old "ship-under-envelope" designs get phased out in favor of more modern zeppelins.

Due to the peculiar interaction of technology and magic on Sinai, however, some of these airships take on an even more fanciful appearance than before, as there are all manners of strange contraptions (most experimental) employed to "regulate" quantum uncertainty effects on engine performance. A most peculiar effect has been observed (just as, ironically, it has been observed on Abaddon) – machines that are decorated have a tendency to be more reliable than those that are plain and featureless.

Those which are (carefully!) constructed by hand have a tendency to be more durable than those with components manufactured in "assembly line" fashion. Furthermore, sometimes when two given people assemble two engines with the same components in the same way … one of them may tend to produce a more reliable product fairly consistently. It's as if some people put a little more "spirit" into whatever machines they produce, than others. This may explain some peculiar Titanian beliefs, such as that a fresh paint job will make machines run faster.

While some captains are desperate enough to turn to Titanian experts on machinery, Chronotopia is still the producer of the most durable and reliable of such machines, if not necessarily always the most efficient or the most powerful.

DECLINE OF MAGERY
Mages become less frequently seen, even in places like Rephidim, Nagai or Babel, during this time, due to a variety of factors. First, the Collegia Esoterica (or what remains of them) declare themselves neutral, and, toward this end, relocate to the sky island of Caroban. Although "Guild Halls" provide small "embassies" of a sort for the mages abroad, matters of serious magical import require a journey to Caroban, and the mages are very secretive about its location and discovered changes in course.

During the course of the war, mages involved in battle suffer great attrition, as any competent military force seeks to eliminate any enemy mages with great prejudice. A number of great disasters, magical attacks on civilian populations, and groundless rumors result in the general populace taking a more serious opinion of mages in general. For some, this translates to respect, to others fear, or a combination of both.

Any mages one does encounter have a high chance of being "hedge wizards", Esoterica drop-outs, mystics, soothsayers, shamans, or others who may have a modicum of magical ability, but are not true full-fledged mages. True mages are something special, and apprentices aren't generally seen outside of Caroban.

Dream Magic becomes particularly perilous, due to a mysterious epidemic that seems to plague mages that partake in rituals that involve the Realm of Dream. Typically, when such mages enter a magically-affected trance or dream state … they don't come back out, remaining in a coma-like state. Incidences of this actually were far more frequent in the latter part of 6099 RTR, and dropped off sharply in the early part of 6100 RTR, but rumors still circulated of further such incidents over the following years, and documented cases started popping up again in late 6103 RTR.

ECONOMY
Iron shekels drop out of circulation, and the opportunities for far-traveling merchants to make a killing by buying iron dirt-cheap (literally) and trading it for a small fortune in some "boondocks" settlements pretty much play out. Iron shekels are generally melted down as scrap. Rephidim fills in the gaps in the system by issuing new coinage in twenty- and fifty-shekel denominations, made of ceramic ringed with thin wires of silver and gold respectively. Iron and steel are still valuable commodities, but no longer in the "luxury" scale.

ABADDON
Construction continues on the "Himar Life-Dome", a large structure meant to span the large pit that has old Elamoore in its center, and the most vegetation to be found in the area. It is expected that completion could be decades or more away, but the magical "jump start" provided by earth mages (before the "latent magic" was used up in the Pit) has allowed enough of the dome to be constructed that there is actually a skeletal framework providing the main supports spanning the pits, and enough of a wall along the edges to provide some modicum of shelter against blowing dust/grit across the surface.

MORPHEUS
Explorers are unable to travel through Morpheus, due to a "cage" that has been built over the Crystal Chamber there, preventing anyone from exiting the chamber and journeying beyond. Visible from the crystal windows are some gargantuan structures of Sifran crystal that look like a circular mountain range with a tower in the center.

ARCADIA
Outposts are set up on Arcadia, near the Crystal Chamber there. A Rephidim-aligned outpost is set up, making friendly contact with the local Hooka population, though it is pretty much cut off from Sinai for the most part, due to the Emir's policy of neutrality. A military outpost is set up by the Abadonnian Kampfzengruppe, shared with representatives of the Khattan Emirate. And a colony is set up as well, populated by a group of Savanite refugees from Sinai. The Silent-Ones build a mission at the colony.