The winds of Orangemoon whistle in the Throat. In the massive halls of the great, crimson wave, I walk toward the small alcove in which I had stood many times. From the caverns of the desert, my voice roars into life, the call toward my kin. Those who I would protect, those who I needed to protect. For too long, they had been living in the dark, cast by the shadow of the racism which loomed above our heads, stretching from the great peaks of the North to our desert home. The warmth from our hearts could resist the chills of winter, but for how long? Mirage had said we would not bow to them, yet what had become of Isilme?

Land after land bowed their head to the rule of Adalwulf. First the Cliffs, my winged brethren, cast from their homes to live as outcasts for their days in Isilme. Me, recruited at the prime age of four to fight beside Angel Feather against the very same evil lying in the heart of a different bastard. They bowed to it. Under the reign of Nepdon, the Moonlit Tides collapsed beneath the weight of the Equine Empire. Adalwulf the Steadfast. The grey stallion I fought against in vain for the red Cliffs of my brothers. More so than the idiot Tio, the ghost of Adalwulf's hatred haunted me still. If racism was held by such a large party, I feared for the worst. Nay, I would not bow. Mirage would not tilt her pretty head toward them.

However, I feared more that we would be cut off from the knees and forced to kneel.

As my voice echoes across the stones of the desert, the one I came to love, my mind draws too long on the evils of others. We would need to be strong. Azzuen, the only ally who would remember well the horrors of the Isilmean pegasus, lay peacefully in the heavens above. His position stayed empty, but we needed the strongest to lead us. We needed to be prepared for the larger war I feared hovering over our heads. We would need to rise to face the evils of these racists and stomp out their embers before their hatred caught fire.

When familiar faces filled the gorge, chattering idly amongst themselves and leaving my sadness at my feet, I turn a mess of mane up toward them, eyes serious and dark before I began to speak.

"Children of the desert, we have a new evil to discuss.

Your brother Valentine had told me upon my arrival of the racist unicorns which hide away in the Aurora Basin. I urge you all to maintain a clear distance away from the place, for these are not just those who look down upon the species we hold here. They are a brutal kind seeking the domination and mass genocide of all other species and any who would raise their voices against them. I have seen this evil before; it plagued my home within Isilme and nearly left the entire land dominated by one stallion and his loyals. We will not succumb to this fate.

I have spoken to lady Mirage, some of her kin following me home to this place. May you embrace our distance kin with an open heart, for she has assured me that our ties remain strong. We will face this evil together, and we will arise victorious.

However, to ensure our fate, we must become stronger. The position filled by our beloved Azzuen has sadly gone empty. While we will continue to mourn his passing, we are disadvantaged without a second strong body aside Midas. In an effort to choose one deserving of holding the same title as the Ardent, I will be overseeing a tourney between any who would participate. The warrior who shows the most promise in arms and strategy to defeat their opponent will rise to be our new General.

I am exceedingly proud of the efforts of our soldiers in protecting the Throat from our known threat, Tio, and also the vast improvement of their fighting in these past months. I urge you all to be on your guard, as news that there are hate filled hearts within Helovia should not be taken lightly. Try to travel in pairs, do not stray far north, and always, always report missing citizens to authorities. We are in desperate need of our family to watch over us in these dark times.

Together, we will overcome all obstacles. I will gladly put forward my life to protect any in this land, my family, but I need the help of you all to maintain a level of safety in our home."
""

[ For the herd and any visitors from the Edge. Assumed you all would show up to save time. ]