By Dur Vaani
Jorsham Special Correspondent, The Red Sun News
The Word You May Only Speak Once
In my twelve Standard Years of reporting on Jorsham and its enigmatic Tsallis citizenry, I have heard the word Ulfsbay exactly twice. First time: during my first week on the beat, I asked a Korsak Chronicle colleague about the place. I was warned that a non-Tsallis may utter “Ulfsbay” once in polite company—but a second mention earns an instant, irrevocable ban from the entire planet.
Second time: yesterday, when a fully authenticated missive from Jorsham invited me to hold a live text chat with a bona-fide resident of Ulfsbay.
Legends and Rumors.
To say I was taken aback would be putting it lightly when I received a missive from Jorsha offering a live text chat with a denizen of Ulfsbay itself.
Reader, whether you are a scholar or one who only knows Tsallis culture through popular media, chances are that you are familiar with the legends surrounding Ulfsbay.
Some say that Ulfsbay is a haven for Jorsham’s best and brightest in the academic and martial arts.
In fact, it has been rumored to be a potential location for the Chaos Battle School. However such rumors are purely speculative and likely a result of both the Battle School and Ulfsbay being mired in secrecy.
Others say that Ulfsbay is the entertainment capital of Jorsham, with arena battles and games of chance that put Korsak to shame, but catering solely to the Tsallis and no one else.
And of course, pop culture gave us The Hounds of Ulfsbay, whose villain Vaktor the Ruthless convinced half the Firmament that Ulfsbay is the true seat of Tsallis power.
What no outsider possesses is proof. The Tsallis guard Ulfsbay’s location so fiercely that scholars debate whether it is on Jorsham at all. Ask twice and you are exiled; ask a third time and no one hears from you again.
Contact from the Shadows
So imagine my surprise when yesterday I received an electronic missive claiming to be from a representative of Ulsfbay, routed to me at the Red Sun News on Altareth via my source at the Korsak Chronicle (who shall remain unnamed at their request.)
I imagined this to be a prank by my Red Sun colleagues, who often amuse themselves at the expense of my enthusiasm for Tsallis culture and the mysteries thereof. It turned out to be anything but a prank.
Upon confirming that the missive was in fact from The Korsak Chronicle, I of course agreed to connect with the representative from Ulfsbay.
Within seconds, user_valkyr_ulf_8C was connected to me, and I was, by default the first non-Tsallis being to record contact with a resident of Ulfsbay (take that Jorge, so much for your claims of “redirecting the course of history” with your Xandrian interview).
The rules of the text conversation were clear. user_valkyr_ulf_8c, whom I’ll call Valkyr for short, started the conversation by clarifying that he did not give me permission to record our conversation electronically or via audio. I would only be permitted written notes, which I have faithfully tried to reproduce here.
Also, the conversation would comprise a statement from Ulfsbay that we were allowed to broadcast publicly, but was meant for one specific Academy-licensed Chaos Broker who is known by the famous handle “MasterTyler”.
As most following the Big Party know, MasterTyler was one of the 1st Chaos World Champions, having piloted Cebula the Shorn from Ulfsbay to the Gold Shardmaster Title and corresponding Gold Medal.
A favorite to win the 2nd World Championship and defend his title, MasterTyler has come tantalizingly close but fallen short of winning a Gold Trial and punching his ticket to the Grand Finals.
Turns out, that was the motivation behind the message from Ulfsbay.
Valkyr instructed me to communicate the following to MasterTyler, verbatim, along with making its contents known publicly. I am doing both via the channel of our beloved Red Sun News. Here is Valkyr’s message for MasterTyler, in its entirety:
“The people of Ulfsbay are proud of the achievements of our son Cebula the Shorn. We thank MasterTyler for his diligence and astute guidance in the First Chaos World Invitational.
As a token of respect to this legendary Broker, we offer a humble gift. Cebula’s triumph has inspired Ulfsbay’s elite to test their own mettle—foremost among them Olaf the Ancestor, revered across Jorsham.
After twenty Standard Years of seclusion, we confirm that Olaf fought under a different name among Generation 0 Chaos Legends in the pre-Seeking era. He now seeks a final blaze of glory—under MasterTyler’s command alone.
We therefore present MasterTyler a Permanent Contract along with an Agent Slot for Olaf the Ancestor, free of charge and sponsored by the people of Ulfsbay. We trust that Olaf’s wisdom and experience will help both your House to the Grand Finals, as well as help young Cebular hone his skills.
Should this offer not suit, Ulfsbay will instead send a gift of Brokerage Credits.
We await MasterTyler’s response via Dur Vaani of The Red Sun News, Altareth.
Let Chaos Reign!”
A Comment—With Apologies to Ulfsbay
Our Tsallis friends forbid personal commentary, yet I hope they forgive a brief, wide-eyed note: this is the first documented contact between a denizen of Ulfsbay and any non-Tsallis being. It also shows how deeply the Firmament’s cultures have invested in the upcoming Second Chaos World Championship.
Even a closely-guarded stronghold will reveal one of its greatest legends—either to propel MasterTyler to glory or, failing that, to sweeten the pot with raw Brokerage Credits.
The Red Sun News has reached out to MasterTyler and awaits his reply. Will he field a tandem of Ulfsbay champions, or will another Broker seize the moment?
History is knocking, dear readers. Keep your eyes on this space—and on Ulfsbay, wherever it may be—for the next chapter in Firmament sport and intrigue.
Stay tuned to Vaani on Jorsham for your next scoop, only on The Red Sun News.
