[h3]Arcadia, Elder Council[/h3]
The inner chambers of the Elder Council on Arcadia was silent. This was a place of quiet meditation on the coming of the Long Night. The cold stone halls were only dimly lit with flickering torches and the occasional candlelight of an elder as they moved through the sacred place. Deeper in the sanctuary there lay a circle of candles surrounding the old frame of a man dressed in dark robes, a thin golden lining reflecting the small flames. As he sat there on the cold floor, another dressed in similar robes without the fine lining quietly walked up to the circle before kneeling down just outside the circle of light, not making a sound. Without moving, the older man spoke, his voice soft, yet commanding in the silent chamber. 

"Elder Kyron, can you feel it? The Empire is falling further and further and now with the 'Sacking of Almata' as its being called and the disappearance of Emperor Fashti XI it is hard to deny that Long Night is upon us, or at least not far off. The new Initiates flocking to us surely would agree. Now, why have you come to me?"

"Grand Elder, I too feel the coming Long Night, and more still can at least see the signs. Many of the Elders wish for you to call another meeting of the Council. There are too many new Initiates, we simply cannot handle them all in our current state. We need to appoint new Elders before too many fall to radical and extreme ideologies such as that of the Quade. Additionally, the Council must appoint a replacement for Elder Antsan, reports say he was killed in the Sacking of Almata when our temple there was hit during the fighting."

"You speak with wisdom Elder Kyron. Send a message to the Elder Council members, they are to come to Arcadia to discuss these developments. Also, send a message to Elder Sonikah in the Quade, I wish to see her as well as soon as she can make the journey. She and her followers in the Quade will have an important part to play in the immediate future, but they need guidance lest they make the wrong decision. I know the Quade wishes to see the Arcturan Empire in ruins, but they must not act without judgement. Long Night is upon us, and any step in the wrong direction could cause us to become lost in the darkness."

"As you wish Grand Elder, I will see it done."

With that Elder Kyron stood and left, his steps just as silent as they were when entering the chamber. Behind him Grand Elder Nox remained still, never having moved during the short conversation. To an outside observer if would have been as if nothing at all had happened.
[h3]The Quade, Reed City[/h3]
Reed City was the largest population center in all the Quade, centered around a great tower of Sacred Metal covered entirely in bamboo-like reeds which rose up its entire monolithic surface. This tower and its Reeds for which the city was named holds up large platforms formed of the same reed material which housed the Quade's Monastery of Long Night. There lived the Council of the Quade which acted as the region's Religious head as well as its Governing Body. Inside this structure in the heart of the temple lay the Quade's version of the Elder Council on Arcadia. Here the Elders of the Quade gathered to discuss their personal agenda, separate from the rules set forth on Arcadia. Elder Sonikah led this council, and with her guidance, the Quade remained united but distanced from the teachings of the Grand Elder Nox. Unlike the majority of the followers of Long Night who simply wish to embrace the coming darkness, the people of the Quade despised the Arcturan Rule after being abandoned by the empire to the harsh environment of the Quade and the numerous invasions that come with being on the fringe of Arcturan space. 

"Elders of the Quade, I have gathered you today to bring great news. I'm sure you have all felt it as I have, but Long Night is upon us, and it has confirmed for us that it brings the end of Arcturan rule. Almata has fallen into chaos and disarray while numerous groups have arisen in the wake of increased outside invasions and seek to carve from the rotting carcass of the Empire their own rule. We have always been seen as radical, the extremists of a minor cult. But now none can deny that we were correct. Long Night brings the destruction of the Arcturan Empire, and even the uninitiated can see it. More are turning to us now than ever before, and we are finally in a position where we can truly do something to usher forth Long Night. I just received word from Arcadia. I am afraid that I must make leave from the Quade to meet with Grand Elder Nox in person. Surely he wishes my aid in bringing the teachings of the Quade to a more standard level across all levels of the Cult. This will likely cause me to be out of contact with the people here, and as such I must ask that you all work harder than ever. New initiates require teaching, and it is your duty for Long Night to give this to them. Now go, I leave for Arcadia as soon as my ship is prepared. Glory to Long Night."

Elder Sonikah's short speech now over, she turned and left the reed chamber, leaving the rest of the Quade's Elders to govern in her absence. If she had her way, the fractured empire would be shattered completely, and the shards would never be able to reform.
[h3]Almata, Loyalist Ship[/h3]
The temple had been reduced to rubble, the presence of the Long Night Cult on the capital planet was in ruins. And yet, it's followers survived. Elder Antsan led the temple on Almata, and despite its loss, the Elder had survived. He was pulled from the rubble by other surviving followers of Long Night. The group had survived the Sacking of Almata, but with the destruction of the capital there was nothing left for them here. The small group had met with another surviving group of loyalists and with some persuasion they had been accepted aboard their ship. Almata had fallen, but the Cult's presence among its people was still there, still alive, and ready to do whatever was necessary to preserve the Empire as Long Night approached rapidly.