The end is nigh. The final triumph of the Disjunction is imminent. The shattered remains of reality house all that remains of humanity as the last fragments of the World are consumed.

Across what remains of the world, thousands of people begin to leave their tented cities and shanty town refuges. Across what remains of the world, thousands of men, women and children begin to walk, begin to travel. Words and whispers, rumours and instructions; they spread. A new God will be found, will be worshipped. And so they begin to travel.

But the world is growing smaller, the Disjunction is growing less stable and people, some people, are growing more desparate. Storms rage in the skies, and tear the ground asunder. Great tendrils of void spiral out into the world, all-consuming, tearing through fearful and fleeing crowds. Men turn on each other, blood seeps into desolate ground, and wailing mourners cut their own throats over the bodies of their loved ones.

Hope remains nonetheless. The Benevolent Gods, Rayne, now called Father of the New Sun, and Sant, now called the Clockwork Heart, save thousands with great works of Pious Sorcery. Men and women, hope and faith burning within their bodies, do what good they can, and act upon a simple thing, the goodness of their will.

A man stands by a body under a tree. A rope, a noose is in his hands.

“Brother my brother, death has found you at last. I am sorry that I was not with you. I will join you soon.”

A pair of lovers sit, exhausted by the roadside, and watch the oncoming Disjunction

“Perhaps lover, it will not be so bad. Perhaps it will not hurt.”

“Perhaps my love, perhaps. At least we have eaten our fill, at least we have bellies full to the brim with food such as we had never yet tasted. We have that at least.”

As reality crumbles around the lamed-man tries vainly to flee the oncoming Void. Through the mist and storms bursts a man on horseback. He bears with him on his steed a child.

“Good Knight, you must flee, you must fly this terror.”

“No, I have ridden enough. Here, take the reins, ride with the child to safety.”

“Thank you Good Knight, thank you. Who are you to take death in my place? Who?”

“I am Sir Robert, once of Riegland. Now go!”

The City is abandoned. Over the course of three hours, most flee their homes, their estates, and their ancestral keeps. The vast majority throw their lot in with Greta san Giacomo and Gideon Rask, following them to the last convocation. A mere handful remain behind, standing by the Lord Protector in the end.

Rough wind, that moanest loud
Grief too sad for song;
Wild wind, when sullen cloud
Knells all the night long;
Sad storm whose tears are vain,
Bare steel, with pits of rust,
Deep halls and verdant lawns,—
Wail, for the world's dead!
-Percy Bysshe Shelley, Poet of the Last Days

For all its vaunted artifices and glorious works, the City itself was not saved from the Disjunction.

The earth rumbles as the Behemoth smashes its head into the great underground cavern that lies beneath the centre of the world.

People flee; shouting about glimpses of ancient spires towering from deep beneath the earth, and a city of unimaginable wonder filled with riches beyond the ken of any mortal.

From the avalanche of earth and stone flee the heroes Ingvar Tallahasse and Libella Fortuna; the woman Rebecca and, for some reason, Her Royal Highness Lady Kassandra…accompanied by a bear.

Merely a half-mile from the fast-approaching Disjunction, the great Construct of Glass and Iron and Flesh, the Archon of Genius arises from its hiding, to face its doom. The mechanical warsuit and the unknown woman stand side-by-side to bring Arryn Rand's crazed creation crashing down.

The three fight, a drawn out battle of clashing metal on shattering glass; of sharp knives into soft flesh; of rending flailing limbs and twisted metal. The battle rages and weaves across the landscape. Tree-splinter, rock-shattering, earth-churning, the battle rages until finally, bloodied and dying the Archon lies defeated. Its last words, a cry of rage and despair “SUCH TALENTS, SUCH GIFTS. WOULD THAT I HAD CONSUMED YOU BOTH. UNDERSTAND THE PURITY OF MY VIS”. Its last words, cut short.

At the Ark of Pleasure, the Circus begin their final performance. Crowds flock from the remainders of the world to see the spectacular show put on by Ringmaster Phael Toron and the famous Xanti Thallius. Notable performances include a demonstration of the world's most powerful pie cannon, an amazingly choreographed piece of musical theatre with a cast of almost a thousand, and a spectacular aerial dogfight between Toron and some sort of magical sword.

Argos Kalanthos completes the Omniscribe, a wonderous device (built by horological machines, built, by yet larger horological machines, built by yet larger ones, until they got big enough that a human could construct them) capable of recording the sights, sounds, emotions, maps, and speech of this doomed world.

It breaks.

The Omniscribe is repaired. Hopefully for good.

At the end of all things one of the greatest wonders of human ingenuity that ever existed begins its work.

There is a great competition to hold the last feast before the end of the world. The universe is so small now that people drift from party to party, smaller feasts get swallowed up by larger ones, and festivals live and die at astounding speed depending on the quality of their entertainment.

But one feast outlasts and eventually swallows the others, to become the true Feast at End of All Things. The Tyrant of Kyrine's final feast draws in over half the remaining population. With bears stamping down on disorder and riots, the guests enjoy great food, drink, drugs and sex, of course, as is traditional now.

But they enjoy something more: the ability to pass on their dreams and their past lives into Argo's Omniscribe, the company of pleasant people detailing their regrets and playing witty games, and even the ability to sit in contended silence awaiting the end. The best and the brightest are there, engaging each other in passionate and fascinating debates that open the minds of their liseners, but are destined to never be finished.

The Party must ever go on – up until it stops.

Rumours of an attempt on Lady Delano’s life circulate around the world; the blame being laid at the feet of the evil Sorcerer Benjamin Enku.

At the site of the great ritual that is to come the God of Power is seen to gather his might about him and cast it forth. Those that worship him proclaim that he hurls his fury against the Will-Worker Enku.

The world quakes; cast into shadows by a beam of energy that pierces the heavens themselves. The screams of the Taker host can be heard echoing over creation as divine retribution burns away the heart of their camp; leaving nothing but ashes.

Lady Kassandra declares the four winners of her “Last Chance games”, events held to choose two men and two women. The lucky couples which are destined to survive the Disjunction in a box made of crystal from the dome of the world are:

Albert One-stone, eminent natural philosopher and bender of space, possessor of the most impressive set of unruly hair in history.

Helena Troia, a thin, delicate creature weighing in at 150 kg of muscle, 20 grams of fat and 10 grams of brain. Distinguishing signs: likes to bend swords into amusing shapes with her fingers.

Jeeves Atlasa, a tough burly youth, previously used as a one-man mine-digging team, palace butler and universal proof-reader and typo-finder for all the published materials in Countrylandtopia.

Conanlina the Obliterator, famous poet, mistress of etiquette and combat-sculptress.

Around the marshy bogland that surrounds the Throne at the End of All Things the Varkal Wardens and many soldiers of Countrylandtopia gather, form up and then march in. From within strange and terrible sounds are heard. Awful howls and fearful screams rend the remaining hours, until finally, at the very centre of the marsh a great Oak Tree rises, grows, swells; its leaves as green as Spring and its bark as strong as Summer.

Many who had lost faith, lost hope make their way to the Varkal Oak Rebron, there to shed their blood upon its roots.

Tens of thousands have been gathered to take part in a vast ritual to raise up a God agains the end. Across the world the sound of their voices begin to ring out, as one by one the summoned masses take up a slow, subtle song of worship. The voice of Richard Kallisto rings out across the crowd, cracking and faltering even as the world does, but filled with enough conviction to move ten thousand hearts.

But against their song swells a chanting in counterpoint. Marching in row upon row, voices raised in praise to the Three, the True Church of the Void bring their solemn thousands to denounce those who would not accept their ordained fate. The voice of Sebastian, fervent and forceful rings out across the assembled preaching acceptance of the Trinty's will.

Then to the sound of an organ a third melody joins the conflict. This tune is flighty and irreverent, hilarious and offensive. An affirmation of life's every pleasure and an absolute rejection of the Gods of old. A choir of hundreds lift their voices in exquisite blasphemy as Xanti Thallius pours scorn upon the Church.

Under this auditory onslaught the chant of the churchmen falters and then a blast of sorcerous percussion silences it completely. The song of glorification picks up momentum and ten thousand voices echo across the world.

Even as the Ritual of Glory reaches its apex, chaos is unleashed as the faithful of the True Church of the Void march upon it in force.

As they do golden fire ripples across the ritual and the Behemoth appears to take the Godsherds for itself. With it comes the remains of the Taker host.

The Heroes of the world and the risen Gods set themselves against those who would deny the ascension of Glory.

Horological wonders tear the Behemoth limb from limb; the forces of the City under their leaders Rask and Blackwater unite with the Tyrant of Kyrine to defeat the Takers; as music and the fury of the Lords of Wisdom and Power is set against the True Church.

The foul cultist Sebastian is crushed beneath a mountain yet in his downfall the Lord of Power is lost to the World.

From the madness arises a new monstrosity; a golden leviathan that bestrides the multitude and seeks to crush Lady Bella.

Yet in that moment, when all hope seems lost, the hero Tycho Flyteworthy blinds the titan while the noble bard Kallisto and the silver-tongued prince of house Aurora summon forth the worship of the peoples that remain.

As the multitude kneels the God of Glory is born and her beauty and her majesty are beyond comprehension.

From the fallen City Lady Greta, Gideon Rask and Isaac Blackwater have brought people.

From the lands of the unaligned the Highwarden, the Tyrant of Kyrine and the Lady President of Countrylandtopia have lead their people.

On great floating disks of crystal, huddled in circus caravans, or drawn by heroes such as Richard Kallisto others have come.

On the last fragment of existence those who remain now huddle before the Disjunction.

All mankind now surrounded by the darkness of the void, here to face the end of a dying World.

- Lord Commander Gideon Rask in shock statement to press. Distinguished Watchman seeks employment in circus.
- Former Citizen and God of Power; Sant Tomika, advises Citizens to “Get out and Walk” if they wish to escape the disjunction.

- Hero of the City; Ingvar Tallehasse confesses to the murder of beloved Lord Richard Daverth and former City businesswoman Lotti de Beers.
- Greta san Giacombo admits sheltering criminal from arrest warrant issued by Lord Commander Rask.

- A terrible plague spreading across the refugee population like wildfire threatens to engulf the City.
- Leading experts predict disease will mutate into an airborn form causing untold thousands of Citizens to erupt into vile sores causing them to rip their flesh from their bones.

- Crystal and Horological forms seen in the City of recent weeks are attributed to Gods Sant Tomika and Rayne. Together these two have seen to the destruction of the malign entity known as 'The Keeper'.
- Citizens may rest in peace knowing the Lord Protector (who was unavailable for comment) has been returned to his rightful place.
- Sources do indicate potential instabilty as an organisation known as the Willblades threaten to assasinate our omnipotent protectors.
- However, a Trinity is needed for the deities to obtain full power and this paper beleives it is only a matter of time before the Lord Protector ascendeds to fill this vacancy.

- Troubled times ahead as Eel warriors from Countrylandtopia are caught infiltrating Circus wagons.
- Ringmaster Fail was unavailable for comment but Countrylandtopia sources indicate slippery conflict to come. Citizens exiting the City are advised to carry nets incase of ambush.

- Princess Featherinne Aurora commited suicide at last nights Convocation. Lord Commander Rask and Greta san Giacombo were seen in the vicinity of the Princess during her final seconds and sources point towards foul play.
- Emilio Aurora was incapable of coherent comment on the matter, alledgedly forcing himself insensible through excessive alcohol consumption.
- The remains of Princess Aurora were removed in an instant by Rayne; God of Wisdom in order to prevent proper post mortem examination.
- The Lord Protector was unavailable for comment on this incident.

- An unidentified box, kept unopened for many centuries and now guarded by a lone scholar may hold the key to saving the world.
- Sant Tomika denies this rumour.

- Giant Horological Monstrocities were seen stalking through the halls of last nights Convocation in search of 'emotion.'
- Citizens are advised to keep their emotions in sight and not to answer the door to whirring constructs.
- Whilst the reason for this search in unknown, The New Citizen suspects an uncontrolled frenzy of Horological horrors waiting to devour innocent Citizens in order to obtain sought after emotion.

Kent Clarkson, Headline News, The New Citizen (Formerly Sports and Entertainment)

People of the City,

My name is Gideon Rask and until yesterday I was Lord Commander of your City Watch. At the convocation last night, I held in my hand a crystal which could grant the bearer the power of a God and your Lord Protector demanded it from me. We stood before the new God of Power, the God of Wisdom and the most powerful sorcerer left in the world. Each said they would kill the Lord Protector if he took the crystal, but still he demanded it. I acted to keep your Lord Protector safe and for this he branded me a traitor to the City and ordered my arrest.

Your Lord Protector has always chosen the easy path: he abandoned the Bondsman's Ward when the City arose without consulting those from outside our walls who might have saved those people. He planned to eject the Guildhouses still attached to the walls, but they were saved by the work of outsiders. Yes, this left us with the Keeper and the strictest week of rule we have ever experienced, but it saved thousands of lives and we removed the Keeper when its purpose was served.

Look around you: the Disjunction is everywhere. This is the last day of the World and the walls of the City will not help you survive now. There are those who believe that a new Trinity of Gods can create a new world and perhaps carry some of us with them into it. If you want such a chance at another life, I urge you to leave the City and come to the centre of the world.

I mentioned a Trinity and this is important. Someone has to wield the crystal that the Lord Protector could not take and to activate it, ten thousand must bow before them in supplication. I have given the crystal to Lady Bella Delano, a native of our fair City, and I believe she is worthy of your praise. When all around things have gone wrong, Lady Delano has worked tirelessly for the poor and the needy. Not because it was her job as it was mine, but because it was the right thing to do. I think we should give her the praise she deserves. Not now, as everyone must bow together, but when the time is right there will be a signal.

If you wish to leave the City and the gates remain barred, there are some not-so-secret tunnels which bypass the walls. Those who use them regularly will be able to tell you where they are.

I await you at the centre of the world. I will keep the people here as safe as I am able, as ever I have done in the City.

• Even though earth and mankind will be gone, this cube will last forever.
• Apparently people actually thought the world could be saved…
• Rejoice. Judgment day is come. The faithful shall be rewarded.
• We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when…
• And thus the play finishes.
• AND SO HOPE DIES.
• It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.
• Mordaeon has lost his jawline. That's why he's too afraid to turn up to Convocation.
• The disjunction may take you but your Will will go on to join the new world.
• Pray for Glory, for only in Glory shall you live.
• Free Will RIP
• Glory. Power. Wisdom. Choose two.
• No Man or Woman should sit on the Throne at the end of all things
• Rask is a drunk.
• …Fools!