September on the Continent of Aslante is bustling with activity. First came the news of the total annihilation of the Church Fleet in the Sea of Mist, followed by word of Pope Shelter VII's breakthrough into the Sanctuary.
Hudson's continued survival alone reveals how much influence one Sanctuary Powerhouse can have on the continental power structure.
The reason this has caused such a sensation is that it's the Pope who has advanced to the Sanctuary. If it were someone else, it would merely be idle gossip over tea, unable to shake the entire continent.
Those who were truly stirred were the Eighth-order Strongmen who remained just outside the threshold of the Sanctuary.
In the past, everyone was halted at the peak of the Eighth Order and, while there were disparities, they were not overly pronounced.
