Swords and Pentacles Vanish

Extinction

Approximately 250 years before the Writer arrived in The Gates (300 before the Spiritual Travelers), entire species of plants related to Swords and Pentacles all vanished from the Gates.

It is unclear what occured, but its allignment with future dates is unnerving.   Some theorize that it was a portent of things to come, a threat, or some sort of other proclamation. Perhaps a creature consumed them all, or they were used in a ritual, or someone somewhere is hoarding them.   Whatever the reason, it has left the grasslands and the area north of the mountains free of some of its most until-recently iconic plantlife. The balance of the gates was shifted by this action as well since it is now void of the aspects that these plants provided.   Additionally, the loss of these plants has caused many of the embodiments of these aspects to go into hiding including the Page of Swords and others. While they may still act on their missions in the shadows, they are greatly hindered without the spiritual presence of these plants.   Perhaps that was the goal of whatever did this...