By the beginning of Daedalan, a kind of quiet desperation had begun to
set in. For most of a month, nothing new had been discovered; no new
clues had appeared.

Finally, the power within the Codex stirred once more. In waves of
effort, letters began to form. A crowd gathered swiftly, and minds were
turned to puzzling out the slowly clarifying text. Weaker and weaker was
each effort, until finally the full riddle appeared... and in an instant
was gone again, the amber pulse fading.

Enough had seen it, however, and instantly memorised it:

"An illusion of bright fluid must be found
A holy relic set firm in the ground
A balm and a bolster to a weakening heart
And a reveille to the one who must take part

Let joining set the beasts to fly
And if you still must wonder why
In camaraderie may stain find grace
And meet the quiet depths' embrace"

... and minds began to whirl.


"An illusion of bright fluid must be found
A holy relic set firm in the ground"

While ideas ranged far and wide, Osis, Keturah, and Kakotas decided to
seek ideas in Elysia, Pentharian's temple. They turned to Atanamir, the
Platinum Dragon, for advice, reciting the riddle for him. While he was
unable to help, he suggested that illusions were more in another
Elysian's area: Azoun, the White. While Azoun agreed that he was able to
weave illusions of light, he waved off his own abilities, mentioning
that Pentharian was able to actually create other things from such
illusions. He suggested they check around the temple for whatever
remained of these creations, as Azoun had long ago lost track of them.

And so the search of the temple began, quick eyes moving over objects
well known. The attention of Kakotas finally fell upon an altar.
Studying it with a critical eye, he noticed that the heavy, white marble
altar appeared as if made of liquid light. The first part of the riddle
had been solved.

"A balm and a bolster to a weakening heart
And a reveille to the one who must take part"

Lorielan was called in when someone suggested the Codex be moved to the
altar. By then, the ambient glow around the book was notably weakening.
While Lorielan considered the riddle and the suggestion, a weak tendril
reached out to Her, as if in supplication. Making Her decision, and
hoping it was correct, Lorielan gathered up the Codex, and joined the
group in Elysia before the white altar, leading most of the mortals who
had remained with the Codex. Hopes began to rise, mostly unspoken, as
the identity of the one to receive the reveille began to suggest itself.

"Let joining set the beasts to fly"

Lorielan carefully laid the Codex upon the altar. As She did, the book
sank into the marble and became wreathed with power. As the last of the
book disappeared, the altar snapped in half with a resounding crack,
releasing an orb of power and light which shot skyward from the spire of
Elysia, visible to the entire world. The reveille had begun - Tarah's
last, fading essence had combined with Pentharian's. The god, fighting a
bitter battle in His unconsciousness, felt a desperate need in the
related plight of His sister, and began to struggle to wakefulness.

As the orb rose into the sky, shapes followed it - winged, bright
shapes. Platinum dragons, brought to life from Pentharian's shrines,
streaked upwards towards the orb. Behind them followed the larger form
of Atanamir. The dragons danced a complex pattern around the orb, as the
orb expanded, becoming a portal. The beasts darted inward, seeking the
path to their god. In the Apse, Nimbus, the firewolf, raised his head to
peer upward intently.

Within moments, a blurry form was seen: the vague shape of a man that
grew increasingly clearer. Finally, Pentharian strode out of the portal,
returned at last to the mortal realms, flanked by the dragons of His
shrines.

Jubilation erupted in Shallam and the Church, but it wasn't over yet. A
roar of anger echoed across the realms. In the Apse, Nimbus began to
howl. Confusion arose... then the terrible form of Slith slowly emerged
from the portal.

Atanamir erupted from the portal behind Slith, attempting a surprise
attack. Slith was too quick, however, turning and cleaving the hapless
dragon in half. As the beast fell from the sky, Pentharian's eyes
blazed. He launched a ball of pure Light against His foe, who attempted
to parry it with his bloody sword. Slith stopped the attack, but was
left merely with a melted hilt. This he discarded, turning instead to
his own claws and teeth.

As the two faced off in the skies, the drums of War were heard. Fires
sprang into existence around Aegis' temple, illuminating the peaks of
the Siroccians, and Aegis Himself rose into the air in a massive golden
chariot drawn by a team of wyverns. He shouted His congratulations to
Pentharian for being free at last, then fixed His gaze upon Slith. "I
knew you would be forced into the open, coward, and it appears My plan
to draw Pentharian out as bait has done the trick. If you seek to
destroy this whelp, Brother, take the thing he fears the most as it will
be the last thing he sees." Aegis then tossed His sword, the Warp Witch,
to Pentharian.

Slith again launched an attack at Pentharian. However, this time
Pentharian stood ready, and impaled Slith on the Warp Witch to her hilt.
Slith screamed as his body dissolved into an oily mist and disappeared,
to the sound of Aegis' taunts.

Aegis' voice once again resounded, "You have not seen the last of him,
Brother, nor will this be the last you see of Me should your followers
again touch My family's property." With that, the Warp Witch returned to
her master's hand, stained with Slith's blood, and with a nod to His
brother, Aegis was gone.

"And if you still must wonder why"

Pentharian joined Lorielan at the shattered altar in Elysia, provoking
much joy. Lorielan, however, edged away from Him, and observed that He
was not well. He explained that He'd felt a rush of power that let Him
know He was needed. His dragons had freed Him from His shackles. The
topic then turned to Tarah and Her continued illness, while in the Apse,
Nimbus began to pace restlessly. Lorielan thought Pentharian might be
the next key, as the continued feeling of the taint plagued Him. He
agreed that He might be of assistance, and led the way to the Apse,
where Tarah's body still lay.

Nimbus, nervous at all the strangers, nevertheless lay down with his
ears back in supplication, whining softly. As Pentharian knelt to
examine the body, Lorielan explained that She had been unable to touch
it, as the stain would try to snare Her.

"In camaraderie may stain find grace"

Pentharian considered, then carefully bent down. He picked up Tarah's
body. Primal fire licked about Him, unharming; the corruption reached
out to Him - and found Him already stained. No further hold could be
gained upon Him. As Nimbus moved to follow Pentharian, his eyes
worriedly upon his mistress, the final piece of the riddle was brought
up for consideration.

"And meet the quiet depths' embrace"

Several watery places were brought up, when Rho mentioned, "Perhaps Her
lake." Attention focused on this, especially as Tanaar recalled that
Tarah had originally risen from Lake Vundamere so long ago, and Itkovian
noted that the Concordian temple lay beneath its waters. Pentharian,
with no further question in His mind, departed for the lake's edge, with
Lorielan and the crowd swiftly following. Pentharian, Tarah in His arms,
paced towards the lake, an amber glow began to surround Him. Slowly he
waded into the quiet lake, towards the deeper middle, and the glow
became stronger. First Tarah was no longer visible, then Pentharian also
disappeared beneath the surface.

As He disappeared, the remaining essence He carried inside Himself, the
body in His arms and the power of Tarah's link to the lake all came
together. As Her essence burst free it cleansed Pentharian of His stain;
as it rejoined Her body, it cleansed that as well. The power flared with
a blinding intensity, causing all those in presence to cover their eyes.
When they could see again, Pentharian and Tarah stood back upon the
shore, in a tight embrace.

The crowd erupted in cheers and jubilation. Tarah opened Her eyes, and
was greeted by a rather disorienting situation - loud celebration, Her
children either cheering or sobbing, and Herself in the arms of a
rag-clad, handsome god She'd last seen 160 years previously.

The rejoicing continued, along with some good-natured teasing, and Aegis
stopped in for a visit. The gods spoke about the details of the event,
Aegis claiming responsibility in His attack upon Elysia, but stating
that the problem was now done. Having been provided with the blood of
Slith, Aegis was satisfied with the situation. Slith still lived, it was
agreed, but perhaps a weakness could now be found. After a bit of verbal
sparring, Aegis departed.

The discussion turned to Mithraea, in which Pentharian revealed that
Slith had sometimes brought Them together only to separate them again,
and that She was not within reach when Atanamir freed his god. Then,
Atanamir's fate was recalled, and as sadness rose for the loyal
companion, Tarah's eyes lost focus. She knelt at the edge of the lake,
placing Her hands flat on the surface. Then, without explanation, She
dived into the water. A few heartbeats later She emerged from the water,
shaking Her head. Atanamir, She announced, was alive, albeit barely. He
had had the luck to fall into Lake Vundamere, fatally wounded but not
yet dead, and Tarah's power in the lake had acted to draw him into a
sort of stasis. Matsuhama dropped by shortly thereafter to greet His
returned brother, and after that, the gathering began to break up as
people resumed their lives.

So it all ends... or does it? Nimbus remains in deep sleep, recovering
the power he expended, in Tarah's temple. Atanamir remains in stasis in
Lake Vundamere, a thin barrier between him and death. The Codex, the
guiding source of the Church for so long, was destroyed, and has yet to
be replaced, although there are rumours of a new document coming forth.
And most importantly of all, not only does Slith survive, but he retains
his sway over Mithraea.

Penned by my hand on the 15th of Scarlatan, in the year 422 AF.