Sceptical murmurs whispered through the cold winter air as the citizenry
of Mhaldor gathered in the scriptorium of the city's great cathedral.
Would young Venasia Enverren truly be able to summon a daemon? Delaying
only long enough for silence to prevail, Araval, the Illuminatrix,
gestured for Venasia to begin.

"Victo un deminu ler riso," chanted the heir to Castle Enverren,
carefully drawing a pentagram upon the floor with chalk. As her words
filled the chamber, an adolescent orc slave was brought forward. Without
a second thought, the girl slew the slave and used his blood to draw
runes around the pentagram.

"Tilet yet minas de hou," Venasia continued, but instead of the expected
daemon, something went terribly wrong! A blurry form appeared in the
pentagram, howled horribly, then disappeared. The runes on the ground
rose up, solidifying and cracking apart. Mercilessly the magic tore
through the attendants, slaying all in seconds.

Inspection of the ritual scroll revealed smudged ink to be the ultimate
catalyst for the botched ritual, but Herenicus, Tyrannus of Mhaldor, and
Taraus, Messiah of the Blood Congregation, both insisted a punishment
was required of Venasia for her fatal failure. After sending the young
woman away, Araval was quick to present a solution of her own to the
leaders of the city of Evil.

Years ago, as a little girl, Venasia had followed a young novice of the
Blood Congregation named Nulaye back to Mhaldor. There she was offered
the opportunity to remain in the city, studying the ways of Evil and
developing her own considerable aptitude for power. Her mother, the
nixie Chiada, agreed that her daughter would reach a far greater
potential with her new allies, rather than under the dubious care of her
spineless father and jealous, overbearing stepmother.

But now, Araval suggested, it was time to let Venasia return to Enverren
and face her stepmother. In a few days, she could make certain Venasia
was truly ready... and if events were to go awry, the wrath of her
powerful stepmother would be more than sufficient punishment for the
double failure. To this the Messiah and Tyrannus both agreed, and the
city resumed its normal activity in anticipation of Venasia's return to
Enverren.

~ ~ ~

Days later, Araval called the city to her once more, and Venasia
revealed her vengeful plan. With assistance from the city, she would
disable her stepmother and lock her in the castle tower where she
herself had once been sequestered, neglected and alone. The various
salamandrin loyal to Lady Enverren would need to be kept at bay, Venasia
explained, a task for which Sabiru was prepared with a force of fellow
Mhaldorians. Lord Enverren would require distraction as well; Jiraishin
Vastel readily volunteered.

With the deft toss of a tarot card inscribed with the Universe, the
group was whisked away to Tasur'ke, and moved quickly to Enverren Marsh
and entered the castle at its heart. As Jiraishin distracted Lord
Enverren with fine gifts and oddities, the larger group arrived in the
chapel where Lady Enverren stood, twitching a flame between her fingers.
Venasia and Araval were right behind them.

Lady Enverren was not pleased to see Venasia, but she saw little threat
from the group and called her loyal salamandrin to aid her. Guards
rushed in to attack the Mhaldorians, who held them at bay as Venasia
venomously chanted the words of a scroll, barely dodging away in time as
her stepmother hurled a fireball in her direction.

As the final words upon the scroll dropped from her lips, Venasia's task
was complete and Lady Enverren slumped to the ground. She was quickly
gathered up and taken to the tower confines by the Mhaldorians, while
Jiraishin continued to distract her unsuspecting husband.

In the tower, Lady Enverren pleaded with her captors, promising deals to
the gathered group. Unsympathetic, Sabiru explained to her that it was
her suffering that they preferred to see, and she was left in despair as
the Mhaldorians departed, the tower door locked and her freedom taken.

Penned by My hand on the 3rd of Valnuary, in the year 540 AF.