Ever mysterious in his endeavours, Zalhisteth, the Traveller, is an
elusive character once imprisoned in the fortress of the Spirit Walkers.
What little knowledge has been discovered of his works is closely
guarded, but it is certain that his hand has stirred a number of
tumultuous events in the realms. But to what end?

Perhaps the city of Ashtan holds some answers. The Traveller was only
recently seen in private counsel with Archons Corien, Quazzi, Drazik,
and Enyd, after which they allowed him to use the Well of Chaos to imbue
a strange amethyst with its profane energies.

Soon after, a violet light appeared in the sky above the city of
Mhaldor, causing horrible visions to haunt both citizens and visitors
alike upon the island to the west of Sapience. A coincidence? Hardly.

Zalhisteth was found deep within the Halls of Blackrock by a mixed party
of Ashtani and Mhaldorians - among them Carmain, Dethea, Tanris, Sohl,
Sachiel, Tamuril, Hataru, and Harmonia. The Traveller was accompanied by
a handful of powerful cultists and the weakened Alecto, a priestess of
Keresis, who appeared to be under the influence of a powerful trance.
Against her will, the priestess was redirecting the flow of the essence
of Vengeance into a huge amethyst, which in turn repelled even the
strongest attacks upon the cultists.

The situation quickly divided the Mhaldorians from the Ashtani, who were
unwavering in their oaths to Emperor Golgotha and, by extension, the
Traveller, who claimed to be an agent of the Chaos Lord. Tensions
heightened further as Zalhisteth accused the Mhaldorians of interfering
in a ritual, and violence erupted as the cultists forcibly removed them
from his presence.

In the ensuing fray, the priestess Alecto was momentarily freed from her
trance and took the opportunity to escape, fleeing to Mhaldor. There she
rallied the city to return to Blackrock and defeat the cultists...
meanwhile, Zalhisteth was calling upon his own allies in Ashtan for
protection. A fierce battle was inevitable, and the scent of death soon
filled the Halls of Blackrock. As the dust settled, the cultists lay
slain upon the ground, but the dark figure of Zalhisteth was nowhere to
be found.

Triumphantly the Mhaldorians reconvened within the temple of Vengeance
and were discussing their next course of action, when an icy voice
echoed throughout the room. The voice urged them to seek Azmodai, the
Pit Fiend, and obtain the Blade of the Dreadlord, for only then could
the Goddess of Vengeance return. Puzzled, a small group of Shayatin led
Alecto to see Azmodai within the temple of Oppression, where she pleaded
him to bring her the sword. After the negotiations were completed to his
satisfaction, Azmodai travelled deep into the Inferno to retrieve the
legendary sword wielded by Keresis when She fought in the Chaos Wars
under the command of Lord Shaitan.

As the blade was brought to the heart of the temple of Vengeance, the
God of Oppression manifested before the assembly, His expression stern.
Grasping the Blade of the Dreadlord, Shaitan opened a portal to another
plane, through which the weakened Goddess Keresis emerged. A few brief
words of warning were scarcely uttered by the Goddess before a horde of
strange warriors poured forth through the portal. Wave after wave of
foes were cut down by the Mhaldorians, who stood their ground against
overwhelming numbers, until they finally stood victorious beside the
Lord of Oppression and the Lady of Vengeance.

One thing yet remained: the amethyst whose Chaotic nature had stolen
essence from the Goddess of Vengeance. It took the God of Oppression but
a moment to cleave the gem in twain, releasing its power, and Keresis
radiated with renewed strength. Betrayed by Chaos and angered by
Ashtan's role in Her trials, the Goddess of Vengeance renounced the
Bastion of the North as Her home, returning to the embrace of Evil.

Penned by My hand on the 23rd of Miraman, in the year 571 AF.