Lighting the Valnuary skies, a pillar of amber-gold flame burst upward from the earth just a short distance from the City of Mhaldor. In a flash, the fire disappeared, leaving only an acrid tinge in the air.

Seconds later, a roar of rage echoed from the Halls of Blackrock as Barak D'Nichliz, Lord of the Undercaves discovered three initiates within his domain had just been vaporised.

"Giant! Those were not your dwarves to kill!" he roared across the continent.

Safely returned to her home in Tir Murann, the mage Iayh raised her voice in response. "They undertook great risk in their work, smalling. You knew what the cost might be, and you have been richly compensated for it. Do not over-reach!""

Grudgingly the Lord of Blackrock settled back on his throne, ordering a pair of sentries to secure the massive pile of gold that had just been delivered... and leaving the rest of Sapience to wonder what the fuss was all about.

~ ~ ~

Daqsool had warned Iayh of the dangers in drawing attention to Tir Murann, and so she worked quickly, despite mounting frustrations. The mages of House Tsez were inferior to those of Feranki, and the cubes had been underground far too long. Who could guess what damage they had suffered while in the dubious care of the Blackrock dwarves? Soon, however, all was prepared.

Grouped around the amber-gold cubes with extreme focus, the Vertani mages worked their arts. From the site a blazing column of golden flame shot up into the sky; between them shimmered the solidifying shadow of a towering construction. As the golden light fade, a fortress of steel-grey stone was left in its place, a soaring skybridge connecting it to Tower Ton'lough.

~ ~ ~

A short while later, the Qoul of Tir Murann received a trio of bewildered Vertani within his private chambers. Iayh stood there, too, proud of her work but wary of what would come next. "It has been... two-hundred and fifty years since you left Vertan," she ventured, knowing that, to the newcomers, it seemed like only a brief moment had passed.

Iayh described her years of research and the great sum of gold they had needed to ransom the fortress cornerstones from Blackrock, apologising for it taking so long, but the newcomers seemed unbothered by the passage of time. No, it was the current state of the Vertani upon Sapience that made bile rise in the throat of Battle Captain Miingruan. Sealed within a fortress, which had then been folded into a pocket of planar existence and transported to this new world, these Vertani were ready for war, not the mundane village life they now faced in Tir Murann. Miingruan could barely contain her disgust at the dismal failure.

As Mingruuan stormed angrily out of the Qoul's quarters, Iayh and Daqsool shared a look of concern. Raising their long-dormant brethren had been the right thing to do... hadn't it?

Penned by My hand on the 25th of Valnuary, in the year 641 AF.