With a terrible scream that pierced planar bound, the whole realm suddenly stood to attention. The agonised cries of the captured child sorceress rung out across all Creation with terrifying clarity, curdled into dull hatred by the gelid whispers of the Underrealm.

"Pain is not enough of a stimulus."

And on, they continued.

In the previous month a small number had assisted in working out where the child sorceress, Kosuira, had disappeared to. Undertaking a scrying, they witnessed her imprisoned state. But the effort appeared to be a two-way viewing. The cold visage of Agith'tai stared back at each onlooker, noting their faces for future reference.

In a calculated act, each of those present for the previous scrying were subjected to a personal seat at Kosuira's torture. They and Tenith'oru witnessed the breaking of her fingers. They watched as tears of ice fell and shattered upon the dark stone floor of the cell. They could not look away as the Tsol'teth breeder, Ithin'urai, forcibly removed the girl's memories and cast them aside, detritus in his search to find a reason for her strange powers.

Tenith'oru paced about agitatedly within his laboratory, a motley assortment from the Coalition watching on as visions unfolded before them. Two great screams wracked the realm further, as a series of memories were forced upon all sentient beings: The first a range of snow-topped mountains. The second an alien scape, humanoid young contained within countless vats. Third a rank of great ice figures. Fourth a deep sense of frustration as failed attempts were cast out into the darkness, Forsaken. Ithin'urai had melded his mind with Kosuira's, and their memories shared.

The twinned pair broke.

The errant Tsol'teth visibly wilted beneath the revelation of these fell visions, his musing brought to an abrupt halt by the sudden, explosive emergence of great tremors beneath Meropis.

The unavoidable sharing severed for a moment, the last image gifted to the onlookers that of Agith'tai attempting to restrain a deranged Ithin'urai before the breeder ran, demented, from the cell.

At the hands of Ithin'urai, the ranks of goblin and ogre were seen to perish as his insane spree continued through the outpost. More still fell beneath the rubble as the broken Tsol'teth pulled the stone walls down around himself, tearing the structure apart in his madness.

A last viewing was offered to the onlookers in Tenith'oru's laboratory, and they bore fruitless witness to Agith'tai as the outpost leader enspelled Ithin'urai. Heedless of the destruction that the Element Weaver wrought around them, the pair traversed downwards to a black-lit doorway.

The earth surrounding the Seleucarian outpost shuddered and groaned under the crazed Tsol'teth's assault, collapsing in on itself and spilling outwards onto the Imperial Road and the River Mnemosyne. The newly stationed ranks of goblin and ogre were crushed beneath the collapsing structure now added to the ruined city beyond its walls.

"Go!" cried Tenith'oru, his stalwart countenance betrayed by the concern in his voice. "Find her, and bring her to me."

As an afterthought he added, "If you do, I will assist you with your shadow problems." The bargain was resignedly made.

Those gathered in the laboratory spilled out into the Atrousian jungles, and found Kosuira, crazed. Visibly diminished and withered, she was naught but a wraith-like slip of her former self, battered and broken by the ministrations of Agith'tai and Ithin'urai. Clutching her broken fingers tightly to her ruined clothes, she stumbled about the jungle in a daze.

The compassion of her pursuers was lost to her broken mind. She could see nothing but the servants of the underrealm coming to return her to that cell, to... Them. She screamed and gnashed her teeth, bringing her incredible power to bear on the few that dared extend a hand to her in aid. With but a gesture, she unmade handfuls of her would-be saviours, leaving them dust in her wake.

"Appeal to her pride, lightwalkers. Her power is vast, and she knows it." uttered Tenith'oru. Antidas Wintermourne nodded curtly, and broke apart from the group to perform a work he was most familiar with.

On and on did he taunt and prise at the shattered girl's pride as only a former Naga knows how, stoking her ire amidst a litany of insults demeaning her age and capacity. The proud sorceress bristled beneath her tormented mind with every insult, fury giving clarity and purpose to her broken thoughts - to pursue this Dwarven gnat, and show him his rightful end.

Through the Vasnari and beyond did this affair continue, until the girl found herself unwittingly in the hands of her former mentor. In a last, explosive effort, she finally exacted her revenge upon the wordy Dwarf, disintegrating him with but a wave of her hands. And as her ire faded, confusion and exhaustion took its place, her tired eyes gazing upon her mentor and sole friend.

With a faint, weary smile, Tenith'oru deftly gathered Kosuira's wearied shadow and collected it into a silvery vial, immediately placating the tormented girl. Her eyes drooped and at last - her features turning peaceful.

"We will flee these lands and head north, to a new home. To sanctuary. There, we shall be safe for a time. But, before that..."

With only the slightest of gestures and no clear exertion, Tenith'oru wove a great weave of magic and cast it upon the minds of the realm.

Be it a corruption of the famous Tsol'teth Litany or otherwise, none yet know, but in the magic's unnerving wake lay the knowledge in all to unwind the stolen shadows of the shrines to the Meld, perhaps even the means to turn back the Tide once and for all.

And so, the Unwinding was learned.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Summary: Kosuira was captured and tortured by the Tsol'teth in their Seleucar Outpost. In bargain for her return, Tenith'oru offered the overlanders assistance with their shadow problem. The girl was found, deranged, and was able to be lured back to Tenith'oru. The art of unwinding time in order to free the shadows that defended the shrines to the Meld was taught in payment.

Penned by My hand on the 5th of Aeguary, in the year 726 AF.