War Priest Akrile,

I apologise for my earlier submission of an incomplete report. I handed responsibility of its delivery to Eko, but she mentioned that her direwolf ate the second page while they were on the way to the Keep. Just in case the problem repeats itself, I have sent a hawk ahead with this missing page.

----

Even as dust choked the surroundings, a crimson glow flared to life where the defunct Arboretum of Enlightenment stood. If you recall, those grounds held a garden of significance to Lord Aegis, for it was where He had taken Lady Eris as His wife. Now, it simply served as an eyesore, a mark of fleeting triumph left behind by the Divine Conflagration.

Heedless of potential dangers, the citizens of Ashtan ventured to the ashen vista to discover the source of the crimson glow. There, they found a configuration wrought with numerous glyphs and symbols, hovering above the locale. Pulsating ominously, the formation activated before the eyes of the gathered crowd.

With pinpoint accuracy, an intense cone of light erupted from its centre, piercing through the core of the swirling sphere of essence hanging in the sky. A calamitous roar overwhelmed the Arboretum as a churning vortex descended upon the vista, establishing contact with the configuration and forcibly siphoning blood essence down into Ashtan.

White-hot brilliance shone from the circular array as power gushed into it, robbing all present of their sight and senses. That was when the configuration exploded, unable to cope with over-saturation. The excess energy turned upon its surroundings, scouring the landscape with such force that it disintegrated the heaping ash piles and melted the earth underfoot.

I was too close when this happened, and so was struck with temporary blindness. As I struggled to recover myself, an alarm sounded within the city boundaries; the guards called in the sightings of a small Targossian strike force trying to force entry into the Seat of Chaos. However, that excitement was short-lived as the intruders swiftly fled. It is yet unknown why they infiltrated, only to depart moments after.

Nonetheless, the coalescing blood essence was able to solidify and complete its transformation, manifesting as three massive marble pillars that rose skywards.
Spiky protrusions grew from the tops of each column, holding aloft a strange, rope-like fabric that entwined around each other to form an intricate web structure.

I witnessed the last wisps of power seeping away into the ether as the newly-created Divine relic established itself over the cragged remains of the former vista. The blighted touch of the Righteous Fire is now completely erased from Ashtan and replaced by the Weave of Conflict, promising the elimination of peace's gentler embrace.

Ah, and before I forget: during my brief period of blindness, Eko informed me that I missed the part where Lord Aegis stemmed the flow of essence to Ashtan, but this resulted in the shattering of "the pretty power ball in the sky", followed by "red energy flying away in the directions of the Keep, Cyrene, and Eleusis."

While I do not dare to presume the intentions of the War God, I believe He retained enough remnant power to bestow His blessings upon those whom have acknowledged and sought guidance through His teachings. However, it remains to be seen what form the Lord's grace will manifest as.

I will update you as soon as I get more information.

I end my report here.
- Crimson Eyes

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Summary: In a grandoise display of power, Aegis called forth the fruits of War from the blood-soaked lands of Sapience, which coalesced into a swirling sphere of essence in the sky. With the help of a configuration, Ashtan was able to siphon just enough power from the carmine orb to form the Weave of Conflict. As a result, the essence sphere was unable to retain a cohesive shape and scattered into motes of crimson that descended upon the Temple of War, Cyrene, and Eleusis. What blessings did the God of War bestow unto them? That remains to be seen.

Penned by My hand on the 15th of Ero, in the year 805 AF.