A young woman crossed the Notic Ocean in pursuit of a God. The artist Myatt, bright-eyed and full of inspiration, clutched her few possessions to her: clothing, a carved talisman of good fortune, and a sketchbook.

Within it, Myatt's life was catalogued in watercolour paintings. Stories of her childhood, her aspirations as an artist, her loves and losses, and her insecurities all rendered in gentle colour upon its pages. She meant to bring it to the legendary town amid the snow-capped peaks of the Vashnars where Temple of the God of Music lies.

Upon making landfall on the southern coast of the mainland, the artist fixed her gaze upon the peaks in the distance. Before she could take a single step, however, she was assaulted.

Waking in the village of Ka'doloki, she found herself surrounded by strangers and bereft of her offering to the Great Bard. With no recollection of what happened to her or where her book was, she feared the worst, but a sinister laugh caught her attention. Along with the attention of all other mortals in Sapience.

An impish creature strode atop the hills overlooking Thraasi harbour, tearing pages out with a wicked grin. Tossing the ruined book aside, it disappeared, leaving the artist to fend for herself. Fortunately for her, the mortals of Sapience answered her prayers.

Through the year and a half she remained on the mainland, they hunted down the errant sketches. Each was made terrible and lethal by the magic of the spirit, who twisted their intent and amplified the horror of their origins into killing portrayals of sorrow and rage.

In the end, one remained.

The final sketch manifested in the Scarlattan Theatre of Delos. Once more, adventurers flocked to subdue it, but this time they were accompanied by the artist herself.

Facing the insecurity of the artist who would offer her life's work to He who rules over that domain, many adventurers found themselves torn apart by the impossible expectations that Myatt self-imposed. It was not until she was convinced by a bevy of adventurers that Myatt found herself stepping forth.

Confronting her doubts, she recovered the last page of her sketchbook. The Great Bard appeared suddenly, plucking it out of the air. He restored her sketchbook in full and accepted the offering, secreting it away to His Temple where it will remain a sacred relic forevermore.

In parting, the God of Eternal Song clarified for the mortals present: the spirit that assaulted Myatt and twisted her works was an amalgam of the bitterness and strife that accumulated in Sapience over the last two centuries. Long rivalries, old jealousies, poisonous hatred, and simmering resentment gave rise to the creature that caused Sapience so much grief. With the situation resolved, He rained His Divine favour upon all the cities of Sapience, though it came with an injunction:

Watch what is in your hearts, for every step you take leaves a footprint.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Summary: The artist Myatt tried to offer her sketches to Scarlatti, the Great Bard, but was robbed by a malicious spirit. Adventurers subdued it and recovered the paintings, and the Elder God blessed Sapience for their efforts.

Penned by My hand on the 7th of Mayan, in the year 959 AF.