After Valnurana retreated to the Garden to meet with the other deities
(excepting Sartan), she expressed her remorse for not realizing Sartan
was behind the kidnapping of the Divine Child of Eris and Aegis, and
that the Lord of Evil was using Valnurana to further his own diabolical
schemes. Though the Lady of Dreams would not explain why she helped
Sartan drain the Darkenwood, curious glances were exchanged between her
and Twilight. In the end, she offered a ray of hope to Eris, for she had
stolen the Eye of Proteus from Sartan, the artifact used to create the
vortex that drained the Darkenwood, which lay beneath Baelgrim Fortress
in the form of a fissure. After explaining what must be done, the Divine
Council converged on the highest peak on the Vashnars.

Using the Eye of Proteus, which could meld the powers of different
divine realms, the Patron Gods of each city created powerful artifacts
on their own and placed them in their respective cities. Thus, the Well
of Chaos was formed in Ashtan; the Fontis was formed in Hashan; the
Cauldron of Infinity was formed in Eleusis; the Icerune Crater was
formed in Cyrene; and Daybreak's Mirror was formed in Shallam. Each
artifact could be empowered by each individual city and produce a
warrior, who in turn, being created by the Eye of Proteus, the same
artifact used to bind the Divine Child, could loosen the bonds that hold
the Divine Child.

And now, war rages across Sapience, as armies march towards Mhaldor
intent on freeing the Divine Child by rallying the soldiers created by
their artifacts to loosen the Divine Child's bonds. Meanwhile, in
Mhaldor, rituals are conducted to hasten whatever scheme Sartan has in
store for the Divine Child. Unable to settle their long hatred of Chaos
and War, Shallam remains on the sidelines. As the vast armies of the
Divine Child converge upon Mhaldor, Mhaldor uses the evil powers of
their Lord's shrines, as well as the hordes of liches and wights who
protect their city, to drive off the encroaching enemy forces. Even so,
some of the Child's Army gets through and loosens the Divine Child's
bonds.

Will the Divine Child be freed? Or will Sartan and Mhaldor finish the
ritual that will seal the Divine Child's fate? These questions loom in
the minds of the inhabitants of Sapience as the bloody glow of war
washes from horizon to horizon.


Penned by my hand on the 4th of Aeguary, in the year 326 AF.