Category: Gaming

#Lore24 – Entry #227 – Helica Month #15 – The Sylvanae Summoner

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah

With Esekia’s successful taming of the fire Amaranth Cinza, on his first attempt, though the experience would leave him exhausted, we would set off on a return trip to the mainland and the port of San Granalle, which I we hadn’t seen for nearly two months now.  We would have a fateful encounter aboard the ship bound for the slowly recovering city, which at the time I would not realize would ultimately seal our fate and the fate of Helica.

Though we had heard talk of the presence of a Sylvanae summoner upon Vallalava island, we had not seen them during our time in the jungles and around the temple.  It was only as the ship that would bear us to the mainland arrived in the village’s port that we would see her and her guardians emerge from the path leading to the temple, causing a stir amongst the gathered crowd as they swept through the village toward the ship.  The Sylvanae summoner had half a dozen guardians with her, and all save her bonded Stalker were of Sylvanae blood. 

I had heard of the Sylvanae pridefulness, of how they tended towards a regal bearing that made it seem as if they were always looking down upon those who were not of their kind, and in this, the rumors were proven true, for we mere humans may well have been ants for them to step over, even those who had attained their full status as summoners.  As we would learn after embarking on our voyage, this Sylvanae’s name was Tephysea of House Wynmaer, and for whatever reason, she would take a peculiar interest in Esekia and our party during the voyage.

Like all her kind, she was tall and willowy, taller than even our Stalker, with long, knife-like ears, and her hair was the color of autumn leaves that fell down her back in a thick, wavy cascade that reminded me of moss hanging from tree limbs, and skin a deep brown, like the very earth upon which we strode, delicate veins of green crisscrossing her flesh like the nature of leaves.  Perhaps it was her eyes that were most startling to behold, for they glowed a brilliant green, and to meet them would take one’s breath, so overwhelming was her presence. Supposedly the Sylvanae were born of the legendary Fae realms in ancient times, perhaps cast out by those who were jealous of their beauty and wisdom, as some legends say, likely those spread by the Sylvanae themselves. 

The Sylvanae group would sequester themselves away from the rest of the rabble for most of the trip, though would make daily sojourns to the upper deck to seemingly sun themselves, possibly due to their nature that seemed very plantlike, or simply because they found the use of a vessel that was not their own a burden and needed to be away from its bowels.  Either way, it was during one of these sunning excursions that Esekia made the bold move of approaching Tephysea when she was alone with her Stalker, and for a wonder she wouldn’t send him away, perhaps finding something amusing in his boldness.  Little did I know then that we would be seeing much more of Tephysea in the coming weeks and months.

#Lore24 – Entry #226 – Helica Month #14 – Separating the Strong from the Weak

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah

When it comes to summoners and their Crusades, I was told by Esekia upon our arrival on the island of Vallalava that Cinza had a way of separating the weak from the strong.  Like the element of fire with which he is associated, the Amaranth is very temperamental and hard to tame.  Sometimes his displeasure with a summoner’s attempts to tame him even translates to the volcano the island is known for, which will belch smoke and send tremors through the surrounding jungle and village.  Those summoners who are not secure in their mastery of the art will often find their Crusades ending upon the slopes of Mount Vallalava within the Amaranth’s temple.  Though there are officially no limits to the number of attempts a summoner may make to tame the Amaranth, those who must try twice are looked down upon as weak in faith, and those who must try a third time are regarded as failures even if they succeed, finding their journeys ahead much more difficult as word spreads of their weakness of spirit.

Thus far, there are no records of any summoners of note surpassing the challenge on four or more attempts.

Even the journey to Cinza’s temple is often fraught with danger, for while there is an established path through the jungle, there are wild beasts that can suddenly attack an unwary party, and there are several river crossings that can be flooded or have their bridges washed out, resulting in significant delays.  Very much the contrast to the temple at Ukejama, though certainly fitting given the Amaranth’s temperament.

With these worries firmly in mind, Esekia would nonetheless await his turn, watching as many summoners would struggle and fail to tame Cinza on their first try, losing face amongst their peers as they sequestered themselves within the private chambers of the temple to reaffirm their faith in Phyresis and bolster their will for a second attempt. 

I would spend time practicing my own magic with Zubayr in the jungle near to the temple (there were so many summoners and Stalkers about that there was little need for us to be by Esekia constantly, and it would be several days before he would make his attempt).  During the course of this latest training, I would make use of a staff obtained from a trader in the village, as I would likely not find a runic blade outside of the mainland, perhaps in San Granalle, though since its destruction, that was unlikely.  Still, I hard progressed far enough along that I could successfully hit my targets with focused magic, qualifying as having mastered the basic rank of elemental attack spells.  Zubayr was satisfied with my progress, though he remarked that the strength he sensed within me had increased at a faster pace than normal.  Again, I wondered if this was due to the blessing I had been bestowed. 

#Lore24 – Entry #225 – Helica Month #13 – Those Who Would Defy Phyresis

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah

On our journey to Vallalava, we would encounter a small group of malkikai ships, the plumes of black smoke billowing from their exhausts visible before the ships themselves.  With our vessel now on alert, we prepared ourselves for trouble, for there was only one group who would dare use such forbidden technology, the Ketzeryn, those who would dare to defy the Church of Phyresis.  I had not had an opportunity to speak to any of their members myself, and know only that they inhabit several islands and have holdings of their own upon them, outside of the influence of the Church. 

Though most often they stay to the seas, for that is where they find their forbidden weapons and technology, their members have been known to travel into the lands of Phyresis on occasion, plundering some ruin or another in hopes of finding more of the malkikai.  It is not uncommon belief amongst those faithful to Phyresis that the Ketzeryn are responsible for ending the Tranquilities and reawakening the Transgressor and bringing further sorrow unto the world.  And yet, that belief, in my opinion, is flawed, for they suffer the wrath of the Transgressor just as often as anyone else, and yet if their sins are so great in the eyes of Phyresis, then why have they not been wiped from Helica already?  Surely it would not be difficult for the Wicked One to perform such a feat?

The Ketzeryn ships turned generally toward us, but as they neared, only one ship approached closer, the others holding a good distance away.  As it neared, this vessel raised a white flag, indicating they wished to parlay.  This sent a ripple of discussion amongst the many faithful of Phyresis, some chomping at the bit to destroy the heathens, quite confident in the powers with their Amaranths.  Others, the crew of the ship, myself, and a few other travelers and merchants, advised caution, however, as they numbered nearly a dozen vessels to our one, and theirs were armed with forbidden weaponry.  It could turn disastrous for us quite quickly.

Luckly, cooler heads prevailed, and there was a peaceful meeting with the Ketzeryn.  As we would learn, they were fleeing a recent attack from the Transgressor, who had destroyed one of their island bases when it had suddenly surfaced nearby, and that they were only a day’s journey from their last sighting of the Wicked One; it was simply a warning that we should be careful, and that they bore us no hostile intentions.  I would say the Ketzeryn acted quite reasonably during this meeting, and though they were just as alert as we were for an attack, they made no hostile moves.

I will note that I was rather disgusted by the response from many of the Phyresians to this news, for they were practically cheering such destruction of their enemies.  Were these not human lives too? Was there not enough suffering in the world without conflicting ideology stoking the fires of hatred? 

Our vessel moved on without incident, their fleet hanging back and continuing to the east as we continued roughly northwest.  Perhaps one day I will have the opportunity to travel amongst the Ketzeryn and learn more of their ways, but that would not be this day.  My own training would continue, and the island of Vallalava and the Amaranth Cinza awaited us.

#Lore24 – Entry #224 – Helica Month #12 – To Become a Tamer

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah

The rest of the days we spent upon Ukejama were mostly uneventful, thankfully, though the seas about the island remained more dangerous than a handful of weeks ago thanks to the influence of the Transgressor.  There was not a fishing boat that went out alone and without armaments.

As we awaited our summoner’s chance to prove himself, I formally took Zubayr’s collar and became an apprentice Tamer and began learning the art of bending the elements to my will.  There was no particular ceremony involved, as he simply placed the enchanted leather about my neck, and began my training with the fine art of sensing the raw magical power that I would learn to wield.  This started by depriving me of my sight and other senses as he manipulated those elements around me.  As I was no stranger to long hours of intense focus, I developed this skill within a day. 

Each element has a particular feel to it, as one would expect.  I suppose I would describe them thusly, though the full description would take much longer to describe:  Fire is chaotic and discernably hot, air ephemeral and with a kind of rushing sensation, earth is weighty and course and unyielding, and water is cool with an underlying weightiness that gives you a sensation of being swept away. 

If I struggled at all with this exercise, it was in sensing the fifth element, which I had not previously experienced.  Zubayr told me he was using it, and had me probe with my awakening sixth sense to see if I could sense it.  At first I did not, but then I became aware of the curious presence of this element, this Void that underlay all other elements.  It is a sensation of negativity, I suppose would be one way to describe it, of darkness and nothingness.  This is the most difficult of the elements to master, as it can be used to debilitate enemies, draining their very essence to sap their strength, drain their mana reserves, or to physically crush with the great power of the forces beyond.  Though I could sense this element’s presence, it would yet be some time before he would teach me of it further; for now, being able to realize it was there would be enough.  Once I had learned enough, I would need to claim a stave of my own to help focus my spells, or, preferably, a runic blade as would better augment my existing martial training, combining sword and sorcery.

By the time we would leave Ukejama, I would be able to rapidly sense the invoking of the elements, had begun manipulating them myself with beginner exercises, and Esekia had tamed the Amaranth Makani without incident.  I could only wonder if Makani grew tired of so much sudden attention.  We would depart upon the next stage of the Crusade aboard a vessel filled with other summoners who had passed their first trials, bound for the volcanic island of Vallalava, home of the Amaranth Cinza, though our voyage would not be without its dangers, for the world of Helica possesses dangers other than that of the Transgressor, and for all of our will to work together to stop the Wicked One, the conflicts of personality and ego inherent in the souls of mortals would prove quite troublesome upon this journey.   

#Lore24 – Entry #223 – Helica Month #11 – The Many Amaranths of Helica

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah

Once I had managed to set up my lantern, I began clearing the accumulated dust and dirt of a few hundred years from the walls of the chamber.  Beneath them lay carved murals, most still with their brilliant paints still visible, though many had suffered cracks and collapsed sections due to the shifting of the earth around them.  I had no way of knowing for sure, but I got the sense that these were perhaps ancient even in the heyday of Grad Artanais.

The chamber was generally circular in shape but was composed of twenty-four walls set at slight angles to one another to form the angled circle.  The murals themselves were each about three-feet wide and as tall as the chamber itself, about twelve feet, and covered twenty-two of the walls, the last two being reserved for the entrance I had used, and another which was collapsed after a half-dozen feet. 

The first of the murals I examined were of fantastic creatures at once familiar and strange, bearing features of the wildlife of Helica, but grander, more exotic, and possessed of an intelligent countenance.  It was when I laid my eyes upon the foxlike figure of the Amaranth Glacia within an otherworldly snow-covered forest that I realized what these murals were.  Sure enough, as I progressed, I discovered images of the great birdlike Makani amongst the clouds, Cinza the fire dragon in his volcanic realm, and Kayalik the equine Amaranth of earth in a rocky valley.  Then there was Saghirah in her winged feline form, imperious upon her throne, above her temple in a great desert, and Nur-Atahk, the majestic, winged serpent guardian of the holy city of Tyraguard.  And yet, that was the entirety of the Amaranths I recognized, a mere six of the twenty-two! 

What were the names of these other Amaranths, and why were they not revered to this day?  Why were some of them more human in appearance than others?  Were they perhaps no longer living or unable to exist upon Helica?  Had they been destroyed at some time during the past, perhaps during the first battles with the Transgressor?  Had these Amaranths been forgotten to time?  Or had the church tried to hide their existence like they had attempted with Saghirah?  Had they too had representations in the temple complex in Grad Artanais that had been buried and lost?  So many questions flooded through my mind then.  This had to have been what Saghirah had wanted me to learn on Ukejama!

Though I didn’t have names to go along with most, I hastily began sketching the murals to the best of may abilities, making sure to include as much detail as I could manage, especially the symbols and ancient lettering I was not familiar with, for I would surely be using these as a guide for my future research.  There was so much yet to learn, so much that had been lost of Helica’s history that I may never know, but Saghirah willing, with her blessing, maybe I will uncover those lost truths, or at least, the most important of those truths.

#Lore24 – Entry #222 – Helica Month #10 – Upon Ukejama Island

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah

Though I have never been to Ukejama Island previously, I was aware through my research that there were ruins from the same age as the holy city of Grad Artanais dotting the jungles of the island, though there was little information on what they may have once contained, to the point that I seriously doubted they had ever been seriously explored. 

We arrived mostly intact from our journey through the demon-infested seas, the frequency of attacks lessening as we got further from San Granalle where the Transgressor first appeared.  So, when we arrived at Ukejama, we found the locals on alert, their fishing fleets staying closer to the island itself, but for the most part, life hadn’t changed in this distant place.  The villagers were hungry for news of what had happened, and their were plenty of others aboard, seeking to have their chance to become full-fledged summoners, who were eager to tell them all of what had occurred. 

Ascending the holy mountain to the temple of the Amaranth Makani was a challenge for Esekia and Zubayr, the first having lived an easy life in the temples of the capitol city Tyraguard, and the second having not been on a serious adventure for some time.  For the Stalker and myself the ascent was enough to get the blood flowing, and paled in comparison to my journeys across the sacred peaks of Temismere. 

As it would turn out, we had little to worry about in terms of guarding our charge during this time, for the many would-be summoners who sought to tame the Amaranth meant that we would have to wait our turn, which gave me a chance to explore the ruins for myself.  Though of the same vintage as the city of Grad Artanais, the ruins hidden within the jungles were of a different civilization, one that was not immediately recognizable, and likely lost, the stone structures mostly overgrown or buried by what I could assume were massive upheavals of the land itself, perhaps during the first coming of the Transgressor when the world had first fallen under its terrible influence.  Unfortunately, I would be unable to immediately find signs of a shrine to Saghirah, for I could find no access beyond perhaps a hundred feet into the structures, so bad was the collapse.

I was about to call my explorations finished when I found a hidden pathway amongst the last of the ruins I could find, the place partially flooded due to its proximity to the sea.  The passage was treacherous to say the least, for I feared a collapse at any moment, but I could not leave it unexplored.  My perseverance was worth it, though, for I came to a mostly intact chamber which contained signs that it had once been related to the Amaranths, perhaps once maintained by the priests and priestesses who once served them.  Here, I would learn much.

#Lore24 – Entry #221 – Helica Month #9 – Taming the Five Elements

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah

During the long days in which we traversed the sea from the mainland toward Ukejama, I would have several conversations with the Tamer known as Zubayr.  His kind are known as masters of black magic, the destructive and debilitating side of magic, opposing the restorative and enhancing side that is white magic.  I knew something of his order before, of course, the Order of the Tamers of the Five Elements, but now that we had joined together in a common goal, I was able to glean more information about them and magic in general, however difficult it was.  Zubayr isn’t especially talkative, preferring to remain in his cabin for the most part, pondering the mysteries of the cosmos as it were.

Though the common practice of using black magic involves the casting of “spells” that are well known amongst its practitioners, such as hurling balls of fire or creating fissures in the earth to crush enemies, the art is actually much more involved and considerably more difficult because of the mental focus.  They are called “Tamers” for a reason:  they are literally willing the raw magical essence and the very elemental makeup of the world to bend to their will, and it is the words of power that are spoken with these spells that help to maintain that focus.  It is conceivable that other “spells” could be performed, or certain effects combined, but this is exceedingly difficult for even masters of the order, and thus why the common spells have become thus. 

It is similar for those who practice white magic, in that intense focus is required and their focus involves “prayer” instead of the arcane spell words, though instead of taming elements, they are calling forth the power of the One True God.  Though I could not get him to tell me more, Zubayr hinted that there may be other sources for such powers.  I wonder if perhaps he means the Amaranths?  Were they not worshipped as divine beings in the times before the Transgressor and Phyresis? 

It is possible to use elemental magic to some extent without using power words, usually during the early training of a Tamer, when they are just learning to sense the elements and to manipulate them.  However, to be effective tools against the demons and the spawn of the Transgressor, the additional focus from using the words, and through channeling that power through a stave, turn these effects into truly devastating weapons. 

I would also learn from Zubayr that I possessed some potential for learning to tame the elements.  It was on the second leg of our journey, on the way to the volcanic island of Vallalava, after we had to assist in repelling some of the Transgressor’s spawn from the ship that he first sensed it within me.  It is barely enough to be classified as a potential student, he said, but it is there, and curiously, he didn’t recognize it when we first met.  He told me that it is not unheard of for such a thing to happen, either someone’s potential awakens later in life, or perhaps being around demons and the spawn of the Wicked One as much as I have, has changed me in some way. 

Or perhaps it is a side effect of the blessing bestowed upon me by Saghirah?  If it is true that the Amaranths can grant the same powers of white magic as that of the One True God, then perhaps she has awakened this growing potential within me?  I will have to ponder this more as we travel.  I feel that I must submit myself to Zubayr’s instruction and don his collar as his apprentice now that he has made the offer.  We will need all the help we can get on this crusade, and I can only imagine such knowledge will benefit me in the future.

#Lore24 – Entry #220 – Helica Month #8 – Beasts of Battle and Burden

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah

This would be my first time traveling closely with one of the Beasts, and would afford me some time to study them closely, for their nature was rather mysterious as of yet, for in spite of their prevalence upon those lands held by the Church of Phyresis, Beasts have only been in existence for perhaps fifty or sixty years.  They are called Beasts as a way to dehumanize them, for they are inherently human, though upon looking at them, one would perhaps not believe it.  The “Beasts” have had their humanity further stripped away by covering them in some kind of magical material akin to thick rubber, the process known only to the Phyresians of high rank.  To make one a Beast is to punish them for the sin of defying the Church, using forbidden machines, or otherwise displeasing those of great standing, and their entire existence becomes devoted to serving the Church and its machinations, no matter how much they may disagree with it.

Perhaps to become a Beast is a fate which awaits me, should my delving into the forbidden lore of Saghirah be revealed?

There are different “breeds” of Beasts, each with unique appearances and purposes, and I suspect that one’s breed is determined by their skills possessed in their previous lives, before they committed some great sin against the Church.  All breeds appear as humanoid animals of some type.  The Stalker breed is commonly seen traveling alongside a summoner with whom they are bonded, leashed via magic, as it were.  They appear as large humanoid wolves with varying features, though I know not how these features are determined, for while they share certain characteristics, each has unique markings and colorations.  In the case of the Stalker breed, they are skilled hunters and combatants, allowed to bear weapons in the defense of their bonded summoner, their senses keen to spotting demons and spawn of the Transgressor. 

Other Breeds include the Warrior breed, reserved for the largest and most powerful of Beasts, and usually reserved as part of the guardian forces accompanying the highest-ranking members of the Church, or for front line duty in battles the Church engages in, and have appearances not unlike that of the mythical dragons.  The Workhorse breed is used as general laborers, for mining, and now propelling larger ships by having teams of them running on large wheels to power the paddlewheels and have the rather unsurprising appearance of large horses.  The Sprinter breed, used to relay messages quickly in or between cities, or sometimes to power smaller ships when speed is required, appear too as some breed of hare, smaller and more delicate in appearance than their brethren, but unnaturally fast when they run, as the name suggests.  Lastly is the Servant breed, and perhaps these are the most common, appearing as felines, and are used as domestic labor, handling food preparation, cleaning, tending to the many temples of Phyresis, and similar such duties.

All Beasts, being the shunned of society, at least in my experience thus far, are never referred to by name, only as their Breed.  Though of different size and form, each is likewise equipped with a stout collar about their necks and matching shackles upon their wrists and ankles, each enchanted in some way to maintain their bestial appearance and mobile prisons, though each set is composed of a metal that may be silver or platinum.  In the case of the Warrior and Stalker breeds, these are much larger and serve as additional armor.  The magical bond with their summoner gives them an uncanny sense of where that summoner is at all times, and alerts them to any dangers the summoner may suddenly find themselves facing, should they, for whatever reason, not be close to them, and also allows the summoner to call them or give them instructions at a distance. 

I have perhaps gone on too long about the Beasts for now, but to be so close to one now, I find them at once fascinating and disturbing.  Surely so many people could not be unfaithful to the Church or have wronged it so grievously as to be made into Beasts as this?  Perhaps they are composed of conquered people from outside the Phyresisian faith, from those “barbarians” who live in the dangerous lands beyond those protected by the Church?  They do exist, as much as the Church perhaps does not wish to admit it, but that is something for another time.

#Lore24 – Entry #219 – Helica Month #7 – A Summoner’s Duty

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah

I spent several days in the destroyed city of San Granalle, helping as I could with defending it from the many spawn of the Transgressor that still roamed after the monster’s departure, and aiding the survivors with picking up what pieces they could.  Grim days indeed, but so is the way of the Transgressor…the monster thrives on death and suffering, after all.  Though I wanted to reach Ukejama with utmost haste, I knew that I had no need for such urgency; my greater work now would come as it would in time.

With the destruction of San Granalle came a new wave of prayer and devotion to the Church of Phyresis, for those who lacked faith suddenly found it, having witnessed the mercy of the Church with tending to the fallout from the destruction, and in the power of its summoners, who called forth the Amaranths to drive the Transgressor away, Saghirah notably excluded.  I suspect, however, that it was more a matter of the beast requiring time to regain its power, rather than the power of the summoners, that was ultimately responsible for its departure.  The details I’d already learned from Saghirah’s first scroll would seem to support this theory.

Many new, potential summoners would also make their appearance following this tragedy, young acolytes of the faith eager to prove themselves and earn eternal glory as one who would bring another Tranquility.  Most would never reach the end of the long journey they must endure, the many trials of breaking the Amaranths to their will, but perhaps amongst them there would be the one.  It was with one of these youths that I took up with as they took up their journey, deciding to begin with the Amaranth known as Makani, housed upon the distant island of Ukejama. 

Though I possessed no special sense of his destiny, Esekia seemed more humble than most who would seek to become a summoner, and though strong in the faith of Phyresis, our conversations during our work in San Granalle led me to believe that he was not entirely closeminded, and may be willing to consider truths that had been hidden.  Time would certainly tell, but for now, journeying to Ukejama with others was a welcome change to the many weeks and months I spent alone chasing Saghirah’s secrets.  I would serve in a guardian role, and something of a mentor to him in the ways of the world, for I had traveled most of it.  He was likewise accompanied by a bonded Beast of the Stalker Breed, in servitude to the church for sins that I would not know until later, and a Tamer of Elements called Zubayr, who was well versed in the black magics. 

And so, with the next ship bound southward, we departed San Granalle upon dangerous waters, for the coming of the Transgressor had stirred up the demons across the entire world.

#Lore24 – Entry #218 – Helica Month #6 – The Terror of the Transgressor

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah

Perhaps it was some cruel twist of fate that the Tranquility would end in the weeks it took me to journey from sacred Temismere Peak through to the grand port city of San Granalle, or perhaps it was some quirk of Saghirah’s will that the timing worked out in such a way.  The Amaranth had been silent since the vision in which I had stood atop her temple, but had remained ever-present, her eye upon me.  I had spent much of my journey in contemplation over what I had learned, and as I neared San Granalle, coming down the Granalle Road from the Kinarrora Highlands to the north of the city, I bore witness to the fearsome form of the Transgressor rising from the depths of the sea, the monstrous form bathed in the bloody red light of the setting sun. 

Terror filled me in that moment, for I and the others in the group I had taken up with on the outskirts of the holy city of Tyraguard were in no way prepared for what we would witness.  With a roar mighty enough to shake our bodies even miles away, the Transgressor tore into San Granalle with a terrible fury.  I simply cannot find the words to describe the shear destructive power of the Transgressor we witnessed that evening, the bloody light of the setting sun soon replaced by the light of hundreds of fires burning across the remains of San Granalle. 

The thought did enter my head as I witnessed the destruction of the Battleball arena that Saghirah had perhaps been wrong in her vision to me, for how could the Angel appear in the destroyed arena?  But then I remembered the blessing she had bestowed upon me, her revelation that my work would take many lifetimes.  How much more of the Transgressor’s destruction would I be forced to witness?  How many Tranquilities would I experience, and how many would I witness shattered with the coming of the Wicked One before the Angel came?

Could a mere mortal mind such as mine even fathom such a terrible fate without breaking?

I honestly do not have an answer to that question.