Wounding of the Wheel
True to her promise, Stepasha, the Dame of Destruction, returned to attack the Glomdoring Forest. For more than a day the deathwatch beetles within the forest have clicked and chimed their eerie song, anxiously skittering amongst the trees. Soon the very Voice of Mahalla wailed and shrieked, the mournful tones of her song filling the Glomdoring with a dread cadence as the attack drew nearer and nearer. And then she came.
Legions of one-eyed crimson dominators poured into the forest as the Wheel of the Goloths spinned above, twisting ominously as Stepasha paced the skies with even, patient passes. Rowena Nightshade joined the Queen of the Night, Celina Nightshade, briefly fighting side-by-side until separated by the enemies spilling into their mutual homeland, while Brennan Stormcrow stood guard over the Master Ravenwood alongside his Great Spirit, Crow. Growing impatient, Stepasha began to hack waves of black energy into the forest, hacking apart trees, defenders and raiders alike. It was then Brennan could wait no more, and took to the skies as a mangy crow.
Calling out to the great Murder of the Glomdoring, Brennan Stormcrow drew forth the entirety of the forest’s crows, leading them in a frenzied attack on the Time Dame that had come to claim the spirit and undead of their home. Though they made progress, it was quickly halted as she blasted apart waves of her attackers, drenching the Glomdoring Forest in a downpour of dead and butchered crows. This did not stop Brennan, however, who continued his attack. Nearly captured by Stepasha, Brennan called out, and Crow himself joined the attack – raining black shadows of crows upon the attacker and eventually raking her with talons and beak, Spirit Crow fought for both his home and his most prized druid. It all played into Stepasha’s hands, however, as she grabbed hold of Crow’s wing and clutched him against her breath. Frenzied and panicked, Crow and Brennan clawed and bit as he attempted to escape, but to no success. As the Wheel of Goloths drew closer, Brennan returned to his undead elfen form, biting and clawing with rotten teeth and skeletal fingers, shrieking and howling in wordless fear and anger.
It was of no use, however. The Wheel drew close, and Brennan and Crow were quickly drawn in with Stepasha, Dame of Destruction. Drifting away, the Wheel headed north as Rowena Nightshade was heard shouting and yelling, cursing that which lied within Glomdoring and demanding action. And action came. Shaking the earth and trees as it drew itself from its hole, the great Ebonglom Wyrdling took wing for the first time in centuries, skating across the skies to attack the Wheel of Goloths high above the Balach Swamp. Bashing it numerous times, the Wyrdling soon came to wrap itself about the Wheel of Goloths, constricting tightly. Temporal energies washed out across the Ebonglom Wyrdling and the skies around him, distorting all within their grasp as parts shifted through time, rapidly shifting from ancient to young, Wyrdling to part-furrikin. With a howl the Wyrdling released the Wheel of the Goloths, returning to battering it bodily. Soon the Wheel began to crack – a small sliver, a small slice of nothingness – and it was all that was needed. Shadows converged upon the Wheel of the Goloths as dusk changed to night, the form of Rowena Nightshade appearing atop the Wheel. Yanking at the crack she widened it enough to draw forth Crow and Brennan, though the latter after a long moment of consideration. Such was not without cost – for Rowena herself was nearly lost in the process, the hand of Stepasha grasping ahold of her, attempting to draw the ancient wicca into the Wheel, her previous prey now lost.
It was then that day fully surrendered to Night, and She was greatly displeased. Black lightning coursed across the sky, battering the Wheel of the Goloths and slamming it into the Balach Swamp, Rowena escaping in the moment of frenzied panic and fear.
Now in the Balach Swamp does the Wheel of the Goloths, slowly spinning, gaining in increments as its crack begins to knit together, shrink and heal. For how long it shall lie in the swamp is unknown, though Stepasha’s threat of return, to bring destruction to all of the Basin of Life, did not go without notice.
