One by one, the Gods sensed something was about to arrive. The
Transcendantal Fulcrux flared and Charune, the Horned One appeared above
Avechna's Peak, ignoring His delighted followers and asking to see
Lisaera so He could give Her a gift. As the two Elder Gods met beneath
the branches of the Serenwilde Forest, Charune presented what He claimed
was an amulet crafted by Elfenehoala long ago. Taking the amulet in Her
hands, the Serenwilders watching the gift-giving were stunned as the
amulet ruptured into a white mist and encased Lisaera in a solid crystal
as the Horned One mysteriously disappeared.

After the brute force of the Gods failed to shatter Lisaera's
crystalline prison, the ingenuity of Lusternians came to the fore as the
voices of the Spiritsingers and the Voice of Trialante raised in song to
attempt to shatter the prison from within. Their voices were not strong
enough, but their plan was sound and so crystal grodaks from Xion were
brought to the Moon Avatar Albion, the First of the Crones, by Ser
Shuyin, Sarrasri Talnara, and Harkux Mes'ard, and Albion transformed
them into multi-faceted crystals which glowed with an inner light. While
the crystals gathered helped amplify the noise, it was still not enough.
Wandering bards were gathered to help in the effort, and with their
assistance, the crystal was no longer able to hold Lisaera within. The
crystal prison shattered, leaving only jagged remnants of its former
state. Lisaera emerged unharmed by the shattering but left in an
extremely weak condition.

Days after Lisaera was freed, a strange noise was heard from the depths
of both the Sea of Despair and the Inner Sea. Curious adventurers
arrived to find the bottoms of the two great seas swarming with
quinotaurs, creatures that look like bulls made for the water. The
quinotaurs were digging at the ocean's surface, trying desperately to
reach something beneath. Little by little, more quinotaurs came, and
with each batch they grew in strength. A few mounted assaults on the
docks of Magnagora and Celest, but the majority simply dug at the
surface of the ocean and attacked those who dared pass by. The sage
advice of the Sea Hag Lanikai was sought, and while she counseled
against these creatures, Charune's Order received different
instructions: with vibrations of their Hunter's Horns, they were
commanded to dig beneath the waves.

Meanwhile, Maylea, Bloom of Serenity gathered the residents of the
Serenwilde and offered them an idea on locating Charune. She surmised
that the remnants of Lisaera's shattered crystalline prison could hold a
link to finding the Horned One. With crystals in hand, the residents of
the Serenwilde spent days using the crystals to find locations where
Charune had been. Brilliant beams of silver light shot up from the
ground and to where Charune lay hidden, binding Him in a prison of
silver light. The Horned One resisted wildly, but was held fast as
Lisaera approached to present a healing kiss to the ailing God. Wild
beasts cried out in celebration and the wind shook leaves from the trees
as their kiss deepened. Charune then shouted in confusion, unsure of
where he was or what had happened. The two Elder Gods retreated to rest,
leaving mortal onlookers in confusion.

Charune later explained to onlookers in His fulcrux that He had no
memory of what transpired, and the last thing He remembered in the Void
was the strong scent of spices and musk. Sarrasri Talnara, Mistress of
the Hunt, explained what she could about Charune's behavior. Though
Charune did not recall the creation of the quinotaur, they undoubtedly
bore His touch. By Charune's instruction, Sarrasri, Nessa, Xiel, Shuyin,
and Asmodea gathered up ingredients needed for a sand that would cure
the quinotaurs of their aggressive nature and their digging. The sand
was spread throughout the seas, and the quinotaurs rest peacefully now
in the bottom of the Inner Sea.

Questions still remain, even after Charune has regained His senses.
What, or who, was controlling His mind? What beneath the sea was being
dug for? What is the significance of the spices and musk?

Penned by My hand on the 4th of Roarkian, in the year 210 CE.