One day, the Glomdoring forest received a strange visitor, an illithoid
scavenger of few words who asked insistently for help from Glomdoring to
retrieve braineater parasites. The Glomdoring commune complied
cautiously, though their unanswered questions increased slowly as to the
purposes of the tight-lipped illithoid, who crouched in the shadows of
the Nekotai guildhall.

At the same time, messengers from the Skarch nomad camp and the mesa
compound began seeking help for their new 'research' from the cities and
communes. Teaka Iborchi, normally a breeder of wakabis, took up a new
project to breed a 'psionic digger', sending helpers all over the Basin
to retrieve animals for her hybrid creation. Raa Mooneye, head librarian
of the mesa researchers, was found to be building a large crystal of
psionic potency, asking for a supply of sandojins as his source of
crystals. Although those who helped them suspected some deeper purpose
than just 'research', neither Teaka nor Raa were willing to reveal their
purposes. However, with the help of many on Teaka's part and mainly
Nariah on Raa's part, both projects were completed, though Teaka refused
to show off her new creature, and the crystal was shrouded in secrecy.

Many days passed then without incidence, punctuated only by the
illithoid's occasional demands for braineaters in Glomdoring. Yet
slowly, some began to sense that something was wrong, as Teaka
disappeared from her usual place, and both dracnari and lucidians in the
Skarch began heading off to parts unknown. Eventually, Magnagorans
investigating the Skarch desert came upon strange sandworms lurking in
dunes, attacking anyone unlucky enough to walk near them. At the same
time, psionic disturbances began spreading across the Basin of Life,
unknown in origin and mysteriously sporadic.

The illithoid visitor in Glomdoring became agitated at the occurance of
the psionic anomalies, and insistently demanded more braineaters, but
refused to speak of the purpose of such demands. Madam Yoraghu of the
Nekotai, though formerly supportive of the visitor's requests, also
became restless and unwilling, as confused Glomdorians witnessed several
unspoken arguments between her and the visitor. An envoy from Glomdoring
and Magnagora to High Ritualist Cthoglogg in the Undervault revealed few
answers, except some vague words about a treaty and a promise.

As the days passed, more and more psionic disturbances swept across the
Basin of Life, coupled by the appearance of more sandworms that ravaged
unlucky travellers in the Skarch desert. Teaka Iborchi finally returned
to the nomad camp, and through her distressed mumblings, it was revealed
that the sandworms were the very creatures that she had bred as psionic
diggers, though she refused to speak of how she lost control over them.
Indistinct shouts across the Basin began to precede the psionic
disturbances, mumbled by an illithoid cenobite named Mmakigogotl, the
existance of whom neither Yoraghu nor the illithoid visitor to
Glomdoring were willing to explain.

Finally, a shattering psionic wave swept over the Basin of Life,
accompanied by an ear-splitting scream by the mysterious Mmakigogotl
that echoed across the skies. Ascertaining that the scream originated
from regions near the Skarch, people from all over the Basin rushed to
the Skarch desert, trying to find out what is happening.

In Glomdoring, a solemn Madame Yoraghu reminded the Nekotai that their
fighting arts were not illithoid in origin, and confided that the real
origin of their skills, with whom the illithoid struck a treaty, was now
in trouble, because the master cenobite sent to help them - Mmagkigogotl
- had finally failed in his efforts due to psionic attacks upon his
mind.

As the confusion mounted on all sides, more strange creatures appeared
in the Skarch desert, savage dhakoku and crystalline lopaqu that
congregated in droves and slew any that crossed their path. Those who
studied the creatures in detail noticed the similarities between the
dhakoku and the dracnari, and the lopaqu and the lucidians, yet those
remaining in the nomad camp and the mesa compound refused to speak of
what happened.

However, Ecclesiar Steingrim of the Celestines took matters into his own
hands and researched the histories of Old Celest, discovering an account
of an ancient Scorpion cult that the city had tried to wipe out,
apparently from the regions of the Skarch desert.

Soon enough, the distressed people of the nomad camp and the mesa
compound came separately to the cities and communes, finally willing to
talk. Both sides explained that their competing 'research' projects had
been used to break a strong psionic shield, and that although the mesa's
crystal shattered and the nomads' sandworms were driven insane by the
effort, each side was finally were able to enter into some caverns
beyond the broken shield, where to their consternation, they encountered
dracnari and lucidians worshipping something called the Scorpion.
Enraged at what this abomination, both groups attacked the Scorpion's
followers, only to be cursed powerfully, and turned into the dhakoku and
the lopaqu.

The nomads and the mesa lucidians pointed those interested to the
location of the caverns, south of the Skarch and near the Scorpion's
Tail Mountains, beseeching for a way to end the terrible curse of the
Scorpion. At the same time, Madame Yoraghu of the Nekotai called the
people of Glomdoring together and led them to the Skarch, explaining
that the time has now come to honour their obligation to protect the
Scorpion's people from harm, as they were those who had first taught the
illithoid the arts of Nekotai in return for a shield that hid them from
detection until now.

To the great surprise of both the communes, they disovered in caverns a
people loyal to a Great Collective Spirit named Grandmother Scorpion,
who also had deep ties to the Vernal Goddess Tzaraziko, whose Hand was
used to channel the Scorpion's curse. Though Serenwilde had misgivings
over this people's alliance with the illithoid, they and a few from
Glomdoring and Celest nevertheless tried to help the Scorpion followers
to regain their connection with the Scorpion Spirit, as that was the
only way to find out how the curse on the Skarch peoples could be
lifted.

In the end, it was Aramel Talnara who helped awaken the four old
manifestations of Scorpion, and with the aid of the Scorpion Staff
retrieved by Regent Kinson of the Serenwilde, established contact with
Grandmother Scorpion. The Scorpion Spirit agreed to lift the curse upon
the nomad camp and mesa compound on the condition that they never to
step foot in the Scorpion Caverns again. Left with no choice, both the
peoples agreed, and so the curse faded over the Skarch desert, and the
Scorpion's people had their wish of being left alone.

Questions nevertheless echo in the minds of those who encountered the
strange happening of the past few months. Who exactly is the Scorpion
Spirit? Why do her followers wish so much to be left alone? And why
would a Nature Spirit ally with the shards of a Soulless being?

Penned by My hand on the 16th of Vestian, in the year 213 CE.