Lanterns trailed through the sky, vessels of prayer set aloft as mortals
gathered to see the ritual completed. It was not long, however, before
the memories of the aslaran turned from hope to fear, as a deep, dark
presence began to make itself known once more. The flames of the
lanterns quickly died, replaced by a sickly odour that creeped through
the sky above the Razines, leaving no time for celebration. A dark,
permeating voice broke the silence that befell the Basin as mortals
turned their attention to the heavens above, "Victory is mine, food,"
the presence spoke. Stirred by this mysterious being, the Elders began
to appear from the Havens, Mysrai being the first to make Their presence
known. Numerous Elders followed suit, but it was Drocilla who first
showed Herself to the creature that lurked.

As more Elders appeared, the beast began to shrink back, shrinking away
from Their presence, but its identity would not remain secret for long,
for Estarra called upon the Elders to name the creature that crawled
through the sky. Mysrai, gazing through the many paradigms that were,
are, and could be, was the first to sense what this thing really was,
and They called upon Drocilla to name the foul creature. Sharing a bond
from long ago, Drocilla stepped forward and named the Soulless
abomination to be Nemach, the lesser Soulless that the Traitors had once
used to create the very elixir from which She drank.

Nemach quickly sought an ally in Drocilla, but She repelled His unwanted
advances, and it wasn't long before Yomoigu interrupted the affair,
alerting Estarra and all present to a prison inside of which the lesser
Soulless could be held. Estarra came forth from within the Havens and
ripped the beast apart, but Nemach was too strong, forming instead a
mass of writhing tendrils that quickly launched towards Drocilla.

As a surprise to all, the tendrils began to split off, making their ways
towards the cities and forests as mortals prepared to fight off the
Soulless creatures. It wasn't long before a mass of tendrils reached
Celest, the City of Light, where Darvellan sprung to their defence. The
Navigator plucked the stars from the mist surrounding Him and launched
them at the creature, sending Him flailing away as they burned into His
flesh. Glomdoring was the next target for the Soulless beast, who
thrashed through the forest with ease. As He approached the Master
Ravenwood, the forest responded with an attack, and Viravain appeared
from within the very soil that lie beneath it, the Wyrd stirred to life
by Her presence. The Goddess and the Glomdoring fought together and the
abomination was quickly destroyed, His very essence raining down upon
the forest, feeding it as the Wyrd began to repair.

Suddenly, a hypnotic song rang through the sky, echoing away from the
city Magnagora as Drocilla appeared within the sky once more. Reminded
of His initial purpose, Nemach turned course once more, lashing out at
the Tainted city as Drocilla continued to sing. Soothing notes turned to
shrieks as the Songstress lashed out at the tendrils, sending a wave of
dissonant melodies towards the creature. Magnagora shook as the
Enchantress made one final strike at the beast, sending it flying
towards the east, the Goddess trailing behind it before disappearing
from mortal perception.

Lacking a target, one of the tendrils turned away from the battle and
writhed its way towards Gaudiguch, where it was met by both Crumkane and
Mysrai. The two Elders worked hand in hand, launching projectiles at the
beast. The tendril returned with a surge of energy, lashing out at the
Divine, sending Crumkane flying and Mysrai without Their shield. The two
Elders quickly recovered, returning with a barrage of attacks which sent
the tendril crashing down into the mountains, defeated. Still sensing
possible routes of victory, two more tendrils broke out, the first
heading towards the city of Hallifax. Jadice rose to the city's defence,
repelling the beast with a barrage of ice and crystal which tore the
creature apart, sending bits and pieces flying through the air.
Recovered from the drain that protecting Nature inflicted Her with,
Lisaera appeared to drive away the final tendril from the Serenwilde,
calling upon the power of Mother Moon to aide Her. Silvery light formed
a bow within the Goddess's hands, and She launched a barrage of pure
moonlight at the abomination, penetrating His flesh and sending His
lifeless form to the ground below.

Complications soon arose as Yomoigu returned with His prison, the
creation meant to house the lesser Soulless in their whole form. Calling
upon the mortals of the Basin, Yomoigu asked them to defeat the
remaining pieces of the Soulless God Nemach and to return the corpses to
Him atop Avechna's Peak. Mortals took to the highways and mountains,
hunting down the remains of Nemach that spread across the Basin much
like the fungus that preceded Him. Blackcaps and rotmongers appeared in
droves, yet the mortals quickly disposed of the rest of the Soulless
abominations, returning them piece by piece to Yomoigu's prison.

Unbeknownst to both him and the Elders, Leolamins would be the one to
place the final piece in the prison, which sealed itself around the
Soulless presence. Yomoigu secreted away the Prison, charged with its
protection so that its prisoner may never harm Creation once more.

Alas, victory did not come with a price. Nemach was able to fuse Himself
with Nature, and in the purging of His essence, the Seal of Nature was
weakened. Sensing the presence of Kethuru seeping in through the cracks,
Estarra the Eternal took to the skies, once more calling forth an
Ascension to repair the Seals and return the Almighty Kethuru back to
the Astral Plane.

And thus, the Nine Challenges will once again be initiated to find which
mortal will ascend and save creation from destruction for yet another
generation.

Penned by My hand on the 1st of Urlachmar, in the year 402 CE.