Juliary, 171CE brought a sudden increase in the voice of the undead
White Priestess, singing her note of the Song of Creation and causing it
to reverberate across the Basin of Life. Having been alive for many
years, she had had all the time she needed to absorb power from those
wandering the mountains, storing it for her own empowerment. Biding her
time, she sat until she held enough energy to threaten the cosmic planes
of Celestia and Nil, seeking to bring about the restoration of Shallamar
as she saw it - beauty, and nothing else.

Gorgeous undead women descended on the Basin, frenzied and seeking to do
nothing more than kill those that threatened Marani or attempted to
impede her progress. Amidst the confusion caused by the beautiful
undead, Marani visited both of the cities, speaking dark and
incomprehensible phrases and touching the Nexuses, penetrating the
planes and infiltrating the respective cosmic realms. Marani returned to
the Shallamurine Cathedral and many mortals of Lusternia decided that
she had been allowed to live for too long. Gathering a group consisting
of people from all walks of the Basin, many headed to confront her.
Attacking violently, Marani Veloske laughed bitterly as she shrugged off
all magic and swords, and returned with her own. The siege looking to
bring her downfall soon lay dead at her feet, souls ripped mercilessly
from their bodies.

Many then returned to their respective organizations, licking their
wounds and sorely discussing their own mistake of letting her fester in
undeath too long. A month passed, and many waves of undead beauties
surged over the mountains and throughout the communities, slaughtering
many. As all seemed to calm down, Celestines and Nihilists alike were
rocked to the core as Elohora and Luciphage began to fall to the forces
of Marani Veloske, undead beauties swarming the cities and pushing
through the Nexuses to the cosmic planes. Many came to visit the
half-formed beings, and equally as many were cut down by the guardians
who had taken to standing beside them. A few who were lucky to pass by
at opportune moments were able to hear the beauties whispering into the
ears of the Lord and Lady.

Seeking the aid of the other four Supernals, many Celestines sought them
out and spoke with them, looking to gather any information they could.
After much deliberation, they decided to head to the Shallamurine
Cathedral and look around. Questioning the five priestesses within, they
struggled for days to dislodge any helpful facts. Their work did not
prove fruitless, and they eventually discovered a luminescent scroll
hidden in the bookcases of the Cathedral. Taking it to their resident
Cantor, she touched the scroll and cringed as her mind was flooded with
images of ornaments and wavering pictures of where they lay, hidden. To
the dismay of Celest, many rested within the guildhalls of other Bardic
guilds - they could not act alone. Using the information gathered thus
far, and accepting help from Magnagora to find the others, they managed
to release the ornament that was out of phase beside Rhapsody. Seeking
out the Spiritsingers Amavan and Lendren, they also recovered the
out-of-phase item beside Trialante, though Serenwilde clung tightly to
it.

Excited, they moved onwards to the Cathedral and sought to dislodge the
trinket hidden within. As they worked tirelessly, Magnagora arrived and
a brief spat ensued. Eventually dying down, they began to work together,
and Kalas Sferys and the others of the Engine of Transformation soon
located the spot where the ornament lay. Calling Celest, Relina sung the
phrases she knew and the small orb was released. A young Paladin picked
it up, and Celest sought to leave quickly. Daevos, backed by mages and
priests of Earth and Nil, spread out to slaughter those who ran after
receiving their help, and the scroll and trinkets fell into the hands of
the Taint. Aois-Dana Mire, of the Cacophony, spoke the phrases she knew,
and Jagrerox was relieved of his 'itch' as another ornament fell to the
ground. Last to be released was Mahalla, who conceded to allowing those
of Glomdoring to enter the Harbingers guildhall and recover the trinket,
deed accomplished by Xenthos.

With all five orbs uncovered, the Basin of Life was at a loss of what to
do. Possession of the items was split between all four organizations,
and none seemed to wish to concede theirs to another. The platinum
objects, however, did not seem to consent to being passed around
willy-nilly, and often summoned undead beauties to them in the hopes
they could be recovered. None proved successful. It was the Cacophonist
Mire who took the next step, heading to the Cathedral with her orbs and
managing to seal them around Marani Veloske with the phrases they had
heard. Bargaining ensued with the other communities, not least with
Glomdoring who clung as tightly to their orb as they do their wyrden
boughs. As the tempo increased, Marani became increasingly irritated
with how much she was being disturbed, and began to forcefully remove
those who desecrated her Cathedral. Still, the persistence of the Bards
was not to be dismissed, and all five ornaments were sealed and turned
against her.

Marani was shook by a sudden disruption in the focus of her power, and
her aura destabilized and faded. Unphased, Marani shouted that she
intended to continue until death with her plans. However, this is
precisely what occurred. People from all four organizations grouped
together and fought a hard battle with the undead White Priestess.
Though they sustained casualties, the battle ended with death on the
side of Marani Veloske, and the Basin of Life was once more silent as
the note of the Song of Creation faded from hearing.

Yet one question remains for Lusternia to contemplate - will Marani
Veloske rise again to threaten the cosmic planes, revived and able to
continue her plans to restore naught but shallow beauty to the First
World?


Penned by My hand on the 17th of Urlachmar, in the year 172 CE.