In the darkness of the copse of trees, held back by his small fire, Fran of the Brightguard wrote in his journal. His armor was beaten and scarred, his sword covered in dried blood, and it was clear he hadn't been getting much sleep, if any. Still, his hand was steady as he wrote in the journal, occasionally glancing out into the darkness, as if waiting for something. 

[i]The servants of the Giggling Holocaust continue grow. You know of the Chaos Knights, Sorcerers, and Dragons, the Barbed Uri, the Dark Cimex, the Iron Legion, and the Dragon Riders that serve him. However, another group has emerged. They are far more subtle than the average servant of Chaos. Three of them were able to sneak into a border fortress and kill twenty Brightguard, a dozen Dragon adepts, a handful of other soldiers, and open the gates for a surprise raiding force. All in one night. They possess dark magics, able to bend shadows to their will, and super heat their blades to cut through any armor. They are not of Chaos, as Kogleri does not harm them. But they do serve our enemy. If you see a being in black armor with a silver mask that has a dash of red beneath it, I beg you, be cautious. 

I suspect that they possess our same body enhancing magic, as they moved far faster than any mortal had a right too. Dancing, for that is the only way to describe their movements, through the chaos of the battle they struck like vipers. I had to admire their precision and speed, striking into a warrior's weak points and then disappearing before their victim could see who this new threat was. Many strong warriors fell to the soldier slaves of Garakai this way, distracted and weakened. They are mortal, however. I managed to trap one in dome of Kogleri, and once I matched my speed to his, it was over. The Kogleri dome eradicated all shadows, and they are not frontline fighters. Be wary, brothers and sisters. And be forever on your guard.[/i]

Fran ripped the page out and quickly buried it in front of a tree, leaving his journal open. With Kogleri, he engraved a symbol into all the nearby trees. There was only a slight difference between the one where the note was located and the others. A difference only a Brightguard would notice.

Fran looked up at the sound of a branch cracking under a foot. Now that he was noticing it, the darkness seemed to be pushing too closely to the fire to be natural. He grabbed his sword, eyes searching the darkness. Kolgeri flared into life around him, creating a protective shield. "You're growing sloppy!" He called out. For several long moments there was silence, and then an assassin stepped out of the darkness. Their glowing blue eyes, a part of the mask Fran suspected, studied him coldly. "I'm growing sloppy because you have no where left to run, little guard. Your energy will give out before long. Come now, face your death with the bravery you claim to have. Give one last charge against evil."

The Brightguard closed his eyes briefly, feeling the exhaustion that had been his constant companion for the past three days flood into him. By the Absent One he was tired. He knew he couldn't keep the shield up for long. That either his energy would give out, or his concentration would, and then the assassin would end his life. Fran muttered a soft prayer, under his breath. "God of Order, long absent from this world, hear my prayer. My homeland is under siege. Good men die by the hundreds, while the Forces of Chaos grow ever stronger. Orbakh is just another plaything for the Giggling Holocaust to ruin and then toss aside. The other Gods have abandoned us. Lord Saurnath no longer heeds his Adept's or his children's cries, and their blood soaks the ground. Silence only greets us when we pray to the others. Arguis cowers in his library. Ferghus huddles in his forge. Escre abandoned us long ago. Vowzra simply disappeared. Astarte is the Consort of Chaos. Vestec is allowed to play his games and cause untold death and devastation unchecked. We need someone to challenge the Chaotic One. Someone to stem the tide of Chaos. Absent One, return, I beg of you."

The Kogleri shield failed, and Fran stood. Before he could attack the assassin in front of him, he felt a brief burning pain in the back of his neck. And then he died. The two Crimson Tears looked at his corpse for a moment, one of them glancing at the journal before tossing it into the fire. As they left, the book was slowly consumed by flames. The Crimson Tear looked back one time, to make sure Fran was truly dead. The only thing that greeted him was the Brightguard's last true journal entry.

[i]Where are all the Gods?[/i]

[b]Meanwhile, with Vestec[/b]

The God of Chaos left Galbar, briefly. He shot into space and then started searching the galaxy. Escre couldn't have gone too far, especially with three Demi-Gods in tow. Within a few short moments(or so it seemed to the God of Chaos), Vestec managed to pin down where the Life God, his daughter, and the two others had gone. In a moment he was amongst them, colors flashing randomly. "Hello Dearie! Having fun? Escre! I have a brief request to make of you, now that I'm sure my daughter is perfectly fine, then I'll leave and you can just continue on your trip." He hefted up the Morello-Nomicon. 

"This is a book Arguis made. Very powerful, by mortal standards, especially with my blessings, Ferghus's blessings, and Arguis's blessings in it. I ask that you add your own blessings to it. Before you say no, it's not so I can give it to one of my followers. There will be a tournament. Heroes, Demi-Gods, and aspiring mortals can join it to fight for the book. Each God can make an arena, and I'll add them all together. At the end of this divine gauntlet lays this book and all the power it wields. What do you say?"


[hider=Summary]
-The Crimson Tears finally arrive and are on Viscardi's pay.

-Fran, a Brightguard sends a prayer to the Absent God of Order, explaining how the other Gods have all abandoned Galbar, and especially Orabakh.

-Vestec finds Escre and the Demi-gods, asking the life God to add his blessings to the Morello-Nomicon.

[/hider]