by EM Malachi Three fires burned in the clearing. Their bright flames held the wraith in place, offering no shadow in which the spirit could escape. Two men in dark robes tended the fires. When a third figured appeared from the woods, they drew their knives. ”We are all lost in the forest.” “May the Guide light a fire to lead us out,” the third Dark Monk replied. “We have begun the rituals. Kindling from the Tree of Strife was enough to light the embers, but the Britannians destroyed too much. We need something more.” “The artisan was able to […]

By EM Malachi The artisan shielded her eyes as she removed the molten glass from the kiln. The ethereal sand in the mix gave off a violet flare. Found only on distant Britannian islands, the arcane mineral was necessary to make glass vessels that could hold a soul. Necromancers and cultists had used this fact to control swarms of ghosts, but Yukio saw another purpose. This would be her masterpiece. As the dangerous flare lessened, Yukio carefully inflated the glass into a perfect orb, adding her life breath to the magic glass. Her hands traced the same symbols her family […]