Wraithlord Gruxmal called upon the members of the Carnifex Keep this month to voice a desire to create a new master soulstone to inhabit the newly-established Bloodlochian Keep. As members of all ranks lined up before the Wraithlord, he informed them that this process would be a touch different from the one used to create the other soulstone.

Dawning horned helmets of varying shapes and sizes, Gruxmal demonstrated to the Carnifex a savage technique to properly render even the toughest of their opponents unconscious, a tactic that would prove quite useful for his malicious intents. Once unconscious, the adversaries of the Carnifex would undoubtedly put up much less of a fight as they are guided towards the location of the new soulstone to meet their deaths - which was precisely the Wraithlord's instruction.

Their orders acknowledged and ready to be carried out, Moirean, Toz, Grimdale, Alathesia, Neron, Aoi, Ouzu, Rashar, Akarn, and Arbre ventured forth to carry on the grim task of gathering the soon-to-be victims. One by one they reported back to the Wraithlord, dumping the unconscious bodies upon the ground in a heap that was growing ever larger by the moment.

Once quite the sufficient number of bodies were properly assembled, the Wraithlord instructed the awaiting Carnifex to prepare themselves. With a grueling series of stabs and slashes from his halberd, he began to eviscerate the crumpled bodies one by one while urging the surrounding soldiers to shepherd the souls towards him as they rose from the bodies they inhabited only moments ago. Together the Carnifex were successful in hindering the escape of any of the souls, and only moments later the individual floating, spectral figures were massed together and stripped of any and all unique identity as they gradually melded together to reveal a gleaming soulstone.

Sensing this heinous manipulation of that which He typically holds rule over, Dhar showed Himself to the assembled crowd and lowly warned that the Carnifex would pay for their meddling. The threat made, He began to siphon forth the souls from the newly-created stone, heralding an onslaught of attacks from the assembled Carnifex. Hammers were thrown, whips were cracked, and even a rather wicked backhand was attempted, however all of these attacks were for naught as they passed right through His incorporeal body.

Gruxmal, on the other hand, was able to sever the stream of souls that Dhar was siphoning away, an action that caused the God to stagger backwards and retreat, but not before also cracking the new stone and summoning forth a maddening pitch from within its depths that drove the soldiers' hounds into a frenzy. Presented with no other options, the Carnifex systematically slaughtered their own ravenous hounds.

As the dust settled from the battle between Carnifex, God, and hounds alike, the Carnifex were left to take in precisely what had just occurred. Breaking the silence, Gruxmal informed the gathered soldiers that they performed passably, but remained altogether weak - a notion that brought about its fair share of threats and jabs not only verbal, but physical as well. He waved these notions away before proceeding to teach the Carnifex of new arts, disciplines, and approaches for use upon the battlefield that he believed would prepare them not only to triumph over their enemies, but the God of Death in due time as well.

Penned by my hand on the 5th of Niuran, in the year 429 MA.