After a brief period of calm regarding the landmarks, the last two
finally were destroyed today in conjunction with a strange set of
circumstances occurring in Ashtan. For many years, Wsalaly, the guardian
of the Globe had laid in a coma. Without his guidance, the City of
Ashtan was largely left in the dark about their role in protecting the
Globe of Balance.

Until recently, the Globe stood inert atop the Needle of Balance. But
one day the locked door to the Needle suddenly blew open and mysterious
images of the past began filling the chamber it rested in. The images
seemed to be of a period of time immediately before the Grand Artifice,
when the villagers of the Misty Isles were debating what to do about the
frequent raids the Vampires and other Undead were making on the island
for blood and corpses.

In a great series of debates, the villagers dealt with the philosophical
issue of the place of the undead in the scheme of balance. Standing
firmly against the undead was a man named Barrkesh, who was the leader
of a group called the Bahkatu. Another man, named Grinkle, was seen to
be arguing for the undead, but his reasoning was not heard.

More and more images appeared, until finally a very strange one came to
fruition. In it two men spoke of controlling the Globe for their own
purposes, and draining the power from it for the machinations of
Artifice. Though the image was short, it left a lasting impact on the
modern-day citizens who viewed it. As they debated the issue and fought
amongst themselves, another oddity appeared before them.

Barrkesh, the man they had seen in the Globe, strode into the room.
Without hesitation, he first mutated into a half man, half beast form,
similar in appearance to a bear, and ripped the head clean off of
Wsalaly. Before disappearing again, he shouted a challenge to Ashtan
that the Undead would never walk the Misty Isles again safely, for they
were to be hunted.

It was Wsalaly who was manipulating the Globe for the use of Artifice,
and keeping it like an evil master keeps a neglected dog. And in his
dying minutes, he reached out to the Globe to heal him. But the Globe
fought back, draining its power and the power of many of the symbols of
Balance throughout the land, including the remaining landmarks. And the
strange set of occurances that destroyed the other landmarks surely was
the work of Artifice draining the Globe.

Penned by my hand on the 22nd of Chakros, in the year 180 MA.