The twelfth page.

Autumn 62nd, 568



Two more Heralds have come and been slain since I last wrote. The messages seem to be more and more serious, and the beasts delivering them grow stronger and stronger. Other, unrelated events have taken place, but I'll write about them another day, for I fear this is the most important thing to share right now.

A few days ago, in what I can only assume was the standard fashion, a starbuck Herald and a swarm of his brethren delivered the following message. I wasn't present, personally - these details are only known to me because Myiasis shared them.

With vile contempt and opened scorn
the fourth of heralds' threat was made.
But would the witness hearken or
fear an omen thus conveyed?

Starbucks aren't a feature of the solar zodiac, which lays my previous theory completely to rest. I suppose the chiggers were something of a stretch anyway. Also notable - and especially disturbing - is the fact that these normally docile deer turned vicious to deliver their message. Someone is of the mind that turning the natural world upside down to explain something to us is worth the trouble, which makes our situation seem all the more dire.



Destroying my other idea is the fact that another Herald bore its message to us fewer than four days after the starbuck. This puzzling event removes any pattern in timing that I am able to see.

This time, the swarming animals were tor. True to form, they seemed harmless at first, but became stronger as the fight waged on. Before long, we were battling beasts with scaly skin tougher than the strongest leather, and shells as impenetrable as the thickest iron shield. Indeed, the resiliency of the final waves of tor could easily be likened to that of a particularly imposing mud golem. When the Herald was finally found and put to rest, it delivered its message in the same way that the others did before it.

The Fifth of heralds held its tongue
enduring torment of the sword.
But did the witness heed this deed
or had this presage been ignored?



I don't claim to understand what these rhymes or the circumstances surrounding them mean. But I do know that their tone is becoming more serious, and even accusing. The beasts delivering them grow more dangerous. This all bodes ill.

--Largo