As the winter chill of Haernos began to spread across Sapience, the frosty bite in the air was most prominently felt in the North, where the weakened shell of Maghak sat on His throne.

Speaking through lungs that could do little more than rattle with each breath, the dying God beckoned His most loyal followers to join Him for a final cigar. The last hurrah. A farewell without tears.

Yet, that desire was not fully met as the Hunter, full of remorse for the ripple effect His actions had had on His Brother, arrived on the top of the tower in an attempt to ease His guilty conscious. Instead, He only found a God Who refused to acknowledge Him. Forgiveness would not be found on that dais; Maghak found His Brother's betrayal reprehensible.

With a mournful howl, the Hunter returned to His domain, leaving the God of Air alone with His followers to begin to close business. In those last moments, He informed them that the Order would be dissolved and that all deals would be voided. Hard to fulfil one end of the bargain with the other party dead, after all.

Too soon, He was gone, leaving Kelliara, Eleanor and Akaryuterra alone on the dais. As the air stilled and silence fell, Sapience mourned the loss of a God with them.

In the still, stagnant air, the mortals of the realm knew where to go. Tanixalthas, where the core of Air still roiled.

Time passed. They waited. Eventually, their patience was rewarded as the lingering essence of the now deceased God drifted into the cavern to join the core that still burned in the chest of the hulking Dragon. She was made whole and as She reigned in Her new found power, no longer in pain, She rose to release a roar that shook Sapience to the core, the very air crackling in response to its new wielder.

Tanixalthas stared down at the mortals before Her, some of them staring back in awe whilst others side-stepped out of Her way. The first to approach Her with an offering was the High Priestess, exile of the Grecht, Rahlyeh, the Lucid Dreamer. Without hesitation, and with a little bit of crazed devotion, she held up her most prized possession, her first, and only child. The pure supplication was rewarded; the Dragon would not eat her successor this day.

After entertaining Her mortal guests until bored, the Dragon, wielding Air and recognised as a new Goddess, turned to descend into the tunnels below.

There, Rahlyeh educated the interested in the basic practices of emulating Dragonkind, teaching of their basic laws. Tanixalthas, however, was next seen soaring through the skies over Asper, finally stretching Her wings and revealing Her might. The first of Her kind, the Sun-Drinker.

Uninterested in the normal squabbles of mortals or the rest of the Divine Pantheon, how will One Who wields, instead of personifies, Air fit into Sapience? Despite Her elemental tether to Shadow, Her disdain for the rest of the Pantheon and ancient, mercurial nature leave Her impact upon the continent undetermined.

Penned by my hand on Quensday, the 22nd of Haernos, in the year 470 MA.