Appearing from the northern border of the village on an evening during
the month of Solis, a figure rimed with snow and ice was spotted on the
Ithaquan catwalks, along with a strange wolf stalking nearby. Questioned
at first by Ren Fel'Amrit, the man would give neither name nor
explanation for his sudden presence in the village, demanding only that
he speak with Harker Sunjackal. That said, the Wind Walker of Ithaqua
entered the meeting swiftly, and the man - now known as Sigurd Brynja -
explained his presence in the black pines.

Sigurd cut quickly to the chase, explaining that he had caught word of
the events in the resurrected Ithaquan village; he cited the return of
the Wardens and the banishment of the demons and their influence as a
draw. With little provocation he accused Harker and his ilk of failing
to complete the task of banishment, directing them - surprisingly enough
- to a Saboteur's wormhole placed in one of the village cul-de-sacs. Now
accompanied by Ren and Selthis, Harker was at first skeptical of this
'revelation', asking for an explanation and proof of Sigurd's
accusation. With a smile the sallow-faced elf made another request of
Harker, that being a meeting of his ranking villagemates.

The tall man fiddled with a strange bone knife as he stood surrounded by
Ithaquans in the village archive, beginning his story. Quoting the known
history of the Phantoms of old Kinsarmar, he was quick to point out
their demise was brought about by no mere group of assassin novices; a
pact had been made by one of their number to supplement their strength.
That man was Insidian, the rebel leader, and his crime, as Sigurd put
it, was pawning his immortal soul to the demons of the Pit as he worked
largely in secret with the Noctusari and Malignists of the time. This
revelation sent still more ripples of skepticism through the
congregation, but Sigurd lost none of his momentum. His conviction was
steeled as he detailed the escape of several of the Phantom elders and
their loyal youths, and Insidian's consequential doctoring of that
fabled night's occurances. The Saboteur skills used today were only a
cheap mockery of Sondgroth's scientific discoveries, aided in secret by
the powers of the underworld.

His story told, the elf ended his tale with the revelation that he was
indeed the blood brother of Sondgroth Suspira, and the last living
descendant of the Phantom brotherhood. The straggling survivors had
spent their waning years in Ithaqua, living inconspicuously amidst the
other villagers and indeed becoming a part of the community. Demanding
the removal of all traitorous Saboteur influence as an elder of the
village, he took his leave, returning once more to the cold outdoors
with the promise that he would return.

---

Early in the month of Artificium, Sigurd Brynja did indeed return, once
more demanding his voice be heard. The amulet of Sondgroth Suspira, a
familial heirloom of his blood brother's, had been discovered. A
spherical sapphire found in ages before the breaking of the moon, it was
hidden by Sondgroth on the Night of Sabotage as a treasure which would
mark the new leader of the Phantoms and their revival, when discovered.
Sigurd sat in silence as Selthis and Ren were sent to find the new
carrier of the amulet, knowing only that it had originally been hidden
in Kinsarmar. After much investigation throughout the governmental
territories of Aetherius Selthis came upon a Bard, almost by accident.
Juran Acerbus, a former Saboteur, had indeed discovered the amulet
hidden within Kinsarmar's Silver Harp Inn, though he would not admit to
such immediately.

Juran accompanied the Ithaquan pair back to Sigurd, at first telling all
three that he knew who had the sapphire. However, the elf's perception
was too great, and he could sense the amulet on the ex-Saboteur's person
from the moment he walked in. Though disagreeing with he whom Suspira's
prized jewel ultimately chose to reveal itself to, Sigurd explained that
it was Juran's charge to take up the mantle of the Feyn-al-Dracar,
leader of the Idras, descendants of the Phantoms. Hesitant at first,
such an obligation could not be denied by Juran, marking the return of
the long-dead Idras warriors. Despite these events, no air of finality
hangs in the Ithaquan village. Perhaps there is more to this story than
at first thought.

Penned by my hand on the 13th of Artificium, in the year 435 AD.