Without hesitation, my new "friends" in the Astral Ward put me to work in this strange, millennia-spanning war against the Kryptis. I'm still adjusting to the revelation of this information (just as I'm fighting the urge to call in a fleet of airships and get the whole ordeal resolved). But...I'm choosing to trust the ward. For now, at least. Got a lot of new faces to track, and Zojja seems tense in my presence. We haven't spoken since her injuries in Maguuma—I didn't know she'd left the confines of Rata Sum since returning there to heal—but I expect that'll be a heavy conversation. Plus, I suppose it might complicate things if Logan were to fly up with a bunch of Pact or Seraph. Everyone was busy tracking down Dagda and Isgarren—the other two missing "wizards," the latter being the leader of this organization—so I met up with Frode at one of the Astral Ward's outposts to see how I could help. He informed me of one of their more hands-on divisions: the Rift Hunters. Led by a man named Rian, they've been tasked with tracking down and opening Kryptis rifts to challenge the demons hiding inside while the rest of the Astral Ward searches for their missing. Rian taught me how to use the Heart of the Obscure—the device that Zojja gave me in the battle prior that we used to close rifts at the Beacon of Ages. Apparently, it was crafted by a kodan wizard named Waiting Sorrow who has since left the Astral Ward (on somewhat precarious terms, I hear). Whenever I channel the device's power, strange waves of emotion seem to guide me forward. Though I can't easily describe why, I feel a strong connection to it already. Frode also introduced me to one of his right-hand soldiers, a brassy asura named Uenno, who assisted in my training. She sent me to one of the ward's medical tents, where I was tested for possession (spending any time in Nayos seems to arouse suspicion, and honestly, rightfully so). That...voice in my head urged me to keep my mouth shut, and given her aid in helping me escape Cerus, I did. Whoever she is, the motivations of Peitha escape me, but I am just as much a stranger to the Astral Ward as I am her. So long as I don't start clawing my eyes out or speaking in tongues, I'll keep her under my helm, as dangerous as she may turn out to be. After all, she's done nothing to harm me thus far (which further piques my curiosity as to her motives). My mind is a bit bronzed after everything I've endured over the years, and should I play the right hand, maybe I can gather more intel on Cerus and the Kryptis. After attuning my comms device to the Astral Ward's local fluctuations (further separating me from contacting my allies at home), I aided Rian in quelling some of the Kryptis and sealing rifts before Zojja and Mabon called me back to camp: Dagda had been found, and things aren't looking good. I'm headed out to meet my new allies in the sprawling, fractured islands of the archipelago to find her. ***