I met with Frode, Dagda, Zojja, Galrath, and Zizel outside the bastion. The mood was somber and intense. Galrath led us inside, the severity of his tone evocative of what we would find. We were ambushed by Kryptis—the whole thing was a trap. Zojja ran far ahead of us while we were distracted, desperate to reach Mabon. Dagda called out to her, but Zojja was out of sight. Unfortunately, the Kryptis kept us occupied and prevented us from pursuing her. We fought our way through the halls until we found them both. Mabon hovered in the air, dark energies pulsing through his flesh. Zojja called out to him, but as we approached, another Kryptis emerged from his body, as if it had latched on to his very spirit before manifesting itself before us. We fought and prevailed. Zojja called out. Mabon directed his final words back: "You did not die in that place." We'd fended off the beast, but not without sacrificing our ally—their souls were tethered together, with one keeping the other alive. We did not hesitate, as our friend asked of us, as difficult as it was. Zojja crumbled beneath the loss of another mentor. Her bonds with these people were formed long before my arrival in Amnytas. I could hear the anguish in her cries. She parted from the group. The rest of us gathered around his body. I knew him briefly, but in that short span of time he made an impact. He was clearly loved by these people. Dagda approached Zojja in a small, quiet alcove. They sat together for a moment to grieve the loss of a friend. In that tender moment, I saw what lurked behind Zojja's emotion. Friendships ripped away too soon. Lessons cut short. Futures ended in the blink of an eye. First, Snaff. Now, Mabon. Dagda assured her that Mabon's death would not disrupt her place in their world—in the Astral Ward. She even alluded to something...bigger. More permanent. A new beginning. They want her to join the Wizard's Court. Even I was broadsided by Dagda's remarks. The implications... Would she see our friends again? Zojja clearly needed time to process—there was so much happening all at once. Dagda and I shared a quiet word, where she reiterated to me that Zojja's home is here. Now. Her past is behind her. Zizel and Galrath returned to the Wizard's Tower to deliver the news to the others, while Frode and Dagda remained near Mabon's body out of respect for their friend. Before I departed, Peitha caught a whiff of something, or someone, in the air. She wouldn't tell me what she was thinking, but whatever presence lingered silenced her omnipresent guff. As we get closer to Isgarren, that tension will only rise. Even questioning Peitha's morals, I believe she is uncomfortable with the events that lie ahead.