She sat up suddenly, her restless, dream-filled sleep broken. She blinked
blearily, her breath coming in short gasps. What had happened? What had woken
her up so suddenly? She stared down at her hands, and realised she was drenched
in a cold sweat. A memory came floating back to her. Red skin, blackened hands,
and a feeling of being drowned. Drowned? How could she drown? She was a Merian.
She had lived in Celest, the city of life and water, all her life. Her dreams
often foretold the future, though they were always more lucent than this. An
omen, perhaps. But nothing to be worried about now.
Glancing out of the window, the morning sky seemed more oppressive than usual.
Out to the East, the waters of the Inner Sea seemed darker and more foreboding,
though its currents flowed as ever. She got out of bed, dressing herself and
picking up her dreamcatcher, noticing with a frown that its silvery surface
seemed slightly blackened. A trick of the light? Perhaps. She did not have time
to ponder it. Today was the celebration of the Prince's 50th year of rulership
over Celest, and as Celest's most powerful seer, even at the age of 16, it was
her duty to stand by his side during the ceremony, and to make a speech to the
city's entire populace. Dreams could wait until later.

Clutching her dreamcatcher to her breast, nervous but making her best effort to
appear calm and collected on such an important day, she gazed out from the
Prince's side over the throng of joyful Celestians. The Ecclesiarch of
Celestia, the Archmage of the Aquamancers, and the Seraphic Overseer knelt at
the base of the stairs before her by the Pool of Stars. Crowds of merian, with
the occasional Elfen, Dracnari, Trill and the occasional Tae'dae filled the
streets as far as the eye could see. She shivered, grimacing in distaste before
noticing and forcing herself to smile beatifically. Today was a special day,
after all.

Suddenly a silence overtook the masses. She understood that now was the time.
Narrowing her eyes, she gazed out over the houses until she spied a thin,
almost skeletal looking Merian. He gave a curt nod, then faded from sight. She
grinned uncontrollably, before beaming down at the expectant faces surrounding
the Pool. She stepped out before the Prince, curtseyed. She began to speak.

"Today, as you know, is a very special day for we, the proud remnants of the
Holy Celestine Empire. The Empire that for hundreds of years worked to advance
our magic and our knowledge to the point where no Plane was beyond our reach."
She waited for the cheers to subside. "Today marks the 50th year of our wise
Prince's rule. He has governed well the city of Celest during this time after
the Taint's release back into the world from its Astral imprisonment." Out of
the corner of her eye she caught a frown on the face of the Ecclesiarch. Surely
this was not the speech that had been prepared? "For 50 years, you have known
this man as our wise governor, our protector in time of need, the guardian of
all we hold dear. You have held him as the greatest Merian yet alive!" More
cheers, though at the base of the stairs the Archmage of the Aquamancers was
gripping his staff more tightly. But there was no need to worry. "Yet, citizens
of Celest, you are wrong. For the Emperor Ladantine, the greatest Merian ever to
live, lives yet. And today, he leaves you a message, a message he gave to my
dreams you trust so blindly. A message you shall not forget. The Taint shall
conquer you in the end. And here is his PROOF!" Spinning around, she raised her
hand above her head, and slipped from her sleeve into her hand a hideously
blackened dagger. And thrust it into the Prince's throat. A blast of steam
rushed past her head, and she hurriedly grabbed the Prince's head in her hands,
dropping her dagger, and kissed him, before raising and slamming his body into
the ground, using the spell the skeletal Merian had taught her in her dream to
fossilise his corpse instantly. A second blast of steam glanced her arm,
charring it horribly, and she looked around to see the Archmage, the
Ecclesiarch and a group of Paladins charging up the stairs after her. Screaming
with laughter, she placed her hands on the floor, blasting aside chunks of
stone, before hurling herself to the road below and digging deep underground.

Hours of tunneling later, she emerged from the ground in a desolate wasteland.
This was it. Once she reached the Great City's gates, she would finally be
granted the power she was promised. Suddenly a vision came to her unbidden. A
charred Merian, drowning in...no, that couldn't be water. She shook her head.
Now was not the time. All the power she had dreamed of was almost in her grasp.
She couldn't turn back now. She began to walk towards the city. Suddenly, the
ground before her bubbled and rippled. Stepping back, she watched the form of a
gaunt, wiry-looking Merian emerge from the earth. She curtseyed and bowed her
head. "You carried your task out admirably. Congratulations." She turned her
face up to him at his words. "And my reward? You will of course grant it as
promised." "I will indeed. From this moment on, you are now a part of the
Taint." Tapping her on the forehead with a spindly finger, Ladantine muttered
some arcane words and stepped back, smiling coldly. Suddenly a rush of power
filled her body. Laughing joyously, she raised her hands above her head, and
froze. Her fingertips were becoming blackened and charred. From her hands, a
clinging miasma began to rise up her arms towards her body. She grimaced,
attempting to get to feet, but found she could not. She looked back. Soil was
beginning to rise over her legs, pinning them to the earth. She glanced about
wildly, then stared desperately into Ladantine's face. "You were almost as good
a dreamer as I, girl, had you known how to channel your power properly. You have
the power you were promised. But now, I cannot let you live." She stared for a
second, then began to struggle and writhe, but the rising soil had risen to her
calves now, and was relentlessly rising. She began to scream agonisingly.
Ladantine's cold grin turned to a grimace, and he raised a hand disdainfully.
Below her, the earth began to split apart, though the growing coccoon of soil
continued to bind her. She scrabbled wildly with her hands, but though her
fingers had become clawed and vicious, there was nothing to grasp. The rift
suddenly widened, and she toppled over, seeing with horror the chasm closing
around her, and her lungs being crushed by her earthy coccoon.

Ladantine snorted. Dreamers. As he turned to walk away, his form faded into
mist. Those who yearnt for power above their station could not be allowed to
live. The true power of the Taint was one day to be his alone.