The ethereal and lovely Zephias was not afraid as she descended into the dank, dark depths of the Underworld. After all, a trip to the Underworld was simply a time out, a minor unpleasantness to follow the frightening encounter with Fury. The Mighty God of Combat had attacked out of nowhere, battering the defenseless nature spirit and dispatching her to the Underworld in a manner of seconds.

But from what she had heard, the Underworld was simply a time to reflect, to relax - but what was this ahead? The fearsome Yultan, looming through the darkness, and the dread Mordak, He of the Dead Eyes, were before her. The Eternal Twins were quite busy, tending braisers of red-hot coals, and tightening various screws and other instruments of torture. And then Zephias realized the horror that awaited her. That for the gods to truly understand the meaning of loss, and failure, a price had to be extracted, a bloody and terrible price. And while the Great Gods awaiting her might enjoy the experience, first and foremost it was a duty to them, a duty to teach the lesser spirits and gods of Heaven the Fear and Loathing that is Death.

Zephias could see glint of mercy in the Eye of Yultan, and espied a reluctance in Mordak’s preparations for torment. The Great Gods knew that poor, frail Zephias did not deserve her fate, having so cruelly been smitten for no good reason, and were prepared to lay their hands but lightly upon her.

But Zephias knew. She had seen the sloth, the idleness and weak attempts at communication that passed for combat in Heaven. She realized that the Gods were becoming weak and lazy, taking their ease in the luxuries of the Silver City and the Hall of Feasts, rather than forging their destinies with blood and fire. Zephias realized that the lesser gods of Heaven needed discipline, needed the harsh love and attention of the Eternal Twins, to achieve their true potential as Gods.

And so Zephias made her choice. She rejected the implicit mercy of Yultan and Mordak, and fearfully, yet proudly, took her place among the instruments of divine instruction, to begin the first Example to the Gods of Heaven.