Gears and her D'jalla engineers were excevating a first age ruin dangerously close too the wyld when a large band of leione hobgbolins assailed them.<br/><br/>A war party from the Court of Orderly Flame lead by a Garda Bird joined them in retialting and witnered Gears in Anima Display.  They aproached her politely and managed too learn her name.  A few weeks later, the Garda Bird approached them again with three flame ducks and a human.  He introduced the huamn, Koshak, who bowed and brushed his lips over her knuckles.  When he straightened up again, the mark of the dawn was gleaming on her forehead.  "An honor to meet you."<br/><br/>Some time latter, these two were in an small oasis nation where a demonic cult was offering human sacrifices too Inexes, the Crawling Chaos.  Without their knowlege, Madder had also stummbled across this cult and determined too put an end too the slaughter.  A cunning second circle demon stalked Koshak and Gears in a femenine guys, comiting murders with a beam klaive.<br/><br/>In the course of their quests, the two heroes encountered each other--madder coming out of the shadows, beam klaive drawn.  Koshak came too the logical conclusion and an epic battle ensued that might have ended them both if an overeager cultist hadn't tipped off Gears too the assembling ambush.  Realizing a mutual foe, the two called alliance with a glance and the heroes destroyed the cult together, revealing the true murderer in the process.<br/><br/>Now Shinzune saught deliberatly to leave the realm and find a place high in the council of those the world now knew as Anathema.  Yurgen Kaneko didn't seem likely to welcome dragon blooded recruits at this time, but her loyal friend Prince Fhalash maintained his diploatic ties with the southern fire courts as best as he could and thus knew that the Court of Orderly Flame curently numbered among it's closest allies an anathema.  He aranged a meeting on her behalf.<br/><br/>Aeneia Orlan informed Shimmering Loadstar of these events, discovered by the Cult of the Illuminated's eyes and Ears, and asked her to travel with Seeker in the Darkened Starligh, a Vizier passing through the Sequestered Tabernacle after some time in Harborhead, to join this group.<br/><br/>Seeker had, of course, been facilitating these events all along.<br/><br/>In this fashion the initial circle formed, and came to be camped in a small but pleasent oasis, enjoying each other's company, when Asam-khan came seeking them.