Info Recapitulation: The Story So Far

[Wolf Rawrrr]

Foreword: Asgard and the Great War​

Asgard was, and to this day remains, the most powerful nation on the continent of Asura.

Indeed, so great had this kingdom of Men become, that eventually the landmass itself came to be commonly referred to after the name of the power that dominated its every corner. And though there were other races present - the Shadow Elves, who had been there first, then the proud Drakkar and the crafty Dwarves - it were Men that ruled, virtually unchecked ever since they established their dominion.

Asgard's unbroken line of kings ruled strictly but fairly, and under it the realm prospered for over two thousand years. The Asgardian army was by far the finest, choosing only the best warriors from each faction, and was renowned even in the faraway continent of Yamatai to the west. Life in the kingdom was good, by all accounts, and most believed that it would only get better. It did not. In the year of 3318, according to the Foundation calendar, the kingdom of Asgard faced its greatest test yet. One that it failed, despite all of its power and glory.

What was taken for a routine demonic incursion in a far-off corner of the realm turned out to be a full-scale invasion unlike anything seen before. Countless legions of monstrosities crossed through a newly-made tear in the Veil and quickly swept across the land, destroying everything in their wake. The people of Asgard had dealt with demons before, but this time was different - and not simply because of the scale of things. For at the head of the demonic army stood for the first time a person, a human sorceress by the looks of it, whose terrible power could not be matched.

Perhaps the war might have been won were it not for the Sorceress, whose name was revealed to be Ilhirel. The rallying armies of the kingdom certainly had some success in repelling the invaders; even pushing them back in places. But wherever the Sorceress went, her victory was assured - and not just in battle. Her corrupting influence found fertile ground in the hearts of the wicked and the minds of the submissive. Whether out of fear or lust for power, many joined her side without having ever put up a fight.

Within just a few weeks, Asgard's great capital city of Alicante came under siege for the first time in history - and within the day, it had fallen. The king was slain, his throne usurped, and the broken kingdom bent to Ilhirel's will through terror, steel, and sorcery. And as far as the ordinary survivor was concerned, that was the end of it. A life under a tyrant's reign would still be a life; good for some, bad for others. Except that wasn't the end of it.

For usurping the throne was never Ilhirel's main objective, but merely a means to an end. Secretly, the Sorceress sought to return the world to the primal hellish dimension from whence it supposedly came; a feat that she believed could be accomplished with help from the Amaranth, the legendary divine artifact said to have been used by the Creator himself during the making of the world. All she had to do was find it.

*** *** ***​

Ilhirel's search has continued fruitlessly for three years.

Now, sensing that her success could be at hand, a furtive entity called the Spectral Council has stepped forth to interfere with the Sorceress' world-destroying plans. They have chosen six individuals to serve as their agents, equipped with special abilities and tasked with the sole purpose of finding the fabled Amaranth before she does.

But the Sorceress alone is dangerous beyond reckoning, and she has at her command the resources of an entire kingdom; not to mention a demonic army on top of her mortal servants. She has never been closer to finding the artifact, and she knows it. She will stop at nothing to acquire it.

The Chosen will have to look for allies among those who still oppose the usurper, such as the Resistance: a motley underground movement that's been fighting a guerrilla war ever since the Great War ended. And there must be others, perhaps operating less openly but with just as willing a mind to join the cause. For in order to defeat Ilhirel, the Chosen will truly need all the help that they can get. The fate of not just Asgard, but that of the whole world hangs upon a thread.

A thread called Amaranth.

​

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

Chapter I: The Chosen​

"From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king."

- J.R.R. Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings)​

September 22nd, year 3321

The Spectral Council summons six unique individuals to become the Chosen.

After a short debate the newly appointed Chosen, consisting of two humans, two shadow elves, a dwarf and a drakkar, agree to accept the monumental task laid before them. Five of them have special abilities bestowed upon them, while the drakkar Xenthriss refuses the offer, boldly claiming to already be powerful enough. The Council then proceeds to brief them in all things relevant, and sends them on their way.

The fellowship spends the night at the inn of a small village just outside the town of Aboran in the Shadow Elf homeland of Eldshaw, where on the next day they plan to visit the town's Great Library - their first clue to the whereabouts of the Amaranth.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

Chapter II: Blades in Motion

"There is nothing as promising as the opening of a book.
There is nothing as final as its shutting."

- Keeper Scribe Lessons, Part 4 (Thief: Deadly Shadows)​

September 23rd, year 3321

After gathering their strength, the Chosen venture into the town of Aboran, home of the Great Library.

Upon arriving they immediately learn that a small contingent of knights from Reindir, the capital of Eldshaw, has arrived there earlier that morning to secure the town in preparation for the arrival of an agent sent by Ilhirel herself. Realizing that the enemy must know about the library's link to the Amaranth, the company makes haste. They dispatch the guards at the entrance, though one escapes to raise the alarm. Time becomes even more of the essence. The Spectral Council provides assistance through Dina, opening up a secret underground passage in the reception room. Following this route through a few difficulties, the fellowship reaches the main room of the hidden section. Here they face off against a skeletal guardian in order to claim their reward in the form of an old journal containing valuable information about the Amaranth.

Once returned to the surface, the Chosen find that the library is surrounded by enemy reinforcements under the command of Ilhirel's agent who turns out to be none other than Niara Shadowleaf, high general of the new Royal Army and Ilhirel's right hand. The fellowship manages to escape the Great Library through a window in the east wing just when the soldiers begin pouring in through the breached main gates. A chase takes place leading off towards the shoreline.

The Chosen finally try to make their escape by commandeering a ship at the closest dock, which turns out to be an undercover Resistance brigantine. The problem is quickly resolved when Dina recognizes their commander as Violet Robbins, an old friend and ally. So it is that they quickly sail out together, escaping the pursuit by the skin of their teeth. The fellowship then sets course eastward across the Shallow Sea, ultimately aiming for the deserts of Daskárd, as guided by the recovered journal.

Meanwhile, general Shadowleaf heads empty-handed for Alicante to report her failure to the Sorceress.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

Chapter III: Scales of Justice

"The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword."

- George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire)​

September 24th, year 3321

The Chosen arrive at the port town of Ridge in South Hyerald.

Having learned of the fellowship's quest from her friend Dina, commander Violet Robbins decides to send her own unit to report back to Resistance headquarters while she travels with Dina's party. Later that day, the group finds out about a Tribunal about to take place in town tomorrow. The man on trial is a local captain of the guard accused for murder. Violet advocates getting involved while they ponder their next move.



September 25th, year 3321

Early the following day, the fellowship splits into three groups.

Dina, Violet and Meric head for the Lord's Quarter where they speak with Inquisitor Herondale who is in charge of the murder investigation; they learn details about the case and in the end become the defense for captain Raynard, bent on clearing his name and uncovering the true culprit. Afterwards, on their way to interview the defendant, they meet Tharos Silverlane, a somewhat famous member of the Resistance living in Ridge who promptly joins the defense. During the interview that follows, it turns out that captain Raynard is actually an informant working for the Resistance, but knows next to nothing about the murder he stands accused of. The trial begins, and with their limited evidence the defense barely manages to shake up the prosecutor's claims enough to extend the trial into the next day.

Afterwards, the four defenders proceed to investigate the crime scene where they are ambushed by a hooded drakkar who ends up getting killed in the confusion. Inquisitor Herondale makes a sudden appearance, explaining that the drakkar was working as an informant for the City Watch, giving away information on the Dark Company, a local criminal organization. A piece of evidence found at the crime scene incriminates a local trader, so Meric and Violet pay him a visit. Xenthriss appears, and the three of them manage to get the location of the Dark Company's headquarters out of the corrupt merchant. Meanwhile, Dina and Tharos talk to captain Raynard in the prison once again but don't reveal any useful information.

During that time, Henvei and Eltheron go to the Ridge Academy where they split off, each pursuing different interests. Eltheron seeks out professor Marin Szentcz, the local authority on the Shadow Realm, in hopes of learning more about the new ability granted to him by the Spectral Council. Henvei simply seeks the comfort of knowledge, and maybe something worthy of his time and intellect. Eventually he finds a shadow elf professor Dain, who has recently discovered a mysterious but dangerous ruin in the forest near the city. Intrigued by his story, the scholar decides to become involved and goes to explore the dig site with the professor. It turns out to be a very old ruin, possibly a temple or prison of sorts, full of undecipherable runes. Henvei works to get through a magic-infused wall with fiery markings, behind which he makes an interesting discovery.

The dwarf Laurolf sets off on his own to explore the town's West Quarter with no particular goal in mind. During his visit to a blacksmith's shop on Market Square, he encounters Xenthriss who is all but torturing the shopkeeper for information. The dwarf prevents a disaster, closely avoiding a conflict with the drakkar and himself. Xenthriss disappears again and Laurolf resumes wandering around.

At the end of the day the fellowship gathers at the Ruffled Feathers restaurant on Justice Square, where they are staying during their visit to Ridge. Xenthriss, Eltheron, and Henvei are missing. The rest recount the day's events and make plans for tomorrow. They decide to remain in Ridge for a few days until they solve the matters at hand. Before retiring for the night, Dina contacts the Spectral Council and learns that general Shadowleaf is sweeping through settlements on the coast of the Shallow Sea, enraged by the Chosen's evasion of capture back in Aboran.



September 26th, year 3321

Splitting up once again, the Chosen focus their efforts on the Tribunal.

Following the information extracted from the corrupted merchant, Meric leads Tharos and Xenthriss into the town's sewers to confront the Dark Company, while Dina and Violet attend the Tribunal and try to hold things together. Laurolf goes to search for Henvei and Eltheron.

Despite their best efforts, Dina and Violet lose the case. However, before judgement can be properly carried out, Meric, Tharos and Xenthriss return with new groundbreaking evidence. During their infiltration mission they happened upon the leader of the Dark Company meeting with Robert Stark, the knight-commander of the City Watch. After some fighting and eventual help from Inquisitor Herondale and his guards, the criminal organization is broken up and their leader killed in action, while the corrupt knight-commander is placed under arrest. Knight-commander Stark turns out not only guilty of secretly consorting with the criminal organization, but also responsible for the death of lieutenant Ferndow as well, whom he had killed and then tried to pin the murder onto captain Raynard. In light of all evidence, the Tribunal finds Raynard to be innocent, ordering his immediate release while Stark is imprisoned for crimes against the City Watch and the town of Ridge. The defense celebrates as the trial comes to an end.

Later that evening the fellowship meets up at the Ruffled Feathers again. Laurolf arrives with Henvei who now carries an ancient, odd-looking sword retrieved from the ruined temple outside Ridge. There is no sign of Eltheron, and with the enemy hot on their heels the Chosen unwillingly decide to leave without him and resume their quest for the Amaranth.



September 27th, year 3321

At dawn the fellowship packs up to leave Ridge.

Before they get very far on the road, though, they are caught up by three riders. One of them is Inquisitor Herondale, the other one shockingly Lord Tereyn of Ridge himself, and the last one Cinwick Perwol, a renowned mage working with the Resistance. In the conversation that follows, Lord Tereyn thanks them for their work and reveals his intentions to ally with the Resistance for the new upcoming offensive that is to begin in South Hyerald.

The fellowship, now consisting of Dina, Violet, Meric, Laurolf, Xenthriss, Henvei and Tharos Silverlane, proceeds on their way to the deserts of Daskárd, guided by the old journal recovered from the Great Library in Aboran that points to a hidden temple nested somewhere within Sandpeak Mountain, towering over the drakkar capital.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

Chapter IV: Forgotten Sands

"Ask, and it shall be given to you;
seek, and you shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened to you."

- Matthew 7:7 (The Bible)​

September 28th, year 3321

Only a day after the Chosen's departure, Niara Shadowleaf arrives in town with her escort.

Most of the townsfolk of Ridge are not very cooperative, but a certain local prosecutor, among others, is quick to betray the Chosen's passing to Ilhirel's general. Furious to have so narrowly missed her quarry, Niara decides to immediately continue the hunt. However, she is taken by surprise when the Resistance mounts a sudden attack in which she is the first to go down.



October 5th, year 3321

With the uprising far behind them, the Chosen traverse the hot deserts of Daskárd.

As they finally reach the western foothills of Sandpeak Mountain, a good week into their desert trip, they happen upon a small battle between a band of drakkar outlaws and imperial knights. The companions interfere on behalf of the outlaws, but in the outcome there is but one survivor; the party's leader, Feyn Djunnen, who ends up joining the Chosen.



October 6th, year 3321

By late afternoon the next day, the fellowship finally reaches their destination.

The entrance to Zvern Azna, the Temple of Hidden Knowledge, looms before them as promised by the author of the old journal that they'd followed. Once inside, Dina finds herself continually stalked by a quaint presence; a very real-looking spectre that no one but herself is able to perceive. Ghosty, as the girl nicknames him, proves to be benevolent enough by dispensing useful advice and answering some of her questions throughout the temple.

As they go along, the companions slowly piece together the truth of the place. They discover runes on the walls that match those inscribed into the blade that Henvei found in the ruins near Ridge. They come across statues of what look like angels straight out of old folk tales. It becomes clearer and clearer that the temple is indeed closely linked to the Creator and his Amaranth - but also, unexpectedly, to Tharos Silverlane. Or rather the Varden, his people, when some of the angelic statues come to life and attack the Chosen as trespassers, but seeming particularly enraged at Silverlane. After destroying the statues, the Chosen happen upon a lone necromancer named Vittorio Valtieri who, after a brief discussion, reluctantly chooses to join them.

Later, the way forward is blocked by the golden spectre of an angel, some kind of artificial intelligence, who explains to the companions that they are not authorized to enter Zvern Azna proper - not using the main entrance, at least. The angel instead directs them to take the alternative path through a series of challenge chambers supposedly erected for just such a purpose. Without much difficulty, the party overcomes each challenge until the fourth one, which seems to be broken. Silverlane's visions reveal that something sinister really did take place in the cavern, something connected to the uncanny crystalline growth that litters the ground, pulsating with dark, forbidden power.

By accident, Dina cuts herself on one of the crystals while trying to examine it. The bleeding stops almost immediately, but her arm is left with a purple scar, evidence of some corruption that has taken hold within her. Sure enough, the dark presence behind the crystals contacts her mentally, introducing itself as the Taint and attempting to seize control of her. Dina resists, learning in the process that the bond between her and the Taint works both ways, and that she is able to exert some control over its manifestations. Outraged, the entity sends crystalline beasts to attack the party, but Dina succeeds in using her new power to form a crystal bridge across the chasm, finally making it possible to reach the exit. It is during this encounter that Tharos Silverlane reveals his Varden heritage to the group, as well as his true identity as A'kal, leading them forward and through the fifth and final challenge.

At long last, the Chosen gain access to the heart of Zvern Azna. There they activate a portal and shockingly manage to summon an actual living angel for an audience. The angel, who introduces himself as Raziel, the Angel of Secrets, grants A'kal a boon by telling him the true story of the origin of the Varden people - that they were a race of men made Ascended long ago by Uriel, the Angel of Light, to serve the angelic Hellguard in the never-ending struggle against demonic incursions. All until one fateful day when their ranks were decimated in a great battle, at which point the Hellguard decided to relieve the survivors of their duty and help them make a new start for themselves in Asgard.

Hearing about Ilhirel's destructive plans makes Raziel promise to assist the Chosen, but only after he has a chance to discuss the matter with the rest of the Hellguard. In the meantime, he maintains that the Amaranth is safe enough and refuses to tell them more about it. Thus the Chosen are left with no choice but to focus on their secondary objective - raising an army to oppose the Sorceress when the time comes. Violet urges them to start in the region of Darkvale, home to the Resistance headquarters, to which they are able to instantly travel by using Raziel's portal, the Atavr.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

Chapter V: Out of Sight

"Prepare for unforeseen consequences."

- The G-Man (Half Life)​

October 6th, year 3321

The Chosen arrive in Darkvale through the Atavr of Zvern Azna.

All is not right, however. Two of the companions - Xenthriss and Feyn - don't make it through, while everyone else arrives at the wrong location, despite Violet's intentions when setting the destination. Instead of finding themselves at the Resistance's stronghold, the party ends up just outside the nearby city of Dunn in thick fog and heavy rainfall. Things get progressively worse once they reach the city, as they find it under attack by amphibian monsters from the river Dunnaev.

The Chosen lead the desperate City Watch soldiers to victory with additional help from a travelling priestess Maggie, a stray demon slayer Battojutsu from far-off Yamatai, and a legendary Kossar leader Sanya Sarkov, who all happened to be visiting Dunn at the same time. At the climax of the skirmish, something unexpected happens. A spirit that had been with the necromancer Valtieri all along now suddenly leaves him to possess Dina. The spectre forces her to use her newly acquired dark powers to full extent, putting on a fearsome display of might and destruction before finally being banished by the necromancer. Dina regains control of herself after that, but the purple scars on her arm have become significantly more spread out, heralding the Taint's progress towards claiming the girl for its dark purposes.

In the aftermath of the battle, the Chosen learn that the night's attack was merely a fragment of the great troubles that have befallen the city as of late. They learn that an unnatural fog descended upon the area just a few days ago, a fog that nothing and no one seems to be able to get through. Each night since, monsters have been crawling out of the river while the undead rise at the city's graveyard to prey on the living. All in all, the situation grows direr with each passing day.

Still exhausted from their expedition at Zvern Azna, but having resolved Dunn's troubles for the day, the companions seek shelter at the local temple.



October 7th, year 3321


The following day, the Chosen begin their investigation into the evil that has befallen the city.

They begin by visiting Astor Brook, the Lord of Dunn and a friend of Violet, who briefs them on all the details of the past few days. From this point, the Chosen decide to split up in order to cover more ground in their pursuit.

Violet and Maggie go to the Riverfront, where they discover a group of insane cultists preaching the arrival of a fiery deity while setting the district aflame. Together, the two manage to kill most of them though their leader, Arianis, escapes. Meanwhile, the rest of the Chosen head for the graveyard outside of town and eventually the crypts below, where they discover a cabal of necromancers. The Chosen destroy them and their minions, learning in the process of someone far more powerful who is presumably behind the entire plot.

By evening both groups get together again to discuss their findings and the plan for tomorrow, ending the day by fighting off another wave of monsters from the river.



October 7th, year 3321


Once again, the companions split into two groups.

Dina and Sanya visit the local Mages Guild for information on possible causes of the otherworldly fog that envelops the city. Surprisingly, they are able to speak with the archmage himself, Soreas Arenov, who tells Dina of his own encounters with the Taint in the past, though he is unable to offer any substantial help. In regards to the matter at hand, however, he leads them down into the tower's dungeon where they jointly interrogate a recently captured blood mage. The prisoner eventually admits to working with another sorcerer called Uldred who supposedly tore the Veil outside of town and allowed a powerful demon to come through. Arenov becomes convinced that this demon is the source of Dunn's misfortune, so Sanya quickly departs to warn the rest of the party about it. Meanwhile, Dina returns to the Maker's Temple in an effort to learn more about the Taint on her own.

By this time, the rest of the fellowship is already beyond the city walls, seizing the chance to investigate the Outskirts due to the fog having somewhat withdrawn overnight. They encounter a large undead force that they are able to defeat thanks to timely help from a City Watch contingent, a task force sent by Lord Brook to investigate and secure the area. Then Arianis, the cultist sorceress from the day before, makes a reappearance with what is left of the villagers of the Outskirts - people that have been transformed into mindless husks by some kind of dark sorcery. This leaves the Chosen and the City Watch with no choice but to slaughter them all, despite many of them being former friends and neighbours. Arianis is killed as well, crushed under the heavy feet of Valtieri's golem construct.

At this point the Chosen part ways with the soldiers and venture further into the fog, seeking its source. They become separated and are beset upon by illusions meant to distract and weaken them, but pull through and eventually find the demon that Uldred had summoned - which turns out to be nothing short of a greater demon, a foe much more powerful than they had anticipated. The demon, calling himself Nemar, fiercely attacks the Chosen and inflicts injuries to several of them before finally being slain by Battojutsu and Maggie. With Nemar gone, the fog slowly dissipates and the fellowship is able to return to Dunn.

Upon their triumphant return, however, they discover that another disaster has taken place. Xenthriss has reappeared at the Maker's Temple, murdered several of the priests there, and abducted Dina to deliver her to the Sorceress. Betrayed and without their friend and heir to the throne, but joined by Maggie and Battojutsu, the Chosen are left with no choice but to use the portal in Dunn's Mages Guild to quickly travel to the capital, Alicante, and save Dina from Ilhirel's clutches.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

Chapter VI: Eye of the Storm

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

- Abraham Lincoln​

October 8th, year 3321

Dina is brought before the Sorceress by Xenthriss, but not before she covertly learns a few clues about the Taint from the plant life in Ilhirel's private garden. Tensions rise between the girl and her drakkar escort, culminating with Dina actually calling upon her corrupted power to threaten Xenthriss in front of Ilhirel - an act that only seems to impress the sorceress. She promptly dismisses the drakkar and engages in conversation with the young heir to the throne, offering to help her by becoming her tutor. Choosing to play along in an attempt to buy herself more time, Dina accepts.

In the evening that same day, the Chosen finally arrive to the capital through the portal in Alicante's Maker's Temple. Meric, Violet, A'kal, Maggie, Valtieri, Battojutsu, and Laurolf, being a group much too colorful not to attract attention, decide to leave the Temple in smaller groups at different intervals, aiming to later rendezvous at a tavern of Meric's choice called the Manticore.

Maggie takes this opportunity to meet with an old friend of hers, the drakkar ambassador in Alicante. Walking the city streets together, they chance upon a unit of guardsmen placing an elf and a drakkar under arrest. Suspecting something odd afoot, Maggie's friend, Auri, chooses to get involved and eventually succeeds in using his diplomatic status to reveal that the guardsmen are actually a special forces unit working undercover, and that the elf and drakkar are being captured on top secret orders. Auri and Maggie are forced to watch as the two are taken away, but plan to look into it later on.

Meanwhile, A'kal and Battojutsu accidentally run into one of Battojutsu's countrymen from the West, who is running from a band of armed assailants. They quickly join the chase and turn the tables on his pursuers, killing them in a dead-end alley. The westerner then reveals himself as Sen Akiyama, an agent of the Emperor of Yamatai, sent to Asgard on a secret mission. He thanks them for their timely assistance and offers Battojutsu a chance for conversation at a later time, then departs.

The rest of the Chosen arrive at the Manticore without problems, and once everyone is accounted for, enjoy a relaxing dinner. It is there that Maggie introduces her friend Auri, who consequently expresses interest in joining their cause and even offers his own residence in Alicante to be used as a base for planning Dina's rescue operation. That is where all of the Chosen eventually wind up, but just as they finally start with the serious talk they are interrupted by an uninvited guest - a man who steps out of the Shadow Realm in Auri's very living room, introducing himself as a master thief by the name of Asher. Though his presence causes unrest among the conspirators, their fears (if not their doubts) are allayed when Asher explains that he is of the Kossar and thus a bitter enemy of the Sorceress. He further divulges that he had arrived to Alicante a few days ago and has been using his talents to scope out the exterior of the Royal Palace in preparation to infiltrate it. Apparently, he had noticed the group back at the Manticore, overhearing enough to decide to follow them and offer his skills and information in exchange for a chance to strike back at the Sorceress with them.

The Chosen eventually warm up enough to Asher to welcome him into the group, if only for the sake of one mission. They decide to gather more information tomorrow before formulating a final plan.

October 9th, year 3321

The next day, the Chosen leave Auri's residence in several groups.

Auri makes his way to his office on Tenárus Square, where he handles his more mundane affairs while simultaneously working to gather information that could prove useful for infiltrating the palace. He has limited success with that, until help arrives in a most unexpected manner: In the form of a letter brought by a messenger from the palace itself. The letter actually turns out to be a formal invitation to attend a last-minute banquet held in the Queen's honor at the Royal Palace; a thing that could very well be the perfect opportunity for the Chosen to execute their plan. With that out of the way, Auri devotes the rest of his time to finding out more about Rekt and Sen - the drakkar and elf duo whose arrest he witnessed the day before. Upon depleting his own embassy's resources yet coming up with nothing, he crosses Tenárus Square to visit the Shadow Elf Embassy on the other side. There he gains audience with the elven ambassador Erya Ryagundi, who conveniently happens to be in company of Meric King. Auri explains to them what happened, but as much as Meric and Erya are willing to help, they quickly come to the conclusion that they need help from someone more powerful - like the queen's Lord Steward, or even Ilhirel herself. Erya decides to carefully approach Ilhirel on the matter during tomorrow's banquet, even though the plan greatly worries Auri and Meric. In the end, Auri wraps up his day by going to Fort Artan with Erya to demand to see the prisoners. When the military predictably roadblocks them, he returns home alone to await the return of the others.

Maggie decides to spend her time on a trip to the Maker's Temple, where she hopes to acquire a few new Miracles and learn whatever she can that could be useful to the Chosen. Heading straight for the Archives, she meets the Keeper on duty who approves her request and takes her inside the Mirákul itself, where Miracles are kept. Upon being asked for her reasons, Maggie shares what she experienced at Dunn, understandably shocking the Keeper with the story of how she and her friends fought and destroyed a Greater Demon and his minions. But the Keeper then shocks Maggie in turn. He tells her of the decline of the Temple, and of the betrayals that have taken place in secret in the last three years - of how Ilhirel's influence has reached even the hearts of the Elders of the Temple. Upon learning this, Maggie decides to trust the Keeper with more information about Dina and the Chosen, hoping to justify her request for more powerful Miracles that she might need in the near future. The Keeper obliges, granting Maggie no less than four divine scrolls to read from, as well as offering his counsel. Utterly exhausted after having learned four new Miracles, Maggie takes some time to rest in the temple before heading back to Auri's residence.

Asher, meanwhile, pursues a more personal affair. Having received a letter from an unknown party that apparently detected him during his infiltration of the palace district the other day, he responds to said party's request to meet in a warehouse by the docks at midday. As it turns out, the "party" is actually what passes for a local thieves guild in Alicante, and the motivation behind their letter is revealed to be an attempt to get Asher to join them. However, Asher is deeply disturbed that there are individuals in this makeshift guild who were able to recognize Asher even at a distance for who he truly was - in addition to being disgusted at the sight of men who were obviously nothing but criminals and brigands playing at forming an organization of decent thieves. Taking the wannabe thieves completely by surprise, he scorns their offer and immediately attacks them, slaughtering them in the span of a couple minutes. Yet one man does escape, and despite Asher's best efforts, disappears into the city he knows too well. Knowing that the rest of the organization is now on alert and likely to lay low, but also that said organization will probably fall apart since most of its leaders are dead, Asher abandons the matter and goes to have one last look at the palace perimeter before returning to Auri's house.

Vittorio Valtieri pays a visit to an old friend, a City Watch captain in one of Alicante's barracks, in his own attempt to somehow benefit the Chosen's plans. Upon arrival, however, he is immediately offered a job that involves summoning the spirit of a slain criminal responsible for the abduction and murder of a nobleman's daughter. The necromancer accepts and recalls the spirit from the Shadow Realm, binding it in order to learn where the girl's body was hidden. The task proves no challenge for someone of Valtieri's skill, but in addition to the reward in gold, it also nets him a boon from the thankful nobleman - in the form of bringing Valtieri and another person as the baron's chosen guests during the upcoming banquet in the Royal Palace. So, while failing to learn anything truly useful for the cause, the necromancer does not return completely empty-handed to Auri's mansion.

When everyone is finally gathered back at the residence, plans are discussed and made for tomorrow's reception - the chosen time and place for Dina's rescue operation. It is decided that part of the Chosen will attend as trusted guests of those who have actually been invited (Auri, Erya, and Baron Durand, whose help Valtieri secured), while the others will infiltrate Fort Artan with inside rebel help and secure a secondary escape route. With that settled, the Chosen and their allies retire for the night.

October 10th, year 3321

Nothing of importance takes place until well after nightfall, when the Chosen finally arrive, in separate groups, to the Royal Palace.

Auri uses his diplomatic invitation to bring Maggie and Laurolf with him. Meric and A'kal tag along with ambassador Ryagundi. Valtieri accompanies baron Durand. Waiting for the banquet to properly begin, the Chosen disperse throughout the palace courtyard and mingle with the other guests - the most important of them, by far, being Bann Arthur Teagan. Meanwhile, Violet leads a second team into Fort Artan, hoping to secure a secondary escape route backed by Battojutsu. Asher proceeds alone over the rooftops and across the city wall, planning to start his search for Dina from above.

The search for Dina is brought to an abrupt and unexpected end when she shows up as a member of Ilhirel's retinue during the opening ceremony in the Great Hall. Adding to the Chosen's surprise, Henvei, whom they presumed lost back in Dunn, is also found among that number. With Dina's location no longer the issue, the Chosen start devising a plan to separate the girl from Ilhirel and her lackeys in order to safely lead her out. An opportunity presents itself when Ilhirel takes an interest in Maggie, and the two of them go out for a walk. Auri uses this time to exploit the half-drunken state of General Shadowleaf, tricking her into allowing Dina to exit the Great Hall with only a single guard. This in turn allows Meric to quietly dispose of the girl's escort and make for the exit. Unfortunately, Ilhirel finishes her private talk with Maggie too soon, and is already seen approaching the Great Hall before Dina and Meric are even able to leave the palace grounds. Knowing that Dina's disappearance is about to be discovered, and guessing Ilhirel's next move, Meric decides to forego the primary escape route in favor of the potentially more dangerous path through Fort Artan.

During this time, Asher infiltrates the second floor of the palace and climbs on top of the West Tower, still thinking he might find Dina there. Instead, he discovers the quarters of the former court wizard, seemingly abandoned and sealed a long time ago. Upon receiving a message from Meric telling him to sit tight, he decides to explore the tower further. A few clues and puzzles later, he retrieves a hidden journal, property of the missing wizard, containing valuable information about the Sorceress. Eventually a signal from Meric goes out, instructing everyone to regroup at the skybridge that connects the Royal Palace and Fort Artan.

Mostly reunited and halfway to their destination, the Chosen are stopped on the palace's great terrace by none other than Niara Shadowleaf. With the rest of the palace already on high alert and Ilhirel's search parties scouring the grounds for Dina, Meric tells them to leave while he stays behind to deal with Niara himself. The situation complicates further when Asher swoops in unannounced and attacks the general from behind, ignoring Meric's protests - wounding her first with a crossbow bolt to the chest, then following up with a knife. Taken by surprise and half-drunk, Niara fails to defend herself and falls down in a spray of dark blood. Meric rushes Asher but is too late to do anything other than watch Niara bleed out, even as her assassin fades into the Shadow Realm. It is A'kal who ultimately drags Meric away, knowing Niara to be beyond their help.

The party finally reaches the skybridge and joins up with Violet's unit, but their escape becomes unlikely as they find themselves caught between the Royal Guard from the palace and the Royal Army from Fort Artan. With Ilhirel herself stepping forth, all hope seems lost - until the Hellguard suddenly and unexpectedly intervenes. Uriel, the Angel of Light herself comes down from the stormy sky and opens a portal for the Chosen to escape through. Though Ilhirel's mortal servants all cower or flee in awe of the angel, the sorceress herself is unaffected. She attacks Uriel with fire sorceries, and though the angel holds off the attack mostly with ease, it is clear that Ilhirel is merely testing the water and might actually prevail in the end. Before that can happen, however, she is interrupted by a messenger with news that make her immediately stop, turn around, and leave through the Shadow Realm with no regard whatsoever for the Chosen or Uriel.

Not sparing another moment, the Chosen escape through Uriel's portal, leaving the chaos of the Royal Palace behind them.