Tag: Recap

Understated and Underwhelming

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Previously, the heroes survived a confrontation with Epidemius and brought peace back to Kingsport, albeit not without consequences. They spent an evening celebrating with a beautiful meal, surrounded by companions. The following day they would finally meet up with the delegation from Beauclair.

Fifth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is in low sanction, Darkmoon is waxing)

Before departure from the Careless Wanderer, Quentin reminded everyone to ride in careful formation to him. They should always keep at his right side, which he explained was a position of great trust, honour, and privilege to the Beauclairois. In battle, the person to your right had the ability to save you with the shield they carried in their left hand, and therefore was a person of great reverence.

Quentin also warned the others that it was likely that the members of the Beauclair delegation would look down upon them, treat them as commoners, and they should not let them. When Neamhan spoke up to admit that she was a commoner, Astrid gripped her by the shoulders, stared her intently in the eyes and said; “There is nothing common about you, woman,” before spinning her around and moving her out of the door, preventing any rebuttals.

Exiting the city through the North Gate while riding their mounts, the heroes crossed the bridge over the river and followed a long, dry brick wall along the fields of a Black Alder farm where the delegation had set up camp. The farm consisted of a large manor house and several smaller buildings. There was a large pond flanked on the far side by a small forest. Dozens of tents of all size had been set up in the field between the manor house and the pond. Banners and heralds flew above the tents in bright colours, which signified the different noble houses and knights that travelled with the delegation.

Quentin directed the heroes towards the manor house, looking over the encampment for a place where people would be received but not being able to identify any. He was growing concerned with the lack of formalities, and his discomfort resonated with Róisín, the scabbard nervously blooming and withering rapidly. This caught the attention of many of the servants, armsmen, and hedge knights that the heroes encountered, and news of their arrival spread along Black Alder farm rapidly.

Against all expectations, a very modest reception was hastily organised in front of the manor house. There were several minor nobles and servants lined up to greet Quentin and the heroes, but the only people of significance that were there were Ser Croy and Monsieur Beauregard, an advisor to Highlord Gauthier who was still recovering from the attack on the delegation. Quentin was not pleased with the reception and told Monsieur Beauregard to make note of the breach of etiquette. Matters were made even worse and more awkward when no attempt was made to help Quentin down from his horse. When the breach of protocol became apparent, Monsieur Beauregard arranged for stablehands to bring a stool to help him, and the heroes, down from their mounts.

Chakuq was keen to see how the stablehand would handle a horse without a saddle or bridle, since he had gone without one, but the young lad seemed to be handling it well. Chakuq suspected that the stablehand might have had some experience breaking colts.

Quentin was very pleased to see Ser Croy again and urged him to come and find Quentin later. Once inside the manor, Monsieur Beauregard offered the heroes a chance to rest and refresh themselves while Lord Dorian was informed of their arrival. Emrys started to make out the depth and detail of Beauclair customs and etiquette, slowly working through its intricacies.

Lord Dorian seemed overjoyed to see Quentin when he finally came downstairs, and Emrys soon realised that the warmth with which Quentin was received was a breach of protocol and surprising even to Quentin himself. He kissed Quentin three times, dedicating his affecting to his son, his house, and their progenitor; the mythical Alban. Lord Dorian was introduced to the rest of the heroes, and took a moment to exchange pleasantries with Neamhan, whom he was familiar with. He only had to correct how she addressed him ever so slightly. He then asked his Quentin to speak with him in private, and the two retreated to a chamber upstairs.

While the heroes waited for father and son to reconnect, they spoke about several things, like the history of House Morvrayne, and the mythical origin story of Beauclair noble houses. Brother Antoine, a cleric of Paladine and personal chaplain to Highlord Gauthier, came to speak with the heroes about Saint Benedict and the possibility of being able to speak with him. While the heroes had to disappoint the cleric by informing him that Prior Benedict was no longer in Kingsport, he seemed fascinated to speak to the heroes who had laid witness to his sermon at the Cathedral of the Platinum Father.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Quentin hastily caught up with his father and the situation that Lord Dorian had found himself in. Questions about the attack on the delegation were quickly deflected, and Lord Dorian explained how proud he was of his son and his success in retrieving the Fleur de Lys. Quentin, in turn, assured his father that the blade was not what everyone was hoping it was. Lord Dorian explained that with the injured Highlord, he had been vaulted into a position of power; he was expected to lead the delegation to success in the negotiations with the Lyrian throne, and underscored how politically complicated the situation was. He also explained to his son that the nobility who had travelled with the Highlord were waiting for him to fail, and referred to the other lords and ladies as “duplicitous snakes.”

Lord Dorian was confident that with his son’s help and connections at the Lyrian court, he would be able to succeed in Highlord Gauthier’s absence, elevating House Morvrayne to great renown. Quentin felt a dread rise up in him as he saw past his father’s warm façade, recognising the hunger for power and influence and the naïveté that had come to expect. He would have to discover what the political landscape at the delegation’s camp looked like, and tread very carefully while aiding his father in the negotiations with the Lyrian throne.

Untouched Cups

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Previously, Emrys managed to jump into the portal through which Epidemius and his forces invaded Kingsport. The fiend followed him into the portal and the two agreed to go their separate ways; Emrys back to Kingsport, and Epidemius back to… hell. The heroes defeated the infernal forces left behind by Epidemius, while the crownsguard and Lyrian knights routed the skaven throughout the city.

Fourth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waning, Darkmoon is in low sanction)

The evening was running late after the bountiful meal. Guests were nodding off in their seats, filled with food and drink, while Andrew Selkirk sang songs and the fire roared high in the hearths. Astrid had joined the two Sheridan brothers who had decided to stay at the inn to celebrate with the heroes.

Quentin made sure that two cups of wine were filled for Adrian and Clement. They stood, untouched, on the table in front of two empty seats. It was a reminder of the sacrifice of the Morvrayne riders, and represented the loss of life in the defence of Kingsport that day. Durham had a hard time catching on to what the cups represented, and could be heard grumbling about it being “a waste of precious wine,” referring to the ongoing shortage.

When Dame Pauline came to Quentin to ask for permission to retire for the evening, Her intention was to rejoin the delegation in the morning, and Quentin asked her to inform him when it became time for her to depart.

Quentin’s mood was dour, but it was Chakuq that lifted his spirits by complimenting him on his bravery. It had been Chakuq’s experience that “steel men” rode into battle only when victory had all but been secured, stealing the glory from the men and women that had done the heavy lifting. Chakuq was happy that Quentin was not like that, and was glad to call him a friend. Quentin, in turn, said that the feeling was mutual, but Chakuq expressed disappointment in himself due to the fear he had felt for Epidemius on the battlefield.

Quentin departed for his bedroom, while Neamhan continued to observe the tavern room, stewing on the fact that Epidemius got away. It felt like a Pyrrhic victory, and her frustration grew with every passing hour, until Lauryn took her out of her reverie by warning her that “the storm in your heart stirs the air around you.” An itch on the back of her hand reminded Neamhan that she was still marked.

Emrys spent some time talking to Andrew about the fight on Steward’s Square. There was no doubt in Emrys’ mind that the bard would use the details he gave him to compose a song and further spread the tales of the Heroes of the White Eye. Andrew, in turns, told Emrys that the Beauclair delegation had brought a small army of troubadours and trobairitz with them. As they had made their way through the westerlands, these troubadours had split off from the delegation and had spread their songs far and wide. Andrew had travelled to Kenton recently and had listened to one of the troubadours perform there, and remarked that all of the songs were about the history of House Lys and how they stood for Beauclair virtues and chivalry. The Fleur de Lys, the legendary sword the heroes knew as Róisín, featured prominently in these songs. He also warned Emrys that Villem of Landsdowne, the famous auctioneer, had come to the College of Bards and investigated the Fleur de Lys and had been helped by the headmaster of the college; the legendary Papillon.

Eventually, when most people had either nodded off in their seats, and the only entertainment was an ongoing arm-wrestling match between Marcus and Astrid, Emrys snapped out of his contemplations and he went up to his room. He spotted his lute case, and was reminded of the note hidden away by Lady Annabella; “And death shall have no dominion.”

Fifth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is in low sanction, Darkmoon is waxing)

Each hero was plagued by nightmares, reliving the most horrifying parts of the battle against Epidemius; threats made by hamatulas, the savagery of the rat ogres, and the fury of the erinyes. For some, it was the peak beyond the seal that kept them jerking awake.

When Luca came down after eighth bell, he found Neamhan and Lauryn at the bar drinking morning brew. The weather outside was calm but cold, with snow gently blanketing the city in white. Intuitively, Neamhan knew that later that day the weather would turn grey and stormy. She recognised that Luca had the same rough night that she had and that he had not recovered from the fight. Neamhan used her connections to envelop the young arcanist in a gust of reinvigorating wind, partially healing his wounds. This startled Luca, and while he was grateful, he had asked Neamhan to ask for permission to use her magic on him next time.

Lauryn was curious about the battle and the adversaries the heroes faced. Luca explained that hamatulas and erinyes were devils, and that they were different from the savage demons, and enigmatic yugoloths. This lead to him explaining about different realms of existence, about the realm of fairy and its courts, where Wynn and the dragonling came from.

It was a rarity that Neamhan and Luca connected and shared some personal thing; Luca about his ability to absorb knowledge, starkly contrasted against his inability to fit in where he grew up, and Neamhan about her husband Gabhan, who was patient, kind, and caring.

Luca spent some time reading through a book named The Luminous Enchiridion of Thunda, written in archaic Lyrian, a language that he had not mastered as well as Quentin seemed to have after returning from Old Llygad. It was a curious book which only revealed its writing when illuminated by a magical light. He found that the work was an academic treatise on the nature of magic, and could, provided he invest some time into it, act as an excellent reference guide while researching a wide variety of topics on the arcane.

Emrys, Quentin, and Astrid all came down late. Quentin had washed and groomed himself, and was dressed to represent his station. He had fallen out of the habit, which showed by the small cut he had given himself while shaving, but today would likely be the first of many things he had to get reacquainted with.

Everyone was surprised to see Falka walk through the door of the inn, carrying a few books. She had been gone for a day or two and nobody knew where she’d gone off to. It turns out she had reached out to James and gotten access to the Newport vault, where she had spent some time perusing the library, much to her delight. It became clear that she had no idea how much time had passed, or that she had missed the confrontation with Epidemius. She informed the heroes that James had tracked down a fellow by the name of Garvan, who was in charge of excavating the vault. There was progress, but funds were limited.

A messenger arrived at the inn who delivered a summons to Quentin to present himself at the Beauclair delegation’s camp north of the river Lyn. It also stated that the Morvrayne riders were to be restationed at the camp in order to improve the visibility of House Morvrayne at the camp. Emrys’ keen eye observed that the interaction between Quentin and the messenger was intricate, and dense with social queues he did not quite understand yet.

The time was close to depart, and everyone got ready. Luca used his obedience to appear as the Baronette of Evenshade Hall, and he also helped Astrid to freshen up. Chakuq made note of the symbols that everyone was wearing; the swan volant of House Morvrayne for Quentin, the blue markings on Astrid’s face, the symbol of St. Aureus on Luca’s lapel, and the crescent moon of Sehanine on Emrys’ scabbard. He hatched a plan to find a stone cutter who could carve the tooth he had harvested from Epidemius’ mount into seven symbols.

Quentin asked Wojciech to pick up his horse and arrange for horses for the rest of the heroes, and the stable master headed off to the Bridle, accompanied by Neamhan and Chakuq. On the way back, Neamhan’s attention was caught by Goodman, who asked her to pass along a message to Quentin. She agreed, and the two came to a cease fire in the process.

After arriving back at the Careless Wanderer and having a conversation with the horses about personal riding preferences, Neamhan went inside and handed Quentin the note. It read:

Lord Quentin, as you go into the fray, please remember:

The earth was sown with early flowers, the heavens blue and bright,
I met a gallant cavalier as lovely as the light.
I knew him not, but in my heart, his graceful image lies,
And well I marked his open brow, his sweet and tender eyes.
He carried sword and scabbard, full of leaves and blossoms mixed,
Encased by vines and verdant growth, with flowering blooms betwixt.
Plunging sword in barren soil, crops and vintage grew,
The hungry, famished and the starved were given life anew.

Faithfully,

Lord Andrew of House Selkirk

The Battle for Steward’s Square, Conclusion

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Previously, the heroes mounted a defence against Epidemius’ incursion into Kingsport by rallying troops and allies. Epidemius arrived through a portal with forces of his own, joined by sinister skaven and wicked devils. Some of the skaven were sacrificed to perform a ritual that intensified the disease that spread through Kingsport.

Fourth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waning, Darkmoon is in low sanction)

Emrys had made a mad dash for the portal through which Epidemius and his infernal guards had come. Clutching Toruviel in hand, he called upon the miraculous powers of the blade to vault him through the air and into the portal. The portal became unstable and started to collapse, but not before Epidemius, responding with uncanny speed, crossed the short distance between him and the portal and dove in after Emrys. Chakuq, who had just jumped onto Epidemius’ mount and had engaged the fiend, was inadvertently teleported as well and drawn into the portal after Epidemius.

While the rest of the heroes stayed behind on Steward’s Square to continued battling the infernal forces, Emrys and Chakuq found themselves in a tunnel together with Epidemius, once again in the guise of father Devon. The ground was paved, though neither of the heroes would later be able to recall whether they walked on cobblestones or packed earth. The tunnel extended about a hundred foot, and the exit behind them showed Steward’s Square, but the fighting was slowed down to an almost imperceptible crawl. The other end showed a grizzly wasteland.

Across the gore-spattered waste, made up entirely of dust, mud, and loose shale rock, marches an infernal legion. Row after row of strictly regimented devils march in perfect unison. Above them hover constructs of infernal terror; flying fortresses of black metal and burning engines.

You can’t make out their enemy. There can’t seem to be any unity of form. They are creatures. Creatures whose physiology makes no sense and are utterly without order. You see what appears to be tentacles, enormous mandibles, claws, fangs, club-like limbs and tails. They aren’t bipedal, nor quadrupedal, in fact, they do not seem to have any regard of bilateral symmetry at all.

You suddenly realise that the shale rock are not rocks at all. They’re bones, millions of bones. You feel a sudden pressure in your head. You feel disoriented and nauseated. Part of your instinct is screaming for you to run.

The walls of the tunnel were made of a dense mist. This mist was new to Chakuq, but Emrys had seen it before. Upon closer inspection the heroes could see a red spiral running through the must like a vein running through marble, which Epidemius explained was the Seal of Divine Animus. Hidden in the mist, lay the realm of the Raven Queen on one side, and the realms of the Ladies of Flowers and Frost on the other side.

Chakuq felt out of his element and swiftly retreated back to Steward’s Square, while Epidemius eventually convinced Emrys not to withhold him from retreating back through the portal. Epidemius reiterated that he had no interest in causing unnecessary death, which his continued stay in the mortal realm against his will would cause. He had come, he reasoned, to put pressure on the Upright Man to return his book.

Emrys recognised that Epidemius had finalised his ritual, he worsened his stranglehold over Kingsport, and that the damage had already been done. He relented, and both he and Epidemius went their separate ways, back to their respective realms.

With the collapse of the portal, the remaining hamatulas and erinyes were cut off from their retreat. They put up a fierce fight. The skaven drove the knights, crownsguard, and custodians back to the square before cutting their losses and retreating back into the waterways.

Chakuq slew the cloven-hoofed mount of Epidemius, harvesting one of its teeth as a trophy. Chakuq recognised that the beast was not of the natural world, and that its hide was thick and durable, and had been used by the skaven to fashion armour. Luca remembered that they had encountered a set of armour made of similar hide at the Landsdowne auction house in Bournemouth, earlier that year.

There were hundreds of wounded. Lady commander Miranda, who had survived the aerial fight with the erinyes, had to put down one of the griffons due to it being grievously wounded. With tears on her face she put the majestic beast out of its misery, something which seemed to move Astrid deeply too.

Neamhan went around the wounded and used her connections to draw healing power from the land and skies. Quentin applied his dedications to as many wounded as he could help, and Luca showed his rekindled obedience to Aurion to help. Each found that despite their healing abilities, some wounds continued bleeding, while others showed persistent sigs of infection.

Soon, the silent sisters of the House of the Raven Queen appeared in the square and set to their grim task of tending to the dead. Cardinal Roark moved among them, and briefly spoke with Quentin to assure him that the Raven Queen were shepherding the fallen to the Other Side.

While the apothecaries of Pholtus cared for the wounded, joined by the clerics of the Platinum Father, Emrys and Réonan spoke together while overlooking the river at Queensbridge. Emrys shared what he saw while inside the portal. Réonan confirmed that the realm on the other end of the tunnel was Avernus, the eternal battlefield, and first of the Nine Hells.

The two agreed that it was troubling that the infernals were already able to pierce the seal. Réonan warned that the cycle seems to be speeding up, and that the ones who still remembered the Age of Fear did not remember enough and would be ill prepared to mobilise people. It appeared to Emrys that Réonan was, in part, referring to themselves. Before the two rejoined the others on the square, the archmage explained how important it was for Emrys to help and keep Luca on the right path.

Ser Benten, Lord Marcus, and Lord Destan came to join the heroes as they were about to head to the Careless Wanderer. Neamhan was amazed at the size of the trio, and noticed that Lord Jonathan, who had stayed behind with the Sheridan guard, was of an equal size. Fascinated, Neamhan developed a suspicion that these people might have giant blood running through their veins. The two Sheridan brothers decided to join the heroes at the Careless Wanderer.

In the short distance between the square and the inn, the heroes passed the dead, the dying, and the wounded. They passed barricades, and piles of dead skaven being carted off to the burn pits outside the city. When they entered the inn, there was a melange of warm aromas floating around the tavern room. The door to the kitchen was open, and the staff was walking in and out to bring food out. Tables were set and decorated, and the heroes were reminded that blind Magda had recently told the staff to switch to silver cutlery.

There were two large joints of roasted boar, basted, as promised, in ox fat, on a bed of baked apples and mushrooms. A leg of cured ham had been set up on the bar and Durham used a thin knife to cut long slices, rolling them up into salty rosettes. A large pan of beef-and-barley stew, with chunks of squash and red onions stood near the door to the kitchen and was refilled every time the bottom was reached.

Racks of the boar’s ribs were served on plates, glazed in sweet gravy, sitting on a bed of roasted leeks. Two wooden boards with rows of skewered pigeon, capsicum, and capon were set on either side of a bowl of mutton chops sauced in honey and cloves that had been placed in the middle of each table. And each table had a platter of large river trout from Blue Harbour, baked in a shell of salt, surrounded by chunks of deep-fried, beer-battered cod. Baskets of soft bread, richly buttered and dusted with salt and crushed peppercorn were placed strategically around the table.

At the top of each plate stood a small venison pie, chunky with carrots, bacon, and mushrooms, as well as a bowl of shredded crab mixed with a dressing of egg yolk, oil, and crushed garlic. The staff went around the room to serve flagons of hot, spiced wine, and chilled autumn ales. And for dessert, sugar wheels and honey cakes came out of the kitchen, as well as pears poached in strongwine.

During the feast, blind Magda walked around the tavern room talking to the guests. Eventually she disappeared for a moment, only to return carrying a distinct, wooden board. With Wojciech’s help she affixed the board to the wall near the bar while the dragonling and Wynn observed her nearby. The board read: Accorded Neutral Territory.

Andrew Selkirk found his way through the city to the Careless Wanderer and spend the evening playing music while listening to the stories being told. Chakuq regaled the tavern with the story of how he banished Epidemius with his sword. Astrid told Chakuq about the goddess Freya, who protects all children, and seemed grim as she did so.

All the while, despite the loss of Adrian and Clement, the Morvrayne riders were jubilant. Quentin, who felt the responsibility for the two fallen riders weight him down on him, intimated to Dame Pauline that he believed they got lucky. His bannerette advised him not to share his feelings with the riders for the benefit of morale. She advised him to focus instead on the arrival of his lord father. Quentin thanked Pauline for riding with him, and she told him it had been an honour.

Neamhan, not being able to contain her curiosity, managed to repulse Lord Marcus when he came to have a flirtatious chat with her. Instead, Neamhan asked Marcus whether he was giant kin, and where he was from. He seemed annoyed at the questions, and disengaged. When Lauryn pointed out to Neamhan that Marcus may have had a romantic interest in her, she scolded him and said that she had a husband. He asked her how long she had been afflicted by that problem, and walked back to his table and rejoined his brother.

The Battle for Steward’s Square, A Desperate Jump

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Previously, the heroes confronted Epidemius during his second appearance at Steward’s Square. Luca’s frustration grew as he continued to be cut off from Aurion’s powers, and he considered turning his cloak and aligning himself to the infernal aspect that Aurion used to appear as. This opened him up to Epidemius, but Réonan intervened, and called upon Aurion to redeem Luca. Luca further deepened his pack with Aurion, but not without a price to pay.

Fourth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waning, Darkmoon is in low sanction)

The battle again Epidemius and his forces continued with an overwhelming barrier of fire roaring up between some of the heroes and Epidemius. The flames burned and blistered those who stood too close to the barrier, and caused Luca to lose consciousness. Réonan, who stood near Luca, failed to help stabilise him, while Chakuq kept a nearby hamatula at bay. Eventually, the archmage teleported Luca to the Cathedral of the Platinum Father for assistance. The hamatula that fell to Chakuq’s weapons hissed “I am a hunter, too. I will come back for you,” before it died.

The hamatulas continued to kill the last of the rat ogres, nailing it to the ground with the barbs that they had snapped off their carapaces. The blood of the rat ogres seemed to flow with a mind of its own, and formed into a large circle of power, complete with major and minor sigils, As each rat ogre exploded into a cloud of noxious cloud, the vortex carrying the vapours up into the eye of the storm above grew more pronounced until it started to radiate with a fel glow.

Epidemius strode forward on his mount until he stood directly in the centre of the circle of power. He withdrew a bony sceptre and held it aloft as he spoke menacing words in a language that nobody could understand. The words rang like the buzzing of a thousand insects in the minds of all that could hear him. Once done, he dropped the sceptre in the blood which formed the circle, and the blood lit up with the same fel glow as the vortex. The light drained from the blood into the vortex, and was carried into the storm, where the energy was spread across the sky above the city like a blanket.

Epidemius wheeled his mount around and started making his way back to the portal while the fighting continued around him. Quentin and Astrid fought side-by-side after Quentin ordered the Morvrayne riders to retreat. Neamhan had shifted her form to that of an enormous elk and charged into the infernal forces. Emrys continued to unleash his magic, eventually resulting in a surge of uncontrolled magic to well up inside of him and spell out, causing persistent lightning to play across his body. The griffon riders had managed to take down one of the erinyes, which came crashing down into one of the houses like a fiery comet. Luca had regained consciousness in the cathedral and was able to help by casting spells through his dragonling.

When it looked as if Epidemius was about to depart through the portal, Emrys made a dash for Toruviel, which he had unsheathed and was hovering in the air, fighting unaided. When he snatched up the blade he ran for the portal, vaulting through it aided by Toruviel. Immediately the corona of light around the portal started to flicker, and the perfect oval started to shiver and warp. Emrys’ strange bloodline, so expertly crafted by the mysterious Mohiam, started to disrupt and collapse the portal, threatening to cut Epidemius off from his retreat.

The Battle for Steward’s Square, Continued

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Previously, the heroes prepared to confront Epidemius at his second arrival on Steward’s Square in Kingsport. They were supported by Lyrian knights from the Order of the Lance, under the command of Ser Uthred Locke, by Lyrian knights stationed in Kingsport, under the command of Ser Roderick and Dame Madeline, by the crownsguard and custodians, by James and members of the Steady Hand, by Emma and her disciple Dagmær, and even members of house Sheridan.

Fourth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

(Silvermoon is waning, Bloodmoon is waning, Darkmoon is in low sanction)

Luca called out to Aurion in frustration, begging his patron to let him turn his back on the light and return to a simpler time where he followed the path of darkness and could make full use of Blackstar. Aurion, however, did not respond, but there was another voice that found Luca, eager to fill the void that the young warlock found at his core. His vision dimmed and the darkness around him filled with crawling creatures that all called out for Luca to join them.

Meanwhile, the battle between Epidemius and his forces, and the heroes and their support, was still raging. Luca, oblivious to anything but the voices that spoke to him, walked forward, closing in on battle in a dangerous way. His dragonling materialised from its invisibility and rushed towards him, flitting about him in a panic. Somewhere, in the back of Luca’s mind he heard a voice say that he still owed a debt to the sidhe, and that allying with the person behind the voice that Luca heard would disallow him from paying back that debt. Réonan was rushing forward, as well. Pleading with Luca to reconsider what he was doing. Eventually, Réonan grabbed Luca, who turned on the archmage and grabbed them in return. Réonan pleaded to the turbulent skies in a language that none of the heroes understood, while Luca rebuked Réonan’s words in a strange tongue of his own.

When Luca attempted to understand who he was negotiating with, he got a sudden glimpse of what servitude under this new master would mean. He saw himself carrying a pike, corralling naked people against a wall while they stood ankle deep in boiling water. These people were defenceless. They were trying to scramble up the sheer wall trying to get away from the pain. Some were climbing on top of one another, while one woman was standing on the dead form of a child in an attempt to stay away from the water.

Seemingly at the appeal of Réonan, the stormy sky briefly broke and a single shaft of light pierced the sky to fall upon Luca, filling his body with a familiar, nurturing warmth. A single, clarion tone, like that of a perfect tuning fork, rang forth from Luca’s chest spreading out from him. That sound drove away the darkness that surrounded Luca, and the creatures whispering within. Instead, his mind was filled with the voice of Aurion. After Aurion revealed himself to be a celestial there was no way back to the fiend for Luca. It became clear that Aurion presented himself to some as a fiend to see whether they could be persuaded to fight for justice. Those who could not be swayed, like Hejduk, would be sacrificed for the greater good.

Luca was confronted with an ultimatum; Aurion would grant him his obediences back, and in return, Luca would control Blackstar’s urges, and bring it to heel before Midinváerne. And should Luca fail, Aurion would take Blackstar and let it devour Luca’s soul.

While this occurred, Astrid was fighting against three hamatulas, and only kept going by the graces of healing magic. Quentin and Dame Pauline executed several charges through Epidemius’ ranks, and were subject to a venomous vapour that the fiend exhaled as they crashed through the infernal host.

And most disturbingly, one by one, the rat ogres were killed by the hamatulas in the same spot as the first one. Each exploded in a cloud of noxious vapour, just like the first. Their blood joined the blood of the first, reinforcing the disturbing circle and sigils among the rubble of Steward’s Square. The vapour was swept up in a thin vortex leading from the centre of the circle all the way to the eye of the storm above. Inside the storm, large shadows could be seen to move, below the storm Lady Commander Miranda and her griffon riders fought the vicious erinyes.

Something infernal was brewing inside the storm.