Adventure Summaries Sessions 78 to 86

King Roland leaves the great hall with the Lord Steward, the Lady Chamberlain and the Lord Marshall, escorted by the knights of the King's Guard and Lady Barleigh. The assembled nobles disperse across the great hall to talk with each other while waiting for the celebratory ball to start. Clarissa the Lady Marshall and Dux Glykas Kamateros come to talk with Princess Cecile, Theresa and the others. Francisca happily explains to Theresa how only single people will dance at the ball because the King is unmarried. Hermione checks with Wesley about dancing and discovers being engaged also means you don't dance.

Zeno goes across the hall and talks with Lady Ostara Hueste, who introduces Zeno to her liege, Baron Renford. Feodora watches Zeno go, glares at Gebhard when she sees him near Ostara, and takes the opportunity to slip away from the others. Zeno invites Ostara to dance, and she enthusiastically accepts after obtaining Baron Renford's permission. Sijam overhears Baron Sherwood talking with Baroness Sommer about how Roland will not truly be King until he's anointed on Church-Day, which Sijam finds concerning, and starts circulating to listen in on other conversations.

Lord Thomas Steward joins their group with a message from his father, the Lord Steward, asking Princess Cecile to join the King's council. Princess Cecile: "Anything in particular we need to discuss? Wedding plans?" Theresa frets unhappily after Princess Cecile leaves about how Roland may need to marry someone else now, and Hermione proposes kidnapping him so he can't be forced into marriage against his will.

Theresa asks Zeno and Sijam to dance with her when the ball begins, but Zeno has already asked Lady Ostara and Sijam is unfamiliar with the dances. Martina is willing to dance with Theresa, but Ardalion interposes and confidently asks Theresa to dance. Lord Thomas Steward returns to the great hall and talks with Princess Rowena of Teran, then returns to talk with Theresa. Lord Thomas explains that the King will dance first with Princess Cecile, as the Lady Chamberlain has conceded her right to the first dance to the King's second cousin, and then with the Lady Chamberlain. However, the King has decided that he will then dance with foreign nobles in order of precedence before dancing with the nobility of Kevland, and that he has indicated Theresa should therefore follow Princess Rowena and have the fourth dance. Having delivered his message, Lord Thomas leaves to talk with the King's fifth dance, Baroness Sommer.

A few minutes later, King Roland returns to the great hall with Princess Cecile, accompanied by his Great Councillors and escorted by the King's Guard. Roland has changed into regal finery, while Lady Barleigh is wearing the livery of the King's Guard. Roland dances with Cecile, Theresa with Ardalion, and Zeno with Ostara. After the dance, Zeno and Ostara go outside to talk on a quiet balcony. Feodora returns and tells Theresa that she bumped into Roberta while they were both snooping around, and had a talk after hiding together to avoid being caught by the palace staff. Roberta is looking for Jack, who she believes is somewhere at the palace, and asked Feodora to send an apology to Theresa for not joining her at the ball until she finds him.

For the second dance, Roland dances with Eleanor the Lady Chamberlain while Theresa dances with Martina. Sijam spots both Brother Harlow on the far side of the hall near Peregrinus, Bretward and Beatrice, as well as William of Wykeham among the musicians on the gallery, playing a flute. Sijam returns to Hermione and reports what he has seen, and Hermione goes to confront Jack while Sijam unsuccessfully seeks out Brother Harlow. When he sees Hermione coming towards him as the second dance ends, William starts pushing through the other musicians to the other end of the gallery, then cuts loose a tapestry and swings down to the ground near the monks from the Monastery of Amalfi. Hermione leaps off the gallery and lands with a crash on a table, which breaks from the impact. Sijam quickly rushes over and seizes William, who insists he doesn't know who they are or why they're attacking him.

Sir Marlow arrives and escorts William, Sijam and Hermione over to the royal dias to explain to King Roland why they are disrupting his coronation ball. William falls in love at first sight with Eleanor the Lady Chancellor. Roland quickly sends his quarrelling friends to another room to talk privately so the ball can resume. Theresa dispatches Feodora to find Roberta, while Martina searches for Zeno and finds him passionately kissing Lady Ostara. Martina coughs to attract their attention, and tells Zeno that his friend Jack is here and the others wanted Zeno to join them for the conversation.

Martina and Zeno join Theresa, Sijam, Hermione and William, who continues to insist that he doesn't know any of them. Zeno prays to the True God in the hope that everyone will speak truthfully, forcing William to admit that he does know them, but not in his William identity. Feodora arrives with Roberta, who is dressed as a servant and carrying a tray of goblets of wine. Roberta is convinced that Jack can change, but William doesn't share that belief as he is in love with the Lady Chancellor.

Theresa leaves when she hears the third dance end, as she doesn't want to miss her dance with the King. Martina follows shortly afterwards, telling the others that she wants to watch Theresa dance. Zeno strives to persuade Roberta that she shouldn't continue to try and help Jack change when he's unwilling to make that effort, but Roberta still has faith that Jack can change, they just need to wait until he's fallen out of love because his curse interferes with his judgement. Jack tells Roberta that he feels she's wrong and he doesn't have feelings for her, making Feodora scoff, "Who'd want to be with a man?" (drinks from her goblet, notices everyone is looking at her) "Like him! A man like him!"

As the fourth dance ends, Theresa hums along to the music, using her sorcery to inspire Roland for his next dance with Baroness Sommer. Lord Thomas Steward dances with Theresa for the fifth dance.

Zeno persuades Roberta to stay with them until Jack's curse has run its course, and extracts a promise from Jack to come to Broughton Hall and talk with them at that point. Zeno: "If you want to travel with us, Jack, I'm not going to say no." Hermione: "I am."

The other adventurers return to the great hall. William attempts to rejoin the musicians, but Alexios refuses to let him do so after causing such a scene. William decides to focus on pursuing his true love Eleanor the Lady Chamberlain, stealing a servant's outfit so he can bring her drinks. Eleanor isn't interested in talking with a servant, so William goes to the toilets, knocks out the first noble he finds on his own, and steals his clothes. Suitably dressed, William goes back to socialise with Eleanor. However, as he didn't go to any effort to hide the man he knocked out and robbed, it isn't long until Renaldo of Elea arrives and points out his assailant. Ardalion and Martina seize William by his arms and drag him away while he struggles for long enough to throw some shillings towards Eleanor so she can "buy something nice".

Roberta returns to Broughton Hall with Princess Cecile and the adventurers at the end of the ball. Roberta pleads with Zeno to intercede with his uncle on Jack's behalf, and offers to pay whatever compensation Renaldo demands for the assault and insult. In exchange, Zeno persuades Roberta to let Jack be sent away as a penance and for his own good, pointing out to Roberta that her sister Giovanna may carry out her past threats to geld Jack if he returns to Navyn with her.

Zeno visits the Company of Elea to negotiate with Renaldo, who accepts Roberta's offer of compensation. Ardalion agrees to take care of Jack's departure for Zeno so he can focus on more important matters, such as Hermione's 22nd birthday celebrations.

The adventurers make their arrangements to celebrate Hermione's birthday while Feodora keeps Hermione occupied working on repairs to the mechanical snake and cat. Theresa gives directions to the kitchen staff of Broughton Hall about the meal she wants prepared. Sijam goes to the markets to buy spices, accompanied by Martina in case of trouble. While at the markets, they see Brother Harlow with Brother Bretwald.

The Orlamonds arrive for Hermione's birthday celebration, and Zeno talks with Baroness Orlamond to keep her occupied and away from Hermione. Wesley follows up with Hermione and Luxian about the possibility of Master Federigo helping them go to Vestad for the first day of the new year, but Luxian hasn't been able to persuade him to assist. Instead, Master Federigo has directed Luxian that returning the Hatuli should be his priority. Wesley consoles himself by talking at length about the role of the King's Stone in tomorrow's coronation ceremonies, and how it inspired his research into the kingstones of the Dunns and the Petkenaks.

Hermione receives her presents before dinner: a fine dress with matching slippers from the adventurers, spices from Sijam, replacements for missing and damaged tools from Feodora, and a large polished multi-coloured stone from Wesley.

Lady Barleigh joins them for the dinner, as King Roland has started his pre-coronation vigil at the cathedral and is unable to join them. Theresa gives her one of the highly decorated lace cookies to take back to Roland, as the decorations are the only part of the meal Theresa takes personal credit for preparing.

After their guests leave, the adventurers talk with Hermione about her engagement to Wesley. Hermione: "Being around him makes me happy most of the time ... when I don't want to hit him over the head." Feodora questions Hermione about whether she actually loves Wesley, contrasting her often critical attitude towards him with Roberta's attitude towards Jack, which Feodora describes as being "dumb about him". Feodora is eventually convinced that Hermione is "dumb about Wesley" because the way Hermione smiles while she's talking about what she likes about Wesley reminds Feodora of how her father used to smile when talking about her mother.

King Roland finishes his vigil at the cathedral and attends mass with Bishop Eleanor. He then rides out of Asti to the sound of the cathedral organ playing the Royal Fanfare, accompanied by the Lord Steward, the Lady Chancellor, the Lord Marshall, and some of the barons. The adventurers join the entourage following on foot, including Lord Thomas Steward. On the way to the ancient church of Saint Meleager, the entourage stops and the riders dismount at the King's Stone, which is actually the top of an ancient pillar sitting above the ground.

One of a group of peasants is sitting on the Stone. She asks the others, "Who is he, that comes forward?" The other peasants reply, "He is the king of the land." "Is he an upright judge seeking the well-being of the people? Is he freeborn and deserving? Does he foster and defend our True Faith?" "He is and he will be." "By what right can he displace me from this, my seat?" "He will pay you sixty pennies and he will give you your home free and without tribute."

The woman stands, gives King Roland a gentle blow on the cheek, and steps aside. The Lord Steward gives her a purse while the Lord Marshall passes Roland a large gilded sword. Roland carefully stands on the Stone and slowly turns in a full circle while holding up the sword, facing in all directions. While this is being done, everyone sings a hymn, "Praise God for the gift of a new ruler, in accordance with His divine will."

After getting down from the Stone, Roland gives the sword back to the Lord Marshall, mounts his horse, and is led around the Stone three times by the Lady Chancellor before proceeding on horseback up the hill to the church of Saint Meleager. Wesley excitedly talks with the others about the coronation ritual and the Stone and how it's all very different to the pagan kingstones. Theresa draws some attention by talking about how kings used to be sacrificed on sacred stones long ago. Zeno: "Theresa, perhaps we should not speak about sacrificing kings." Sijam: "Your fey is showing."

When the adventurers arrive at the church, Roland has dismounted and gone to the apse, while the other riders are still on their horses in the transept. While most of those who were on foot are sitting or standing in the nave, Theresa confidently leads most of the others to sit among the barons in the quire. Sijam and Luxian stay back in the nave, standing to one side.

Bishop Eleanor conducts the coronation mass, during which Roland is anointed with sacred oil and crowned with the Crown of Saint Meleager. After the mass, Roland is taken to the King's Seat in the churchyard. Before he sits to receive homage from his vassals, Roland gives the coronation oath, "To protect the Church, to do good justice, to suppress evil laws and custom, and to protect the rights of the Crown". He also declares that he will marry within a year, and that until his wife bears him a child, Princess Cecile is his heir. Theresa quietly squeaks at the declaration. Luxian: "An heir." Theresa: "Within a year ..."

King Roland sits on the King's Seat to receive homage and oaths of fealty, starting with the Lord Steward, the Lady Chancellor, and the Lord Marshall. For each, he confirms their request that they continue to hold all that which they had held of his predecessor, Queen Almida. However, when the Count of Legnano offers homage and the oath of fealty, Roland grants a conditional confirmation, as everyone who offered homage and the oath of fealty to the Queen at her coronation is to offer him homage as King, "in accordance with longstanding custom". The Count seems surprised and angry at the public humiliation, unlike Princess Rowena of Teran. All of the barons offer homage and oaths of fealty, including the southern barons who had been made by the Queen to offer homage to the Count of Legnano. Finally, the members of the King's Guard, including Lady Barleigh, offer their oaths of fealty.

When the ceremony has finished, King Roland starts the ride back to Asti with his escort. The adventurers and the others in attendance mingle and talk as they start following after the royal entourage. Martina and Hermione stay with Theresa as her bodyguards. Zeno seeks out Lady Ostara, who is pleased that her liege, Baron Renford, is once again the King's vassal. Lady Ostara tells Zeno she has already obtained Baron Renford's consent for them to become engaged, if that is what they decide. Sijam seeks out Brother Harlow, who is once again with Brother Bretwald, and talks with him about recent events. Brother Harlow replies that he has much to report back to his fellow monks at the Monastery of Lorinne, and asks Sijam about his travels and what he has seen "since you left the service of the Prince of Moneghetti".

The adventurers return to Broughton Hall and change into clothing more suitable for the coronation feast at the New Royal Palace. Theresa wears the gold ballgown she was wearning when Roland first met her, along with his gifts of the gold locket and his mother's gold and emerald bracelet, plus the gold and emerald earrings she had custom made to match.

At the coronation feast, the adventurers are seated with the Orlamonds and Lord Thomas Steward at a table near the high table, where King Roland is sitting with Princess Cecile, the Lord Steward, the Lady Chancellor and the Lord and Lady Marshall. Feodora glares angrily at Gebhard while he waits on Lady Ostara, and quickly slips away from the others.

The evening's entertainment starts with a performance by the renowned lyrist Philomena. At the sight of her mother, Theresa has a painfully fixed smile at first, before quickly returning to looking regal and happy. Zeno tells Sijam about Philomena's connection to Theresa. Zeno: "I don't know why she's here." Sijam: "It appears she's been hired as a musical performer?"

At the end of her performance, Philomena goes out of her way to talk with Theresa, congratulating Theresa on her success and saying that they need to meet tomorrow. Theresa graciously acknowledges Philomena's congratulations, and watches with apparent indifference while Philomena talks with Baroness Sommer, who gives her a small purse as a token of appreciation for her performance.

As the performances continue, Brother Bretwald comes by to talk quietly with Lord Thomas Steward. Wesley talks sadly about not seeing Lady Tasha stand on the Kingstone of the Eadgils tomorrow morning.

At the end of the feast, the adventurers return to Broughton Hall. They discuss what to do next, and Luxian talks about how he wants to leave in a week or so to travel north to the Grey Rock and return the Hatuli. Feodora returns on her own while Zeno is talking about Lady Ostara, and Feodora's attitude makes Zeno worry that she may have done something to Gebhard. Feodora defensively explains that she hates Gebhard and won't forgive him for killing her godfather, but hasn't hurt him. Theresa examines Feodora's fingernails and confirms that she hasn't stabbed anyone.

Feodora shares that there's already speculation about who the King will marry, with the shortlist of current contenders being Princess Cecile, Eleanor the Lady Chancellor, Baroness Sommer, Princess Rowena of Teran and Theresa. Theresa is keen to meet and talk with Roland tomorrow, and find out where she stands in his eyes now he's the King.

At Imilia's suggestion, Wesley and Armand come to Broughton Hall with the box containing Master Eddas before dawn to join Luxian and Imilia in Theresa's sitting room. Theresa uses her crystal globe to observe Lady Tasha, and narrates what she sees to the others as Lady Tasha prepares to stand on the Kingstone of the Eadgils at dawn. Lady Tasha's escort includes Ganymede, Taliriana, Yara, a man accompanied by a giant wolf, and a man taking notes in a book about what happens.

Lady Tasha stands on the Kingstone, and when the sun rises her skin becomes like bark and her hair like leaves. Wesley is pleased at the confirmation that the rock is the Kingstone of the Eadgils, but disappointed that someone else is going to publish their eyewitness findings about his research project. Master Eddas leads the group discussion about the morning's events.

Hermione notices Pauline pushing a breakfast trolley towards Theresa's room loaded with much more food than usual. Hermione accompanies Pauline to Theresa's suite, where Armand is guarding the door. Master Eddas refuses to give permission for Hermione to come inside with the trolley because she isn't a member of the Tirynian Circle, so Wesley comes outside in his black robe and talks briefly with Hermione about why they're meeting so early in the morning.

After breakfast, Zeno and Sijam go to the cathedral to tend to the poor, while Luxian and Imilia go to call on the various magisters of the Tirynian Circle in Asti. Theresa rides to the New Royal Palace for her meeting with King Roland, escorted by Hermione and Martina. Lord Thomas Steward meets them when they arrive, and walks Theresa inside to meet with the King. On the way, they meet the dwarves from Dorrain leaving after their meeting with the King, and Corwyn Silverfinder happily tells Theresa that the King has confirmed the trading agreement Dorrain had with his predecessor Queen Almida, is open to further negotiations on a range of topics, and has agreed to give the dwarves priority access to Kevish markets to buy food and other supplies that are needed for the Great War in the meantime.

Roland and Theresa sit together in a window seat so they can quietly talk and have some privacy from the various servants and guards while Hermione and Martina stand with Lady Barleigh and pretend they can't hear the conversation. Roland asks Theresa about her group's travel plans, as he intends to send a message to her father in Emphidor. He also asks about Sijam's travel plans, as he intends to send a message to Prince Petros Murall of Moneghetti and has heard reports about Sijam's oath to Captain Matteo Baletti. Roland and Theresa's hands briefly touch while they talk.

Eleanor the Lady Chancellor arrives with two servants carrying stacks of deeds of fealty for Roland to sign documenting the oaths he received yesterday from his vassages. Roland has to finish his meeting with Theresa earlier than either of them want, and asks Theresa to return tomorrow.

While this has been happening, Bishop Eleanor asks Zeno if he can try and identify a murdered man whose body has been brought to the cathedral. The Bishop remembers seeing the man at the official events of the past few days, but doesn't know who he is. Zeno immediately identifies the dead man as Gebhard, Lady Ostara's squire. Gebhard was stabbed in the chest several times and his throat has been cut. Zeno brings Sijam to examine Gebhard's body, and Sijam establishes that the chest wounds were inflicted after death and while they look damaging are largely cosmetic.

Zeno sends a messenger to Lady Ostara and asks Sijam to go and find the others. After entering the market square between the cathedral and the New Royal Palace, Sijam notices Theresa on her horse some distance ahead, and dashes ahead to join them. Sijam interrupts Theresa fretting to Hermione and Martina that Roland wants to send her away with the news that a person of interest to them has been murdered. Theresa: "Of interest? Is it somebody we care about?" Sijam: "Somebody we know."

Martina continues on to Broughton Hall while Sijam takes Theresa and Hermione back to the cathedral. Theresa is over-the-top in her efforts to act in socially appropriate ways, drawing a disappointed look from Zeno. Theresa: "Oh, what a terrible sight!" (hand to forehead) "What a tragic loss for poor Lady Ostara - and the world." Theresa searches Gebhard's body for clues, and finds a note asking him to meet at a tavern.

Luxian and Imilia are back at Broughton Hall when Martina arrives. After giving Luxian the news, Martina goes to talk with Feodora, who immediately shouts, "I didn't do it!"

Martina and Luxian escort Feodora to the cathedral, where they join the others in the room with Gebhard's body. Feodora is loudly explaining that she didn't like Gebhard but that doesn't mean she wanted to kill him when Lady Ostara arrives. Ostara is upset at Gebhard's death, accusing Feodora of taking vengeance on him despite the payment she received as settlement for Otho's murder, and threatening to demand repayment of the four pounds so that she can give it to Gebhard's widow and daughters. Zeno persuades Lady Ostara to give them time to investigate and establish Feodora's innocence and she leaves, planning to return later that day and collect Gebhard's body.

After Lady Ostara leaves, the adventurers discuss what to do. They decide to go to the location where Gebhard died, a nearby fountain beside a tavern. Theresa uses magic to change her appearance to that of Mary the bard. When they arrive, they find a scruffy knight is sitting at the fountain. "Mary" takes Feodora aside to talk with the local residents about what happened last night while the others talk with the knight. Sir Darnell Enfield is interested in their business, but isn't forthcoming about why he's also interested in Gebhard's murder. Zeno and Martina recognise him as a vassal of Eleanor the Lady Chancellor's grandmother, Lady Thirlby.

The others wait for Sir Darnell to depart before going into the tavern and talking with the proprietor. She is initially hesitant, but after Zeno gives his word that he would protect any eyewitness, she lets them into the cellar where she is hiding Hopkins, a regular client and habitual drunk. Hopkins had the misfortune to be relieving himself in the alleyway when he saw what happened at the fountain, and recounts how Gebhard met with a knight he called Sir Helton and was killed by a plump woman who cut his throat from behind and agilely avoided being hit by any of Gebhard's blood. Hopkins managed to escape from Sir Helton and the woman, who Sir Helton called Lady Newbury. The adventurers take Hopkins back to Broughton Hall, where he immediately attaches himself to Zeno as his new servant.

The adventurers discuss what to do next. Zeno and Martina identify the knight from Hopkin's description of his heraldry as Sir Helton Darvel, one of the household knights of Geffrai Sigar, the steward of the Count of Legnano. They are interrupted by the arrival of Philomena, who is calling on Theresa as planned, escorted by her bodyguard Ector. Theresa tolerates Philomena's presence while they talk, ostensibly because Philomena wants to get to know Theresa better and find out what her plans are for the future. Philomena says she's open to helping Theresa and Roland if there's anything a travelling performer can do for them that would be helpful.

Once Philomena has left, the adventurers resume their discussion, and settle on trying to find the person who wrote Gebhard's note using Theresa's magic. Theresa (disguised as Mary the bard) locates the note-writer in her crystal globe, and finds him kissing a woman. Their intimate moment is interrupted by a summons for Jehan from his father. The vision in the crystal globe follows Jehan as he goes to meet with his father, Geffrai Sigar. Geffrai tells Jehan that people have been seen talking to the proprietor of the tavern about what happened last night. Jehan leaves to deal with the situation, but is interrupted on the way when he is spotted by the Count of Legnano, who is upset and complaining to Princess Rowena of Teran about how he was insulted and humiliated by the King taking back the barons who were his vassals. Terence vents to Rowena and Jehan, rhetorically asking how he can be expected to hold the north for the King without his vassals and what Geffrai is doing about it. Jehan: "Tidying up your loose ends."

Now aware that the proprietor is in danger, the adventurers split up. Sijam goes ahead to the tavern on his own as the fastest in the group, travelling along the rooftops to avoid the crowded streets; Feodora guides Hermione, Luxian and Zeno through alleyways and other shortcuts to the tavern; and Theresa stays at Broughton Hall, guarded by Martina, to search with her crystal globe for Lady Newbury. When he arrives, Sijam finds the proprietor packing: Sir Darnell came after they left and searched the tavern and cellar. The experience frightened her so much that she no longer feels safe and is leaving Asti. Sijam goes with her when she departs, trying to persuade her to come to Broughton Hall with him.

Sir Melrose spots Sijam, and joins him and the proprietor as they travel. Sir Melrose asks Sijam to introduce him to his friend, but Sijam doesn't know her name, and she introduces herself as Rohese. Sijam explains that Rohese is in danger, and Sir Melrose joins Sijam in escorting Rohese to Broughton Hall.

At Broughton Hall, Theresa finds Lady Newbury in her crystal globe, enjoying archery with her husband Lord Newbury in the grounds of their city residence. Their sport is interrupted by a servant letting them know that Baroness Margaret Sommer has called on them. Theresa continues to watch as Lord and Lady Newbury go inside to meet with their guest. Baroness Sommer tells the Newburys that she has learned the King has asked a well-travelled monk, Brother Harlow, to take a message from him to the Prince of Moneghetti. However, she has also learned that Brother Harlow is an untrustworthy spy, and she is very concerned that the King shouldn't trust him. Baroness Sommer frets to the Newburys about how terrible it would be if the King's message was intercepted, a concern which they claim to share.

Armed with this new information, "Mary" and Martina set out to find the others. Martina quietly warns Theresa as they walk that she spotted Sir Darnell watching them when they left through the front entrance of Broughton Hall.

Feodora, Hermione, Luxian and Zeno arrive at the fountain beside the tavern to find that Lady Ostara is there with several of Baron Renford's other knights, having taken a slight detour on their way to the cathedral to see where Gebhard was killed. Zeno talks with Lady Ostara while the others examine the now-empty tavern. Zeno shares what they have learned to date about who killed Gebhard, and Lady Ostara acknowledges that Feodora isn't responsible for his murder. Lady Ostara tells Zeno she will talk with Baron Renford about how to proceed with accusing Sir Helton Darvel of killing Gebhard at the command of Geffrai Sigar.

Feodora slips away from the others while they search the empty tavern: her departure is noted by Hermione, who follows Feodora, leaving Luxian on his own. Hermione tags along while Feodora asks around about Sijam, gets directions on where he went with the proprietor of the tavern, and sets off after them. When Luxian realises he's alone, he goes outside and rejoins Zeno. When Lady Ostara and her fellow knights have left for the cathedral, they talk about where the others may have gone, and settle on returning to Broughton Hall. As they are leaving, another group of half a dozen armoured men and women arrive and go into the tavern.

Sijam and Sir Melrose escort Rohese into Broughton Hall. Sijam spots Sir Darnell as he watches who comes and goes from Broughton Hall and tries to point him out to Sir Melrose, who is unfortunately much less observant and discrete. Sijam checks again from an upper storey window after they reach the adventurers' suites but can no longer see Sir Darnell outside.

Feodora and Hermione meet up with Martina and "Mary". "Mary" pretends not to know the others and to be Martina's new "friend", and her flirtatious behaviour makes Martina blush in embarrassment. They return to Broughton Hall through the servants' entrance, despite Hermione's expressed desire to go and talk with Sir Darnell. Theresa is concerned at Sir Melrose's presence and her companions' willingness to talk so openly and frankly in front of a relative stranger, so "Mary" leaves" and shortly afterwards Theresa joins the group. Zeno and Luxian are the last to arrive at Broughton Hall: Zeno says nothing when he sees Hopkins wearing one of his better shirts.

Sir Melrose is keen to be introduced to Princess Cecile before he leaves: this is arranged, and he departs for his audience with their host. Rohese still wishes to leave Asti for her own safety, and Martina invites her to come north with them to her estate and enter her service. The adventurers discuss the complexities of what is going on and how it connects to Gebhard's murder. Theresa suggests Gebhard simply "outlived his usefulness", and Martina realises Gebhard stopped being useful after Baron Renford stopped being the Count of Legnano's vassal and it would no longer be treasonous for Gebhard to testify in court about what happened because he would no longer be betraying his lady's liege's liege.

Feeling they should share the information with someone who acts with discretion, Theresa writes a short letter to Lord Thomas Steward asking if they can meet. A servant delivers a message, and returns with an invitation to meet immediately. Theresa, once again escorted by Hermione and Martina, leaves to meet with Thomas while the others stay to guard Hopkins and Rohese from potential attackers. Theresa shares what they have learned with Thomas, including that Baroness Sommer knew that the King met with Brother Harlow earlier today. Theresa discretely doesn't share her sources, keeping her use of arcane magic a secret, and Thomas discretely doesn't ask.

Zeno visits Lady Ostara at Baron Renford's hall, and learns that Baron Renford has decided not to take the matter further and disrupt the celebrations of the new King's coronation. Baron Renford has received his deed of fealty from the royal chancellery, and plans to leave that day: Lady Ostara is leaving with him to take Gebhard home for burial.

Theresa visits the New Royal Palace to see King Roland, accompanied by Hermione, Martina and Sijam. Theresa is pleased that Roland is aware of what has been happening and that he has been briefed about the information she shared with Lord Thomas Steward. Theresa confirms for Roland that they will be visiting her half-sister after mid-summer and can take his message for her father to Emphidor with them.

Roland talks with Sijam about taking a message to Prince Petros Murall when the adventurers travel north, as he doesn't want to put Sijam in the position of having to break the complex oath he gave to Captain Matteo Baletti. Sijam reflects on the oath, and affirms that he feels travelling to Moneghetti to deliver a message wouldn't require him to break his oath. Sijam explains how he was an employee of the Prince and not in his service, but comes to realise that living as a member of the Prince's household and being paid a weekly retainer means he actually was a servant, and not an employee.

On the way back to Broughton Hall, Theresa asks Hermione if Wesley is travelling north with them. Hermione decides it's time to talk with Wesley about marriage, and the group detours to Baroness Orlamond's hall. Hermione tells Wesley she's decided to accept him for who he is, and wants him to travel north with her and the others. Wesley wants to get married before they leave so his family can attend, and suggests they marry in two days' time. Hermione wants Zeno to officiate at the wedding: Wesley suggests they don't marry at a church so Fierce can attend and tells Hermione about the ruins of a pagan temple near Asti that could be the backdrop to their wedding ceremony.

When told about their plans, Zeno accepts Hermione's request to be their celebrant with alacrity.

The adventurers go to investigate the ruined temple to make sure there will be no problems at tomorrow's wedding. Hermione goes with the others and leaves the responsiblity for overseeing the preparation of her wedding outfit to Imilia.

On the portico, they find a small loaf of bread that seems to have been placed as an offering outside the large stone door to the temple. Zeno and Martina push open the door and the adventurers go inside with Feodora carrying a torch for light. The first chamber has an empty plinth: Feodora is chastised by Theresa for hopping up on the plinth because it may have been trapped.

The second chamber is wide but not deep, with a long stone plinth filling most of the space. The plinth has two shallow depressions on its surface: on either side of the plinth is a bronze pan on a tripod, decorated with aroused satyrs to the left and nude nymphs on the right, and standing by each pan is a long-dead human, chained by a collar around their neck to the wall and holding a bronze jug in one hand and a bronze short sword in the other.

Hermione and Feodora clamber over the plinth to investigate the closed stone door on the far side, accompanied by Sijam as their guard, but can't find a way to open it. Deducing that there is a ritual to open the door, Theresa and Luxian go to the appropriate tripod and place a silver penny among the corroded copper coins in the pan. The undead guardians give them each a bronze jug, filled with the dried dregs of what was once wine, which they replenish with a little wine before pouring simultaneously into the depressions on the plinth. When they do, the stone door slides upwards. The undead guardians take back the jugs and let Theresa and Luxian pass, but block Zeno and Martina when they try to follow. Rather than repeat the ritual, they climb over the plinth to join the others.

The adventurers continue on, leaving Grund to hold up the door in case it closes and traps them inside the temple. The next chamber is a large hallway that ends with a large bronze-plated door almost twice the size of a regular door. A faint line of silvery powder extends from one side of the middle of the hallway to the other. Beyond the powdery line are the skeletal remains of a person in a tattered cloak and short tunic, with the top of the skull neatly removed. Sijam crosses the powdery line to investigate the skeleton, and in doing so the adventurers discover that sound doesn't pass from one side of the line to the other.

Sijam safely returns and rejoins the others, and they wait while Theresa carries out an arcane ritual to learn more about the barrier created by the powdery line. Theresa learns that the barrier prevents arcane creatures leaving the inner temple, including through the World of Spirits, and stops scrying magic looking through the barrier. Concerned that something dangerous is trapped inside the inner temple by the powdery line, the adventurers cautiously proceed, taking great care not to disturb the line when they step over it.

The next chamber contains two rows of caryatids leading to another large bronze-plated door. Each of the caryatids is an elven woman who seems to represent a different aspect of the arts: one is in the act of strumming a lyre, while another dances and a third draws on parchment with a stick of charcoal. Theresa recognises one who is disciplining a hound with a rod as "the Beast Master". Concerned they aren't alone, the adventurers carefully follow the left-hand wall to the other side of the chamber, where Martina spots a huge creature that resembles a preying mantis at the other end of the room, blocking the exit back the way they came. Martina: "What in the name of God is that?!?"

The creature scuttles back into the darkness while Theresa uses arcane magic to fill the far end of the room with greenish will-o'-wisps. The adventurers try to lure out the creature by touching one of the statues, which "speaks" with a booming voice in Cabbandari, offering to teach her art in exchange for the listener's pledge to “give yourself body and soul to my service”. Theresa warns the others not to agree to do anything when the giant creature lunges out of the darkness to the side to attack her, terrifying Hermione and Luxian.

The adventurers battle the giant creature, which tries to grasp them in its pincers and bite at their heads. Martina and Zeno shield Theresa from harm, while Hermione and Luxian do what they can to assist while hiding up against the back door. Hermione summons Fierce to her side: Fierce recognises the creature as a god's offspring and tells Hermione to flee, but stays with her while Hermione shoots arrows at the creature and gradually regains her courage. Feodora tries to sneak around the side of the battle, but the caryatid she climbs starts loudly "speaking", much to her frustration. Feodora uses her vantage-point to throw her dagger at the creature's head, only to have her weapon skitter off its carapace.

The creature is eventually defeated, with Sijam striking the finishing blow and avoiding the creature's death-curse thanks to the protection of the True God. Luxian's courage finally returns with the creature's destruction, while the two caryatids stop "speaking" after several minutes. Feodora recovers her dagger, and is encouraged to purchase more arms and armour so she is better prepared for future adventures.

After regrouping, the adventurers decide to open the other door and see what is in the next chamber. The far wall of this chamber is dominated by the partially smashed carving of the face of an elf lord, beautiful and terrible in equal measure despite the ruined and incomplete features. The adventurers all feel compelled to kneel and abase themselves: Theresa and Luxian don't even try to resist, while Hermione and Feodora also kneel. Martina and Sijam resist the fey compulsion, while Zeno struggles to resist until his hand brushes the blessed handkerchief that Theresa Mantienne returned to him.

The adventurers quickly leave the chamber and close the door. The others wait while Zeno prays over the giant creature's corpse, then try to leave. Fierce cannot pass over the powdery line, and Zeno's prayers do not persuade the True God to free Fierce, so Luxian has to use his sorcery to dispel the protective ward. The adventurers destroy the undead guardians in the room with the plinth, and take their bodies outside to bury around the side of the hill the temple is built into. Zeno chooses not to give them a True Faith burial, as they were presumably pagans and he feels it would be wrong to compel them to leave the Cycle of Arda when they know nothing of the True Faith.

The adventurers prepare for Hermione and Wesley's wedding. Zeno goes ahead with Princess Cecile's servants to prepare for the ceremony while they prepare the celebratory lunch. The others wait with Hermione and Princess Cecile for King Roland's party to arrive at Broughton Hall, then accompany the King to the venue.

Zeno officiates at Hermione and Wesley's wedding, which goes without a hitch. Fierce keeps his distance, watching from the treeline and spreading his wings to help Hermione spot him during the ceremony.

After the ceremony, the guests mingle and enjoy the celebratory lunch. Theresa and King Roland walk together to the treeline where they can talk with greater privacy under the watchful gaze of Lady Barleigh and Martina. Feodora gets bored and restless with mingling and goes exploring, then returns with news that the graves where they buried the undead guardians yesterday have burst open and the undead guardians are missing. Sijam sends Feodora to tell Zeno, who sends her to tell Luxian, who leaves Feodora to talk with Lord Thomas Steward.

Sijam, Zeno and Luxian examine the graves for clues but don't find any tracks leading away. They decide not to bother Hermione on her wedding day, and Zeno and Luxian return to warn Martina while Sijam stays at the graves. When he's alone, Sijam notices that he can't hear any birdsong nearby, and walks away into the woods to find out if they are also silent. After a little while the sounds of wildlife resume: reassured, Sijam returns to the graves to wait for the others.

Martina notices Feodora slipping up the stairs to the portico of the temple and follows after her. Zeno and Luxian follow Martina and find her telling Feodora not to go into the pagan temple on her own. Feodora is escorted back to the lunch by the others with the promise that they will check back later, when there's no risk of disrupting the wedding celebrations.

When she returns from talking with King Roland, Theresa asks for an update about the "lost" zombies. Zeno: "We didn't lose them, they're just not there."

At the end of the wedding lunch, Hermione, Wesley and their guests return to Asti. Zeno stays behind with Princess Cecile's servants while they pack up, just in case they're in danger, and returns to Asti with them. Hermione accompanies Wesley to Orlamond Hall, where they retire to celebrate their wedding together. Fierce: "Now breed!"

The adventurers discuss what to do about the missing undead guardians, and decide to consult with a Magister of the Tirynian Circle at Asti who's known for her necromantic sorcery. Theresa insists Martina doesn't need to escort her to meet with the Magister, but accedes to Feodora's request to come along when Luxian doesn't object.

Late in the evening, Luxian (disguised with sorcery as a man), Theresa (disguised with sorcery as Mary the bard), Imilia and Feodora put on black robes and go to an old cemetary in Asti that's not attached to a church.

When the church bells toll midnight, mist rolls over the cemetary, and they see several figures in the mist. Magister Lucile emerges from the mist to talk with them about her art and answer their questions. When told about the pagan temple and the dead creature, Magister Lucile decides they should go investigate, and has the adventurers follow her into the mist.

Magister Lucile and the adventurers emerge from the mist outside the pagan temple and go inside. They find the undead guardians have returned to their posts, though their features have changed from before as if they had been forced through the Cycle of Arda to new lives. Magistic Lucile uses her sorcery to force the guardians into her service, and has then pour the wine from their jugs into the depressions on the plinth to open the door.

Continuing on, Magister Lucile is disappointed to find that the giant creature has been reduced to a conical pile of dust, and leaves with her new servants. The adventurers decide to check the final room before they also leave, and discover the carving of the elf lord has been completely restored. Seeing his unblemished face, beautiful and terrible in equal measure, Theresa and Luxian are once again compelling to kneel and worship their new "lord", while Imilia quickly turns her head aside and drags Feodora outside with her. Imilia sends Feodora back to Asti to fetch Zeno and the others, and settles down outside the room to read a romance while keeping an ear out for Theresa and Luxian.

Feodora hurries back to Asti, climbs over the city wall and returns to Broughton Hall to raise the alarm. Martina, Sijam and Zeno return to the pagan temple with Feodora: Princess Cecile lends them horses, and sends a servant with them to the city gate so they can ride out without impediment.

The adventurers arrive at the pagan temple, where Imilia is pleased that Feodora did as she instructed. Sijam tries to damage the carving to free Theresa and Luxian from the elf lord's compulsion, but barely scratches the stone before the others stop him. Theresa briefly enchants Sijam to also serve her "new" lord, and doesn't realise when he stills his mind and shrugs off the effect. Martina seizes Theresa to try and stop her without hurting her, while Zeno prays for the True God to free Luxian from his servitude.

Luxian is furious and uses his sorcery to disintegrate the carving, turning the stone into dust. Freed from the elf lord's compulsion, Theresa quickly and loudly declares her loyalty to her "true" master. The adventurers leave the pagan temple and return to Asti.

Hermione wakes in the small hours of the morning to see Wesley standing naked before Master Eddas. Hermione pretends to be asleep and watches as Master Eddas completes the ritual to promote Wesley from his apprentice to his journeyman, with them "both standing naked by moonlight".

In the morning, Hermione talks with Wesley about his promotion to journeyman, and learns he's very proud to be considered such a good student by his master. Hermione doesn't tell the other adventurers when she returns to Broughton Hall and meets up with them after breakfast to plan their departure from Asti.

Princess Cecile and Roberta Mazzarro farewell the adventurers when they leave Broughton Hall. The adventurers go to the docks, where they meet up with Lady Barleigh, who is travelling with them to Sellasos, and Lord Thomas Steward, who is present to farewell Theresa and her friends. Sir Helton Darvel is spotted in the crowded street, watching from a distance: he leaves after seeing Hopkins with Zeno, who gives Sir Helton a fierce glare.

The adventurers leave on a barge. The journey is expected to take all day and night, but it becomes clear by the afternoon that they are making better time than they should, given the conditions. The adventurers decide that Mayauel may be responsible, and speculate about how powerful she must be to affect their barge at such a great distance.

The barge continues north across Lake Rhipe throughout the night while they sleep on the deck under tarpaulins and tents.

The barge arrives at Legnano well before dawn, and has to wait for the port to open before docking. After disembarking, Lady Barleigh uses the King's royal writ to requisition a wagon, four horses and Ralph the wagoner from the Count of Legnano's stables. The adventurers travel north along the Forest Road, a well-tended Selentine-era paved road, with those who don't own a riding horse walking or riding in the wagon. They pass knights and their retinues travelling south to return to their homes now their barons are no longer the Count's vassals.

That evening, Lady Barleigh organises their lodgings at the King's expense. When Hermione returns to her room, Armand is guarding the door, and tells Hermione that Wesley is busy studying inside. Hermione goes in anyway, interrupting Wesley's lesson with Master Eddas, and insists on staying with Fierce's support. Master Eddas refuses to share his arcane secrets with someone who isn't his apprentice and ends the lesson early. Wesley apologises to Hermione and makes plans to ensure they have a second room going forward so Hermione can go to bed without interrupting his lessons.

The adventurers continue to travel north along the Forest Road. While they travel, Feodora asks if there would be elves in the forest and if the elf lord from the temple would have moved away long ago to avoid the pagan gods at Hyperasia. Martina strongly encourages Feodora to avoid having dealings with elves.

The adventurers continue to travel north along the Forest Road and arrive at the Mausoleum of Saints Neoptolemus and Meleager around midday. The Mausoleum is in the middle of the Forest Road, with a church for each saint on either side, as well as chapels, guesthouses, abbeys, and other buildings. Unlike Legnano and the villages they have been travelling through, the complex of buildings is not surrounded by a protective wall.

The adventurers scatter throughout the buildings according to their interests. Zeno takes Martina and Feodora to a chapel dedicated to Saint Peregrinus, while Wesley takes Hermione to the Church of Saint Neoptolemus. Theresa and Imilia go to the Church of Saint Meleager, where they attend mass and are taken over to the Mausoleum to briefly pray at and touch the tombs of the saints.

Around mid-afternoon, the adventurers regroup and decide to continue on rather than stay for the evening at the Mausoleum complex. They stop earlier than they usually would rather than risk not being allowed into the next village after dark.

The adventurers continue to travel north along the Forest Road. Late in the day, they arrive at Castelrosso, the fortified town near where the Tegea joins the Pylene, and are invited by one of Baroness Sommer's servants to stay with her at the castle that evening. Baroness Sommer welcomes Theresa, Imilia and Wesley as her guests, while Sir Melrose is delighted to see Sijam once again. Sir Melrose: "Sijam! How is the spying going?"

That evening, Theresa, Lady Barleigh, Imilia, Wesley, Hermione, Zeno and Martina dine with Baroness Sommer at the high table, while Sijam and Luxian sit with Sir Melrose at one of the side tables and Feodora sits with Rohese at a table near the far end of the hall. Baroness Sommer and Theresa are impeccably polite to each other throughout dinner.

Feodora gets bored quickly and leaves to go exploring. Concerned she may cause trouble, Martina lets Zeno know and he excuses himself to go looking for her. Zeno prays for guidance and gets a sense that Feodora is somewhere in the servants' areas of the castle. Zeno checks the stables, where Ralph is staying with the horses, but Feodora isn't with him. Zeno narrows Feodora's location down to the kitchens, decides she won't cause any problems there and returns to the great hall.

Some time later, Feodora returns to the great hall, where she stays some distance away and beckons over Hermione and Wesley. When they join her, Feodora tells them that Master Eddas killed a servant and the dead body is lying on the floor in their room. Hermione stands on Wesley's foot before he can say anything loudly. Cautioned by the familiar gesture to be circumspect, Wesley calls over Armand and sends him to the room to investigate further where he and Hermione return to the high table.

Armand returns after a little while longer and quietly informs Wesley and Hermione that he's disposed of the body. Martina overhears the news and does well to keep her composure and not react inappropriately in front of Baroness Sommer. Instead, she encourages Zeno to retire early with her when Hermione and Wesley rise to leave.

The other adventurers leave Theresa, Imilia and Lady Barleigh with Baroness Sommer and return to their rooms. When they are walking in privacy, Martina updates Zeno. Martina: "There's a dead man in our suite. The skull killed him." Zeno splutters in shock and outrage.

Master Eddas is unrepentant at dealing with the intruder who opened his box and picked him up because the man had been searching through his journeyman's papers. Armand explains that the man was wearing Baroness Sommer's livery and had climbed down a rope tied to a crenellation on the roof to Theresa's room, so he took the body back there and threw it out the window.

The adventurers relocate to Theresa's room, where Zeno talks with Hermione about whether Master Eddas is dangerous. Hermione feels that he isn't because he's just jealous. Zeno: "So, the floating skull that can kill people with a word is prone to fits of jealousy?" Hermione: "Fierce will protect me." Hermione explains to Zeno how she and Wesley are a breeding pair to produce future servants for Fierce.

Feodora climbs up to recover the rope, cutting through it below the knot to make it easier to carry the two halves back down to the room. Zeno throws the rope down after the man rather then try to hide it among their belongings.

The adventurers decide the man was searching for one or both of the letters entrusted to Theresa and Sijam by King Roland and are reassured by Armand that he searched the man's body and he didn't have any letters or other items on him. They plan to leave first thing in the morning to avoid having to answer any questions about how the man fell to his death outside their rooms. Theresa is briefed on developments when she returns to her room and sends everyone except Pauline out of her room so they can confirm Roland's letter to Baron Dekanos is still safely hidden. The letter for Prince Moneghetti is also safe, as Sijam carries it with him inside his tunic.

While the others have an early breakfast, Sijam overhears servants gossiping about the man who fell to his death from the roof last night. The servants stop gossiping when he asks them what they're talking about and Sijam doesn't push them to say more.

The adventurers leave Castelrosso after breakfast. Rather than continue northwards to Ranimia along the Forest Road they take the other Selentine bridge east over the Pylene and towards western Peronnia. This road is much less well-maintained and quickly deteriorates from a Selentine-era paved road into a compacted dirt road, badly rutted in parts from heavy use.

In the early afternoon they pass a mostly-dismantled stone castle with a cluster of pavilions. A knight on horseback rides out from the pavilions after them to check if they have any news for her from the Count of Legnano. Sir Meredith Cambeck has been overseeing the dismantling of this derelict castle, which was too far north for the Count to garrison before he lost his southern vassals, let alone now. She is due to return south herself but refuses to leave her post unattended without being relieved of command by the Count, especially when Master Builder Darnell is missing.

Sir Meredith explains to the adventurers that five days ago the workers uncovered a long-sealed flight of stairs down into what Darnell identified as an old pagan temple, destroyed long ago by an earthquake and re-used as the foundations for the castle. Darnell took his apprentices and three workers down the stairs to investigate and never returned, so she chained off the entrance to the stairs with a blessed cross and sent a messenger south for direction on what to do next. With Darnell gone, work has stopped and the remaining workers (all locals) seem increasingly untrustworthy.

The adventurers decide to go into the temple and look for the bodies of the six explorers, all presumably dead unless they found a source of water underground. Sir Meredith gallantly insists that she can't let them risk their lives without doing so herself, but is persuaded that her duty requires her to stay behind. Lady Barleigh's only condition is that Theresa and Sijam leave the King's letters above ground: Sijam hands over his letter, while Theresa assures Lady Barleigh that Paulline knows the location of her letter.

The adventurers go down the stairs into the ruins of the pagan temple. The corridor quickly reaches a t-junction and there are signs the explorers both continued along the corridor to a door and went along the left-hand passage, which is blocked partway along by a portcullis. They first go through the door, which opens into a chamber containing armoires with stunningly white short tunics. Both the tunics and the far door radiate arcane magic when examined.

Hypothesising that the far door opens only for worshippers of the pagan god who wear the tunics, the adventurers backtrack to examine the portcullis. The rusted frame has clearly been moved recently, as shards of rust have fallen around the portcullis and there are dents in the bottom bar as if someone had lifted it up. The mural on the wall beside the portcullis has satyrs chasing and catching nymphs: Feodora sets off a dart trap when she stands in front of the mural to look at it more closely, but easily dodges the dart.

Zeno and Martina are unable to lift the portcullis, and neither is Grund. Feodora climbs onto Grund's shoulder to see if she can loosen the mechanism but is unable to do so. Rather than turn back, the adventurers have Luxian ask Grund to destroy the portcullis, which he does. Beyond the portcullis, the corridor leads up towards a small chamber with a recently-destroyed table on the far wall beside a door. Closer to hand is a badly decaying door partway along the corridor, rusted shut against the walls, with steep winding stairs on the other side. Sijam hears the sound of something large breathing heavily and slowly down below.

The adventurers decide to send Sijam and Feodora to investigate: they both carefully slip through the gaps in the door and go down the stairs into a large long cavern that seems to have once been filled with water like a large bath, with two platforms that would once have been at the water's edge high up on the walls. The air in the cavern is very cold: at the far end of the cavern they see a huge blue-green lizard dozing near an underground stream, surrounded by patches of ice.

Sijam and Feodora return to the others and report on what they have seen. The adventurers decide to continue on to the next chamber, as the explorers seem to have gone that way instead of down into the cavern. Feodora dislodges some of the brittle wood when she squeezes back through, and Sijam snaps more of the wood off when he follows. This seems to wake the lizard, which slides back into the underground stream with a splash.

Committed to their course of action, the adventurers continue up to the next chamber, which shows signs of a recent tussle. Opening the door lets them into the ruins of a dormitory, with large stones from the ceiling scattered among shattered wooden bedframes. Six pallid humans hurl themselves at the adventurers, hissing and snarling: three are wearing the leather kilts of Selentine legionaries, while the other three are dressed in contemporary clothes stained with blood around their necks and chests.

The adventurers defend themselves against the dead, who try to feed on them relentlessly until they are struck down. When destroyed, each of the bodies crumbles into dust, including those of the recently killed workers.

Passing through the dormitory, the adventurers continue on to a stone chamber containing a large stone bridge over a chasm that spans the underground river. On the far side, a pallid man in an archaic Selentine robe sits on a stone throne surrounded by the ruined remains of statues. The man rises up from the throne to talk with the adventurers in High Bacchile, which Feodora doesn't understand. Lucius Cornelius Balbus is a former priest of Potaidaon who refused to remain dead when the Earthshaker destroyed the temple complex with a earthquake for some unknown infraction. He talks to the adventurers about his philosophical beliefs, telling them "Our life is what our thoughts make it" and "You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength" while showing great restraint in not attacking them on sight as the others did.

Zeno tries persuade Lucius to learn about the True Faith and the True God but struggles to overcome his distrust of the gods. Lucius: "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." Luxian encourages the others to let Lucius leave and go outside into the sunlight, while Sijam has to restrain himself from attacking the dead man.

Martina: "I don't recall our order ever escorting vampires to Selentium to see the Pontiff?" Zeno: "A metaphor is merely a thought with a different hat on."

Sijam and Martina both notice Lucius being increasingly interested in Theresa's bleeding neck from when she was bitten in the previous fight. Martina moves to stand protectively next to Theresa, while Sijam dashes forward and attacks Lucius. The room shakes during the battle, hurling Theresa and Martina off the stone bridge, and Theresa uses sorcery to share the gift of flight with Martina.

Lucius leaves the chamber through the dormitory before the earthquake collapses the ceiling, separating him from the adventurers. Theresa discards the nautilus brooch before the adventurers follow the underground river to escape, making their way to the large long cavern, still coated with ice after the serpent's departure. As they make their way back through the cave towards the winding steps up to the portcullis, the adventurers decide to explore what lies beyond the platform on the side of the cavern that leads away from Lucius' chamber.

The platform takes them along a short corridor and through a closed door to an abandoned temple, where there are six pallid humans wearing unblemished white robes as surcoats over their other garments (half in contemporary clothes stained with blood, the other half in archaic short tunics). These dead people also hurl themselves relentlessly at the adventurers to try and feed, and are also destroyed. Theresa and Luxian have Grund place one of the unblemished white robes in the sack of cursed items for future examination.

The adventurers take the door out of the temple to the room with the armoires, and from there leave the underground temple. The chain across the entrance has snapped from the earthquake, leaving the blessed cross mostly buried under rubble, and some of the workers are packing up to leave. Sir Meredith is relieved that they have all returned alive, as the person who left the temple several minutes before they emerged burst into flame in the sunlight, then made the water in the river bubble fiercely when he ran in to try and extinguish the blaze before swimming to the other side and disappearing into the forest.

The adventurers discuss what to do about Lucius while they rest and recover from their exertions and eat an early dinner.

As the sun begins to set, Theresa hides from observation in her tent and uses her magic to search for Lucius using her crystal ball. Theresa narrates to the others as Lucius, now wearing very little, stalks shepherds on the hills overlooking the woods. Theresa pauses when Lucius goes into a communal shepherds shelter and bewitches a shepherd with his gaze, then resumes narrating events when Lucius steals the shepherd's cloak and leaves without harming the man to continue making his way through the woods.

The adventurers set out to follow Lucius. Hermione easily finds his trail thanks to Theresa's advice on where he had been and leads the others through the woods to where Lucius reached to the dirt road they travelled along that morning. Realising that Lucius turned right and set out for Castelrosse, the adventurers dispatch Sijam to take word back to the town while they return to the ruined castle to keep watch for Lucius and for Sijam's safe return. Luxian lends Sijam one of the glass spheres of fireball while Theresa lends Sijam the bible she received as a gift from the survivors at the Hermitage in the hope that the holy relic may protect him from harm. Theresa has also realised it may have been preventing her master contacting her in her dreams.

Sijam hustles along the dirt road back to Castelrosse without encountering Lucius along the way and arrives at the town gates late at night. The guards refuse to let him in but do send word to the castle about his arrival. Sir Melrose comes down to the gates to confirm his identity. Sir Melrose: "It's my favourite spy!" Sir Melrose has the guards let Sijam into the guardhouse so they can speak privately. Sijam conveys the warning about Lucius, and in exchange Sir Melrose warns Sijam that a spy dressed in Baroness Sommer's livery fell to his death from the roof above their rooms last night. Sir Melrose recognised the man as being at the banquet after the tournament at Orlamond Manor, but doesn't know which of the southern barons he was serving at that time.

Zeno and Martina stay up to guard the others while waiting for Sijam's return. Martina asks Zeno about his plans to marry Lady Ostara, which Zeno hopes to pursue when they return to Kevland. Zeno asks Martina about her friendship with Theresa, who Martina hopes will be very happy with King Roland.

Sijam retraces his steps through the night, arriving back at the ruined castle a few hours before dawn.

At breakfast, Lady Meredith tells the adventurers that she plans to leave after the remaining workers have sealed up the entrance to the underground temple as a tomb for the workers who died inside. She asks Zeno if he would pray at the entrance before the adventurers depart, which he does.

When they leave the adventurers continue on their way towards Peronnia. Theresa has Sijam continue to borrow the Hermitage bible for now.

The adventurers cross the border from Kevland to Peronnia and continue to travel north-east towards the Duchy of Fossalta.

That night, Theresa's dreams are interrupted by visions of a midsummer ball in an underground hall. Theresa sees her half-sister Anna wearing a green gown and dancing with Adralestor before her master Ardreth forcibly turns her attention to him. Ardreth tells Theresa off for being impossible to contact for several months before assigning Theresa her final quest. Ardreth tells Theresa a group of mortals are searching for a statue in Ambardyr, the Land of the Snow Demons, and she must bring him the statue within the next season or else there will be an eternal winter. Ardreth tells Theresa to get her friend to use the Hatuli to locate the statue before the dream fades.

Theresa tells the others adventurers about her dream at breakfast. Sijam (slaps the table with his hands): "My Journey to the West!" Theresa asks Luxian if Ambardyr is "this far away" from Selentia by putting a cup on the table: Luxian takes the cup and drags it across to the far side of the table.

The adventurers discuss what to do about Theresa's quest and their prior plans to visit Anna and return the Hatuli, and decide to continue to Martina's fief at Colciago for now.

The adventurers arrive at Colciago around the middle of the day. Martina's steward, Basil of Elea, awkwardly explains that Phocas has emptied her treasury, taking 80 pounds for the charitable support of refugees in Old Duneld. Martina is tight-lipped at the news, but stops Theresa when she threatens Basil for being Phocas' accomplice.

Martina releases Basil from her service, gifts him a gratuity and lets him leave to pack his belongings and go. Theresa remains disgruntled at the lack of punishment for Basil, and complains quietly to Luxian. Theresa: "I still think she should make an example of him. I suppose I'd better study up on appropriate punishments for traitors in Kevland. They seem to do things differently here." Luxian: "I think the people here know who really took the money. Small places like this are like one big family. I do not think they will hold it too strongly against the coward that folded at the sight of an influential man."

Martina invites Theresa and Zeno on a tour of her home, which Zeno hasn't visited since they were children. Martina shows them the family crypt where her parents are buried and tells them that if she dies elsewhere she wants to be brought back here and buried next to her parents, which they both promise to do.

Hermione settles into their rooms with Wesley while Feodora goes exploring. Luxian talks with Imilia about her family, who she doesn't expect to visit as she's considered "the black sheep" by her relatives.

At dinner, the adventurers make a firm plan to travel overland to Kaxos (as travelling by ship would involve trying to sail south) to see Master Federigo about using the Thousand-League Boots to go to Ambardyr and to confront Phocas if he's at home and not travelling. Rohese has decided to enter in Martina's service as her new steward and swears fealty to Martina.