Chapter Summaries

Shar ambushed Mystra with a dagger made from the Shadow Magic Net, disrupting her control of the Weave and leaving her badly wounded. As Tyr and the Earth Mother Goddess tried to save her, Shar unleashed Kozuv, forcing Tyr to fight the Chaos Demon Hound instead.

• Shar sent a hidden arm through a crack in space and stabbed Mystra with a black dagger that pierced her defenses.
• Mystra recognized Shar’s attack and urgently called on Tyr for help as the dagger’s curses spread and her shields failed.
• Tyr and the Earth Mother Goddess tried to heal Mystra, but Kozuv emerged from a spatial passage and charged at Tyr.
• Tyr abandoned his attempt to heal Mystra and struck at Kozuv with Pale Justice, and the two collided in a violent burst of light.

Tyr battled the ancient Chaos Demon Dog - Kozuv, which had escaped its imprisonment and was weakened by the laws of the World of Toril. After recognizing that Toril was a prison that suppressed its power, Kozuv realized it had been tricked but could not escape its fight with Tyr.

• The chapter explained that Chaos Demon Dog - Kozuv was an ancient, nearly immortal monster hated by the gods for devouring their faithful, and that Tyr had helped imprison it after losing an arm in their earlier battle.
• Tyr launched a fierce assault on Kozuv with Pale Justice, but the monster evaded his attacks and forced him into close combat.
• Kozuv noticed that both it and Tyr seemed weaker than before, then used its special vision to see Toril's energy veins and the decree suppressing power beyond a set limit.
• Kozuv realized that Toril was an even more terrifying prison than the Chaotic Void Tunnel and that it had been tricked, but Tyr kept it trapped in close combat.

Haqqatar asked Kaleid how he had defeated Moradin, and Kaleid explained that Moradin died after greedily grasping the Slaughterer of All Beings and suffering its backlash. Kaleid said he had joined the current conflict to pursue his own goals and prove himself, then recounted the Bloody King’s teaching about the difference between finite and infinite gaps in strength.

• Haqqatar retreated from the clash between Tyr and Kozuv and asked Kaleid how he had defeated Moradin.
• Kaleid explained that Moradin had seized the Slaughterer of All Beings, triggering the Bloody King’s Power of Faith and giving Kaleid a chance to kill him.
• Haqqatar questioned why Kaleid was risking himself again, and Kaleid said he wanted to use his own strength to obtain what he needed and demonstrate his abilities.
• Kaleid recounted asking the Bloody King whether he deserved to ascend to godhood and being reassured that luck and circumstance could contribute to strength.
• Kaleid repeated the Bloody King’s teaching that measurable gaps were finite, while true strength meant an infinite gap in which the strong inevitably defeated the weak.

Kaleid reflected on the gods’ flaws and on the ambition that had led Moradin to join Haqqatar’s plan. Orsaga regarded the gods and his subordinates’ struggles as small trials, while judging the gods of the plane to be weak and his Crimson Heaven’s demons to be more capable in their own brutal specialties.

• Kaleid recalled Orsaga’s words and concluded that gods were much like mortals, with their flaws concealed by power and glorified by embellished stories.
• Kaleid considered how slaying a god had shown that the gap between himself and his enemies could be bridged, and that Moradin’s legacy might help him prove his potential.
• The chapter explained that Moradin had joined Haqqatar’s plan out of a desire to prove himself and advance further.
• Orsaga watched Kaleid’s ambition without intervening, treating success or failure as a minor trial and potential grounds for a reward.
• Orsaga judged the plane’s gods to be shallow and limited, while describing the Upper Demons and Great Demon Level individuals in his Crimson Heaven as useful products of repeated selection.

While Tyr fought Kozuv, the wounded Mystra could barely control her magic, and Suren and Chauntea guarded her as they considered retreating. Shar’s forces unleashed demons and devils onto the battlefield, plunging the gods, adventurers, and Gith Army back into chaos.

• Tyr and Kozuv became occupied fighting each other, while Suren and Chauntea protected the severely wounded Mystra.
• Mystra told Suren that the Shadow Magic Net disrupted her spellcasting and left her able to use only a tiny, unstable portion of her power.
• Chauntea suggested retreating with the captured foundations of Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul and the treasury key, but Suren warned that Shar would not let them escape.
• Demonic and devilish creatures poured through spatial passages and attacked indiscriminately across the battlefield.
• The arriving adventurers joined the fighting, and the battlefield descended into renewed chaos.

As the battle continued, the arrival of powerful leaders from the Nine-Layered Hell and the Bottomless Abyss disrupted the fighting. Shar judged the moment right, vanished to carry out her plan against Mystra and Suren, and left Iolam to face the danger.

• Iolam asked Shar whether they would keep waiting, and she said the opportunity she needed had not yet arrived.
• A massive presence disrupted the spatial passage to the Nine-Layered Hell, and a Devil Lord began emerging as Hell Devils formed up to protect him.
• A two-headed baboon-like titan burst from the passage to the Bottomless Abyss, unleashing a soul-rending howl and crushing the ground as it landed.
• Shar laughed, ordered Iolam to proceed according to the plan, and vanished into the ground as a pool of shadow.
• Iolam worried that Shar's plan could get him killed, but believed he had no choice but to go along with it.

Shar destroyed the spatial passages after Dimogegen and the Devil Master arrived, inflicting heavy losses on their forces. As Dimogegen moved to join the Chaos Demon Dog against Tyr, a black blade stabbed him from behind.

• Shar waited for Dimogegen and the Devil Master to arrive, intending to kill their avatars after using them to create chaos.
• Shar caused both spatial passages to explode, slaughtering demons and devils near the exits.
• The Devil Master cursed Shar for destroying his carefully assembled army, while Dimogegen suspected she wanted to keep him in Toril and accepted that they still shared enemies.
• Dimogegen turned toward Tyr and stepped forward to attack alongside the Chaos Demon Dog.
• A black blade emerged from the ruins of the spatial passage and stabbed Dimogegen in the back, striking his heart.

Dimogegen flew into a rage after Shar deceived and killed his powerful avatar, while Mephistopheles questioned whether Shar could truly defeat Mystra. On the battlefield in Toril, Shar brought down another of her summoned helpers and held its still-beating heart, leaving the witnesses stunned.

• Dimogegen raged for several dozen minutes, then calmed enough for Mephistopheles to approach and ask whether Shar had deceived him.
• Mephistopheles doubted Shar could truly kill Mystra, but Dimogegen recalled seeing his avatar’s heart torn out with part of his divinity bound inside it and sensed Shar was planning something momentous.
• A massive body crashed to the ground on the battlefield in Toril as Shar held its still-beating heart in her blood-covered hands.
• The witnesses realized Shar had personally defeated all the helpers she had summoned, including Dimogegen, and stared in shock.

Shar used the two hearts taken from the Devil Master and Dimogegen to corrupt the severely wounded Mystra, intending to turn her into an evil god and secure her as an ally. Suren recognized the danger and called for Shar to be stopped, while the gods and Abyssal powers realized that a corrupted Mystra could become ruler of the Abyss.

• Shar stood over the Devil Master's corpse holding two hearts as Suren questioned her motives.
• Shar explained that her enemies had gained strength through their allies and revealed she intended to make Mystra change sides.
• Shar drew evil essence from the hearts, worsening Mystra's wounds and corrupting her essence.
• Suren warned Chauntea and the other gods that Shar was trying to turn Mystra into an evil god.
• The gods and Abyssal beings panicked at the prospect of Mystra becoming the supreme ruler of the Abyss.

Shar and Mystra examined the Fate Stone Tablet in the underground chamber while Mystra indulged her taste for Mother Suren’s blood. Orsaga suddenly appeared, embraced Shar, and interrupted their conversation, leaving both goddesses disgusted by his presence.

• Shar saw the Fate Stone Tablet and restrained her desire for it, knowing it belonged to AO.
• Mystra asked what they should do next, then licked Mother Suren’s blood from her fingers and praised its taste.
• Shar suggested Mystra capture Mother Suren again and keep her as a source of blood.
• Mystra secretly wondered what Shar tasted like but decided to wait until she was more confident.
• Orsaga appeared, put an arm around Shar’s waist, and mocked her relationship with Mystra.
• Shar demanded to know why Orsaga had appeared, while Mystra expressed confusion and disgust at seeing him.

Shar touched the Fate Stone Tablet, triggering a phenomenon that reached the World Barrier and struck AO’s decree sealing the gods’ powers. AO appeared in the clouds, and the Cataclysm of the Saints officially ended.

• Orsaga greeted Shar and Mystra and claimed he had come to celebrate their becoming Champions of the Cataclysm of the Saints.
• Shar ignored Orsaga and approached the Fate Stone Tablet, which began to tremble and shine.
• Shar touched the tablet as colored lightning surrounded her and Orsaga, while Shar considered but rejected trying to use it to kill him.
• A pillar of light pierced the secret chamber and struck the decree left by AO at the World Barrier.
• AO’s face appeared in the clouds, all beings and activity fell still, and the Cataclysm of the Saints ended.

After Shar recovered the Fate Stone Tablet, AO restored her lost power as her reward and announced stricter trials that could expel true gods from their Divine Kingdoms. The gods faced an uncertain future, while Orsaga remained unconcerned, knowing the trials were an experiment he had proposed for amusement.

• AO thanked Shar for recovering the Fate Stone Tablet and offered her one request, provided it did not deliberately harm certain individuals.
• Shar asked AO to restore her original power, and he granted her request, rapidly reviving her lost authority and strength.
• AO surveyed the world and criticized the gods for neglecting their duties to maintain the World Rules.
• AO announced that true gods would face periodic trials that could expel them from their Divine Kingdoms until they met the requirements to return.
• Shar reacted uneasily to the threat to the gods' positions, while Orsaga stayed unconcerned because the trials were an experiment he had proposed.

Orsaga completed his trade with Lady of Pain and obtained Primal Pain, while AO announced reforms that tied the gods’ positions more closely to the faith they received. Orsaga’s true body received the treasure in Crimson Heaven, where its power began to affect the surrounding spacetime.

• AO decreed that the gods would face a more fluid system of positions and that believers’ Power of Faith would become more important.
• In Sigil City, Orsaga handed Lady of Pain Liu Longma’s Essence of Strength and accepted Primal Pain in return.
• Lady of Pain remarked that their Odd or Even game had become meaningless because the trade yielded the same amount either way.
• Orsaga’s true body received Primal Pain in Crimson Heaven, and its power stirred his pain-based ability.
• Orsaga’s unleashed power made nearby spacetime cry out in sorrow and threatened his maidservants with extreme pain.

Orsaga digested primal pain to deepen his understanding of pain, though he knew ordinary self-improvement would not be enough to reach Demon Prince. He turned to his unborn children, gave them a trace of his strength, and left their future open as he looked toward the rest of the Crimson Heaven.

• Orsaga altered primal pain with his power, swallowed it, and changed reality so its contents became nourishment for him.
• Orsaga reflected that only arduous feats such as acquiring primal pain, destroying a High Plane, or killing an equal could decisively help him reach Demon Prince.
• Orsaga watched Golanel and the others as their unborn children continued to develop within the Crimson Heaven.
• Orsaga sent a trace of his strength into his children and said he hoped they would become powerful, while accepting that he could support them if they did not.
• Orsaga turned his gaze toward other parts of the Crimson Heaven.

Orsaga surveyed Crimson Heaven, whose countless worlds and planes had been created by his followers using the Creation Authority he distributed. He used his control over spacetime to observe Crimson Heaven’s possible futures and its past and present.

• Orsaga viewed every individual, particle, world, and plane within Crimson Heaven through his control over spacetime.
• He considered how creators used his Creation Authority to form worlds ranging from peaceful realms to places of endless suffering and bizarre spacetimes.
• Orsaga recognized that the worlds enriched him by expanding Crimson Heaven and providing sacrifices, thoughts, emotions, and creativity.
• He turned his gaze toward Crimson Heaven’s future possibilities and began reviewing events across its past, present, and potential futures.

Orsaga observed countless possible futures across the Multiverse, learning that powerful beings could communicate across time but could not know which outcomes would come to pass. The chapter explained how their interference limited their power and encouraged the Unity Council’s belief that one being must destroy all others to achieve perfect dominion.

• Orsaga used his ability to observe endless future possibilities and saw many potential encounters and developments in Crimson Heaven.
• Powerful beings perceived possible futures and sometimes communicated across time, though branching timelines and interference could change what they expected.
• Orsaga recognized that observing possible futures still provided useful intelligence about powerful beings and their backgrounds.
• The chapter recalled how the Chaos Gods’ hostility and interference created blind spots that helped bring about their downfall.
• The Unity Council’s philosophy held that a powerful being had to destroy all other existence to rule over a unified past, present, and future.

Orsaga reflected on the path toward ultimate power before reuniting with Golanel and his five other wives, who asked about the changes he had caused in Crimson Heaven. The six pregnant women debated what form their children should take, and Orsaga’s suggestion to draw lots left them unwilling to trust him with the decision.

• Orsaga considered what it meant to become a true great being and noted that he had not yet joined the Unity Council.
• Golanel and the other wives asked Orsaga whether he had finished handling matters in the Multiverse plane, and he confirmed that he had.
• Orsaga gathered the six women onto his throne and asked how they were feeling about carrying their children.
• Elsa and the others discussed whether their children should be Abyss Demons, High Humans, High Elves, or hybrids, weighing the benefits and drawbacks of each form.
• Orsaga proposed drawing lots to decide the children’s forms, and Golanel and the others dismissed his idea and told him not to handle the matter.

Orsaga drank with Sleep Demon in the Crimson Dimension and asked whether a descendant’s bloodline should resemble the mother or the father. He admitted that his descendant was still gestating and that he hoped to become a good father, while Sleep Demon wished him well.

• OAA’s American Comic Plane contained countless connected Spacetime Aggregates, and Orsaga’s Crimson Dimension linked to them as a node.
• Orsaga drank with Sleep Demon, who objected to Orsaga calling his outfit rural non-mainstream fashion and insisted it was gothic style.
• Orsaga asked Sleep Demon whether a descendant’s bloodline should be closer to the mother or the father.
• Sleep Demon excitedly asked about the descendant’s mother, but Orsaga said the descendant had not been born yet and that Sleep Demon did not know its mother.
• Orsaga said he might try to be a good father, and Sleep Demon wished him well.

Sleep Demon left Orsaga’s company after days of drinking, and Death took his place. She discussed Orsaga’s friendship with Sleep Demon and their own uneasy relationship, then remained with him despite her resentment.

• Sleep Demon ended his drinking session with Orsaga and departed from the Crimson Dimension.
• Death arrived, criticized Sleep Demon’s cheap liquor, and questioned why he and Orsaga drank together despite their different tastes.
• Orsaga explained that their different drinks did not stop them from chatting.
• Death and Orsaga spoke as a law enforcer and habitual criminal, with Death unable to punish him despite his killings.
• Orsaga welcomed Death’s company, amused that she disliked him but could do nothing about it.

Death questioned Orsaga about strange beings and changes flowing from the Crimson Dimension into her domain. Orsaga avoided explaining the cause, angered her with an indecent condition, and sent her away with a hint about Marvel Comics before turning his attention to the Living Tribunal.

• Death confronted Orsaga about strange deaths and the Crimson Dimension's growing influence across time and space.
• Orsaga said he would explain only if Death agreed to a bout promoting the Great Harmony of Life.
• Death attacked Orsaga in fury, but he returned unharmed and tried to calm her.
• Death refused to continue the conversation and started to leave.
• Orsaga suggested Death visit Earth around the year 2000 to read Marvel Comics, and she vanished after acknowledging him.
• Orsaga blocked the observers' gazes and watched another avatar discuss matters with the Living Tribunal.