Chapter Summaries

Punk followed Kane's coordinates to an unknown, prosperous plane and found him living in a lavish palace. When Kane failed to appear, Punk suspected he was away and considered making his arrival known by dismantling the palace.

• Punk noted that Kane's coordinates led to an unknown Minor Plane rather than Faerun.
• Punk arrived in Kane's grand palace and observed its lavish gold decorations and magically confined gilded sprites.
• Punk concluded that Kane's plane had a large population, abundant resources, flourishing arts, and some magical development.
• Punk questioned why Kane had settled on such a prosperous plane and wondered what his purpose was there.
• Punk waited for Kane, but the knight did not appear, so Punk considered dismantling the palace to announce his arrival.

Punk’s projection entered Kane’s palace to discuss their planned adventure and realized Kane was using the meeting to assert control. Punk headed toward the third hall, confident that his magical knowledge would leave him with the real say in the adventure, and prepared to judge Kane’s strength.

• Punk passed through the palace’s first hall and entered a second hall staffed by female guards and maids.
• A frightened female guard told Punk that Kane was waiting for him in the third hall.
• Punk inferred that Kane was deliberately making him come to assert his authority as the adventure’s leader.
• Punk decided that Kane’s combat strength could not replace his own expertise in magic and prepared to challenge Kane’s claim to leadership.
• Punk walked toward the third hall, wondering whether Kane had become stronger than him.

Punk visited Kane in his palace and discovered the Mad Knight had reached Legendary Level Twenty-Four. The chapter ended with Punk astonished by how quickly Kane had advanced and how close he was to Punk’s own level.

• Punk heard embarrassing sounds behind the doors to Kane’s third chamber and mocked Kane for ignoring basic etiquette.
• Punk kicked down the golden door and entered the chamber, damaging the palace and its artworks.
• Punk found that Kane’s chamber was a torture room filled with instruments of torment.
• Punk sensed that Kane had reached Legendary Level Twenty-Four and marveled at his rapid progress.

Punk and Kane reunited and discovered each other’s class levels, with Punk one level ahead. Kane’s shock and frustration followed, while Punk dismissed the significance of their levels and mocked Kane for trying to boast.

• Punk was surprised to learn that Kane had reached Level Twenty-Four as a warrior.
• Kane sensed Punk’s casting level, hurriedly put on his armor, and reacted with shock to Punk’s Level Twenty-Five.
• Kane complained that Punk was always one level ahead and explained that he had expected to surpass the caster this time.
• Punk dismissed the difference between their levels as unimportant and noted that his advancement had benefited from Archmage Wedraxia’s experience.
• Punk calmly teased Kane for reaching Level Twenty-Four while even an idle mage had reached Level Twenty-Five.

Kane prepared a Legendary communication array to contact Smile while Punk questioned him about how he had acquired it and the coordinates to their plane. Kane dodged the questions by showing Punk a painting, leaving the pair waiting for Smile’s projection.

• Punk mocked Kane for being a level below him, and Kane concealed his irritation behind a laugh.
• Kane kicked the battered young mermaid into a pillar, ordered a succubus to remove her body, and uncovered a Legendary communication array.
• Kane claimed he had found the array’s spell in a box belonging to the God of Red Sands, but Punk doubted his story.
• Punk asked whether Kane had also found the plane’s coordinates in the box, and Kane avoided answering by changing the subject.
• Kane explained that Smile’s arrival might take time, then praised a painting of Dark Elves and directed a pointed remark at Sian.

Punk confronted Kane over his false expertise in Dark Elf art before Smile arrived to discuss their cooperation. Smile revealed that Kane had initiated contact with her after she became a god, leaving Punk to question Kane about their connection.

• Kane admired a painting and described it as a Dark Elf ritual work, but Punk explained that it was fake.
• Embarrassed by Punk’s correction, Kane kicked the painting to pieces and stood silently with him until Smile arrived.
• Punk asked Smile how she had contacted Kane and why she was working with him.
• Smile insisted that she be called Smile or addressed as the Queen, then said Kane had contacted her after she hunted down some hidden enemies.

Smile’s newly acquired divinity caused her personality to shift into an arrogant, Queen-like state, alarming Punk and Kane. Kane urged her to withdraw from their adventure, but she insisted on joining and nearly revealed confidential information before Kane interrupted her.

• Smile answered Punk with unexpected arrogance, then quickly returned to her usual self and complained about her abnormal state.
• Punk explained that merging with a divine domain altered a deity’s personality, making weaker deities especially prone to uncontrollable arrogance.
• Kane warned Smile that her unstable mind made her unfit for the adventure and urged her to share its information instead.
• Smile angrily insisted that she needed the adventure’s resources and began to mention a secret agreement.
• Kane interrupted Smile and redirected the conversation to Punk’s question about how he had contacted her.

Kane explained that Smile had told him about an adventure opportunity found by her believers on a remote Minor Plane. He began describing the believers’ discovery, but the chapter ended before revealing what the treasure was.

• Kane claimed he had contacted Smile around three thousand years earlier and traded with her for magical materials.
• Punk inferred that Kane and Smile had made a binding agreement and were each waiting for a chance to betray the other.
• Kane took over the discussion and began explaining the origins of the adventure opportunity.
• Kane said Smile’s believers had discovered a great treasure on a remote Minor Plane.

Punk analyzed the small eruption at the Legendary ruin and concluded that damage to its main energy circuit had forced backup circuits to keep the array running. He warned that the remaining circuits would fail in sequence, bringing the array closer to collapse.

• Punk asked Smile to explain how her followers discovered the anomaly in the Minor Plane, and she recounted that two Master Level bishops died from Law energy erosion near what they had thought was a volcanic eruption.
• Smile asked Saian whether a damaged or depleted Legendary magic array could cause a small-scale explosion, and Cain added that the exposed array seemed to contain immense energy.
• Punk explained the three usual outcomes for a damaged Legendary magic array and said the ruin's small eruption did not fit any of them.
• Punk concluded that local rune damage had disabled the array's main energy circuit, forcing its secondary circuits to take over and risk overloading one after another.

Punk analyzed the damaged Legendary magic array and warned that the ruin Smile found might already have been entered by someone—or something. The group considered the danger of a Legendary intruder trapped inside, while Punk weighed whether to continue the expedition.

• Punk explained that a localized breach had caused the ruin’s auxiliary circuits to collapse and its energy to leak.
• Punk argued that the damage suggested someone had reached the ruin before them, and warned they might find an empty tomb.
• Smile questioned why a previous explorer would have left the ruin’s structure and magic array intact.
• Kane proposed that something had escaped from the ruin or entered it and never returned.
• Smile reasoned that a Legendary professional might have entered the ruin and fallen to its internal defenses.
• Punk weighed the potential treasure against the possibility that the ruin had already killed a Legendary professional.

Punk initially decided to withdraw from the dangerous ruin expedition, but Cain revealed that the ruins dated to the twilight of Netheril and bore its symbol. Realizing they might hold immense wealth and a complete Magic Lock, Punk abandoned his refusal.

• Punk weighed the dangers of the ruin against its uncertain rewards and prepared to reject Cain and Smile's proposal.
• Cain interrupted Punk and revealed that the ruin's entrance bore a symbol of Netheril.
• Cain said the damaged magic array rested on a Red Shadow Demon Stone made over 1.67 billion years ago, during Netheril's twilight period.
• Punk reconsidered when he realized the Netheril-era ruins might contain lost magic, vast resources, and a complete Magic Lock.

Punk agreed to join Kane and Smile in exploring a Netheril ruin, and the three planned to set out immediately. As their projections vanished, they each warned the others not to betray their private agreements.

• After learning the ruin likely belonged to a late-period Netheril Archmage, Punk agreed to join the expedition and suggested leaving at once.
• Kane sent Punk the prepared coordinates and proposed that their true bodies meet there in five minutes.
• Punk warned Kane that he had reported their cooperation to the Silent Alliance President, though he had actually told the President nothing.
• Kane complained to Smile about Punk's accusation, but Smile ignored him and warned Kane not to break their agreement.

Punk and Kane quickly traveled to the ruins plane, but had to wait while Smile arranged the Blood Sacrifice required for her to leave her temporary Divine Kingdom. As the altar was prepared, Punk investigated the area and Kane grew restless over the delay.

• Punk brought a few Legendary Level Alchemy Potions, while Kane set out with his armor and lance but no potions.
• Punk and Kane flew from Faerun to the ruins plane and entered the Minor Plane containing the Netheril-era Archmage ruins.
• Smile began preparing a Blood Sacrifice and gathering divine power so she could descend at an altar near the ruins.
• While waiting on a nearby mountain, Punk cast Divination Spells to investigate local Law fluctuations and Kane roasted game and complained about the wait.

Punk and Kane watched Smile’s Red Sands Cult prepare a covert Blood Sacrifice, which she needed to manage carefully to avoid upsetting the balance of her followers and divine power. As tens of thousands gathered, Punk sensed unexpected visitors approaching the altar to disrupt the ritual.

• Kane mocked Smile’s church for the slow, elaborate preparations for its Blood Sacrifice, while Punk reflected on the dangers gods faced from having too many or too few followers.
• Punk explained that Smile had arranged the ritual covertly and planned to use priests and Mind Divine Spells to make gathered Faint Believers and False Believers sacrifice themselves.
• Kane questioned why Smile had gathered so many followers, and Punk suggested she might be playing safe against the cost of remaining away from her divine kingdom or clearing out excess followers.
• Kane wondered whether a ritual of this size could proceed without trouble, and Punk sensed unexpected visitors heading toward the altar.

The Redstone Kingdom sent an army to destroy the Red Sands Cult as its believers prepared a ritual. Punk and Kane watched from nearby, with Kane eager to see Smile’s ritual disrupted and Punk explaining that the believers’ deaths would still count as sacrifices.

• The Redstone Kingdom’s nobles ordered troops to suppress the Red Sands Cult, fearing its gathering of more than ten thousand believers.
• A punitive army of elite soldiers and professionals marched toward the cult’s altar under a Master Level warrior.
• Kane asked Punk whether they should help Smile, but he watched the approaching battle with undisguised delight.
• Punk chose not to intervene, noting that the believers’ deaths would still complete the sacrifice and save Smile divine power.

General Fisk's army sealed off Ritual Canyon to destroy the Red Sands Cult before its Blood Sacrifice, but the cult's High Priest ordered the ritual to begin early. He charged the Saintess, Gollania, with continuing it if he died, leaving the believers facing the approaching army as the ritual began.

• General Fisk led the Redstone Kingdom's elite soldiers in sealing every entrance and exit to Ritual Canyon.
• A Priest warned the High Priest that Fisk and his army had arrived to attack the Red Sands Cult.
• The High Priest reassured Gollania that the cult would not fear the blasphemers, and she declared her faith in the God of Red Sands.
• The High Priest ordered the Blood Sacrifice to begin ahead of schedule and told Gollania to lead the believers if he was killed.
• Gollania promised to complete the ritual.

General Fisk led the Redstone Kingdom’s army into Altar Canyon to destroy the Red Sands Cult, whose believers had gathered for a ceremony. With the canyon sealed and no Master Level expert to defend them, the cultists panicked as the slaughter began.

• Fisk confirmed that soldiers had blocked every pass and declared that the kingdom would purge the Red Sands Cult in the name of justice.
• Fisk and hundreds of combatants charged into the canyon, with Fisk and his stronger soldiers targeting the cultists’ higher-ranking fighters.
• The cultists realized the ceremony had been interrupted and that the Redstone Kingdom’s army had come to kill them.
• The trapped believers tried to flee, but guards at the passes shot them down as Fisk’s force descended into the canyon.
• The army slaughtered the panicked cultists amid the chaos, leaving the ceremony forgotten.

Fisk advanced through the Red Sands Cult’s altar intending to kill the old priest and Saintess Gollania, but the old priest revealed that he had laid a trap to ensnare him. Fisk realized his mistake and launched a battle-energy strike at Gollania despite the danger around him.

• Fisk crossed the canyon altar, killing Red Sands Cult believers as he headed for the old priest and Saintess Gollania.
• Fisk dismissed the old priest’s refusal to flee as a distraction and focused his senses on Gollania, expecting her to escape.
• The old priest laughed and triggered a hidden Divine Spell scroll beneath Fisk, spreading a strange aura around him.
• Fisk realized the old priest had trapped him, not arranged an escape, and erupted with battle energy.
• Fisk chose to attack Gollania anyway and sent a blade of battle energy slicing toward the altar’s center.

Fisk trapped the old priest’s vengeful-soul cage after his attack killed the communication priest and nearly killed the old priest. Gollania began the God of Red Sands’ ritual by praying and dancing on the bloodied altar, even as Fisk and the Redstone Kingdom’s forces threatened her.

• The old priest and communication priest diverted Fisk’s battle-aura blade, saving Gollania at the cost of their lives and injuries.
• The old priest’s one-use Divine Spell equipment trapped Fisk in a cage of vengeful souls.
• Fisk realized the cage would eventually fade and warned that he would kill the Red Sands Cult’s remaining followers afterward.
• Gollania chose to stay and carry out the ritual rather than flee or grieve for the priests.
• Gollania prayed on the bloodied altar and began the ritual’s dance as the battle continued around her.

From a distant mountain peak, Punk and Kane watched Gollania dance amid the slaughter at Altar Canyon. Kane recognized her immense potential and began plotting, but Punk warned him not to create trouble before they explored the Netheril ruins.

• Gollania's sacrificial dance captivated Red Sands Cult followers even as they were being killed around her.
• Kane and Punk watched the scene from a mountain peak far from Altar Canyon.
• Kane recognized Gollania's potential to become a Master-level cleric and possibly reach the Legendary tier.
• Punk compared Gollania's talent and conviction to Ganatica, then dismissed the resemblance as coincidence.
• Punk warned Kane against acting on his scheme before they secured the Netheril ruins.