Chapter Summaries

Soren found and activated a Deck of Many Things, gaining 10 permanent Hit Points, while learning that Corinna also possessed a card. Elsewhere, the Red Dragon Duchess recovered from her apparent death, and the God of Half-Elves vanished, leaving his priests unable to receive Divine Magic.

• Soren gave Vivian a Brooch of Shielding while managing the takeover of Pirate King Asroder's territory and transferring Slaves to Port Nyanzaru.
• Vivian showed Soren a Deck of Many Things she had found in a hidden compartment, and Soren activated its unused card.
• Soren drew the Silver Moon card and permanently gained 10 Hit Points, then declined Vivian's offer to steal Corinna's card.
• The Red Dragon Duchess emerged from a nutrient tank in her secret Laboratory and prepared to suppress unrest in the Duchy of Rosado by claiming her overseas death had been that of a puppet.
• The priests in Falling Leaf City lost contact with the God of Half-Elves and could no longer receive Divine Magic.

The God of Half-Elves vanished, leaving his church unable to use Divine Magic and Falling Leaf City bracing for danger. Unaware of the crisis, Soren assessed the consequences of his recent victory and planned to pursue the remaining Elemental Crystals and a Rogue's Artifact.

• The Half-Elf Church discovered that the God of Half-Elves was missing from his Divine Realm and could not be contacted, so Falling Leaf City prepared defenses against possible attacks.
• Soren reviewed reports that White Horse City’s trade had collapsed under the threat of an Ancient Red Dragon and that Princess Anna was managing Arendelle while the Princess remained missing.
• Soren reflected on his gains from the Battle of Sand Fury Island, including 160,000 Slaughter Experience and eight points of Legendary Degree, which had drawn the attention of gods and other powerful beings.
• Soren considered pursuing the remaining Elemental Crystals to assemble a powerful set of equipment and retrieving the Anti-Detection Cloak from the Desert Ruins.

Soren met with the Eastern Pirate to negotiate an end to their conflict, while Vivian challenged their Monks to spar against Lulumiao. Lulumiao surprised a high-level Monk with her speed and claws, and the two prepared to continue fighting.

• Soren met the Eastern Pirate fleet and welcomed a Legendary Monk aboard his ship.
• Soren and the Legendary Monk began peace negotiations on Sand Fury Island.
• Vivian asked the Monks guarding the hall to spar with her attendant, Lulumiao.
• Lulumiao rushed a high-level Monk and scratched him before he knocked her back.
• The Monk assumed the Tiger Style stance as Lulumiao prepared to fight again.

Soren intervened when a Legendary Monk’s subordinate threatened Lulumiao, then agreed to a spar over trade rights on the South Coast. The duel turned serious when the Monk’s Solar Flare Style wounded Soren, who vanished into the shadows to continue the fight.

• Lulumiao overwhelmed a high-level Monk with her speed but could not harm him significantly, and Soren rescued her from his dangerous Stunning Fist.
• Soren grounded Vivian and Lulumiao for two days after learning Vivian had used the Monks to train Lulumiao.
• A Legendary Monk proposed a spar to settle the dispute over trade rights, and Soren accepted.
• The Legendary Monk exchanged rapid attacks with Soren, who matched his techniques and resisted his Hidden Force.
• The Legendary Monk struck Soren with Solar Flare Style, sending him back and drawing blood.
• Soren used Hide from Gaze and Shadow Jump to disappear into the shadows as he prepared to fight seriously.

Soren fought a Legendary Monk who had come to negotiate over the distribution of benefits along the Eastern Route, and forced him to concede after cutting off half his hand. Soren then warned Vivian against provoking the monastery and ordered her to return to the Overseas Islands to help Goria establish a teleportation barrier to the Shadow Plane.

• The Legendary Monk used a Whirlwind Kick to stir up dust and searched for Soren, but Soren had already moved through the shadows.
• Soren ambushed the Legendary Monk with shadow abilities and a scimitar, but the Monk anticipated his attacks and countered with a flurry of kicks.
• Soren restrained the Legendary Monk with a Distorted Shadow and struck with Icetail, cutting off half of the Monk’s palm.
• The Legendary Monk conceded and agreed that the monastery would follow Soren’s demands for benefits along the Eastern Route, then left with his guards.
• Vivian asked why Soren had not killed the Monk, and Soren warned her that the monastery was too powerful to provoke.
• Soren ordered Vivian to return to the Overseas Islands and help Goria establish a teleportation barrier to the Shadow Plane, while Dark Blade would teach Lulumiao combat techniques.

Soren returned to the Overseas Islands as wars and supernatural threats spread across the continent, and planned to gather the Elemental Crystals to gain a Divine Rank Shard. In Port Nyanzaru, he granted more than thirty docile slaves resident status and relative freedom while keeping them in his service.

• Soren learned that the Vampire God Child had taken control of the Church of Fear, wars were erupting across the continent, and the God of Half-Elves had gone missing.
• Soren planned to travel through Arendelle to obtain the Water Elemental Crystal, then seek the Fire Elemental Crystal and the Anti-Detection Cloak before tackling the dangerous Air Elemental Crystal.
• Soren returned to Port Nyanzaru and saw its expanding harbor, farmland, and unfinished temples to the Sea and Wealth.
• Soren freed more than thirty docile slaves by granting them resident status, homes, property, and the right to start families, while assigning them work in the city.
• Soren ordered the Red-Haired Female Pirate to house the newly freed residents and appointed the two brothers Vivian had saved as farming overseers.

Soren and his companions approached the ancient Wizard Tower in the Shadow Plane but were driven back by its powerful defenses. They planned to disable the Mythal while Soren set out north to seek the remaining Elemental Crystals.

• Goria stabilized the Teleportation Array to the Shadow Plane and prepared a Teleportation Beacon in Port Nyanzaru for Soren.
• Soren, Vivian, Goria, and Corinna entered the Shadow Plane, where Corinna recognized the strength of the Wizard Tower’s Mythal and its continued operation.
• The Tower Spirit detected the group and sent three Adamantite Golems after them, forcing everyone to retreat beyond the Mythal.
• Corinna concluded that they would need to break the Mythal to cut off the Wizard Tower’s energy supply, and Goria and the others agreed to work on it.
• Soren decided to search for the remaining three Elemental Crystals and set out for the North in mid-March.

Soren traveled north to gather Elemental Crystals and found signs of worsening unrest near Deepwater Harbor. After discovering corpses mutilated by the Eyeless cult, he was attacked by a rookie Paladin and encountered Anyali among the adventurers who arrived to stop him.

• Soren sailed to Deepwater Harbor and saw more wanted posters, urgent Guild missions, and militia drills than during his previous visit.
• Outside the harbor, Soren found corpses whose eyes had been removed and recognized the Eyeless cult's method.
• A young Paladin used Detect Evil on Soren and charged him without asking questions.
• Soren parried the Paladin's attack and knocked him unconscious with the flat of Icetail.
• The other adventurers confronted Soren, and he recognized Anyali among them.

Soren encountered Anylia and her Adventurer party while they investigated the Eyeless, warned them that the cult included two Legendary Professionals, and agreed to help track it. He led them to Witherleaf Town, where the Eyeless had apparently gone, and told the group to split into pairs to enter without drawing attention.

• Soren caught a Rogue’s arrow barehanded, then recognized Anylia, who was relieved to learn he and Vivian had survived Amber City.
• Anylia explained that her party had been sent to investigate the Eyeless, and Soren warned them that the group worshipped an Evil God and included two Legendary Professionals.
• Anylia said the Church of Radiance had sent its high-tier Clerics to counter a spread of Vampires, which Soren suspected was connected to the Vampire God Child Reinhard.
• Soren decided to help the Adventurers track the Eyeless, and the group followed his trail for two days.
• Soren tracked the Eyeless to Witherleaf Town and told the Adventurers to split into pairs before entering.

Soren entered Witherleaf Town with the Young Female Cleric and discovered that Vampires had infiltrated it, while his companions circled around the town. The group learned that Soren was the legendary Headhunter, and the seasoned Rogue found signs of recent activity in the graveyard.

• The Young Female Cleric paired up with Soren, and the seasoned Rogue and Paladin recognized him as the legendary Headhunter, the South Coast's Pirate King.
• Soren entered Witherleaf Town with the Young Female Cleric, confirmed that he was the Headhunter, and led her away from the Inn after spotting people he suspected were Vampires.
• Soren told the Young Female Cleric that Vampires had spread to the town and planned to investigate them at night, especially if they were connected to the Eyeless.
• The seasoned Rogue told the Paladin that Soren was the legendary Headhunter, and the Paladin abandoned any thought of fighting him.
• The seasoned Rogue noticed recently disturbed soil among old graves and hurried over to investigate.

Soren tracked two newly created Vampire Servants to a noble’s estate in Witherleaf Town and discovered that the estate was tainted by Dark Creatures. As he prepared to uncover and stop the Vampire Church’s spread, a mysterious bandaged figure entered the estate behind him.

• A Rogue, Ranger, Spellcaster, and Paladin found recently disturbed graves and discovered an empty coffin, suspecting Vampires and the Vampire Church.
• Soren entered a tavern and heard a Bard tell an exaggerated story about his battle with Pirate King Asroder.
• Soren followed two Vampire Servants to a luxurious estate and sensed that few living people remained inside.
• Soren concluded that the noble ruling Witherleaf Town had been corrupted by Vampires and decided they had to be destroyed and the Witches’ Council informed.
• A mysterious figure with bandaged eyes entered the estate after Soren.

Soren followed a hidden high-level rogue into a noble’s mansion and discovered a vampire ritual involving a captured Eyeless cultist. As violence erupted above, the rogue’s rescue attempt appeared to be underway.

• Soren noticed the mansion’s lavish furnishings and suspected its noble owner had an illicit source of wealth.
• Soren detected another stealthy rogue and followed him through the mansion to a basement where several vampire servants lay dead.
• Soren found a blood-soaked altar and watched a black-robed Priest prepare a chained professional as a sacrifice.
• The captive declared that the Eyeless was the True God, and Soren recognized him as a high-ranking Eyeless Organization member.
• A violent commotion broke out above the altar chamber as the hidden rogue’s rescue attempt began.

Soren infiltrated a battle between Vampires and Eyeless followers, killing the Black-robed Priest and a high-ranking Rogue before taking the Rogue’s Adamantine Dagger. He continued hunting through the manor and, when the Young Female Cleric’s group arrived, told them the enemies were dealt with but a few stragglers might remain.

• A high-ranking Rogue used Shadow Jump to free a captive from Steel shackles and fought the Black-robed Priest as the captive began slaughtering Vampires.
• Soren identified the Rogue’s Adamantine Dagger, disguised himself with a strip of cloth over his eyes, and ambushed the Black-robed Priest alongside the Rogue.
• Soren killed the Eyeless Cultist with a surprise strike, took the Adamantine Dagger, and vanished into Stealth to hunt through the melee.
• The Young Female Cleric, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, and others entered the burning manor and found corpses from both factions.
• The group found Soren wiping his Scimitar on a corpse, and he said the enemies were dealt with, though a few stragglers might remain.

After helping Anylia settle the aftermath in Witherleaf Town, Soren left to continue his journey north. In Winterspring Town, he learned Arendelle’s port had been blockaded and that Prince Hans-T had demanded Princess Anna marry him, prompting Soren to leave immediately.

• Anylia negotiated with the garrison, and Soren gave her the Eyeless Crest before leaving Witherleaf Town.
• Soren crossed the North and arrived in Winterspring Town, where he noticed the Guards and townspeople were tense.
• Soren heard that the Southern Island Nation and Viking Pirates had blockaded Arendelle’s port.
• A merchant told Soren that Prince Hans-T had offered to lift the blockade if Princess Anna agreed to marry him.
• Soren smashed his wine cup, paid the merchant, and departed into the night.

Soren returned to Arendelle and used his blood and a spell to summon his supernatural forces while the harbor remained blockaded. The Speaker of the Dead and an Ocean Monster set out toward him, and Soren said three more days remained.

• Soren entered a tavern, threw a drunken man outside, and met a Thieves' Guild agent who gave him a file and revealed the Guild had tracked him since October last year.
• Soren asked the agent to arrange a meeting with the Guild's boss, then left in the rain for the docks.
• Soren cut his palm and cast a spell into the seawater, summoning his forces toward Arendelle.
• The Speaker of the Dead rose from the seabed near Deepwater Harbor and sailed toward Soren.
• An Ocean Monster sensed its master's summons near Serpent Island and sped north through the sea.
• Soren withdrew his hand, looked toward the Imperial Palace, and murmured, "Three more days."

Soren planned an expedition against the Southern Island Nation in retaliation for its blockade of Arendelle, while keeping his connection to the missing Princess Anna secret. Three days later, his pirate leaders received his orders and prepared to answer the Pirate King's call to arms.

• Soren decided not to visit Princess Anna because their connection could endanger her amid his coming conflicts with the Churches and Deities.
• Soren mapped a route from Shipwreck Bay through Deepwater Harbor and the West Coast to attack the Southern Island Nation and expand his control of the northwestern coastline.
• Soren sent orders through the Northern Witches Council, and three days later Adele-Isabella presented the sealed dossier to the pirate leaders on Serpent Island.
• The Half-Elf first mate read the orders directing fleets to raid the Southern Island Nation's coasts, feint against its capital, and help annex the West Coast.
• Adele-Isabella announced Soren's Pirate King's call to arms, inviting South Coast pirates to join the expedition and keep all their loot as personal spoils.

Adele-Isabella gathered pirate leaders and proposed ambushing Arendelle’s returning navy in Dark Tide Canyon to seize the West Coast routes and win territory. Meanwhile, Soren set out alone aboard the Speaker of the Dead to face the Southern Island Nation’s navy and Iceland’s Viking Pirates.

• Adele-Isabella secretly summoned several pirate leaders and proposed attacking Arendelle’s navy near Dark Tide Canyon after it returned to defend the Southern Island Nation.
• Adele-Isabella argued that the pirates had favorable odds and could claim the West Coast routes if they crippled the navy, while leaving Kasa out of the operation.
• Scarface and the other pirate leaders considered the plan because success could earn them territory and help them compete with Kasa.
• Three days later, Soren arrived at Arendelle’s harbor, where the Speaker of the Dead rose from beneath the sea to meet him.
• Soren boarded the Speaker of the Dead and ordered it to sail at full speed as he prepared to face the Southern Island Nation’s navy and Iceland’s Viking Pirates alone.

Soren sank the Speaker of the Dead beneath a stormy sea and used it to destroy a Southern Island Nation patrol fleet. As wreckage reached Dragon Bone Island, Prince Hans realized the fleet had not returned, while a vast threat lurked offshore.

• Soren took the Speaker of the Dead beneath the sea and ordered the Undrowned Undead to scuttle the enemy warships.
• The patrol fleet became trapped in a strange mist, where a huge black shadow struck its ships and flooded one of their holds.
• The warship capsized, and Soren's undead dragged survivors underwater and slaughtered them.
• Prince Hans worried that his patrol fleet had failed to return and ruled out an attack by Arendelle's weakened navy.
• Broken pieces of the fleet drifted into Dragon Bone Island's harbor as a dreadful presence watched the island from the sea.

Soren lured the Southern Island Nation’s fleet toward his position after sinking its patrol ships, while Anna worried over Arendelle’s defenses. As Hans mobilized more than a hundred ships to investigate the signal flare, Soren raised his Shadow Dancer level and prepared to harvest enough experience to reach the Legendary Domain.

• Hans waited for the missing patrol fleet, then grew alarmed when the Orion failed to return from its search.
• Soren sank a battered warship, fired its signal flare, and submerged the Speaker of the Dead while summoning mist and preparing the Undrowned Undead for battle.
• Anna and General Basa saw the signal flare from Arendelle and feared the enemy’s next move as the kingdom remained under blockade.
• Hans ordered the Southern Island Nation’s fleet and the Viking Pirates to put to sea after spotting the flare.
• Soren raised his Shadow Dancer level to 6 and calculated that he still needed to sink roughly fifty warships to gain enough Slaughter Experience for the Legendary Domain.

Prince Hans’s fleet discovered a massive sea monster in the mist, but shifted its attack toward the Arendelle navy when the rival fleet appeared. As the two fleets clashed in the fog, Soren’s Ghost Ship and the Undrowned Undead rose from the seabed.

• Prince Hans ordered Kenroto to clear the strange fog, and Kenroto discovered a huge sea monster nearby.
• Prince Hans ordered his fleet to attack the Arendelle navy after its ships appeared, postponing the hunt for the monster.
• The Bearded General recognized the Southern Island Nation fleet and ordered the Arendelle ships to retreat.
• The fleets exchanged cannon fire, while Arendelle’s Frost Witches thickened the fog and obscured the fighting.
• Soren’s Ghost Ship surfaced beside the massive shadow as the Undrowned Undead rose beneath the mist.