Chapter Summaries

Jack and the residents of Port Nyanzaru watched a newly completed Floating Tower appear above the city, while foreign powers scrambled to learn what it meant. Soren prepared to negotiate with the Northern Witches Council, Wizard City, and Princess Anna over the tower’s advanced alchemical knowledge.

• Jack headed to the barracks and saw an enormous tower materialize over Port Nyanzaru, prompting guards to prepare for battle.
• Goria and the High Priest reassured the crowd that the tower belonged to Port Nyanzaru and directed it toward the city's southern side.
• Agents from the Temple of Wealth, the Temple of the Sea, the Northern Witches Council, the Wizard Union, and Arendelle reported the Floating Tower and moved to strengthen ties or seek its secrets.
• Princess Anna sent Soren a message saying she would arrive the next day, and representatives from Wizard City arrived soon afterward.
• Soren asked Goria how to handle the visitors, and she proposed exchanging tower knowledge for Gith Silver Sword fragments, mythal and energy-transmission knowledge, protective-shield technology, and access to an extraplanar stronghold.

Soren showed the Princess the Floating Tower and agreed to give her its plans for the Floating Ring, energy systems, and Mythal. When she called the information betrothal gifts for Anna, Soren realized she was preparing to ascend to godhood and transfer Arendelle’s royal authority to Anna.

• Port Nyanzaru filled with visitors and faction agents after the Floating Island appeared, while the Adjudication Office captured spies entering the city.
• Soren divided the visitors among himself, Goria, and the Fallen Witch, while keeping the Elemental Furnace’s existence secret from other factions.
• Soren toured the Floating Tower with the Princess and showed her the Elemental Furnace, which she could not yet understand.
• The Princess asked for plans and information about the Floating Ring, energy systems, and Mythal, and Soren agreed to provide them the next day.
• The Princess called the information betrothal gifts for Anna, and Soren realized she was preparing to ascend to godhood and pass Arendelle’s throne to Anna.

As the Time of Troubles intensified, Soren prepared to confront the Lord of Shadows while other deities were distracted by wars and the Twins of Fate. An undercover half-elf assassin uncovered the Shadow Church's secret stronghold, setting the stage for a decisive battle between Soren and the Lord of Shadows.

• The Goddess of the Sea went to war with Dagon, while the orcs defeated the grassland elves and forced them to migrate.
• Soren assessed the shifting divine conflicts and decided the moment was favorable to raise his strength and move against the Lord of Shadows.
• Uhtred learned that Port Nyanzaru's movements threatened to expose the Shadow Church's operations and demanded news of reinforcements.
• A half-elf assassin disguised as Esser stabbed Uhtred, revealed her true identity, and explained that she had used the disguise to locate the secret stronghold.
• The assassin's allies moved against the Shadow Church after discovering the Lord of Shadows' location, preparing for a decisive clash with Soren.

Soren confronted the Shadow Church at its underground stronghold, using Port Nyanzaru’s golems to clear its traps and pressure the Lord of Shadows into battle. As the Lord of Shadows continued to hold back, Soren sent in a stronger force and prepared to wear the enemy down with more than three million Gold Dalers’ worth of golems.

• Ugly Monkey reported that the Shadow Church’s headquarters lay beneath a temple protected by tunnels and traps, and Soren ordered his forces to attack once the Golem Legion arrived.
• Soren assembled the Church of Half-Elf and Rogue’s forces at the battlefield and sensed the Lord of Shadows’ divinity underground.
• The first two waves of golems triggered the Shadow Church’s traps, destroying nearly a hundred and fifty golems and forcing its priests to emerge and help fight the steel golems.
• Soren sent a third wave of more than five hundred stronger golems, including steel and adamantite models, toward the Shadow Church.
• When the Lord of Shadows still did not appear, Soren continued the advance, determined to overwhelm him by spending Port Nyanzaru’s resources.

Soren led Port Nyanzaru’s Golem Legion and elite forces into the Shadow Church’s underground temple as the church’s defenders retreated under heavy losses. Goria coordinated reinforcements, and Alice joined the battle, where her upgraded Constructed Maid Corps began cutting down Shadow Wizards.

• The third wave of golems overwhelmed the Shadow Church’s defenders, and a Steel Golem killed a Shadow Thief.
• Soren ordered the Golem Legion to advance and sent Port Nyanzaru’s elite troops into the underground passages.
• Ugly Monkey led the Adjudication Office’s Rogues while the College of Bishops and elite pirates followed, fighting through Minotaurs and Shadow Creatures.
• Goria dispatched Adamantite Golems and reinforcements to threatened passages, then opened a portal for Alice.
• Alice’s tiny Puppet Girls killed Shadow Wizards in the dark, demonstrating the increased combat power of her upgraded Constructed Maid Corps.

The Lord of Shadows entered the Dungeon to confront Soren, hoping to kill him and turn Port Nyanzaru’s forces against one another. Soren revealed that he had prepared a powerful group to trap him, leaving the Lord of Shadows surrounded with few chances of escape.

• Port Nyanzaru’s forces overwhelmed the Shadow Church and Shadow Thieves, forcing the Lord of Shadows to choose between abandoning his church and attacking Soren.
• The Lord of Shadows unleashed his Shadow Domain and emerged in his true form as a mass of twisted shadows.
• Soren evaded the Lord of Shadows’ attack and summoned the Princess, who sealed the area with her Ice and Snow Domain.
• Soren revealed God Ascendant—Yugin, whose demigod power came from killing a Lesser Demon Lord.
• Soren, the Princess, and Yugin surrounded the Lord of Shadows and blocked his escape routes.

Soren and his allies confronted the Lord of Shadows, who revealed the Godslayer Sword and claimed that Mask’s soul was imprisoned within it. Soren warned the others of the weapon’s danger and prepared to use an artifact of his own to oppose it.

• The Lord of Shadows drew a longsword, and Soren recognized it as the Godslayer Sword.
• Soren explained that Cyric had used the sword to kill Bhaal and that Mask had become its artifact incarnation.
• The Lord of Shadows revealed that he had imprisoned Mask’s soul and refined him into the sword.
• Soren warned the Princess and Yugin about the weapon’s power and urged them to be cautious.
• Soren realized he had misjudged the situation but noted that he had another artifact prepared to counter the Godslayer Sword.

The Princess, Yugin, and Soren fought the Lord of Shadows together, with Yugin holding the front line while the others attacked and countered his divine powers. Their advantage vanished when the Lord of Shadows broke Yugin’s Bone Spear and stabbed him through the heart, but Yugin remained alive and seized the Godslayer Sword.

• The Princess opened the battle with defensive spells and Cone of Cold as Yugin fused with heroic spirits and hurled his Bone Spear at the Lord of Shadows.
• Yugin charged the Lord of Shadows while Soren used divine rank powers to counter his domain, giving the Princess time to attack with spells.
• The three gained ground against the Lord of Shadows, but he parried and broke Yugin’s Bone Spear.
• The Lord of Shadows split into three real shadow life avatars and drove their Godslayer Swords into Yugin’s heart.
• Yugin survived the lethal wound and grabbed the sword embedded in his heart, preventing the Lord of Shadows from pulling it free.

Soren, Yugin, and the princess joined forces to defeat the Lord of Shadows and absorb the divine power released by his death. Soren began fusing with the Shadow portfolio, shifting his primary portfolio away from Half-Elf.

• Yugin survived the Lord of Shadows piercing his heart and held him in place while his ancestor spirit attacked.
• Soren entered Slayer Form with Gith Silver Sword and Pale Justice, striking the Lord of Shadows as the princess cast Frozen Realm and froze his shadow body into ice.
• Soren shattered the frozen Lord of Shadows with Divine Power Shockwave, while the princess summoned Ice Citadel and Yugin merged with the ancestor spirits to deliver a divine spear attack.
• Soren, Yugin, and the princess destroyed the Lord of Shadows, and his Luck domain flowed into the princess while divine power surrounded all three.
• Soren absorbed the Lord of Shadows's divinity and began fusing the Shadow portfolio with his Rogue portfolio, causing his primary portfolio to shift away from Half-Elf.

After Soren absorbed the Lord of Shadows’ powers, he faced a choice between killing the mortally wounded Yugin for greater power or honoring their agreement. Soren spared Yugin and healed him, gaining partial information about the [Order] domain as the Princess watched with approval.

• Soren absorbed the Lord of Shadows’ shadows, theft, and rogue portfolios, along with his Darkness, Trickery, and Luck domains; the Evil domain passed to Yugin, bringing him closer to godhood.
• Soren dropped Pale Justice after it burned his hand, while the wounded Yugin and the Princess watched to see what he would do.
• Soren approached Yugin but cast Greater Restoration instead of killing him, honoring his promise despite the power he would have gained.
• Soren’s decision triggered a notification granting him partial information about the [Order] domain, and the Princess smiled faintly.

Soren kept his promise to Yugin rather than kill him for power, gaining a profound understanding of the Law of Order and becoming its executor and maintainer. He absorbed Bhaal’s remaining divine power from the Godslayer Sword, advancing in the Slaughter domain, and turned to preparing for Medium Divinity.

• Soren chose to honor his promise to Yugin, and his conviction gave him a deep understanding of the Law of Order.
• Soren spoke of the order of all things, received Divine Radiance, and became an executor of Order among the deities.
• Princess congratulated Soren on his new understanding, and Soren picked up the Godslayer Sword.
• Soren absorbed the residual divine power of Bhaal from the sword, damaging the artifact and advancing from Child of Slaughter to Godsbane of Slaughter.
• Soren gained partial information about the Slaughter portfolio and planned to gather energy to reach Medium Divinity.

After killing the Lord of Shadows, Soren gained immense legendary renown and saw Port Nyanzaru prepare to absorb the Shadow Church and Shadow Thieves' Guild. The spoils made him a tycoon worth tens of millions of Gold Dalers, while the city's rogues adopted a new combat style inspired by him.

• Soren's God Slayer feat raised his Legendary Degree to 200 and increased his Intimidation, Diplomacy, and saving throws.
• The Princess suggested Soren consider shifting to Lawful Neutral, but he decided to let his alignment follow the course of his actions.
• Port Nyanzaru moved to annex the Shadow Church and Shadow Thieves' Guild, and its rogues developed the head-on fighting style known as Combat Rogue.
• Soren's victory gave Port Nyanzaru's rogues and worshippers the prospect of gaining access to the Shadow domain.
• The high priest's appraisal valued the captured wealth and goods at 12 million Gold Dalers, including Queen Isabella's crown and the Griffon Dynasty's scepter.

After defeating the Lord of Shadows, Soren auctioned off some of his stolen treasures and displayed the rest in a museum in Port Nyanzaru. He used the resulting slaughter experience to strengthen his spellcasting and physical defenses, leaving him prepared to fuse the shadow portfolio and study the War Chess Plane.

• Soren ordered an auction for collectible treasures and arranged a museum exhibition for the remaining artworks in Port Nyanzaru.
• Soren set aside the theft portfolio and focused on fusing the shadow portfolio before the third wave of the Time of Troubles.
• Soren spent slaughter experience from killing the Lord of Shadows to advance his arcanist class to level 8, raising his intelligence and choosing Epic Spell Penetration.
• Soren advanced his arcanist class to level 10 and reached Tier 7, then raised his intelligence to 30 and chose Legendary Fortitude.
• Soren's rogue and spellcaster levels both reached 20, and his combat abilities and survivability left him overwhelmingly stronger than enemies below legendary strength.

Soren advanced to [Medium Divinity], appeared above Port Nyanzaru, and blessed his gathered believers with divine power. He declared his intent to spread his faith across all races and began lowering the half-elf God's Realm into the Shadow Plane so he could eventually merge it with the Shadow Realm.

• Goria took charge of nearly every matter in Port Nyanzaru while Soren remained out of sight.
• A golden pillar of light appeared above the Grand Temple, and Soren manifested in his deity form after advancing to [Medium Divinity].
• Tens of thousands of believers gathered in Central Square and prayed to Soren, whose divine power strengthened them, especially rogues and clerics.
• Soren's prayer named [Master of Shadows] as his foremost portfolio and declared that his name would become sacred throughout the mortal world, extending his faith beyond half-elves.
• Soren connected his two Divine Realms and began lowering the half-elf God's Realm into the Shadow Plane as the first step toward merging it with the Shadow Realm.

Soren advanced to medium divinity, strengthened his powers, and removed the Spider Queen’s curse from the High Priest. He then began planning a pantheon of his own, identifying possible future subordinate deities as he weighed the dangers of remaining without allies.

• Soren’s advancement to medium divinity caused a stir in Port Nyanzaru, and the Goddess of Wealth and Goddess of the Sea appeared to congratulate him.
• Soren’s half-elf God’s Realm began descending toward the Shadow Plane, where it would eventually join the Lord of Shadows’ realm.
• Soren spread divine power across Port Nyanzaru and its temples, marking his devoted followers’ souls so he could guide them to his realm after death.
• Soren gained the ability to quicken spells of levels 1–3 and reviewed his increased divine rank, powers, and abilities.
• Soren used his trickery domain and avatar form to expel the Spider Queen’s Crest from the High Priest, alerting the Spider Queen.
• Soren considered the risks of having no pantheon and planned to establish one, with Saruman and Vivian as potential subordinate deities and his half-elf and pirate portfolios as future options.

In Triel, a red-haired woman from Port Nyanzaru sought Andre Lott for information about the legendary Sword of Balduran. Andre chose to join Port Nyanzaru’s army in exchange for revealing its location, and the chapter ended as she asked him where the sword was.

• A red-haired woman entered the Trimut Tavern and identified Andre Lott by the scar on his neck.
• She showed Andre a Port Nyanzaru token and said she had heard he knew something interesting.
• The woman warned Andre he lacked the strength to retrieve the Sword of Balduran and offered him either thirty thousand Gold Dalers or a place in Port Nyanzaru’s army.
• Andre chose to join the army, and the woman asked him to reveal the sword’s location.

Adele-Isabella investigated rumors about the Sword of Balduran and the clues its legendary set might hold to Beldan's path to godhood. Andre revealed a dangerous location tied to the set and the Godsbane of Slaughter, and Adele-Isabella decided to take him to Port Nyanzaru.

• The chapter explained Beldan's history and how pirates believed his set could lead to his [Pirates] portfolio and godhood.
• Adele-Isabella investigated Andre after learning he was the sole survivor of a voyage connected to Beldan's treasure.
• Adele-Isabella considered the Sword of Balduran's ability to increase legendary degree and the Shield of Balduran's power to reflect beholder rays.
• Andre gave Adele-Isabella an ancient chart marking Pirate Isle, the Anti-Magic Prison, and the waters where his crew had been destroyed by a giant sea monster.
• After hearing that Bhaal's offspring had possessed the set and that the Godsbane of Slaughter had hidden it, Adele-Isabella decided to take Andre to Port Nyanzaru.

Adele Isabella learned that Andre had discovered Balduran's Set, a legendary Godsbane of Slaughter, and brought him to Port Nyanzaru to report the intelligence to Soren. Soren received the news while developing trials for the War Chess Plane, and realized the set had indeed fallen into the Godsbane of Slaughter’s hands.

• Adele Isabella learned that Balduran's Set was believed to lie among the irradiated ruins of a crashed floating city, where Andre's expedition had been wiped out by an ocean behemoth.
• Adele Isabella took the sole survivor, Andre, to Port Nyanzaru to tell Soren about the Godsbane of Slaughter.
• Soren focused on strengthening himself and Port Nyanzaru while designing demon- and devil-themed trials for the War Chess Plane.
• Adele Isabella's intelligence reached Soren as he prepared to test his new trial.
• Soren read about Balduran's Set and concluded that it had fallen into the Godsbane of Slaughter's hands.

Soren considered investigating Pirate Isle and its Anti-Magic Prison but, occupied with strengthening himself and developing Port Nyanzaru, decided to send a team instead. He assembled a legendary expedition led by the High Priest and added reinforcements, leaving the party ready to set out.

• Soren studied a map of Pirate Isle and recognized the location of the Anti-Magic Prison, which might help improve Port Nyanzaru's mythal.
• Soren weighed the expedition against his many duties, including mastering his Shadow portfolio, taking over the Shadow Church and Shadow Thieves' Guild, and overseeing Port Nyanzaru's redevelopment.
• Goria advised Soren to delegate the exploration to a team of legendary professionals and suggested the High Priest, Giant, and Milan.
• Soren selected the High Priest, Adele-Isabella, Milan, Giant, and Ugly Monkey for the expedition.
• Soren added a squad of drow warriors and an Archbishop, planning to send his fleet and Mutated Killer Whale along as support.

Soren agreed to send Lulumiao and the Ghost Ship, the Speaker of the Dead, to an Ancient Ruin expedition, where the ship would undergo combat testing. He considered how Port Nyanzaru could project force onto the Material Plane and recognized that, as a deity, he had to act as a player in its larger conflicts.

• Goria suggested sending Lulumiao to gain experience, saying the catgirl was a capable fighter and had met someone important, and Soren agreed.
• Goria proposed taking the Ghost Ship, the Speaker of the Dead, on the expedition to test its combat capabilities, and Soren approved.
• Goria reported that the ship’s Floating Ring and Small Energy Shield were ready, while its Small Magical Energy Cannon could fire about three times.
• Soren considered the ship’s role in future land battles and concluded it was Port Nyanzaru’s best asset for distant expeditions and destructive support.
• Soren reflected that his status as a deity with medium divinity meant he had to protect the Material Plane and compete as a player rather than enter the fray himself.