Chapter Summaries

Keosius rejected the Church of Waukeen’s proposal to establish temples and control financial services in the Empire, insisting that the Empire Bank and Empire Commercial Department would retain authority. After intimidating the envoys, he left Sherwin to seek a new arrangement on Keosius’s terms.

• Sherwin praised Keosius’s wealth and offered the Church of Waukeen’s finest goods, but Keosius challenged whether he doubted the Empire’s riches.
• Sherwin explained that Waukeen wanted to cooperate with the Empire to expand commerce and praised Keosius’s support for free trade.
• Sherwin proposed that the Church build temples as financing, currency exchange, and safekeeping centers, but Keosius refused to let outsiders control the Empire’s economy.
• Keosius threatened the envoys and condemned the proposal as contempt for the Empire, leaving Sherwin pleading for another chance.
• Keosius recalled the Church’s secretive trade manipulation and resolved to keep absolute control while extracting value from any cooperation.
• Sherwin promised to secure better terms for Keosius and privately cursed whoever had claimed Red Dragons were foolish.

Keosius and Lang Pu proposed that the Waukeen Church help the Empire sell its cheap, mass-produced goods in the south. After Sherwin agreed to take the opportunity to Holy Coin Tiona Ludwig, Keosius and Lang Pu revealed they planned to use the Church’s influence and then replace its people.

• Keosius reprimanded Sherwin and let Lang Pu present the Empire’s cooperation plan.
• Lang Pu proposed founding the Empire South Continent Company, with the Empire supplying goods and the Waukeen Church providing sales channels.
• Lang Pu showed Sherwin an ordinary Woolen Sweater and revealed the Empire could make each one for five Silver Coins and produce millions annually.
• Sherwin grew eager at the prospect of huge profits, but Lang Pu told him that only Holy Coin Tiona Ludwig could sign the deal.
• Sherwin agreed to report the offer to Tiona Ludwig, while Keosius and Lang Pu privately planned to push the Waukeen Church aside once the company was established.

Keosius heard the Kassand and Thrace Kingdoms had both sent envoys and presided over a debate about whether the Empire should join the war in the south. He ordered the Kassand envoy admitted first, leaving the Empire’s response undecided.

• The Tiefling Guard captain told Keosius that envoys from Kassand and Thrace had requested audiences.
• Tinia guessed that Kassand had come to declare war and seize its riches, so Keosius kicked her out and ordered Lang Pu to teach her politics and history.
• Marshal Dolo argued that Kassand wanted cooperation and urged the Empire to attack Thrace alongside it.
• Lang Pu opposed Dolo’s plan, arguing that the Empire needed to rebuild and consolidate its newly unified territories before waging another war.
• Keosius stopped the argument and ordered his officials to admit the Kassand envoy first.

Keosius considered the Three Emperors’ War and the risks of intervening in the south as he received Kassand Kingdom’s envoy, Navin Bessarius. Navin proposed an alliance against Thrace Kingdom and offered the Empire two-thirds of its territory, but Keosius recognized that Otis intended to seize Thrace’s Sun God Pyramid and could later turn against him.

• Keosius decided that diplomacy and extracting benefits from the Three Great Kingdoms were safer than attacking Thrace Kingdom, and he sought a foothold in the Katpa Hills.
• Navin Bessarius arrived with gifts from Otis and congratulated Keosius on unifying the Anzeta Great Wasteland.
• Navin proposed a secret alliance between Kassand Kingdom and the Embers of the Burned Empire against Thrace Kingdom.
• Keosius asked what the Empire would gain, and Navin promised it all of Thrace’s territory north of the Radiant Mountain Range.
• Keosius realized Otis wanted the Sun God Pyramid in Auguste and might later reclaim the offered land and destroy the Empire.

Keosius rejected the Kassand Kingdom’s offer to join its attack on Thrace, despite Naven raising the payment to five million Gold Coins and offering magical knowledge. He then summoned Thrace’s envoy, Dayev Marshall, and demanded a price for sparing Thrace.

• Naven offered Keosius territory and Gold Coins in exchange for helping the Kassand Kingdom attack Thrace, but Keosius refused in the name of peace and rebuilding.
• Naven increased the offer by five million Gold Coins and magical knowledge, but Keosius said he still needed to consider the people’s livelihoods and dismissed the delegation.
• After the Kassand delegation left, Keosius summoned Dayev Marshall, the waiting envoy from Thrace.
• Keosius told Dayev that he had let him hear the Kassand offer and demanded to know what Thrace would pay to avoid an attack.

Keosius pressured Dayev into seeking Wilhelm’s approval for a payment and the cession of the Katpa Hills, while secretly planning to exploit the Three Great Kingdoms’ stalemate without committing to either side. As Dayev departed, Keosius recognized that Amanata’s instability was throwing the sun’s sequence into disorder and that an age of chaos was approaching.

• Dayev offered Gold Coins and magical resources on behalf of the Thrace Kingdom, but Keosius demanded two million Gold Coins and the Katpa Hills south of Anstika.
• Dayev said he would accept Keosius’s terms personally but needed Wilhelm’s approval to cede territory, and Keosius told him to choose between friendship and a profitable ambush.
• Dayev left believing he had temporarily secured peace, while Keosius revealed to Tinia that he intended to play the Three Great Kingdoms against each other and remain on the sidelines.
• Keosius observed that the sun’s sequence had gone wrong and said Amanata was nearing slumber, heralding the age of chaos.

Keosius recalled how Aragon I’s attempt to seize Amanata’s power left the Sun God weakened and doomed the Holy Fadlan Empire to collapse. As the sun dimmed, Keosius resolved to claim the empire’s legacy and rise in the coming chaos.

• Keosius explained that Amanata’s weakened state had disrupted the sun and that daylight would return to normal once the deity fell asleep.
• Keosius recalled how Aragon I used the Apotheosis Spell to imprison Amanata and briefly seize the Sun God’s authority before being burned to ashes.
• Amanata reclaimed his divine position, withdrew his favor from Holy Fadlan, and prepared to sleep for centuries.
• The Holy Fadlan Empire collapsed, and rival forces poured into the Prime Material Plane as its descendants fought over its remains.
• Keosius extended a claw wreathed in light and flame and declared that the empire’s fall suited his ambition to become the new king.

Keosius forced Sassise to accept a peace treaty granting the Kattepa Area to the Embers of the Burned Empire and requiring Thrace to buy imperial weapons. After the delegation left, Keosius raised the Istaria Great Altar onto a towering platform, leaving Sassise awed by his power.

• Keosius exposed the Thrace Kingdom’s altered peace treaty and threatened to seize much of its northern territory if it withheld the Kattepa Area.
• Sassise presented the final contract ceding the Kattepa Area, and Keosius demanded that Thrace also purchase weapons from the empire.
• Keosius sent Sassise and his delegation out under escort after saying he would sign the treaty once the weapons transaction was complete.
• Keosius raised the Istaria Great Altar nearly a hundred meters above Istaria City, stunning the people and players who witnessed it.
• Sassise marveled at Keosius’s power and felt relieved that the peace treaty had been concluded.

Sassise visited the Empire’s shooting range and saw how its Enemy Breaker Fire Type III could give ordinary soldiers powerful firepower. He was stunned by its low price and resolved to report the discovery to His Majesty, unaware that the Empire had drawn the Thrace Kingdom into a trap.

• Sassise and his delegation arrived at a shooting range outside Istaria, where Battlefield Wheelchair Man welcomed them and presented the Empire’s weapons.
• Battlefield Wheelchair Man demonstrated the Enemy Breaker Fire Type III, and Sassise saw it strike a target with power comparable to a Third Circle Spell.
• Sassise considered how easily ordinary people could use the gun and worried that the Empire would charge the Thrace Kingdom an exorbitant price.
• Battlefield Wheelchair Man quoted a price of 99 Silver Coin per gun, with a discount for orders over fifty thousand.
• Sassise realized the guns could let the Thrace Kingdom field huge numbers of armed troops and decided to report the bargain to His Majesty, not knowing the Empire had laid a trap.

Sassise visited an Imperial firing range to buy weapons for the Thrace Kingdom and was astonished by the power and low price of the Enemy Breaker Fire Type III. He believed the guns could turn the war against the Kassand Kingdom, unaware that the Empire had laid a trap for the Thrace Kingdom.

• Sassise and his delegation traveled to a firing range outside Istaria, where Battlefield Wheelchair Man welcomed them as the Empire's arms sales specialist.
• Battlefield Wheelchair Man demonstrated the Enemy Breaker Fire Type III, and Sassise was shocked when it fired with power comparable to a Third Circle Spell.
• Sassise realized ordinary mortals could use the firearm effectively, though he initially assumed its price would be exorbitant.
• Battlefield Wheelchair Man quoted a price of ninety-nine silver coins per gun, with a discount for orders exceeding fifty thousand.
• Sassise concluded that the Thrace Kingdom could raise a massive armed force at low cost and resolved to report the opportunity to His Majesty Wilhelm, unaware the Empire had prepared a trap.

Keosius toured the Empire, winning the people’s awe as he tested his abilities and expanded the Empire Domain. He learned that the new faction Experience Shop had unlocked and gave the exhausted Lang Pu another task while the Empire’s affairs continued to pile up.

• Keosius toured cities and villages across the Empire, improving local conditions and inspiring growing awe and worship among the people.
• Keosius abandoned his plan to clear side quests for experience after ordinary enemies proved too weak to benefit him, and decided to leave them for the players.
• The Embers of the Burned Empire reached Crimson Gold faction level, unlocking an Experience Shop where players could spend experience to learn abilities.
• Keosius contacted Lang Pu, who reported on the Empire’s construction, companies, Dragon Coin plans, the Fadlan war, and the growing number of Starfallers.
• Keosius interrupted Lang Pu’s lengthy report to assign him a new task, while Lang Pu wondered whether Simulacrum could create copies to help with his workload.

Players in North Wind Fortress learned about the new Experience Shop system, and Steamed Bun read Singo’s guide on spending surplus experience to strengthen his Red Scale Conqueror. He flew to Red Scale Garrison with Noodles to exchange experience for abilities.

• Players crowded around the notice board as Steamed Bun and Noodles pushed through to read about the Experience Shops and their requirements.
• Steamed Bun found Singo’s beginner guide on the forum and learned that experience could buy skills, combat techniques, and trades.
• Steamed Bun read Singo’s advanced recommendations, including raising a Red Scale Conqueror’s riding, Spear Skill, scouting, and archery proficiencies.
• Steamed Bun compared his Level 7 progress with Singo’s surplus experience and suspected Singo’s Viscount rank gave him an advantage.
• Steamed Bun mounted Noodles and flew toward Red Scale Garrison to use the Experience Shop.

Steamed Bun visited Alger’s Experience Shop to exchange experience for Riding proficiency, while the Red Dragon Keosius collected part of the spent experience as tax through their Imperial Grace bond. Keosius welcomed the influx of experience as a way to grow stronger and circled above Antonio City as its people cheered.

• Steamed Bun landed Noodles at the Red Scale Garrison and learned from Singo that the Experience Shop was with Alger, where players were lining up.
• Steamed Bun entered Alger’s office and asked for a discount, but Alger refused and showed him the available proficiencies and abilities.
• Steamed Bun spent 3,000 experience to raise his Riding proficiency to level 14, gaining Alger’s riding memories and techniques through their shared Red Dragon bloodline.
• Alger felt strange energy enter his body as Steamed Bun’s exchange made him stronger, while Keosius received half of the spent experience as tax.
• Keosius celebrated the experience flowing in from players and circled above Antonio City as its people cheered for him and the Empire.

Keosius gained enough experience from the Experience Shop to reach Class Level 18 and chose to advance True Dragon Sorcerer rather than risk strengthening his cursed berserker power. He reached Caster Level 20 and acquired the Ninth Circle Dragon Spell Dragon Absorption.

• Keosius brought warmth to Antonio City, reversing public opinion across the Anzeta Great Wasteland as he continued inspecting the Empire’s territories.
• The 110,000 players in the Anzeta Great Wasteland exchanged experience through the Experience Shop, giving Keosius over thirteen million ordinary experience, equivalent to 130,000 panel experience.
• Keosius reached total Class Level 18 and chose to raise True Dragon Sorcerer to level 15, avoiding Bloodscale Berserker because the Heart of Kareks’s chaotic curse remained dormant rather than cured.
• Keosius’s Caster Level rose to 20, and he obtained the Ninth Circle Dragon Spell Dragon Absorption, which absorbed ranged spells targeting him and let him use their energy to cast spells.

Keosius tested the First Circle Dragon Spit spell and then used Dragon Absorption to drain nearby energy and unleash a powerful blast. He turned his attention to Bewildering Valley, where he knew a hidden lich lived and planned to investigate.

• Keosius obtained the First Circle Dragon Spit spell, dismissed its usefulness, and tested its explosive power.
• Keosius mastered Dragon Absorption and drained energy from the surrounding area before releasing it in a devastating fireball.
• Keosius located Bewildering Valley and recalled that a hidden lich there had nearly caused an Undead Scourge in his previous life.

Keosius recalled the history of Aurest and the grueling Soul Lamenter questline, then decided that he could use the lich for his own purposes. Using his special sight, he located the Ancient Mausoleum and prepared to approach Aurest.

• Keosius recounted how Aurest sacrificed his castle and thousands of slaves to become a lich, then planned to sacrifice the Carter Duchy for true immortality.
• Keosius remembered how players had spent months completing the Soul Lamenter questline before Singo and a team of fifty professionals defeated Aurest.
• Keosius concluded that Aurest's greed and fear of death made him easy to control and considered making the lich work for him.
• Keosius used the Calamity Dragon Eye and the Omniscient Eye to locate the Ancient Mausoleum where Aurest's phylactery was kept.
• Keosius addressed Aurest and prepared to arrive, confident that the lich would not escape him.

Aurest, the lich who ruled Bewildering Valley, recorded his concerns about dwindling souls and the upheaval in Anzeta before sensing an intruder in his mausoleum. He watched a human noble face a horde of undead, and the chapter ended as the man calmly raised his hand to attack.

• Aurest wrote in his diary that he had harvested souls, encountered soulless Starfallers, and feared the Red Dragon and dwindling reserves would threaten his immortality.
• Aurest sensed someone entering the Death Mausoleum and used his crystal skull to view the intruder.
• Aurest recognized the human noble in the Magic Image and felt unsettled when the man appeared to look directly at him.
• Aurest summoned the mausoleum's gargoyles, ghouls, wraiths, Death Armor, and bodaks against the intruder.
• The man adjusted his robe, smiled at the surrounding undead, and raised his right hand as a boom sounded.

Keosius destroyed the Cannibal Tomb Chamber and crossed the Death Corridor despite its deadly traps, alarms, and undead. Aurest watched from Soul Weeping Castle, growing anxious as Keosius approached the tomb chamber where the lich had hidden his phylactery.

• Keosius burned more than a hundred undead and destroyed the Cannibal Tomb Chamber’s hidden skull artifacts.
• Aurest recognized Keosius’s power and resolved to kill him before entering hibernation, trusting his preparations throughout the tomb.
• Keosius entered the Death Corridor and effortlessly blocked its traps, erased its death array, and burned the undead it summoned.
• Keosius destroyed the corridor’s mechanisms and magical formations, then continued toward the Doomsday Tomb.
• Aurest panicked as Keosius neared his phylactery but reassured himself that his next defenses and secret hiding place would protect it.

Keosius entered the Doomsday Tomb and stole the Banshee's Wail Bottle before its trap could kill him. He found Aurest's phylactery and transformed into a Red Dragon to confront the three Eye Tyrants guarding it.

• Keosius used the Calamity Dragon Eye to locate the Banshee's Wail Bottle and stole it through a Space Rift.
• Aurest failed to teleport to the Doomsday Tomb and relied on his hidden phylactery and three Eye Tyrants to stop Keosius.
• Keosius took the Wither Staff and revealed a concealed door by knocking down the paintings in sequence.
• Keosius entered the secret chamber and found Aurest's phylactery as three Eye Tyrants attacked him.
• Keosius's Complete Polymorph revealed a gigantic Red Dragon, which confronted the frightened Eye Tyrants.

Keosius defeated the three Eye Tyrants in Soul Weeping Castle, killing two and forcing Kuz to serve him. Aurest realized the Red Dragon had found him, and prepared for battle as the Bone Pen recorded, "He saw me!"

• Augu begged Keosius for mercy and offered to serve him, but Keosius crushed him for being too ugly.
• A second Eye Tyrant tried to escape in black smoke, but Keosius dispelled the fog and killed it with a Fire Bolt.
• The last Eye Tyrant transformed into a one-eyed maiden, introduced itself as Kuz, and agreed to follow Keosius.
• Kuz pointed out the lich's phylactery, while Aurest watched through a Magic Image and wondered whether Keosius was the Red Dragon known as the Embers of the Burned Emperor.
• Keosius looked through the Magic Image and said, "I see you," shattering Aurest's crystal skull and prompting the lich to prepare for battle.
• The Bone Pen wrote, "He saw me!"