Recaps

After the Blood Festival, the Transian People's Army conscripted all players as reservists and directed newbies toward swamp cleanup while veterans tackled a dungeon and new class content. Honest Egg pursued a fair path to contracting stronger undead, then joined a newly triggered escort quest that sent Old Qin and Baldwin to Krim Fortress.

• The Transian People's Army made every player a reservist, sent newbies to cleanup quests in the Filthy Swamp, and kept veteran players busy with the Land of the Dead dungeon.
• Honest Egg celebrated the Coffin Bearer update that let players contract liches and Netherworld Knights, while Basha considered using force and Egg chose to earn their favor honestly.
• The Passing Troublemaker explained how to win favor with weakened undead, and Basha and Egg agreed to search the swamp for skeleton warhorses the next night.
• Sweet Potato Roast received a hidden quest from Mirian to escort Rotem Hugh Baldwin to Krim Fortress, and he shared it with Egg and A-Feng.
• Old Qin emerged from the House of the Dead with Baldwin, who recognized Sweet Potato Roast from their past battle and promised compensation from his great-grandson at Krim Fortress.

Old Qin escorted Baldwin to Krim Fortress, where the undead necromancer warned its great-grandson, General Baldwin, about a military conspiracy and confirmed that Nordtov had no power capable of freely traveling between worlds. General Baldwin refused to join the plot against Transia, while Old Qin and the players departed, leaving the general to consider the forces behind the conspiracy.

• Old Qin questioned Baldwin about travel between worlds, and Baldwin said no faction in this world had that ability.
• Old Qin reflected on Meng Haha’s theory that the observers had forcibly connected the two worlds for an unknown purpose.
• At Krim Fortress, Baldwin proved its identity to General Baldwin with a family code phrase and discussed the lost sword Wolfblood.
• Baldwin warned General Baldwin not to join the military leaders plotting against Transia, then flew away after asking him to lay gardenias on Julia’s grave.
• General Baldwin told Colonel Duke that he would refuse the plot and suspected Marshal Heraclius and a powerful backer were behind it.
• Goudan, Basha, San Jin Digua Shao, and A-Feng discussed seeking work with the Shadow Intelligence Bureau and traveling to Shadow Valley.

Old Baldwin told Old Qin how he lost the Wolfblood Sword and offered to serve him, triggering an epic quest to recover the relic. Meanwhile, Adele prepared an expedition to Shadow Valley and admitted her growing ambitions were partly motivated by her feelings for Murphy.

• Old Baldwin recounted losing the Wolfblood Sword in the swamp and explained that he wanted to reclaim it from the gnolls.
• Old Baldwin asked Old Qin to take him as an assistant, explaining his interest in otherworlders and his desire to recover his lost dignity; he then triggered the hidden quest "Find the Wolfblood."
• Old Qin accepted the difficult Nordtov main quest and shared it with players, who began organizing a 25-person group.
• Dolores reported that Adele's recruitment notice had attracted many foreigners, and Adele assigned herself and Dana to lead an expedition to Shadow Valley while Dolores organized the bureau's forces.
• Dolores asked why Adele had expanded the Shadow Intelligence Bureau, guessed that Murphy was the reason, and advised Adele to seek romantic advice from Madam Water.

Adele drank the Origin Blood to break the blood pact’s influence, then accepted Murphy’s mission to recruit her Shadow Elf kin from Shadow Valley. Two days later, she joined a player expedition bound for Wolf Fort, while the players noticed her changed demeanor and suspected trouble between her and Murphy.

• Adele struggled with her feelings for Murphy, then drank the Origin Blood to free herself from the blood pact’s influence and gained power and clarity.
• Murphy felt the blood pact break and praised Adele’s choice, while Triss teased him about his relief and kissed him.
• Adele told Murphy she would lead outsiders across the marshes, recruit her kin in Shadow Valley, and arrange territory and official roles for them; Murphy gave her a governor’s order.
• Murphy considered using his stored Origin Blood to gain attributes before the Silver Trial and planned to obtain more after Triss’s pilgrimage.
• Two days later, Adele joined the expedition of players and other groups headed for Wolf Fort, and Little Ashina and Lady Shui noticed her conservative outfit and suspected a breakup with Murphy.

Lady Water led the Silvermoon's Pride group toward Dark Valley after Avalon’s power began blessing the Filthy Swamp, while Huozi and Yuan prepared to change classes at the nature sanctuary. There, Lady Water and Meow Brother agreed to cooperate on capturing future strongholds, leaving their alliance named the Wilderness Covenant.

• Huozi and Yuan discussed choosing classes that would help their wives and the Silvermoon's Pride group, then traveled with Lady Water toward Wolf Castle.
• Lady Water sensed Avalon’s power spreading through the Filthy Swamp, and Lumina explained that the blessing benefited everyone except vampires.
• Huozi carried Lady Water to the nature sanctuary, while Yuan followed and Lan Hua rebuffed his attempt at romance.
• Meow Brother gave Lady Water a petrified Nature Emblem and asked to cooperate with Silvermoon's Pride in capturing strongholds.
• Lady Water agreed to help Meow Brother’s group capture a stronghold in exchange for Silvermoon's Pride controlling Dark Valley alone, and they named their alliance the Wilderness Covenant.

Lady Adele’s expedition crossed a swamp cleared of many monsters but littered with dangerous player-made traps, while Madam Water secured a quest for the Silvermoon Pride to claim Shadow Valley. After accepting, Madam Water confronted Adele about her troubled feelings for Murphy and offered to help her as a friend from another world.

• Old Qin, Baldwin, Digua Shao, Ketchup, and Pickle cleared the players’ traps and collected explosives along the expedition’s route through the swamp.
• Adele told Madam Water that the Silvermoon Pride could establish a base in Shadow Valley, though its defensible terrain and difficult evacuation made it dangerous to hold.
• Madam Water argued that the valley’s strategic position could support a stronghold, and Adele offered the Silvermoon Pride control of it if they held out through the Black Calamity.
• Madam Water accepted the quest to defend Shadow Valley and planned to seek support and recruit more people.
• Madam Water told Adele she had recognized her secret interest in the forum and urged her to confide in a friend who wanted to help.

The expeditionary corps crossed Baphomet Gorge and reached the mountains near Shadow Valley, while Adele reunited with the shadow elves who had once been her people. Murphy investigated a goatman lair and discovered ancient writing linked to Eden, hinting at more mysteries beneath the gorge.

• Old Qin's vanguard emerged from the Filthy Swamp and learned from Old Baldwin that Baphomet Gorge was goatman territory.
• The expeditionary corps crossed the gorge, fought off sickleclaws, and found a hidden route toward Shadow Valley.
• Adele led Little Ashina, Pomegranate, and Lumina into a concealed cavern, where Lisa recognized her and revealed that the Majewa family had fallen.
• Murphy killed a goatman raiding party and found Eden-like writing in its lair, concluding the goatmen had forgotten their own civilization.

Murphy followed George through Baphomet Canyon, learned about the goatmen’s underground palace and the Dark Roots, and found its entrance. At the Gloomy Valley, Adele reunited with her childhood friend Lisa, who refused to abandon the valley, while Adele noticed shadow elves among its half-elf residents.

• Murphy sent George to track the goatmen and learned from Triss about Widia, the Abyssal City, the Dark Roots, and the dangers of Baphomet’s Great Underground Palace.
• George led Murphy to the underground palace, where goatman attackers with blood-painted runes charged them.
• Lady Adele and her companions were surrounded by armored half-elves at the Gloomy Valley entrance, while Adele sensed shadow elves hiding nearby.
• Lisa welcomed Adele for one night but rejected her offer to move the half-elves to Transia and turn the valley into a front line against the Black Calamity.
• Adele followed Lisa into the valley and resolved to investigate why shadow elves had joined the half-elves.

Adele and her companions entered the Shadow Valley, where Little Ashina and Lumina began negotiating for weapons and Meckel revealed the valley’s need for ammunition. Adele reunited with Lisa at her mother’s grave and learned that the Weaver of Fate had been captured by goatmen, leaving the valley divided over whether to rescue her.

• Pomegranate, Little Ashina, and Lumina explored the Shadow Valley’s defenses and met its commander, Meckel Ghostblade, who agreed to consider their offer of weapons and visit their camp after arranging the valley’s defenses.
• Little Ashina and Lumina demonstrated Transian rifles to Meckel, who requested five hundred rifles in exchange for friendship and information about the valley.
• Adele visited her mother’s grave with Lisa Bella, recalled their shared past, and told Lisa that her parents had returned as undead after gnoll shamans disturbed their rest.
• Lisa explained that the Mejewa family had been destroyed by monsters from the Underdark and that shadow elf refugees had come to the valley seeking shelter under their Weaver of Fate’s prophecy.
• Lisa revealed that goatmen had kidnapped the Weaver of Fate at Baphomet Gorge, and she asked Adele to help rescue her.

Adele confronted Lisa over her dealings with the shadow elves and persuaded her to cooperate with Transia, while promising to help her lead the half-elves. The chapter ended with Bernice leading the players to rescue the missing Fateweaver as Adele returned to the valley to negotiate with its elders.

• Lisa asked Adele to use her vampires to eliminate shadow elves who threatened her rule, but Adele accused Lisa of manipulating her and hiding her own dealings with them.
• Adele warned Lisa that Transia could take the valley by force, offered the half-elves new homes, and urged Lisa to support relocation and an alliance against the Black Calamity.
• Lisa admitted Adele was better suited to lead and agreed to work with her, while Adele promised to help Lisa become a stronger leader rather than take her position.
• Mekel told Bernice that Lisa was working with the shadow elves, and Bernice set out to scold her before Adele returned with Lisa.
• Adele asked Bernice to lead the warriors and players on a mission to rescue the missing shadow elf Fateweaver, while Adele went to speak with the elders.
• Bernice accepted the mission, ordered Mekel to come along, and the players eagerly prepared to fight the goatmen.

Adele secured Shadow Valley’s agreement to join Transia, while Murphy received notice that the valley would become an enclave once Transia occupied the Filthy Swamp and Baphomet Canyon. As Murphy explored the goatmen’s dungeon, he heard a woman praying nearby.

• The players rode toward Baphomet Canyon, where A-Cha and the others discussed the rescue quest and possible dungeons.
• Dressing Up Without Hands and Leading Pigeon agreed that player groups would claim any dungeons they found, while Little Hand reminded them to share relevant clues with the Silvermoon group.
• Adele persuaded Shadow Valley’s four elders to accept integration into Transia in exchange for relocation help, protection for their people, and freedom from Shadow Elf interference.
• The elders praised Adele and offered her leadership, but she refused to take Lisa’s position and privately wondered whether Murphy would be proud of her.
• Murphy received a notice that Shadow Valley’s integration had begun and that Transia needed to occupy the Filthy Swamp and Baphomet Canyon to control the enclave.
• Murphy fought through the goatmen’s dungeon with George, then heard what sounded like a woman praying in the maze.

Murphy followed a mysterious prayer through Baphomet’s dungeon and met Weaver Anu Vilance Mejewa, a wounded Fateweaver Maiden who had arranged their meeting. She offered to serve him and revealed Twilight’s role in destroying her home; Murphy refused her offer but agreed to hear what she knew.

• Murphy and George tracked an ethereal prayer through the labyrinth, where a woman explained that the goatmen were trying to awaken an ancient evil god.
• Murphy met Weaver Anu Vilance Mejewa, recognized her as the missing Fateweaver Maiden, and learned she had come to meet him deliberately.
• Villance offered to become Murphy’s loyal servant and help House Mejewa survive the coming upheaval, but Murphy immediately refused.
• Villance revealed that Twilight had destroyed Mejewa City to test a power, and identified its faction leader as the Scholar.
• Villance said her unclear prophecy placed Murphy at the center of destiny and invited him to ask her questions as his personal seer.

Murphy questioned Vilanth about Mejewa City’s destruction and her decision to follow him, while she tried to win his trust and offered to become his blood servant. Vilanth revealed that the Spider Lady and Avalon were opposing but inseparable aspects who both believed Murphy could help them, leaving him warned that the gods had their own aims.

• Murphy asked Vilanth how Mejewa City had fallen, and she recounted an invasion by underground beasts, corrupted creatures, and astral meteorites before the Spider Lady directed her to Transia.
• Vilanth said she had gathered more than two hundred followers, including thirty Swordchanters, and offered Murphy the hidden Nature's Edge and Gale Warbow.
• Murphy questioned whether Vilanth might betray him in the future, and she proposed a blood pact that would bind her soul to him while preserving her body and faith.
• Murphy asked how the Spider Lady related to Avalon's other aspects, and Vilanth explained that the Spider Lady embodied the darkness Avalon could not bear and that the two gods might one day separate.
• Vilanth warned Murphy that other gods had turned their attention toward him for their own purposes, then urged him to begin the blood pact.

Murphy recruited the injured Weaver Maiden Vilansé and assigned her to pose as a helpless captive so his warriors could escort her through Baphomet’s dungeon. The chapter ended with the Eight Demon Lords discovering Vilansé and mistaking her staged distress for a real rescue mission.

• Murphy rejected Vilansé’s advances, accepted her service, and questioned her about the Baphomet cult and its dungeon.
• After learning that Abyssal City opposed the cult, Murphy decided his warriors could help eliminate the Baphomet cultists for a reward.
• Murphy gave Vilansé a computing orb and ordered her to offer the first warriors who found her an elite escort mission, drawing cultists into their path.
• Murphy told Vilansé to dress as the blindfolded “Blind Seer” and promised to meet her at the dungeon entrance to launch the Black Calamity DLC quest.
• The Eight Demon Lords struggled through the dungeon maze and followed a call for help to Vilansé, who appeared to be a distressed captive.

The Eight Demons rescued Vilans from Baphomet's dungeon, while her attempts to seduce the players failed against their restraint and irreverent attitude. When the group was overwhelmed by goatmen, Vilans transformed into a powerful spider and left Saint Lord amazed.

• Saint Lord covered Vilans with a cloak, and the Eight Demons carried her through the maze while she wondered why they would not touch her.
• Vilans guided the group through the dungeon as they defeated goatman bandits and lost several undead minions.
• Zhulan and the Eight Demons fought through a hall full of goatmen, and Zhulan sacrificed himself to drive the attackers away.
• Ximu spotted another group of goatmen, and the players complained that Vilans was useless as they prepared for another battle.
• Vilans asked Bogan to put her down, transformed into a spider, and killed an elite enemy with one attack, astonishing Saint Lord.

Veylance’s attempt to impress Transian players with her humanoid charms backfired, while her spider form made her unexpectedly popular. After seeing how devoted the players were to Murphy, she began studying his methods, and the players discovered a mummy NPC in the labyrinth who needed help recovering civilization tablets.

• Veylance transformed into her Weaver Spider form and slaughtered the goatmen, but the players cheered instead of being frightened.
• Shengzhu, Bogan, and Ximu discussed raising Veylance’s favorability, and Veylance overheard them and misunderstood their intentions.
• The players escorted Veylance out of the labyrinth, then gathered to see her transform again after Shengzhu shared footage of her spider form.
• The players quickly abandoned Veylance to rush toward Murphy, prompting her to study the documents he had left and observe his influence over them.
• River East Lion’s Roar reported that the group had found a mummy NPC being attacked by goatmen, and that she offered a quest to recover civilization tablets.

Murphy sent Transian warriors into Baphomet's Great Dungeon to rescue captives and investigate a lead connected to the civilization tablet. After the players rescued a shackled mummy named Nefertari, she introduced herself as an envoy sent to help Murphy.

• Murphy issued a quest to rescue the dungeon's captives and bring them to safety, then charged into the dungeon with the players.
• Bernice stayed behind to establish a camp, while she scolded Lisa and the abandoned Villance mourned the players' rejection.
• Cat Bro and his brothers fought elite goatmen to protect a strange shackled girl, and Cat Bro carried her away when the group became overwhelmed.
• Shadow hounds knocked Cat Bro down and broke the girl's neck, but arriving players rescued them and Murphy pulled the girl back to her feet.
• The girl revealed she was Nefertari, an envoy sent by High Priest Bayek at Lord Paine's request, and asked Murphy to find glue for her loose eyeball.

Murphy learned from the waterlogged mummy priest Nefertari that Twilight’s forces had stolen a Gnoll civilization tablet and were threatening the Blood Dread Clan’s marines. He prepared to summon his clan and rescue them, while Nefertari agreed to lead him toward the danger.

• Murphy ordered George to search the dungeon maze for the missing players, while George and Ravenor went hunting after he let them slack off.
• Nefertari repaired her broken body in front of the camp, frightening away most onlookers, while A-Feng stayed to observe her.
• Murphy questioned Nefertari about her unusual happiness and learned that water was sloshing inside her skull and affecting her preserved brain.
• Nefertari revealed that the Gnoll civilization tablet had been taken by a Twilight-aligned Goatman Nightmare High Priest and was somewhere in Baphomet’s Great Dungeon.
• Nefertari warned Murphy that underground creatures were attacking the Blood Dread Clan’s marines and might be connected to Twilight’s search for civilization tablets.
• Murphy decided to summon his clan and rescue the marines, and Nefertari offered to lead him to them.

Murphy learned that the Blood Dread Clan had been trapped by Twilight cultists after refusing to join Transia’s defense, and he divided the rescue effort between Triss’s dungeon search and his own mission to save the clan. He summoned the Blood Eagle players, while Hogg prepared to enter Baphomet’s Great Dungeon as the “Wise Wolf.”

• Murphy explained to Triss that the Blood Dread Clan had chosen to cooperate with the Blood Alliance instead of coming to Transia, and that Nefertari’s stolen Civilization Tablet had led her and the pirates into a Twilight trap.
• Triss assigned herself and Palanno to search Baphomet’s Great Dungeon for the tablet, while Murphy, Femis, and Adele would rescue the trapped Blood Dread forces.
• Murphy issued a mandatory Vampire Race main quest summoning Blood Eagle players to gather at Gloomy Valley, and Kuailebang answered the call with Meliya.
• Femis tested the teleportation route by sending players through to Wolf Castle before leading the remaining vampires through the portal.
• Femis told Nash that Hogg would enter the dungeon with Triss, and Hogg handed Nash the chieftain’s scepter before departing as the “Wise Wolf.”

As vampire players celebrated the second chapter of their race’s main quest, human players flooded the feedback forum demanding a quest of their own, prompting Triss to recognize a major problem for Murphy’s game. In Baphomet Canyon, Triss warned Hogg that entering the underworld would bind its fate to Transia’s, but Hogg accepted the danger and chose to pursue greatness for its clan.

• Vampire players prepared to head for Shadow Valley as human players complained about the lack of a human race quest, and Triss’s feedback section filled with posts.
• Triss traveled through Crimson Rifts to Baphomet Canyon with Bonnie and assembled Hogg, Palanno, a vampire summoner, and Touch Me I'm Poor for the underworld expedition.
• Triss told Hogg that recovering its civilization tablet from a goatman Nightmare Priest would make it an enemy of a dangerous family, and offered to let it escape and forget everything.
• Hogg considered returning to an ordinary life but decided that the risks were worth the chance to save the gnolls and lead the Bloodclaw Clan to power.
• Hogg accepted the dangers of the alliance and welcomed being bound to Murphy, calling it an honor to become his dog.

Murphy prepared a rescue operation for the besieged Blood Dread Clan while he and Adele discussed her freedom and feelings for him. As the clan’s pirates launched a desperate counterattack, Murphy’s forces and other allies were set to join the fight.

• Adele reported that four hundred Blood Eagle vampires and fifty Shadowvale rangers were preparing to support Murphy’s operation, and Murphy praised her efforts.
• Adele admitted that the blood pact had once distorted her feelings for Murphy, and he explained how source blood had freed him from similar feelings toward Triss.
• Adele confessed that she had fallen for Murphy after regaining her senses, and Murphy told her he might consider her in a hundred years; Adele then spoke with Awen about the exchange.
• Adele reported that Count White Mountain and his faction wanted to join the rescue, while Murphy planned to rest before the operation.
• The Blood Dread pirates refused to rescue the comrades on their lost flank and joked about claiming their hidden treasure, until their captain ordered them to charge the cultists.
• The Blood Dread captain worried that his force was nearly exhausted and needed reinforcements as his pirates attacked the cultists.

Murphy and the player-led forces reached Blackflame Valley to rescue the besieged Blood Terror Clan, but Lord Qin warned that the war fog concealed a trap and organized a cautious approach. Murphy slipped into the valley and found the clan near defeat, then met its drunken captain, whose response left negotiations unsettled.

• Old Qu warned that dense war fog concealed a battle and blocked psionic messages, while Lady Water and Lord Qin suspected the attackers were hiding an ambush.
• Happy Rod changed the plan to wait for Blood Alliance reinforcements, and Lord Qin led hunters and assassins on armed reconnaissance while Murphy assigned Count White Mountain's Nightwalkers to him.
• The armies established a temporary position outside the valley, and Murphy flew ahead with Andrei to contact the Blood Terror Clan's leaders.
• Murphy discovered that the Twilight Faithful had seized most of the valley and forced the Blood Terror pirates into a battered fortress, where captured clan members hung from the walls.
• Murphy and Andrei entered the fortress and found the captain drunk and undressed; Murphy mocked him, prompting the surrounding sea dogs to laugh.

Murphy and Andrei met the Blood Dread Clan’s pirate leaders, Pablo and Claire, and established that cooperation would require them to follow orders. The pirates revealed that a swarm of deadly creatures had trapped them in the valley, and Murphy recognized the creatures as ratmen.

• Murphy and Andrei mocked Blood Captain Pablo before Claire explained that Pablo was an outsider whom the Blood Dread had chosen as their Grand Duke for saving them.
• Claire recounted the Blood Dread exiles’ survival at sea and declared her loyalty to Pablo, while Pablo revealed his Grand Duke’s seal.
• Murphy told Pablo and Claire that the Blood Eagles and Thornes would respect the Blood Dread’s heritage but expected the pirates to follow orders and stop playing games.
• Pablo and Claire argued over whose plan had trapped their forces in the valley before Pablo explained that creatures underground had destroyed their defenses and overwhelmed his troops.
• Claire showed Murphy and Andrei the piles of corpses and warned that the creatures carried deadly pathogens.
• Andrei mistook the creatures for rats, but Murphy identified them as ratmen and warned that they were in serious trouble.

Murphy negotiated with Captain Bloody Babro for his crew to follow his orders during the Black Calamity in exchange for helping them escape, while ratmen attacked the players and Bloodsworn forces from underground. The chapter ended as Cheche and the others faced swarms of ratmen flooding through the tunnels.

• Captain Bloody Babro described how ratmen had attacked his crew, and Murphy suspected their appearance was connected to the coming Black Calamity.
• Murphy explained that First Mate Claire could temporarily wield Golden-level power and asked her to use it in the coming battle.
• Murphy and Babro sealed a bet: Murphy would rescue the crew, and Babro would follow Murphy's orders during the Black Calamity if he succeeded.
• Scout Leader Qin and Yan Sang sensed tunnels beneath the players' position, but an underground assault collapsed the ground beneath Brother Bang's forces.
• Cheche and other players fell into the tunnels, where swarms of armed ratmen attacked them.

Murphy watched the vampire pirates use Dagon's symbols to repel the ratmen while the creatures attacked Transia's forces outside the valley. The players regrouped, fought through the tunnels, and prepared to destroy the ratmen with white phosphorus and an aerial bomb.

• Baburo and Claire explained that the pirates had used Dagon's symbols to stop the ratmen from tunneling into their trenches.
• Baburo warned Murphy that the ratmen had attacked Transia's positions, and Murphy trusted the players to handle the assault without intervening.
• Niu Niu, Meow Brother, Brother Bang, and the other players rallied the scattered defenders while Lord Qin led a tunnel charge with Sanfudou and Lan Hua.
• Lord Qin's assault squad fought through the ratmen's tunnels, allowing the trapped players and Blood Oath Knights to retreat to a safe distance.
• Happy Stick ordered the artillery crew to fire white phosphorus into the tunnels, and the burning ratmen panicked as Little Weiming prepared a saved aerial bomb.