Chapter Summaries

Murphy learned that a faction of the Wolfsbane Clan had allied with the gnolls and prepared to confront the warlord in the Andmar Hills, while arranging for Femis to develop a powerful psionic spell called Cataclysm. After interrogating the Wolfsbane prisoners, Lainia confirmed their treason and asked Murphy to let her reserve knights join his punitive campaign.

• Murphy assigned Adele to oversee Dorothy's Blood Rat Gang and asked Count Andre to receive the arriving White Mountain exiles in Batashin City.
• Murphy told Femis that the Wolfsbane Clan's Grayclaw faction had allied with the gnolls and that he would lead an army into the Andmar Hills after the forces finished clearing nearby territories.
• Murphy arranged for Triss to guide Femis in creating her own psionic mystery, named Cataclysm, and postponed discussing what Femis had found in Count Westcoast's lands.
• Lainia reported the prisoners' confessions to Ivette, received permission to join the campaign, and ended the call after Ivette made another inappropriate advance.
• Lainia confirmed the Wolfsbane Clan's treason to Murphy and requested that her reserve knights join his punitive war against the gnolls and Wolfsbane Clan.

Murphy prepared his forces for the coming gnoll battle while the players pursued dungeons and personal goals. Sister Pomegranate agreed to yield the hunt’s top spot to Cat in exchange for his group’s help, and Taipal discovered a hidden dungeon drop before investigating a strange noise.

• Murphy decided to give the players a few days to rest before the next major battle, but Xiao Weiming gathered Madam Shui and Lanhua to run the new Rat King's End dungeon.
• Linbei Dog Paddle asked Sister Pomegranate to let Cat win the gnoll hunt so Cat could complete his faction challenge, but Cat rejected a secret arrangement and insisted on winning fairly.
• Sister Pomegranate agreed to yield first place and the Blood Eagle Named Blade to Cat in exchange for his group helping Silver Moon's Pride at least three times, and she arranged to meet Cat in person later.
• Xiao Weiming and Lanhua discovered that Frostfang Claw had received the hidden Rat King's Vile Echo drop on his first dungeon run, while Taipal explained that Lady Dorothy had made Frostfang Claw her first Warrior.
• Taipal told Lady Water about his appointment and plans for his own village, then stayed behind in the instance and heard a noise that he suspected signaled a hidden storyline.

Frostfang's Claw received a Soul-Reaping Scythe blueprint from Dorothy and gave it to Little Ashina, who arranged for Master Broken Blade and Big Horse Hundred-Forged to forge a weapon for Lady Water. Ashina bought a cart of Molotov cocktails, then discovered a middleman had marked up her own product and swore to confront him.

• Dorothy exchanged Frostfang's Claw's Echo of the Rat King token for the Soul-Reaping Scythe blueprint and assigned him a sewer treasure quest and combat training.
• Little Ashina and Orchid decided to have a scythe forged for Lady Water, and Frostfang's Claw gave them the blueprint without asking for payment.
• Master Broken Blade and Big Horse Hundred-Forged agreed to make the scythe as a veteran-grade weapon with fine workmanship if Ashina supplied the required undead spine and rib.
• Little Ashina bought fifty Molotov cocktails from an alchemy apprentice, unaware the seller had raised the price above Loyal Brother's rate.
• Ashina heard Scholar on a Journey selling the same Molotov cocktails at a discount and realized he had still charged her more, so she angrily vowed to find him.

Murphy assigned Natalie’s witch hunters roles in the coming campaign against the gnolls and urged her to turn the Avalon Church’s lost relics and knowledge into opportunities for her followers. Meanwhile, player Sion tried to film a dramatic gnoll fight, but his team stumbled into an elite monster and a Black Iron trial breakthrough.

• Murphy and Natalie agreed to deploy three hundred witch hunters as a ranger reconnaissance unit and use the others to train militias and protect settlements.
• Natalie told Murphy that witch hunter gear had been recovered, and he directed her to establish an equipment exchange and seek higher-tier equipment and crafting diagrams.
• Murphy suggested turning the southern Avalon sanctuary’s location and the lost replica holy blades into hidden-lore quests, and Natalie decided to share the information after the gnoll battle.
• Natalie polished two replica holy blades and reflected on her responsibility as the witch hunters’ final leader.
• Sion directed four players in a staged gnoll fight for a video, but an elite monster appeared, prompting the team to regroup and help a teammate attempt the Black Iron trial.

Murphy and Adele prepared to use Hogg and a hidden waterway to stage a mass escape that would encourage gnoll clans to flee toward the Andmar Hills. As the escape plan began at the Fighting Club, Adele made Dorothy her progeny and gave Hogg the secret codename “Pangolin.”

• Murphy learned that gnoll clans were fleeing Baron Lim's lands for the Andmar Hills and ordered Adele to prepare Hogg's escape.
• Adele told Murphy that Hogg's people had found a hidden waterway from the sewers to the Cadman River, and Murphy decided to preserve the route and build a dock.
• At the Grand Melee, Hogg urged the gnoll gladiators to meet it underground and escape before midnight, but a wounded berserker rejected its offer.
• Adele sired Dorothy as Hogg arrived, then told Hogg that its codename was Pangolin until Kenport's downfall.

Hogg assembled escaped jackal gladiators and kobolds into the Bloodclaw Clan and led them out of the vampires’ city through an underground waterway. After reaching the wilderness near the Andmar Hills, he ordered the clan to prepare to attack another jackal group so they could seize its members and hide their former enslavement.

• Hogg waited with his chosen jackals and kobolds for escaped gladiators, persuading his followers that they needed more fighters to earn recognition from King Kenport.
• More than a dozen jackal gladiators arrived, and Hogg persuaded them to join the Bloodclaw Clan by promising to lead them out of the vampires’ city.
• Hogg led the expanded clan through a sewer passage and underground waterway, and they emerged near the Kademan River.
• Hogg told his followers that the Andmar Hills lay across the river, then spotted another jackal clan in an abandoned village.
• Hogg ordered his clan to prepare to attack the group, arguing that they had to seize soldiers and servants before the other jackals could prey on them.

Murphy explained to Maxim why he wanted to unite Transia’s races and ordered him to drive the gnolls toward Count Westco’s territory and the Andmar Hills. In the hills, Corando pressured King Kenport to attack Crimson Keep within seven days, but Kenport resisted, leaving their alliance uncertain.

• Murphy watched Hogg’s gnolls seize a village and divide its females, then told Maxim that Hogg’s loyalty was an experiment in giving the gnolls a place in Transia.
• Murphy described his plan for a multi-racial Transia and ordered Maxim to sweep Baron Lim’s territory for seven days, driving gnolls toward Count Westco’s territory and the Andmar Hills.
• Corando urged King Kenport to use food and supplies to march on Crimson Keep and conquer the Kavhoka Plains, but Kenport said it expected food from a friend.
• Corando accused Kenport of breaking their agreement and threatened to cut off its supplies unless it attacked within seven days.
• Corando left, unaware that Kenport’s strength and intentions made it far less easy to control than he assumed.

Frostfang's Claw was caught breaking into the Blood Eagle Clan's secret vault after Doris recruited him for a mission, and Murphy sent him to spy on the gnolls in the Andmar Hills. There, Kenport used Hogg's knowledge of a secret passage into Scarlet Castle to bargain with Colando for the Wolfsbane Clan's Kato defense map.

• Players found fewer gnolls to hunt in Baron Lim's territory, so many returned to Scarlet Castle's sewers to level up.
• Doris revealed that she had accepted the vampire Embrace and recruited Frostfang's Claw to scout the gnolls' main camp with Adele's other children.
• Frostfang's Claw tried to pick the Blood Eagle Corridor's secret vault locks, but Triss's psychic traps caught him after he opened three of its seven locks.
• Murphy spared Frostfang's Claw and assigned him to gather evidence in Kenport's camp that the gnolls were colluding with the Wolfsbane Clan.
• Hogg told Kenport about a secret waterway into Scarlet Castle, and Kenport persuaded him to guide Colando's vampires to its entrance.
• Kenport offered to help Colando destroy the Blood Eagle Clan in exchange for the Wolfsbane Clan's defense map for the Kato region.

Hogg mapped Kenport’s massive gnoll camp and sent the intelligence to Murphy, while Murphy prepared a psychic strike against the gnolls. Andrei asked to lead part of the campaign to prove himself, and Murphy gave him the chance.

• Hogg secretly mapped the gnoll camp with its calculation orb, ordered Nash to keep the Bloodclaw tribe small, and sent Murphy a report signed “Pangolin.”
• Murphy, Triss, and Femis discussed using Hogg’s map to place an astral rift and launch a psychic decapitation strike against Kenport’s forces.
• Murphy explained that Hogg had to earn authority over Smugglers’ Forest by contributing to the campaign, despite the danger of guiding the spell formation.
• Andrei asked Murphy to let him and his followers take part in the operation against the gnolls, admitting he needed a victory to restore his faction’s morale and prove his abilities.
• Murphy accepted Andrei’s request and assigned Adele to help him carry out the “Dance with the Wolves” operation.

Murphy surveyed the rebuilding farms and considered how players and outside professionals could help Transia survive the Black Calamity. In Bataxin City, Mirian and Professor Malcolm discussed the world-changing knowledge brought by the players, leaving Mirian aware of the responsibility she might one day bear.

• Mirian told Murphy she had finished negotiations with the Kingdom of Nordtov and would return to Scarlet Castle that night.
• Murphy patrolled his territory, noted the players’ success hunting gnolls, and considered contacting officials in their world to recruit professionals.
• Murphy surveyed the new apartment blocks and collective farms, where relocated villagers received grain and awaited their new homes.
• At a Bataxin City reception, Mirian and Lady Palien discussed the northern nobles and Professor Malcolm’s wife, Funa, who wanted to stay in the city.
• Professor Malcolm explained that he was studying history and knowledge from the players, and that he intended to chronicle Transia’s transformation.
• Mirian recognized the players’ world as far more advanced than her own, while Malcolm urged her to keep learning and prepare to represent Transia in a future meeting of the two worlds.

Count Andre planned to rebuild the White Mountain faction by integrating with Murphy’s forces and allying with him, while secretly aiming to serve the Wolf Queen. He prepared to lure the Wolfsbane Clan into a trap by using himself as bait.

• Meow Brother and Yansang discussed keeping Yansang’s intimate encounter with a noblewoman secret, while the convoy carried the White Mountain dead back toward Scarlet Castle.
• Andre appointed Vesta to lead intelligence work and told him the White Mountain faction would integrate into Murphy’s system rather than compete for Transia.
• Andre explained that he wanted to grow stronger in Transia and help the Wolf Queen, even if that eventually forced him to choose between his country and the Thorn Clan.
• Andre and Vesta agreed to ally with Murphy and defeat the Wolfsbane Clan, beginning by trapping its Grayclaw faction.
• Andre rejected a direct ambush and proposed using himself as bait, with Vesta acting as a discontented Thorn count to tempt the wolves.

Dorothy, Heru, Smoker, and Frostfang Claw began a covert reconnaissance mission at a gnoll camp, with Dorothy and Frostfang Claw sneaking inside to plant locator crystals. As the pair advanced through the camp, Smoker guided them by psychic link while distracting Frostfang Claw with teasing comments.

• Heru and Dorothy discussed his ambitions and the possibility of joining her Blood Rat Gang, and Heru gave her a Shadow Patch to aid their mission.
• The four reached the Cademan River near the gnoll camp, where Heru assigned himself to track Dorothy and the Wolfsbane vampires while Smoker guided Frostfang Claw.
• Dorothy and Frostfang Claw flew toward the camp with six locator crystals, and Frostfang Claw told Dorothy he wanted to join the Thieves' Guild after she apologized for a previous trick.
• Dorothy and Frostfang Claw entered the shadows outside the camp, and Smoker used his Eagle Eye spell to direct Frostfang Claw around a gnoll patrol.
• Smoker teased Frostfang Claw about Dorothy and rumored adult game features, causing Frostfang Claw to nearly lose his stealth and demand that he focus on the mission.

Dorothy and Heru infiltrated the Wolfsbane vampires’ camp to record Colando’s diary while Yaya and Yansang planted locator crystals and raided Kempot’s tent. Yaya escaped with stolen weapons, completed his Black Iron Trial, and was rescued by Dorothy.

• Yaya buried the three locator crystals while Yansang guided him through the gnoll encampment and persuaded him to search Kempot’s tent.
• Dorothy entered the Wolfsbane vampires’ camp, removed three hairs from Colando’s diary, recorded its pages, and escaped just before Colando arrived.
• Yaya sneaked into Kempot’s tent and stole a magical implement, two bone daggers, and papers while a fire drew the guards away.
• Yaya set a fire in the tent and fled, but a gnoll hunter and three hyenas caught up with him.
• Yaya killed the gnoll hunter with the stolen bone daggers and completed his Black Iron Trial before Dorothy arrived and revealed she had killed the hyenas.

Yansang and Yaya stole a gnoll warlord’s relic and a coded defense map, which revealed that the Wolfsbane Clan had given the gnolls plans for the Dorod Fortress complex. Murphy reported the betrayal, and Lord Payn prepared to confront Edward in the City of Mist.

• Kempot ordered his chieftains to prepare to march on Scarlet Castle after Korando pressed him to act against the thieves.
• Yansang kept the Head of Pestilence after trading Mage Heru his Scout's Talisman as collateral for studying it.
• Dorothy and Yaya presented Kempot’s stolen map, and Triss identified it as the Wolfsbane Clan’s coded defense plan for the Dorod Fortress complex.
• Murphy brought the map to Lady Laennia, who agreed to report that Korando had leaked the plans to Lord Paine.
• Yvette informed Lord Payn that Moriarty Corando Gangrel had given the plans to Kenport, and Payn ordered an astral portal opened so he could confront Edward in the City of Mist.

Hogg led the Wolfsbane vanguard into the sewers beneath Scarlet Castle, where Stand discovered that Murphy had killed his brother and overheard Andre’s plan to destroy the castle and seize Transia. Stand left knowing both that Murphy was his target and that Andre was preparing to act against him.

• Stand forced Hogg to guide the Wolfsbane vanguard through the underground river into Scarlet Castle’s sewers.
• Stand’s vampires reached the ghoul-filled third level, then climbed to the second level through a passage Hogg had revealed.
• Stand found the fighting club and watched Murphy defeat and scar Andre, learning that Andre was connected to the Wolf Girl.
• Stand recognized Jopan’s swordstaff beside Murphy and realized Murphy had killed his younger brother.
• Stand followed Andre and overheard him and Vesta discuss explosives hidden in the sewers and their plan to kill Murphy and take control of Transia.

Meow Brother learned that the gnoll operation had entered its second phase and that new factions and mercenary contracts were coming, then rushed to answer a distress call from the Silver Moon group. At the Andmar Hills, players battled Wolfsbane’s elite fighters while Hogg escaped with a captured enemy warrior after completing his guiding mission.

• Meow Brother received the quest update announcing that the gnoll hunt had expanded across Transia and read the Alpha 2.1 announcement about new factions, reputation, mercenary contracts, and shops.
• Lumina Sunscar called for backup after Wolfsbane’s elite squad pinned down the Silver Moon group and revealed that the enemies had special drops.
• Meow Brother and his companions set out for the battle, while Cat Bro and the Combat Sports Group joined the girls’ group and discovered Wolfsbane’s fighters were formidable.
• Wolfsbane’s fighters killed Madam Water and Sichuan Wolf, forcing the players to retreat and call for reinforcements.
• A Little Inaba told Hogg to stay hidden, but Hogg escaped on his hyena with a captured Wolfsbane warrior after completing his mission to guide Pangolin.

Meow Brother and the Transian players helped drive off the Wolfsbane vanguard, then divided the captured equipment and wand-swords. Stand reported what he had learned about Scarlet Castle to Kolando, who decided to mobilize the Grayclaw faction and attack the castle.

• Meow Brother's team joined the battle, helping the players kill Wolfsbane fighters while Stand led the survivors away on astral wolves.
• Little Ashina organized an auction for the captured wand-swords, and Cat Bro and Little Ashina bought two of them.
• Meow Brother returned with heavy losses and reported that the players had killed two more Wolfsbane fighters; the group shared the loot and gold.
• Stand told Kolando that the Blood Eagle and Thorn clans were fighting in Scarlet Castle and revealed that Count Andre was the Wolf Queen's half-brother.
• Kolando ordered the Grayclaw faction to gather troops, recruit gnolls, and bring their members and wealth from Greeny Island to Transia for an attack on Scarlet Castle.

Murphy gave players Wolf's Kiss swordsmanship notes and turned their challenge into a quest to win recommendations from Transia's strongest warriors. He invited Varand and the Earl of Sico's forces to join the coming war against the gnolls, and Sico's young heir decided to go despite Varand's objections.

• Murphy recognized the Wolfsbane staff swords and gave Sister Pomegranate and the other players Wolf's Kiss notes as a reward.
• Cat Bro and Sister Pomegranate challenged Murphy, who gave them a quest to earn four recommendations from seven powerful figures before they could face him.
• Murphy began planning a larger quest chain and invited Varand to judge a knightly tournament, while urging him to bring the Winged Cavalry to the coming battle against the gnolls.
• Varand agreed to pass Murphy's invitation to his liege and reserved a place as a tournament judge if he survived the war.
• The Earl of Sico's young heir ordered Varand to take her and their forces to the County of Kademan, but Varand objected because the journey would be too dangerous for her.

Corlando led the Wolfbane faction and five hundred gnoll brutes toward Scarlet Castle, while Hogg arranged to separate its old clan from the Bloodclaw clan and began plotting to silence those who knew its origins. Murphy learned that Corlando’s force was approaching and prepared the Blood Eagle and Thorn clans to meet them in the sewers.

• Kenport sent Corlando off with five hundred gnoll brutes and planned to use the Wolfbane deployment map to invade the Cato region.
• Kenport restored Hogg’s old clan, and Hogg handed it to Nash while secretly deciding that its old clanmates had to die to protect its claimed identity.
• Corlando told Mark and Stand that Edward had taken their home and was trying to eliminate their faction, then urged his followers to risk everything in the attack on Scarlet Castle.
• Corlando spotted Ravenor watching from above and greeted him with a mock gun gesture as his force approached the city.
• Murphy learned from Ravenor that Corlando’s vanguard included more than three hundred elite warriors and five hundred gnolls, then prepared the Blood Eagle and Thorn clans to fight in the sewers.

Meow Shark and the other players joined the Blood Eagle Clan as its race main quest began, while allies prepared to guard Scarlet Castle aboveground. In the sewers, Murphy confronted Corando over Jopan’s death, and their armies clashed in a battle with no possibility of surrender.

• Meow Shark received the Vampire: Dancing with Wolves mission, which tasked Blood Eagle members with defending Scarlet Castle’s sewers from the Wolfsbane Clan.
• Natalie told Femis that the Witch Hunters would guard the sewer exits, while Murphy led the vampires underground in the name of Grand Duchess Triss.
• Meow Brother organized Avalon Church players to wait aboveground and fight any vampires who emerged from the sewers.
• Corando’s forces collapsed the passage behind the gnoll brutes, trapping them in the lower sewers, then advanced toward Murphy’s defenses.
• Murphy told Corando that he had killed Jopan and challenged him as the two leaders faced off.
• Murphy and Corando’s weapons clashed, igniting a fierce battle between their clans in the sewers.