Chapter Summaries

As Krim Fortress buckled under the Wolf Calamity, Triss brought giant serpents and Winter Wolf monks to reinforce it. Shani was still fighting a Wolf Calamity lord when the hidden Helmsians revealed themselves and offered a trap, beginning their alliance with Murphy’s forces.

• General Kudel ordered reinforcements to Krim Fortress, while Femis sent Winter Wolf monks to Wolf Fort to await Triss’s promised weapon.
• Triss activated the Filthy Swamp’s defenses, then led seven adult giant serpents and five young ones to collect the monks and head for the battle.
• Oer and the other giant serpents ambushed Hugsen’s gnolls, then continued toward Krim Fortress as Hugsen ordered his army to hold position.
• Shani struggled to keep two Wolf Calamity lords occupied while the other Goldens fought Silver Wolf.
• Ginny, commander of the Helmsian Rangers, contacted Shani and told her to lure a giant wolf lord into their trap.

As the Silver Wolf’s pack came under attack at Krim Fortress, a white light crossed from the Astral Realm and revealed the arrival of the wounded North Wind God. His landing destroyed the fortress and surrounding mountain, while Hugeson and the gnoll army prepared to attack him.

• After several Wolf-Calamity Lords died, the Silver Wolf realized hunters were targeting her pack and left the ritual platform to search for them at Krim Fortress.
• The Silver Wolf confronted Triss and the giant serpents, while Transian players fired at her; Sweet Potato Roast’s missile hurt her nose, and she struck back by destroying part of the ruins.
• The Silver Wolf learned that Shani and Helmsmen rangers were also hunting Wolf-Calamity Lords and prepared to fight Triss and the serpents.
• A white light entered the material world, empowering the storm and freezing Krim Fortress as the North Wind God descended from the Astral Realm.
• Artem and the other red-robed archbishops sacrificed themselves to send healing energy to the falling North Wind God, who regained awareness and softened his landing.
• The North Wind God’s arrival shattered Krim Fortress and its mountain, and Hugeson led the gnoll army forward to attack him.

General Baldwin escaped the collapsed Krium Fortress and joined the desperate defense against the gnolls. He chose to fight alongside his soldiers while Old Baldwin and the players went to recover the Wolfblood Sword and save Su.

• The North Wind God descended upon Krium Fortress, freezing the fortress and its surroundings and killing or trapping tens of thousands.
• General Baldwin escaped a frozen tunnel by detonating explosives and was rescued by players, who carried him to the battlefield.
• Baldwin learned that the corrupted Wolfblood Sword had been driven into Su, while Old Baldwin and the players prepared to pull it free.
• Old Baldwin urged General Baldwin to leave the sword and defend his soldiers, then led Master Qin, the players, and Irina toward Su.
• General Baldwin followed the Dragoon One into battle, gathered weapons and planted a battle flag, choosing to defend his homeland.

Marcus brought the reclusive Winter Wolf Eris toward the Fortress of Kerim after the Silver Wolf Helsong’s scheme cast Su into the mortal world. Eris arrived in time to block Helsong from attacking Su, though he threatened his sister and berated Marcus for getting sick on his fur.

• Marcus hurried across Kavkhoka with Eris, who complained about the journey and explained that he had agreed to come partly to settle matters with Su.
• Eris sensed Su’s fall into the mortal world and revealed that he intended to repay Su for giving him life before severing their ties.
• Eris carried Marcus at several times the speed of sound toward the Fortress of Kerim, leaving a frozen trench across the land.
• Helsong attacked the wounded Su while he tried to rebuild his divinity, but Triss, Kudel, and Triton intervened and drove her back.
• Eris crashed into Helsong and blocked her from Su, then taunted her before scolding Marcus for vomiting on his fur.

Murphy prepared to guide Cadman City out of the rift between subspace and the Astral Realm while his allies confronted the silver wolf at Krim Fortress. He began the dangerous sealing operation, with Sister Cement directing him toward the city’s landing point.

• Murphy learned that Eris had arrived at Krim Fortress to hold off the silver wolf while Old Su recovered, and Mannis arranged with Tritan and Pad to block her escape.
• Mannis told Murphy that Bol planned to claim the silver wolf’s Wolf Husband star sign, and Bol left for his observatory to prepare the ritual.
• Sister Cement gave Murphy the calculations for Cadman City’s landing, while Monica and the mechanics prepared the R-9 base’s energy chamber for the operation.
• Murphy touched the subspace rift with his Omega-covered hand and began releasing Omega energy as Monica activated the Beta Program overload.
• Sister Cement explained how Murphy could use timed interference to disrupt the Twilight Cultists’ ritual and steer Cadman City toward its designated landing point.

Slaver learned that Murphy had disrupted the cultists’ attempt to send Cadman City into the subspace, while Murphy and his allies continued sealing the rift and rescuing the city. Murphy was pulled into the subspace, where Adele followed and he encountered the corroded Sentinel Mosna, the real Monica’s older sister.

• Slaver blamed Murphy for diverting Cadman City from the subspace ritual and ordered the ritual’s overseers to join the Underdark expedition to Eden District.
• Murphy used the Omega Program to strengthen the Beta Program and shrink the subspace rift while Sister Cement reported that Cadman City was drifting back into the Astral Plane.
• At Monica’s directions, Murphy reached through the rift to locate an ancient object, but a figure on the other side grabbed his wrist and dragged him into the subspace.
• Adele leapt into the rift after Murphy, and a white light protected her from the subspace as Murphy welcomed her.
• Murphy introduced the corroded Sentinel Mosna as the real Monica’s older sister and explained that time had passed differently in the subspace.

Murphy and Adele traveled through the subspace with the failing Sentinel commander Monica, who revealed why her sister Mosna had lost her memories and accepted her own impending death. After Murphy helped Monica agree to record a final message for Mosna, he visited the slumbering Holy Light, but the Undying Manes interrupted with a dangerous proposal involving old Su.

• Monica apologized to Murphy for accidentally dragging him and Adele into the subspace, then used her extradimensional radar to guide them.
• Monica explained that Mosna's memory loss meant she had avoided carrying subspace corruption, and she described her own sacrifice as a fitting end for a Sentinel.
• Murphy recognized that Monica was afraid and grieving, and offered to preserve a message in her core for Mosna despite Monica's concerns about contamination.
• Monica agreed to record the message and took Murphy and Adele to see the Holy Light, where Murphy watched the nascent god from afar.
• The Undying Manes contacted Murphy and suggested that old Su's divine nature might be reachable from the subspace, prompting Murphy to protest the dangerous idea.

Murphy risked a brief trip into the Warp and detected Old Su's lost artificial divine core, which the Administrator System ordered him to recover before Chaos could claim it. After returning safely, Murphy began planning a retrieval, but Vam contacted him and demanded a favor.

• Mannis urged Murphy to seize Old Su's divine core while Vam fought near the Northwind Divine Kingdom, and Murphy agreed to scout the battlefield with Monica's hyperdimensional radar.
• Murphy told Monica and Adele about the risk; Monica prepared a jump-and-return interval of 0.5 seconds, while Adele offered to serve as bait and Murphy refused to let her sacrifice herself.
• Murphy appeared briefly in the Warp, saw Vam slaughtering Chaos demons, and sensed the artificial divine core responding to the Omega Program before Monica's radar returned him.
• Murphy's character card identified the core as the Creator's High-Concentration Divine-Core Crystal No. 7 and activated a hidden event requiring him to recover it for a formatting permission reward.
• As Murphy considered how to retrieve the core, Vam contacted him and claimed Murphy owed him a favor for covering his presence on the battlefield.

Murphy bargained with Vam for help recovering Su’s artificial divinity, and Vam warned him that the gift was a leash that would constrain its bearer. After Murphy seized it and escaped the chaotic shadows, Monica asked him to end her life; he honored her service, and she self-destructed after sending a final message to Mosna.

• Murphy agreed to share dragon-rider technology with Vam’s barbarian followers and persuaded him to distract the chaotic shadows while Murphy retrieved the artificial divinity.
• Vam warned Murphy not to take the Creator’s gift, arguing that true divine power had to be earned and controlled by its bearer, then agreed to buy Murphy time.
• Murphy returned to the battlefield with Monica and Adele, restored the artificial divinity to the Warp, and seized it as the chaotic shadows closed in.
• Vam drove back the shadows with his axe, allowing Monica to teleport Murphy, Adele, and herself away; Vam then escaped into the Warp.
• Monica asked Murphy to remove her memory core and deliver her letter to Mosna, and Murphy formally praised her service and dismissed her from duty.
• Monica initiated her self-destruction, told Murphy she had come to accept her emotions and missed Mosna, and logged out.

Murphy sealed the Warp rift and gave Mosna Monica’s purified memory core before rushing to Krim Fortress with a force of werewolves. After Mosna recovered her lost memories and learned how Monica had sacrificed herself, she mourned the sister she had forgotten.

• Murphy sealed the Warp rift, freed Mosna, and gave her Monica’s memory core so the sisters could have their delayed farewell.
• Murphy arranged for Mosna to modify the Beta Program module into an anti-Warp attachment, then learned that Eris and the North Wind God were in danger at Krim Fortress.
• Murphy led the werewolves from Base R-9 toward Krim Fortress and ordered the Warmaster’s Armor sent to the battlefield once it finished charging.
• Old Flywheel and Sharon installed Monica’s memory core in Mosna, who saw Monica’s farewell in a data dream and recovered her memories of the sacrifice a thousand years earlier.
• Mosna grieved over having forgotten Monica and never saying goodbye, while Old Flywheel asked Sharon to give her time.

Cadman City learned it would return to the Material World within thirty minutes, and the Blood Eagle elder sent fighters to help Norman clear Twilight cultists from the city. As the joint force attacked the cultists’ stronghold, Norman reflected on the Astral Realm’s changes to its survivors and prepared to face Porter again.

• The Blood Eagle elder announced Cadman City’s imminent return and ordered fighters to help Norman eliminate the Twilight cultists.
• The elder prayed to the Mother of Midnight for guidance about revealing her existence to their kin, but received no answer and decided he would have to choose for himself.
• Norman led his Avalon followers through a shattered-space maze toward the cultists’ stronghold and observed that the Astral Realm had changed them into demihumans.
• Hundreds of vampires arrived to assist Norman, and the two groups set aside their hostility to attack the cultists together.
• Norman noticed the vampires had also been changed by the Astral Realm and worried about explaining his return to Porter after seeming to die.
• Norman saw that his daughter’s apparition had vanished and resolved to continue his mission until he returned to the living world.

Murphy joined the battle at Kerim Fortress, helping Eris fight Hellsong and then confronting Huggerson. As Murphy and Huggerson prepared to duel, a countdown continued on a device in his arms while Sister Cement admired the flight pack waiting in the Swamp Exclusion Zone.

• Hellsong nearly killed Eris, but the Everlasting reversed time to save it, and the Wanderer and Bloodhorn Beast strengthened it with blessings.
• Eris headbutted Hellsong, and Murphy shot her leg with a magnetic cannon, allowing Eris to bite off one of her heads.
• Murphy used a monomolecular-wire whip to cut down gnolls, then showed the nearby players his Sentinel combat lightsaber.
• Huggerson struck Murphy from the sky, but Murphy reappeared unharmed with his companions as Huggerson challenged him to a fight to the death.
• Murphy stalled Huggerson while his pocket-watch countdown reached fifteen minutes, and Sister Cement examined the flight pack in its containment canister.

Murphy battled Huxon, a Gold-rank Chosen One whose Clawsplitter resisted Omega’s weakening, and survived by combining his weapons, vampire sword styles, and revivals. After Murphy lured Huxon away from the falling containment canister, he emerged in War Marshal armor and challenged Huxon to fight again at full strength.

• Huxon used the awakened Clawsplitter and war god power to withstand Omega’s barrier and battle Murphy.
• Murphy called on Kulkan, released the power of his weapons, and fought Huxon with techniques drawn from several vampire clans.
• Huxon activated his Golden Law, killed Murphy, and then destroyed Murphy’s Revival Bottle during another brutal exchange.
• Murphy stayed down in a crater and taunted Huxon as a heavy containment canister fell toward them.
• Huxon jumped clear of the impact, then charged into the dust cloud and was thrown back by Murphy inside the War Marshal armor.
• Murphy returned the Clawsplitter to Huxon, shut down Omega, and challenged him to a second fight with the Hunting Lord’s power restored.

Murphy fought off Hugson and the Wolf Calamity Lords while the defenders freed Su from the Foul Fang. Cadman City returned from the Astral Plane, ending the Black Calamity, and Hugson accepted defeat as he left the battlefield.

• Hugson attacked Murphy with the Lord of the Hunt’s blessing, but Murphy blocked the blow and sent him retreating toward Su to retrieve the Foul Fang.
• Murphy destroyed a Wolf Calamity Lord and summoned the Warmaster armor’s enhancement components as Sister Cement called Old Flynn to prepare for a demigod’s death.
• Hugson fought through the defenders and grabbed the Foul Fang, but Old Baldwin warned him that he was too late when Cadman City began crossing into the material world.
• Tritan carried Cadman City safely through the sky before it landed near the battlefield, and its returning Wanderers cheered as Transia’s forces rallied.
• Hugson discarded the Foul Fang, acknowledged that he had lost to Murphy, and walked away as the Black Calamity ended.

The defenders rallied after Cadman City returned from the Astral Plane, leaving Kherson trapped with no escape and desperate to kill Old Su. She accepted the Hunting Lord’s power, but Murphy suppressed and defeated her, and Old Su asked him to end the conflict while he rested.

• Hugheson fled as Cadman City returned and its hundred thousand Astral nomads joined the defenders against the gnolls and wolves.
• The Hunting Lord showed Kherson that Old Su had sent her siblings to guard the Astral Plane, and Kherson accepted its power to become a Blood Wolf.
• Kherson charged Old Su, but Murphy intervened with his Warlord power armor and used Omega suppression to drain her power and batter her into defeat.
• Old Su declined to kill Kherson himself and asked Murphy to end the conflict, saying he wanted to rest and dream of his daughter.

Murphy and the allied forces killed the Silver Wolf Helsong after she devastated Old Su’s forces, while the Lord of the Hunt withdrew as his battle with another god began. Murphy concealed that he had recovered the artificial divine spark, and Mannis mistakenly believed it was still available to claim.

• Murphy arrived in Warlord power armor equipped with Twin Warhammers and joined the surrounded allies in attacking Helsong.
• Murphy battered Helsong while the allied fighters and players joined in, and Mannis stopped time long enough for Murphy to crush her heart with a barrage of punches.
• Murphy wounded Helsong with Badler’s hunting glaive, and Eris tore out her throat before Murphy finished her with a mace and the mace’s broken handle.
• Triss asked whether they should pursue Hugsen, but Murphy said the Lord of the Hunt was withdrawing as his battle against a god began.
• Murphy told Mannis that the artificial divine spark had been recovered by the Sentinel Legion, while Mannis secretly rallied Triton to plunder the Astral Plane for it.

Amot agreed to perform a life-extending prayer for the dying Singh in exchange for the Whiptail Clan’s supplies and military support, while Senk’s disguised force prepared to seize Mossy Valley from within. Payne’s god-slayers headed toward the valley with support from a Sanghai sunship, as the coming assault took shape.

• Amot heard that Kerim Fortress had fallen and celebrated the Lord of the Hunt’s victories before Singh arrived seeking a prayer to restore his health.
• Singh offered food, weapons, fifty thousand direwolves, and ten vassal clans in return for an urgent ritual, and Amot agreed while demanding that the Whiptail Clan join the war.
• Amot ordered the Whiptail Clan’s cargo taken into Bloodscar stores and summoned priests to prepare the ritual at Hunting Cliff that night.
• Senk entered Mossy Valley disguised among the Whiptail convoy, leading two thousand Creation Guards while the Grey Wolf Army and other Creation Guards waited nearby to attack.
• Payne revealed that the god-slayers would travel to Mossy Valley aboard a Sanghai sunship, whose arrival surprised Fuding and the other players.

Lord Pain’s coalition welcomed Crown Prince Khufu aboard the Sangha solar ship, the Origin Vanguard, as it prepared to attack Moss Valley and stop the Lord of the Hunt from awakening. Khufu supplied the players with weapons and equipment, while Lord Pain prepared to lead the airborne assault.

• A Sangha solar ship descended over the assembled forces, and its landing craft brought Crown Prince Khufu to meet Lord Pain.
• Oufge identified Khufu from the royal banners and warned the players to respect Sangha etiquette aboard the sacred ship.
• Khufu apologized for bringing fewer elite soldiers, offered the Origin Vanguard and its Solar Bombardment to Lord Pain, and gave him command.
• Philociel urged Khufu to remain aboard the ship, and Lord Pain ordered the coalition to enter the forbidden grounds before the Lord of the Hunt awakened.
• Khufu promised the players landing craft, energy matrices, and thermal weapons, and invited them to a victory banquet.
• Lord Pain watched the first flames appear in Moss Valley and asked Oufge to shape the battlefield for the final confrontation.

The Godslayers rode the Sun Ship to Mossy Valley, where the Overlord and other champions began their attack on the Hunting Chosen. The players landed among gnoll reinforcements in assault pods and charged ahead as the first solar bombardment struck the valley.

• The Godslayers explored the Sun Ship, received equipment, and prepared for an airborne assault on Mossy Valley.
• Lady Shui summoned the players to the landing bay, where Sangha technicians readied assault pods for the drop.
• The Overlord, Aurora, Maxim, Laenia, and Dragonflame Lina attacked the Hunting Chosen and gnolls as Prince Khufu ordered the assault to begin.
• More than a hundred assault pods dropped into Mossy Valley, and the players emerged amid gnoll reinforcements and charged into battle.
• Granny Little Bach released psionic shock troops and ordered them to prepare Meteor spells while the Origin Vanguard launched its first solar bombardment into the valley.

His Highness Khufu and Priest Berdinos discussed whether the Sanghai Empire should accept the Creator’s Guardians while the Origin Vanguard supported the assault on the Hunting Lord’s shrine. After the solar bombardment devastated the Bloodscar town, Amot called on the Dusk for help bringing down the solar ship.

• His Highness Khufu watched the undying heroes fight and asked Priest Berdinos whether the Sanghai Empire should welcome the Creator’s Guardians among the gnolls.
• Priest Berdinos urged tolerance toward the gnolls but advised caution toward the foreigners, and Khufu decided to discuss the matter with the Wise Wolf after the battle.
• General Bhopal ordered a solar bombardment to clear the battlefield and prepare precision fire against the Hunting Lord’s shrine.
• Priest Berdinos explained that the shrine could only be destroyed by Eternal Silence or a powerful precision bombardment, while Khufu questioned why the Sanghai had waited so long to intervene.
• The solar bombardment obliterated the Bloodscar clan’s town, and Amot contacted the Dusk to ask for help taking down the solar ship.