Chapter Summaries

Kurto Shatterskull learned that the Scorched-Earth Warcry Tribe planned to rebel, so he abandoned his campaign and returned to secure his rear. Charles explained to Yvenjieling and Elias that rival groups opposed Kurto’s expansion while the Crimson Caravan Alliance supported Charles partly because he was its customer and owed it money.

• A messenger told Kurto Shatterskull that the Scorched-Earth Warcry Tribe planned to rebel and had hired the Sons of the Broken Blade; Kurto injured him and ordered him dragged away.
• Kurto decided the Howling Children of the Wasteland needed a stable rear and ordered his army to break camp and return to the Scorched-Earth Warcry Tribe’s territory.
• Kurto led his troops back, where hostile orc clans and the Sons of the Broken Blade threatened his position.
• Charles discussed Kurto’s retreat with Yvenjieling and Elias and explained that rival factions feared Kurto’s growing power.
• Charles said the Crimson Caravan Alliance supported him because he was a useful customer who owed it money.

Charles explained that alliances in the Land of Chaos could turn into enmities whenever a power grew too strong, then prepared to seize the settlements left vulnerable by Kurto Shatterskull’s withdrawal. At Berry Town, local leaders pledged loyalty to Lord Imril after his cavalry demanded their submission.

• Charles warned Yvenjieling that the Crimson Caravan Alliance supported them only while their weakness served its interests, and that allies and enemies in the Land of Chaos could change places.
• Charles declared it was time to claim the remaining settlements, while his companions looked forward to the resources, advancement, and opportunities his victories could bring.
• Local families in Berry Town prepared a welcoming ceremony as Lord Imril’s armored cavalry approached.
• The cavalry captain announced that Berry Town could submit to Lord Imril or face an army attack.
• The people of Berry Town declared their loyalty to Lord Imril.

After conquering the Howling Children of the Wasteland, Charles established his base in Greenshade City and began organizing his new territory. He learned that he ruled about 550,000 people and planned to expand his army and appoint wounded veterans as officials.

• Charles ended his wartime leniency, ordering resisting soldiers hanged while allowing wealthy households to keep their assets if they paid military support donations.
• Charles moved his base to Greenshade City, where Charlotte had restored the former elven council chamber.
• Charles asked Charlotte for a report on the territory and told her to identify people who deserved punishment.
• Charlotte reported that Charles ruled three cities, fifteen towns, seventeen settlements, and roughly 550,000 people.
• Charles ordered Yvenjieling to work with Charlotte to appoint wounded soldiers who could no longer fight as town officials.
• Charles decided to recruit and train more soldiers to prepare for future needs.

Charles planned to develop his newly conquered territory by building an army and establishing workshops, using the wealth seized in the war to strengthen its economy. He arranged for craftsmen and their families to be relocated to his base, accepting that they would resent the forced move.

• Charles discussed supporting six thousand soldiers, expanding the cavalry to two thousand, and recruiting more Armored Knights.
• Charles told Molly and Erika that the war had brought in around five million Magic Stones, mostly from the Howling Children of the Wasteland's treasury and local wealthy households.
• Charles decided to develop local industry and make weapons workshops the territory's first priority.
• Charles explained that he had ordered craftsmen from the occupied settlements to be brought to his territory with their families.
• Charles acknowledged that the craftsmen would resent their forced relocation but said he would treat them decently and let them suffer first for his plans.

Charles expanded his forces by improving soldier training and lowering the cost of transforming armored cavalry, while his territory continued to develop. The Book of Causal Paths revealed Yuna’s talent and argued with Charles, who planned to cultivate her and other promising people he had recruited.

• Charles promoted optimized breathing techniques, expanded his workshops, and reduced the cost of each armored cavalryman’s transformation to around ten thousand Magic Stones.
• Charles continued transforming soldiers in his laboratory and aimed to build a force of three hundred armored cavalrymen.
• Yuna assisted Charles in the laboratory, and the Book of Causal Paths revealed that her talent had generated the causal power Charles gained from taking in Charlotte.
• Charles soothed the Book of Causal Paths, which had recovered fourteen pages, and continued training Yuna as his apprentice.
• Charles planned to develop Elias into a general and saw Yvenjieling as a capable future minister.

Yuna advanced rapidly as a wizard apprentice, while Charles and the Book of Causal Paths discussed her possible role in humanity’s rise and Charles prepared to exploit the plane’s coming upheaval. As Charles strengthened his forces, Kurto Shatterskull struggled to rule a devastated territory and feared Charles’s growing power.

• Yuna became a Third-Rank Wizard Apprentice after barely over a month of training under Charles, impressing him with her exceptional talent.
• Charles and the Book of Causal Paths considered whether Yuna and Elias might lead humanity’s rise, and agreed that the plane was nearing a major transfer of power.
• Charles spent his days governing settlements and inspecting the army, while modifying fully armored cavalry at night and continuing his cultivation.
• Kurto Shatterskull’s forces massacred and plundered the Scorched-Earth Warcry Tribe’s territory, worsening its already poor condition.
• The Sons of the Broken Blade withdrew after Kurto Shatterskull returned, leaving him furious and burdened with an impoverished territory and an army of over five thousand.
• Kurto Shatterskull worried that Charles had grown too strong to fight and lamented how difficult his situation had become.

The Crimson Caravan Alliance discussed the Sun Elf Imril’s growing territory and his reliable trade, while Ross warned that Imril’s military purchases could lead to another war. The merchants considered lending him more money, but the meeting ended with concern that he might become powerful enough to threaten the Alliance’s balance of power.

• Kurto Shatterskull’s forces raided settlements as his territory’s resources ran low, while Charles built up his cavalry and infantry.
• Charles’s troops suppressed bandits, and he took tax collection from wealthy households while abolishing some taxes to stabilize his territory.
• Crimson Caravan Alliance merchants praised Imril for his profitable trade, secure roads, and prompt interest payments.
• An orc merchant proposed lending Imril more Magic Stones to earn thirty percent interest, and the other merchants showed interest.
• Ross warned the merchants that Imril’s military purchases suggested he might launch another war and become too powerful for the Alliance to stop.

Ross persuaded the merchants to support Imril against Kurto Shatterskull and set out to negotiate a deal with him. At Charles’s territory, Ross saw the well-organized border sentry post and resolved to treat Imril with greater caution.

• Merchants complained that Kurto Shatterskull’s army had been robbing caravans and agreed that he should be replaced.
• A half-elf merchant proposed backing Imril, whose support from the Avenor Elven Court could counter the great orc tribes behind Kurto.
• The merchants supported trading with Imril and lending him military funds for interest.
• Ross decided to negotiate with Imril himself and departed with more than two hundred cavalrymen.
• Charles’s border sentry post closed its gates, alerted its soldiers, and sent messengers to warn the rear.
• Ross observed the sentry post’s defenses and concluded that Imril was a capable ruler who deserved careful consideration.

Ross and his caravan passed through Lord Imril’s guarded checkpoint and continued toward Greenshade City under cavalry escort. Impressed by the strength and equipment of Imril’s human cavalry, Ross wondered whether the elf lord might become an ally, but decided to observe him longer.

• Ross waited until more than a hundred cavalrymen gathered before the checkpoint opened, then ordered his guards not to cause trouble.
• The checkpoint inspected Ross’s convoy and assigned cavalry to escort it to Greenshade City, which Ross accepted despite his guard captain’s displeasure.
• Ross’s guard captain complained about the soldiers’ treatment, but Ross said he found Imril’s precautions interesting.
• Ross assessed the escort’s equipment and discipline, and his guard captain admitted he could not judge whether his own cavalry would defeat them.
• Ross noted that Imril’s cavalrymen were human and considered whether the elf lord might be an ally or a source of support.

Ross traveled to Greenshade City to meet Charles and proposed that the Crimson Caravan Alliance help him defeat Kurto Shatterskull and the Howling Children of the Wasteland. Ross said the alliance had decided to act because Kurto’s forces had gone mad and threatened greater harm.

• Ross arrived at Greenshade City and remarked that Charles’s rule had improved life for its residents.
• Charlotte escorted Ross into the restored castle, where he praised its repairs and learned Charles had prioritized defenses over elegance.
• Ross met Charles, thanked him for their past dealings, and said the Crimson Caravan Alliance wanted to expand its business.
• Ross warned Charles that Kurto Shatterskull could return with support from the Shatterskull Clan.
• Ross offered to support Charles in defeating Kurto and the Howling Children of the Wasteland, explaining that the alliance had made the decision to prevent further harm.

Ross offered Charles support from the Crimson Caravan Alliance to defeat Kurto Shatterskull and the Howling Children of the Wasteland. Charles demanded a ten-million-Magic-Stone loan to build an army and conquer the Land of Chaos, leaving Ross impressed and envious of the Sun Elves’ status.

• Ross told Charles that the Crimson Caravan Alliance preferred a return to elven rule and claimed stability would make their businesses more profitable.
• Charles agreed to hear Ross’s offer, and Ross proposed a loan and a batch of first- and second-rank war slaves.
• Charles rejected the old thirty-percent interest rate and asked to borrow ten million Magic Stones at twenty percent interest.
• Ross questioned the amount, and Charles revealed that he wanted to conquer the whole Land of Chaos and become an Ancient Tree Lord.
• Ross accepted that Charles’s ambition seemed plausible and privately resented the opportunities afforded to Sun Elves.

Charles used the Book of Causal Paths to investigate Ross’s possible futures and learned that the plane was nearing major upheaval. The Book revealed that the Giant Empire and Avenor Elven Court would fall into internal strife, with the Moonshadow Queen’s imminent death threatening the Elven Court.

• The Book of Causal Paths sensed that Ross had great influence over future causal destinies and urged Charles to recruit him.
• Charles speculated that Ross, Elias, and Yuna might one day lead humanity as an independent force, and persuaded the Book to examine the future.
• The Book burned four pages of its power to view dozens of possible futures connected to Ross.
• The Book told Charles that the plane would soon descend into chaos, with internal strife in the Giant Empire and Avenor Elven Court.
• The Book revealed that the Moonshadow Queen was about to die.

Charles learned that the Moonshadow Queen’s impending death would destabilize the Avenor Elven Court, while future wars could create an opening for humanity that ultimately ended in failure. He urged Ross to consider financing his territorial expansion and showed him Greenshade City’s administration and military, leaving Ross to reassess Charles’s proposal.

• The Book of Causal Paths told Charles that the Moonshadow Queen would die, potentially exposing the Avenor Elven Court’s conflict between pure-blooded elves and half-elves.
• The Book of Causal Paths explained that Tyler and other humans would conquer territory during the elves’ and giants’ civil wars, but their resistance would later be crushed and their access to advanced knowledge cut off.
• Charles asked Ross to reconsider his loan proposal and said the Giant Empire and beastman clans would soon face problems that kept them from interfering with his expansion.
• Charles invited Ross to inspect his territory, promised not to restrict his freedom, and arranged for an attendant to accompany him.
• Ross toured Greenshade City, observed its officials and planned construction, and visited Charles’s infantry and cavalry camps, where he watched armored cavalry train.

Ross observed that Charles's military and administration were made up almost entirely of humans, and the sight of powerful human Armored Knights drove him to seek an explanation. Charles told him he trusted humans just as much as elves and half-elves, leaving Ross's questions—and the promised loan—unsettled.

• Ross watched the human Armored Knights train and imagined how powerful the Crimson Caravan Alliance could become with riders like them.
• Ross requested another audience with Charles, while Charles continued inscribing armor and let him wait until dusk.
• Ross offered to prepare a loan for Charles if Charles answered why his territory employed humans instead of elves or half-elves.
• Charles said he trusted humans just as much as elves and half-elves.

Charles persuaded Ross to support his cause by promising humans a lasting place in his territory, including the possibility of a human governor. Ross agreed to secure loans and magical witchcraft materials, while Charles left him with the prospect of serving as a chief minister or governor.

• Ross questioned what would happen to the humans loyal to Charles if Charles left, and Charles said he might never return to Lotheran or hand his territory to an Avenor governor.
• Charles asked Ross to lend him money and support his cause, and Ross agreed to find loans despite the shortage of Magic Stones.
• Charles explained that he needed magical witchcraft materials rather than Magic Stones and presented Ross with prepared lists of the required supplies.
• Charles named Ross, Tyler of Blackstone Bastion Settlement, and Ivan of the Sons of the Broken Blade as humans he expected to have a place in his future, alarming Ross with how much he knew.
• Ross said he looked forward to serving Charles, and Charles suggested Ross might become his chief minister or the territory's governor.

Charles planned to use Ross’s loan to acquire resources and move quickly against the Howling Children of the Wasteland so he could become Lord of Silverleaf before the Moonshadow Queen died. The Book of Causal Paths warned him of Avenor’s coming political fracture and said the Queen might visit Confluence City, though the future remained uncertain.

• Charles explained that he intended to obtain resources through loans and believed Ross would lend to him because of the future Charles had presented.
• The Book of Causal Paths explained that the futures it could see were uncertain and that powerful beings could change even the past; Charles declared he would pursue immortality with its help.
• The Book of Causal Paths warned that the Moonshadow Queen had little time left and that Charles needed to defeat the Howling Children of the Wasteland to gain a larger territory and secure legitimacy.
• The Book of Causal Paths predicted that the Queen’s death would divide the Council of Thirteen and could lead to conflict between half-elf and elf lords.
• Charles learned that the Moonshadow Queen might visit Confluence City before her death, though the Book of Causal Paths could not explain why.
• Charles studied the map and decided to eliminate the Howling Children of the Wasteland, revealing that he already had the strength to defeat them while Ross remained unaware.

Ross decided to gamble on a new loan deal with Sun Elf lord Imril, hoping to build a foundation for humanity even though he risked his life. He announced the opportunity to the merchants and left them eager to compete for a share of the profits.

• Ross returned to the Crimson Caravan Alliance’s banquet and reflected on how his standing depended on the profits he brought others.
• Ross decided to risk everything on a deal that could make him wealthy and establish a stronger foundation for humanity.
• Ross told the gathered merchants that he had settled a deal with Imril to lend him materials and equipment at twenty percent interest, while keeping the loan amount secret.
• The merchants celebrated the prospect of another profitable deal with Imril and waited for Ross to discuss their shares privately.

Charles used Ross’s loans to gather materials and began building an interplanar portal in Greenshade City, including a rune array to hide it from the gods. As rumors spread, Kurto Shatterskull learned that Charles might target him and hesitated to attack first, fearing other forces would turn against him.

• Ross divided the loan shares among the merchants, and shipments of materials began arriving in Charles’s territory.
• Charles began constructing an interplanar portal, planning to connect the Osela plane with the Wizard World and Isata.
• Charles started building an Anti-God Surveillance Rune Array to conceal the portal’s activity from the gods.
• Rumors about Charles’s resources and intentions spread through the Land of Chaos, and Kurto Shatterskull learned he might be targeted.
• An Orc officer urged Kurto Shatterskull to attack first, but Kurto warned that the other forces might attack them if they did.

Kurto Shatterskull called on the Shatterskull Clan for aid after merchants and lords backed Imril against Howling Children of the Wasteland. Ross urged hesitant merchants to support Imril further, leaving the Land of Chaos bracing for a possible war.

• Kurto Shatterskull realized that merchants and lords were backing Imril and accused his officers of considering desertion, then declared that the Shatterskull Clan would send an army to restore the balance of power.
• Orc messengers headed toward the great orc clans to request aid, while news of Kurto Shatterskull's declaration spread through the Land of Chaos.
• Merchants discussed intercepting the messengers, but feared Kurto Shatterskull had other ways to summon reinforcements.
• Ross considered Imril's support and military strength, then ordered his subordinates to urge merchants to invest more in Imril.
• Hesitant merchants committed to backing Imril, insisting that even the Shatterskull Clan would not stop them from making money.

Charles, Molly, and Erika completed an interplanar portal in Greenshade City to connect Osela with the Wizard World and return to Isata. Because the untested portal could be dangerous, Charles asked the Book of Causal Paths to determine whether he could pass through safely.

• Messengers and caravans spread reports across the Land of Chaos as Greenshade City and Kurto Shatterskull remained at the center of the growing turmoil.
• Charles, Molly, and Erika worked in a heavily guarded tower to finish building an interplanar portal.
• Charles activated the portal and linked Osela’s coordinates to those of the Wizard World, creating a silver-white gateway.
• Erika offered to enter the untested portal first, but Charles decided that he alone should risk the journey to Isata.
• Charles asked the Book of Causal Paths whether he could pass through safely, and it complained about spending its power.