Chapter Summaries

Aaron revealed that he had lured Cyric into the Four Gods’ divine realm to analyze the Dark Sun’s powers and trap his avatar. He summoned the holders of six volumes of Salian’s Nine Books and asked them to lend their strength to destroy Cyric.

• Drizzt fought Khorx while Nastya battled a Slaanesh Daemonette and saw Cyric apparently defeat Aaron.
• When Cyric tried to take Aaron’s heart and divinity, Aaron revealed that he had analyzed Cyric’s powers and wounded him with Drach'nyen.
• Aaron exposed the Chaos Central Temple as part of the Four Gods’ divine realm and trapped Cyric’s avatar there.
• Cyric summoned a skeletal giant and struck Aaron, but Aaron survived and summoned the holders of Salian’s First through Fifth Volumes.
• Aaron revealed that Nastya carried the Sixth Volume and asked her and the other volume holders to lend him their power to destroy Cyric’s avatar.

Aaron gathered powerful allies in the Chaos Domain and trapped Cyric’s avatar, then used Tymora’s blessing to identify and destroy the five duplicates holding its divinity. Cyric’s avatar was slain, leaving Aaron’s plan to trap and kill a Greater Deity’s avatar fulfilled.

• Aaron recognized that Lolth had manipulated Nastya to obtain Salian’s Sixth Book and agreed to trade it for divine support and shared ownership of Nastya.
• Khelben Blackstaff, Lyla Silverhand, Alustriel Silverhand, Mephistopheles, Mysty Tanshul, Ravok, and Nastya joined Aaron in powering a six-pointed magic circle that trapped Cyric’s avatar.
• Cyric’s avatar struck Aaron with three divine spells, but Aaron endured them because the Chaos Gods’ domains countered Cyric’s powers.
• Cyric threatened to let his divinity escape and alert his true body, while Aaron calculated that he had only one chance to destroy the five duplicates holding that divinity.
• Tymora blessed Aaron and revealed the correct targets, allowing the golden giant to destroy Cyric’s five duplicates with golden fire and slay the avatar.

Aaron defeated Cyric’s corrupted avatar with the golden giant and claimed its twenty points of divinity, then left the Chaos Domain with his allies. Manshoon entered the still-open portal and emerged before Tathagata, who overwhelmed his mind and sent him back to spread his teachings.

• Aaron’s five golden flames destroyed the five copies housing Cyric’s divinity, and he gathered the avatar’s twenty points of divinity after its will vanished.
• Aaron thanked the gathered allies and sent Khelben Blackstaff, Lyla Silverhand, the mage queen, Mephistopheles, and Ravok through the portal with their books.
• Aaron reunited with Charlotte and Eleanor, admitted to Mysty that his gamble could have let Cyric’s corrupted avatar replace him, and watched Drizzt kill Khorx.
• Aaron destroyed the drained Matron’s Scepter, took Nastya’s hand, and led her and the others home through the portal.
• Manshoon’s spare body followed through the portal and arrived in a Crystal Labyrinth before Tathagata, who flooded his soul with his will and ordered him to spread his teachings.

Lolth plotted around Aaron while Cyric reeled from the destruction of his avatar. As Aaron returned to the Realms with his companions, they discovered Annomyn had become a grotesque, dying half-daemon, prompting Aaron to consider whether he could become a Warlock Patron.

• Lolth ordered Nastya to win Aaron's heart and wondered about the source of his chaotic power.
• Cyric learned that Aaron had destroyed his powerful avatar, suppressed his urge for revenge, and decided to restart work on the Cyrinishad.
• Aaron led the group back to the Realms, where Eleanor pulled Annomyn from his demonic shell and tried to heal him.
• Aaron explained that Annomyn had attempted daemonic ascension using stolen and gifted Chaos energy, but lacked enough power to complete it.
• Mysty said Annomyn would remain a dying mass of flesh unless a deity granted him a new life, and Aaron wondered if he could become a Warlock Patron.

Aaron reversed Annomyn’s incomplete daemon ascension, preserving his ability to assume that form and making him Aaron’s first Warlock. After returning to the Realms with Eleanor, Aaron celebrated the success of “The Fourth Wall” and received a summons announcing that Tzeentch would grant him a new gift.

• Aaron entered Annomyn’s mind and offered him the choice of life or death; Annomyn entrusted his life to Aaron so he could pursue the people he hated.
• Aaron used the Four Gods’ Divine Sparks to reverse Annomyn’s ascension, restore his human form, and preserve his potential to become a Daemon Prince later.
• At the Silvermoon Grand Theater, Alusair told the Red Knight a story comparing Aaron to a Dire Wolf who ignored the strays’ rules and hunted for meat.
• Aaron and the others returned from the Chaos Domain, and Aaron stepped onto the stage holding Eleanor’s hand while carrying twenty points of Cyric’s Divinity.
• A summons from the Round Table Hall announced that Tzeentch was pleased with Aaron and would grant him a new gift.

After Cyric’s attack disrupted the celebration, Aaron rallied the guests and defeated Tzeentch’s invading army with Eleanor’s help. Mysty departed with a warning for Aaron, then confronted Nastya about Lolth and the choice she would eventually have to make.

• Aegir smashed through the Silvermoon Grand Theater’s doors, found Aaron unharmed, and was told he would pay for the damage.
• Aaron announced that Cyric and the Zhentarim had stolen five volumes of Salian’s Nine Books, gave the preserved second volume to Alustriel Silverhand, and ended the celebration.
• When Sarthorael’s Tzeentch army attacked, Aaron called on the guests to fight and joined Eleanor in casting the ninth-circle divine spell Moon Eclipse, which destroyed the army.
• Mysty warned Aaron that Cyric was preparing something major, then left after secretly confirming the young lady’s bloodline and obtaining the fourth volume.
• Mysty confronted Nastya Baenre about Lolth’s gift of the Goddess-Queen’s attire and warned that Nastya would eventually have to choose between Lolth and Aaron.
• After Mysty left, Nastya went to Aaron’s door and said she had something to tell him.

Aaron used Cyric’s divinity to strengthen his weapons and advance his magic, while building his legend among influential figures. Nastya then revealed that Aaron’s parents were killed by Drow assassins hired by Quenthel Baenre, acting on a contract from a noble family in Cormyr.

• Aaron invested Cyric’s divinity in the Sword of the Dark Moon and the Night Without Light, then used Drach’nyen to absorb a sliver and raise his sorcerer level.
• Aaron reflected on how his performance and reputation could help him gain recognition from powerful figures and prepare for godhood.
• Nastya visited Aaron, and he urged her to stay and believe she deserved happiness and redemption.
• Nastya told Aaron that Quenthel Baenre had sent the Drow who killed his parents, and that a noble family in Cormyr had commissioned the assassination.

Aaron learned that Cormyr nobles had ordered his parents’ murder by Drow and reassured Nastya that he would protect her, leading to their romantic surrender. The next day, Alusair restored order in the Sunset Lands, and Aaron decided to meet two guests who had stayed behind.

• Aaron asked Nastya what she knew about his parents’ assassination, and she said Cormyr nobles had ordered Manuel and Elizabeth killed but she did not know who had placed the order.
• Aaron reassured Nastya that he would not blame her and said he would handle the matter, after which Nastya formally surrendered to him and they kissed in his office.
• Alusair led the cleanup after the banquet, punished opportunistic criminals, and confiscated goods from unwelcome visitors and enemy groups.
• Alusair’s investigations helped Aaron recover some of his banquet expenses, including money brought by Manshoon and the Cyric Avatar.
• Aaron learned that Jery Ranstoff and an unnamed Tethyr noble had stayed in Sunset Town, and he decided to meet them.

Aaron met the wealthy merchant Jery Ranstoff, who proposed an aggressive marketing and distribution strategy for Aaron’s branded products. The Emperor ordered Aaron to grant Ranstoff an Imperial Rogue Trader Trade Charter.

• Aaron ate breakfast with Eleanor, who declined to accompany him to meet Jery Ranstoff.
• Jery toured Aaron’s domain with his Legendary Echo Knight guard Wagner and decided the Emperor was a god worth worshipping.
• Aaron received Ranstoff in his office, where the merchant proposed provocative branding and tactics to sell Aaron’s products across the Multiverse.
• Ranstoff offered to take the products to every Crystal Sphere and Outer Plane in exchange for distribution rights.
• The Emperor spoke beside Aaron and ordered him to issue Ranstoff an Imperial Rogue Trader Trade Charter.

Aaron prepared an Emperor-signed Warrant of Trade for the merchant Reinsdorf, who wanted to meet the Master of Mankind. The Emperor restored Reinsdorf’s youth and strength, and Reinsdorf pledged his loyalty, beginning the Emperor’s plans in the Realms.

• The Emperor told Aaron to honor Reinsdorf’s faith and begin preparing a Warrant of Trade for him.
• Reinsdorf explained his plan to market cosmetics and fashion goods using imagery resembling the Lady of Silver and the Lady of the Night.
• Aaron wrote a Warrant of Trade for Reinsdorf and asked how long they could work together; Reinsdorf said he had thirteen years left to live as a human.
• The Emperor’s power signed the warrant and transformed Reinsdorf into a youthful, healthy version of himself.
• Reinsdorf accepted the Emperor’s gift and pledged his loyalty to the Master of Mankind.

Aaron met the injured warlock Annomyn and the Tethyrian nobleman Arien Reinhart at Holy Mother Concord Hospital, while the women in his life competed for influence around him. Arien’s enchanted sword revealed a curse tied to his family, and Aaron urgently sent Nastya to fetch Barrel Moonflower.

• Nastya explained that drow rarely reached their theoretical lifespan, then accompanied Aaron to meet Arien Reinhart.
• Alusair joined Aaron and Nastya, and she and Nastya exchanged a tense display of deference and rivalry.
• At Holy Mother Concord Hospital, Aaron heard Annomyn describe his experience becoming a daemon and urged him to seek revenge when the time came.
• Aaron met the recovered Arien, whose ceremonial sword carried an enchantment that improved its wielder’s standing with nobles.
• Aaron sensed a strange power and curse surrounding Arien, then told Nastya to fetch Barrel Moonflower immediately.

Aaron heard Arien's story about a curse laid on him by an Abyssal warlock and agreed to shelter him, then received the Tzeentch Sky-Chariot as a reward. He left to prepare a candlelit dinner above the stars with Slaanesh's help as Alusair faced her impending departure.

• Barrel Moonflower examined Arien and sensed a powerful Abyssal curse, while Nastya recounted how Barrel and Reinsdorf had nearly come to blows over elven history.
• Arien revealed that he had stolen a gemstone from an Abyssal warlock as a child, bringing ruin on his family and earning a curse that made him avoid marriage, children, and status.
• Arien asked Aaron for protection, and Aaron agreed to give him a chance after learning he had spent everything to reach him.
• Aaron noticed Alusair's reluctance to leave and went to the Round Table Hall, where Tzeentch rewarded him with the Tzeentch Sky-Chariot.
• Aaron asked Slaanesh to arrange a candlelit dinner above the stars, and Slaanesh agreed.

Aaron invited Alusair to dinner before she left the Sunset Lands, then took her blindfolded in a magical flying chariot to a spectacular restaurant above the Realms. The chapter ended with Alusair marveling at the dreamlike setting as Aaron called it Sune's Dream, a place belonging to the two of them.

• Alusair reread Elminster in Cormanthor and reflected on Aaron’s advice about leadership while missing the time they used to spend together.
• Aaron visited Alusair, and she agreed to let Ramsay and Havrel leave the Purple Dragon Knights to serve in his territory.
• Aaron insisted that Alusair join him for dinner, so she changed into a royal gown while he waited.
• Aaron blindfolded Alusair and carried her aboard the Tzeentch Sky-Chariot, which flew with her for about thirty minutes.
• Aaron led Alusair to a restaurant high above the Realms, where she saw the stars and the lands below, and he introduced it as Sune's Dream.

Aaron arranged a romantic dinner and dance for Alusair above the stars, then revealed they were directly above Suzail and began an intimate encounter with her. The arrival of Charlotte caught Alusair by surprise.

• Alusair enjoyed a lavish dinner with Aaron, including a bottle of the Blood of Asuryan that Aaron had reserved just for her.
• Aaron gave Alusair silver-white crystal heels, helped her put them on, and danced with her above the Tears of Selûne.
• After the attendants and orchestra vanished, Aaron told Alusair he had incurred a substantial debt of gratitude to arrange the dinner for her before she returned to Suzail.
• Aaron showed Alusair that they were above the Obarskyr Royal Palace and began an intimate encounter as she protested.
• Charlotte arrived in the sky-patrolling chariot, reminding Alusair of their pact as best friends.

After spending the night with Alusair, Aaron gave her the Sallyan family's ancestral Red Dragon Scale Full-Body Adamantine Armor as she prepared to return to Suzail. The chapter ended with Aaron turning his attention to his coming war of expansion.

• Alusair returned to her temporary residence with Aaron and Charlotte after she and Aaron took their relationship to the final step.
• Charlotte reminded Aaron that he had promised to arrange an equally romantic candlelit dinner for her first time.
• Aaron explained that being with Alusair made him feel he truly belonged to Cormyr and the Purple Dragon Kingdom.
• Aaron presented Alusair with the Sallyan family's ancestral Red Dragon Scale Full-Body Adamantine Armor, and she accepted the gift with tears in her eyes.
• Alusair recalled that she might have killed Aaron in the past if she had known his intentions, and Aaron reflected that his former self would never have won her attention.
• Aaron told Alusair that he needed to prepare for his war of expansion.

Aaron planned to use military expansion to secure noble support, conquer Hulek Forest and the Thunderpeak Mountains, and prepare to retake Tifanton. After Alusair left for Suzail, Iyachtu Xvim learned that Aaron’s influence was growing and ordered preparations for his own ascension to godhood.

• Aaron proposed rebuilding for a year before advancing into Hulek Forest and the Thunderpeak Mountains, while also planning to retake Tifanton with Alusair.
• Alusair promised Aaron the lands he conquered, accepted the Sallyan family heirloom, and confirmed their engagement before returning to Suzail with Charlotte.
• Alusair assigned Ramsay and Havrel to Aaron, while Ian Hutson asked Aaron to care for Lucian and discussed retiring him with benefits.
• In Thay, Iyachtu Xvim reviewed reports about the Chaos Domain’s aftermath and worried that Aaron’s silence concealed a deeper plan.
• Disma reported that Manshoon had appeared in Zambia, and Xvim told him there might be multiple Manshoons.
• Xvim learned that the Reinsdorf caravan had joined Aaron and ordered Fuzor summoned so he could begin preparing for his ascension to godhood.

In October 1362, Aaron celebrated a bumper harvest in the Sunset Lands while preparing to expand into Hulek Forest. After learning about the forest’s factions and a mysterious group of Glyphfolk, he ordered his army mustered as the farming season ended.

• Aaron reviewed reports describing the Realms’ gradual recovery from the Time of Troubles and admired the Sunset Lands’ abundant harvest.
• The territory’s festivals and Buer’s blessings brought prosperity, entertainment, and growing devotion to Selûne among its people.
• Aaron urged Nastya to contact House Baenre for duergar slaves and engineers, but she asked for more time because Lolth’s demands troubled her.
• Steward Arien presented grain revenue estimates showing that the harvest could provision Aaron’s army after taxes and tithes.
• Aaron learned that Hulek Forest held extremist druids, an alliance of half-orcs, tribespeople, and tieflings, and a group of Glyphfolk, while Emerald Enclave spies watched his expansion.
• Aaron ordered his army mustered as the autumn harvest ended and the season for war began.

Aaron gathered the diverse forces of the Sunset Lands at Sallyan Castle as the Ninth Shepherd Legion prepared for war. With his allies assembled and Khorne's blessing in hand, Aaron announced his intention to conquer Hulek Forest.

• Havrel, Ramsay, and Norrington discussed their eagerness for war before heading to the castle meeting.
• Rellta showed off a huge tuna at the docks, where Edward Teach gathered fighters to answer Aaron's call.
• Maximian, Barrel Moonflower, Doherty Bloodsword, Anna, Aegir, the dwarves, and other forces converged on Sallyan Castle.
• Eleanor arrived with Selûne's clerics, and Aaron entered the hall with Fiolena and Nastya.
• Aaron received Khorne's Chaos Holy Symbol, which strengthened nearby Chaos forces and bolstered their courage.
• Aaron declared that he loved war and resolved to offer the conquest of Hulek Forest to Khorne.

Aaron launched a three-thousand-strong Expansion Army into Hulek Forest to reclaim the land, while scouts encountered its inhabitants and searched for the Glyphfolk monastery. The Glyphfolk Bishop killed a disciple for contacting outsiders, then declared Aaron and his army heretics and vowed to purify them.

• Aaron assembled the Expansion Army and led it from Sunset Town into Hulek Forest on October 25.
• Scouts reported skirmishes with Goblins and Gnolls, a Lizardfolk tribe, and signs of a Druid sacred grove; Aaron ordered attacks, negotiations, and continued searches for the Glyphfolk monastery.
• Aaron and a Cleric sensed a sinister presence in the forest as the army advanced toward the unknown threat.
• In the Glyphfolk monastery, the Bishop learned that Aaron's army was approaching and accused a disciple of disobeying his order to avoid contact with outsiders.
• The Bishop killed the disciple, wept over his body, and blamed Aaron before setting out to purify the heretics.

Aaron led the Ninth Shepherd Legion into Hulek Forest, where the soldiers fought their first real battle against Abyssal Gnolls. Norrington killed the Gnoll champion and led the rout, and Aaron ordered the army to keep advancing through the forest.

• Aaron ordered the Ninth Shepherd Legion to advance into the forest, with its regular troops and three elite units following.
• Havrel, Ramsay, and Norrington led squads that found a camp of more than thirty Abyssal Gnolls and opened the battle with a volley.
• The Gnolls counterattacked and killed a young recruit, but Ramsay rallied the shaken soldiers and their formation drove the enemy back.
• A Flail Gnoll empowered by the Abyss shattered the spear line and charged Ramsay, but Norrington teleported to his side and killed it with a Divine Smite.
• Norrington pursued and killed the remaining Gnolls while Havrel joked with Ramsay about Paladins; Aaron then ordered the army to continue advancing and claim Hulek Forest.