Chapter Summaries

Aaron defeated Orcus, Drizzt defeated Demogorgon, and Nastya drove Graz'zt from the battlefield as Lolth's ritual unfolded. Before Aaron's team entered Lolth's Refuge, Eleanor, Charlotte, and Alusair arrived and witnessed a black-armored Son of Horus fighting an overwhelming swarm of spiders.

• Aaron transformed into the Golden Law Beast, fought Orcus, then changed into a Bloodthirster and killed him with the Axe of Judgment.
• Lolth empowered Drizzt with the Weave Pits' power, and he wounded Demogorgon badly enough to make the Daemon Prince flee.
• Nastya fought Graz'zt, who withdrew after declaring her and her companions the Three Musketeers of the Abyss.
• Nastya headed for the portal to Lolth's Refuge, confident that Aaron and Drizzt had defeated Orcus and Demogorgon.
• Eleanor, Charlotte, and Alusair entered Lolth's Refuge and saw a black-armored Son of Horus leading a small squad against a vast spider swarm.
• The Son of Horus angrily blamed a supreme being for summoning him away from the Black Crusade and warned of the consequences for his forces.

Alusair, Charlotte, and Eleanor infiltrated Lolth’s Refuge and discovered that Lolth had transformed the derro and bugbear gods’ holy spirits into spider monsters. After the women killed one, Lolth announced that her ascension ritual had begun and imposed a brutal punishment on male Chosen.

• Alusair, Charlotte, and Eleanor avoided Abaddon and descended into the caverns, where Eleanor concealed their approach with her Twilight Domain.
• The women encountered a spider-transformed holy spirit, and Eleanor realized Lolth was exploiting the siege to seize primordial power and Aaron’s Chaos God power.
• Charlotte blinded and bound the monster with a laser while Eleanor struck it with moonlight, killing it before Alusair could attack.
• Lolth declared that the ascension ritual had begun and challenged the Chosen to kill eighty-eight of her pets for a chance to face her.
• Lolth punished male Chosen who had violated her rule against playing with men, and Abaddon felt painful changes in his chest.

Aaron, Drizzt, and Nastya followed the Catacomb Webway through Lolth's Refuge and found the captive duergar god Laduguer. After freeing him, they were confronted by the Baenre siblings and Lolth, who declared that she would personally fight them as part of her ascension ritual.

• Nastya guided Aaron and Drizzt through the shifting Webway by following Corellon's markings and using yochlol markings to retreat when necessary.
• After three days of travel, Aaron, Drizzt, and Nastya found Laduguer bound in spiderwebs, and Nastya cut him free with the Sun-Moon Blades.
• Laduguer agreed to repay Aaron for saving him, but Quenthel Baenre, Triel Baenre, and Gromph Baenre appeared and threatened the group.
• Quenthel confronted Nastya about her defection, while Triel vowed revenge for Menzoberranzan's destruction and Gromph acknowledged Aaron's magic.
• Lolth descended to attack, and Laduguer raised a psionic wall to protect the group before admitting that Lolth intended to use them in her ascension.
• Lolth announced that she would personally fight the intruders and taunted Nastya about her betrayal.

Aaron revealed his true divine form and fought Lolth in the Catacomb Webway while the others battled the Drow. Laduguer exposed his feigned injury and struck Triel Baenre and the other Baenres with psychic attacks.

• Lolth offered Nastya the position of Spider Matriarch, then tried to ambush Aaron and his companions with her web.
• Aaron charged through Lolth’s attacks and revealed himself as the Lord of Reincarnation, a true god.
• Aaron and Lolth clashed in a brutal divine duel as Slaanesh’s power began corrupting Lolth’s Refuge.
• Triel Baenre filled the catacomb with poison mist while Quenthel Baenre and Gomph Baenre engaged Drizzt and Nastya.
• Laduguer dropped his act of weakness, nearly killed Triel Baenre with a punch, and unleashed Mind Blasts against her, Quenthel Baenre, and Gomph.

Aaron fought Lolth in their true forms, wounded her badly, and consumed one of her divine bodies, taking 30% of the Chaos Portfolio before she fled. The battle turned toward Aaron’s allies, but Laduguer spared him as the collapsing Catacomb Webway forced everyone to flee, while Be'lakor and Abaddon faced each other in altered forms.

• Aaron and Lolth unleashed their divine powers in a brutal duel, and Lolth bit off Aaron’s right arm before he burned her with Nurgle’s Sweet Nectar and struck her with Drach'nyen and Tzeentch’s thunder hammer.
• Lolth shed her ruined divine body and escaped as a small widow spider, but Drach'nyen devoured her abandoned form and Aaron seized 30% of the Chaos Portfolio.
• Aaron healed himself as Lolth’s retreat shattered the Baenres’ morale, letting Nastya synchronize with the Sun-Moon Blades and drive Gomph Baenre back.
• Laduguer spared Aaron instead of attacking him, then warned that their battle had destabilized the Catacomb Webway, whose floor collapsed beneath them.
• The inhabitants of Lolth’s Refuge sensed that Aaron had become a god, while Be'lakor discovered his transformed female body and faced Abaddon as the refuge descended into chaos.

Be'lakor and Abaddon turned on each other inside Lolth's Refuge after Abaddon confronted him over the disruption of the Black Crusade. Lolth's decree and the strain of the ritual drove the Drow Chosen toward betrayal, and Halisstra attacked her companions as Lolth began the final step of her ascension ritual.

• Abaddon accused Be'lakor of bringing him into Lolth's Refuge and betraying Chaos, and the two stabbed each other when Be'lakor offered to help him escape.
• Lolth decreed that a Chosen who sacrificed another Chosen in her name could leave the refuge and withdraw from the ritual.
• Alusair and Eleanor chose to wait for Zariel, while Charlotte learned that Minthara had died after fleeing Barrel and Doherty during their mission.
• Barrel and Doherty decided to capture another Chosen, while Halisstra's isolation and exhaustion under Lolth's influence drove her to attack Ulu'yara and Filian.
• Lolth laughed at the betrayals and declared that the final step of her ascension ritual had begun.

After Abaddon killed Be'lakor and escaped Lolth's Refuge, Lolth absorbed Be'lakor's essence and divine portfolios, but her ascension was thrown into crisis when she was dragged into the Warhammer universe and spread across its timelines. Aaron appeared as Lolth's divided soul began to endanger her ritual.

• After sixty-six days in Lolth's Refuge, Quenthel reached the Soulfire Plains and found Zariel rampaging through the spiders.
• Be'lakor defeated Abaddon, but Abaddon stabbed him with a poisoned spike, killed him in Lolth's name, and gained permission to leave the refuge.
• The Chaos Gods praised Abaddon's betrayal, while Lolth absorbed Be'lakor's essence and formed her seventh widow spider.
• Lolth was pulled into the Warhammer universe and scattered across its timelines, leaving her with eight portions of soul but only seven marked widow spiders.
• Lolth's ascension ritual began to fail, and Aaron appeared as she cried out in agony.

The all-Chinese team lost to the Koreans in the finals, leaving Tianzi devastated. Tianzi requested a day off.

• The all-Chinese team was beaten by the Koreans in the finals.
• Tianzi was devastated and requested a day off.
• The crowd shouted that xun should be killed and called ON the LPL's number one sinner.

Lolth’s ascension ritual collapsed after she devoured Be’lakor’s corrupted essence, forcing her to sacrifice part of her divine soul and Selvetarm to continue. She appeared to complete her transformation, but a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch revealed itself within her, just as Aaron, Eilistraee, and Laduguer arrived to confront her.

• Lolth’s eight spider aspects began mutating after the Chaos Gods tried to drag her into the 40K universe through Be’lakor’s essence.
• Lolth destroyed the Be’lakor spider and ordered her followers to cast away its remains, while the Chaos Gods seized many of those who touched them.
• Quenthel Baenre arrived and pleaded for Lolth’s approval, but Lolth rejected her as unworthy of becoming a Chosen.
• Lolth summoned Selvetarm and devoured him, using his divine body to create an eighth giant widow spider for her ascension ritual.
• Lolth emerged in a new form bearing Minthara Baenre’s face, but a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch exposed itself from within her.
• Eilistraee, Aaron, and Laduguer entered the pyramid and confronted Lolth.

Lolth’s failed ascension left her sanctuary collapsing and her weakened form under attack from Eilistraee, Aaron, and Laduguer. Just as Eilistraee seemed poised to defeat Lolth, Lolth turned Halisstra against her, and Aaron sacrificed himself to shield Eilistraee from the Crescent Blade.

• Lolth’s ascension ritual failed, her Divine Realm began to shatter, and the powers watching the War of the Spider Queen celebrated her defeat.
• Eilistraee attacked Lolth while Laduguer fought off Lolth’s creatures and Aaron battled Quenthel Baenre, suppressing her with Ultimate Alchemy.
• Aaron joined Eilistraee’s assault, and the pair wounded Lolth with Slaanesh Crusher and Eilistraee’s divine song.
• Halisstra arrived to help Eilistraee, but Lolth revealed that spider silk controlled Halisstra and forced her to attack the Dark Maiden.
• Aaron blocked Halisstra’s Crescent Blade as it struck toward Eilistraee, then exploded, leaving the Lord of Reincarnation fallen.

Halisstra seemingly killed Aaron with the Crescent Blade, but his Lord of Frenzied Flame aspect emerged and destroyed Lolth, allowing Aaron to claim several of her divine portfolios. Corellon completed Aaron’s Chaos portfolio, and the fused portfolios ascended as the Crown of Chaos.

• Halisstra drove the Crescent Blade through Aaron, and his body and Golden Spell Ring shattered as Eilistraee watched.
• Lolth taunted Eilistraee and revealed that her Puppet Strings had controlled Halisstra, but Eilistraee insisted she believed in Aaron.
• Aaron’s Lord of Frenzied Flame aspect emerged from the Black Knife Ring and unleashed Karmic White Flame, killing Lolth’s spiders and overwhelming Lolth.
• Lolth’s divine body broke apart, and Aaron claimed the Chaos and Darkness portfolios while directing Assassination and Drow toward Eilistraee.
• Lolth fled as Corellon confronted her, and Aaron stopped Eilistraee from pursuing her.
• Corellon gave Aaron the remaining portion of the Chaos portfolio, completing it and triggering the ascent of the Crown of Chaos.

Aaron unified [Strife], [Murder], and [Chaos] and ascended as the Fifth Chaos God, while Selûne, Shar, Waukeen, and other deities witnessed his apotheosis. Lolth escaped as a weakened Lesser Deity, but her Spelljammer malfunctioned and delivered her into the Court of the Covenant, where four Greater Deities awaited her.

• Aaron united [Strife], [Murder], and [Chaos], took control of the Chaos Refuge, and ascended as an Intermediate Deity of the Chaos pantheon.
• Eilistraee, Corellon, Selûne, Shar, and Waukeen witnessed Aaron's apotheosis, confirming Lolth's ritual had failed and ending the War of the Spider Queen.
• Lolth escaped Aaron's attack in a small spider form, having fallen to Lesser Deity and lost most of her portfolios and her Divine Realm.
• Aaron rebuked Corellon for standing aside during the fight, then revealed he had sent Lolth to four powerful suitors.
• Lolth's Spelljammer malfunctioned during a faster-than-light jump and dropped her into the Court of the Covenant, where four Greater Deities greeted her.

Corellon expelled Lolth from Realmspace, offered the Drow a choice between following her or becoming Gray Elves, and left the wounded Eilistraee with Aaron. Aaron then ascended to the Pantheon as the Lord of Chaos and Reincarnation and chose a seat beside Selûne.

• Corellon took control of the Drow portfolio, announced Lolth’s departure, and offered the Drow the choice to follow her or become Gray Elves under Eilistraee.
• Corellon transferred the Gray Elves and Assassination portfolios to Eilistraee, told her to stay with Aaron, and departed after refusing her pleas to remain together.
• Aaron sent the unconscious Eilistraee to his Green Wyrm Domain, told Halisstra to join Alusair and the others, and answered Ao’s summons to the Pantheon.
• Ao’s Solars escorted Aaron to the Pantheon, where he learned its laws and surveyed the gathered deities and their thrones.
• Aaron chose an intermediate deity’s throne beside Selûne, assumed the title Lord of Chaos and Reincarnation, and kissed her hand as the gods applauded.

Aaron completed his ascension as an intermediate deity and publicly kissed Selûne, while the gods reacted to their relationship and the changes he had brought to the Pantheon. The chapter ended with the gods turning their attention to the Chaos Refuge, where a trapped archdevil made a last stand.

• Aaron kissed Selûne during his ascension ceremony, and she stopped him from going further in front of the assembled gods.
• Sune teased Aaron about his romance with Selûne, Waukeen left in anger, and Shar watched with possessive excitement.
• Corellon admitted that he had exiled Eilistraee despite knowing she had acted rightly, and he praised Aaron’s schemes while viewing him as a future ally.
• The ascension ceremony ended with Aaron seated as an intermediate deity and the Pantheon’s divine ranks reshuffled after the War of the Spider Queen.
• The gods turned their attention to the Chaos Refuge, where an archdevil from Hell made a desperate final stand at the pyramid entrance.

After ascending to godhood, Aaron planned to cut off the Chaos Gods’ influence over Realmspace by forming a subordinate pantheon, and he explained why he had used Eilistraee in his plan against Lolth. He and Selûne discovered that Zariel was the candidate Eleanor had found for Khorne’s authority, while Cormyr’s army advanced to confront Zariel’s forces in the Chaos Refuge.

• Aaron and Selûne left the Pantheon together, and their intertwined powers formed the Blue Starfield.
• Selûne urged Aaron to repay Eleanor, and he revealed that Zariel’s hair belonged to Eleanor.
• Aaron explained that he had sent Lolth to the Chaos Gods’ realm to delay her threat and shield himself from Corellon’s retaliation, while Selûne promised to help Eilistraee recover from the plan.
• Aaron outlined his plan for a Chaos pantheon led by Lady Charlotte, Buer, Grudge, and a fourth god to bear Khorne’s authority; Selûne recognized Zariel as Eleanor’s candidate.
• Alusair led Cormyr’s army into the Chaos Refuge, where Aaron’s divine spells strengthened the soldiers and armed them against devils.
• Eleanor, Alusair, and Aaron’s other allies joined the Cormyrian force as it surrounded Zariel and her devil army on the Soulfire Plains.

Zariel joined the War of the Spider Queen to reclaim her sword and confront Eleanor, whom she had once rescued as a Solar before falling and breaking her promise. Aaron, Selûne, and Laduguer defeated and captured Zariel, while Bael seized control of Avernus, and the Cormyrians celebrated their return home.

• Zariel remembered rescuing Eleanor as a Solar and recalled how guilt over abandoning her promise had driven her to send Devils after the Cleric.
• Zariel’s veteran Devil Army fought the Cormyrians, but Aaron, Selûne, and Laduguer arrived and devastated the Devils with divine attacks.
• Aaron revealed that Bael had taken Zariel’s position as Archdevil of Avernus with Asmodeus’s approval, leaving Zariel unable to call on her former power base.
• Zariel refused to surrender and tried to detonate herself, but Aaron’s forces subdued and bound her alive.
• Aaron ordered Zariel taken away, and the Cormyrians cheered that they were going home.

After returning to the Realms, Aaron dealt with the aftermath of his ascension and visited his divine realm, where Eilistraee remained unconscious and Zariel was still imprisoned. Aaron urged Zariel to meet Eleanor and repent, but Zariel refused.

• Alusair disbanded Cormyr’s army, and returning soldiers brought home their share of the spoils.
• Aaron assumed responsibility for the gray elves, while most of the Drow chose to follow Lolth and the Underdark powers fought over the Weave Pits.
• Aaron returned to Green Velar, felt Ao’s restrictions on his presence in the mortal world, and gained recognition and faith through Selûne’s support.
• Aaron found Aegir shirking her dragon-maid duties at Sallyan Castle, then invited her to visit his divine realm.
• Aaron showed Aegir the sleeping Eilistraee and the bound Zariel in Dorn Royal Castle.
• Aaron told Zariel she could still be saved if she repented and asked her to see Eleanor, but Zariel refused.

Aaron confronted the captive Zariel, who refused to abandon her mission in the Blood War, then revealed his admiration and asked her to join him. With Eleanor and her allies present, Zariel took up the Sword of Zariel, swore to fight for justice, and was restored to her Solar form.

• Aaron told Zariel he had arranged her capture through Bael and Raphael and threatened her with Personality Evacuation, but Zariel refused to submit and defended her fight against the Abyss.
• Zariel insisted she had no regrets and challenged Aaron to kill her, so Aaron injected her with the syringe before freeing her and apologizing.
• Aaron asked Zariel to join him, promising he could help her defeat the Abyss and preserve the Multiverse, while Big Dragon also pleaded with her.
• The walls fell away to reveal Eleanor, Lulu, the Hellriders, and the Harpers, and Eleanor offered Zariel the Sword of Zariel with a strand of her hair upon it.
• Zariel swore to take up the sword and fight for justice, and radiant light restored her angelic Solar form.

Zariel returned to holiness and reunited with Eleanor, but Aaron secretly bound most of her soul to his control through a forbidden spell. After demonstrating his power over her, Aaron left to deal with the still-unconscious Eilistraee.

• Zariel regained her Solar form, embraced Eleanor, and thanked Aaron for helping her return to holiness.
• Zariel hesitated to join Aaron because Lathander had offered her command of five dawn angel legions, but Aaron used Personality Evacuation to bring most of her soul under his control.
• Aaron celebrated Zariel's return with the people of Dorn City, then took her and Eleanor to the dungeon and explained the spell to Eleanor.
• Zariel regained her strength and attacked Aaron, but Soul Link made her obey his commands and left her unable to resist him.
• Aaron reassured Eleanor that he would not use Personality Evacuation on Eilistraee, then left to wake her.

Aaron went to the Dark Garden to heal the sleeping Eilistraee and, with Selûne's encouragement, decided to confront the sorrow keeping her from waking. He removed Lolth's curse from her wound, but Eilistraee remained asleep as he began a mysterious transformation of her divine body.

• Zariel lamented that Slaanesh's spell had left her bound to Aaron, while Eleanor told her the punishment was merciful and explained that Aaron was trying to awaken Eilistraee for a new Black Moon pantheon.
• Aaron visited the Dark Garden, where Eilistraee lay unconscious with Lolth's curse reopening her chest wound, and wondered whether fulfilling her spoken wish had failed to satisfy what she truly wanted.
• Selûne encouraged Aaron to help Eilistraee face her old grief, and Aaron entered the spring to begin treating her.
• Aaron summoned a golden orb and used its tentacles to absorb Lolth's cursed energy, healing Eilistraee's wound without waking her.
• Aaron enclosed Eilistraee in the orb and began his Goddess Divine Body Modification Plan, placing a reincarnation brand on her abdomen.