Chapter Summaries

Charlotte arrived at the Sallyan Residence and confronted Eleanor, who regarded her as a rival for Aaron’s affection. Aaron introduced the women and brought Charlotte inside, but their hostility remained, leaving him expecting a tense Midwinter and New Year holiday.

• Charlotte arrived at the Sallyan Residence and found Eleanor at the door with Aaron.
• Eleanor and Charlotte exchanged hostile looks, while Aaron’s family noticed the tension.
• Aaron introduced Charlotte as his sorcery mentor and Eleanor as his childhood friend, guardian, keeper, and business partner.
• Eleanor and Charlotte forced themselves to greet each other politely, then both looked to Aaron to decide what would happen next.
• Aaron called his family to bring in Charlotte’s gifts and invited her inside.
• Aaron helped Charlotte remove her heels and put on slippers, allowing her to enter the house while Eleanor held back her objections.

Charlotte arrived at Aaron’s home to spend Midwinter and New Year with him, winning over his family with gifts while Eleanor begrudgingly accepted her stay. That night, Eleanor and Charlotte fought over access to Aaron’s room, and Aaron discovered them suspended in the hallway.

• Charlotte greeted Aaron’s family, gave them expensive presents, and asked to stay through the holidays.
• Aaron and Charlotte persuaded Eleanor to welcome Charlotte, despite Eleanor’s jealousy and reluctance.
• After dinner, Eleanor worried about Charlotte’s influence and ignored Aaron when he knocked on her guest-room door.
• Charlotte tried to enter Aaron’s room at night, and Eleanor stopped her with a spell before the two began a magical duel.
• Charlotte broke through Eleanor’s defenses and trapped her in a magical web, but Eleanor shouted for Aaron.
• Aaron opened his door and found Charlotte and Eleanor suspended in the hallway.

Charlotte and Eleanor competed for Aaron’s affection, trading attacks that exposed their insecurities before Eleanor gained the upper hand with the key to the Sallyan Residence. They agreed to a temporary ceasefire, while Nate Frankfell arrived in the Great Swamp to investigate Aaron Salian’s sorcerous bloodline.

• Aaron brought Eleanor and Charlotte into his room, warmed them with the Kotatsu, and warned them not to fight while he went to fetch drinks.
• Aaron told Charlotte that Eleanor had saved his life and was his girlfriend, guardian, and business partner, prompting Charlotte to thank Eleanor reluctantly.
• After Aaron left, Charlotte challenged Eleanor’s suitability as Aaron’s partner and accused her of wanting affection while remaining passive, leaving Eleanor shaken.
• Eleanor recovered by showing Charlotte the key to the Sallyan Residence that Aaron had given her, and taunted Charlotte for not having one.
• Aaron returned with drinks to find the women pretending to be peaceful, and they agreed to a temporary ceasefire.
• Nate Frankfell arrived in the Great Swamp on Cyric’s orders to investigate the secrets of Aaron Salian’s sorcerous bloodline.

Nate and his black-robed cannibals attacked the exiled Sallyan family in the Great Swamp, slaughtering nearly everyone. Maximian escaped with a woman, leaving Aaron to learn that his family had been targeted and was next.

• The exiled Sallyan family gathered for Midwinter and discussed returning to Suzail, while Maximian remained skeptical of their hopes.
• Nate, the Left Hand of God, led black-robed killers into the longhouse and announced that they had come to kill the family.
• The killers attacked, and Nate overpowered Carlos and tortured him to death.
• Nate's men reported that a monk and a woman had escaped, and Nate declared that Aaron Salian would be their next target.

On Midwinter, Aaron was summoned to the palace after assassins massacred the exiled members of the Salian clan, leaving Maximian and the unconscious Anna as the only known survivors. Aaron promised to investigate and avenge his relatives, then prepared to leave for the Great Swamp with Charlotte while Eleanor stayed to care for the survivors.

• Aaron and his family prepared a Midwinter feast, and Queen's Blade captain Hendry arrived to summon Aaron to the palace.
• At the palace, Maximian revealed that assassins had slaughtered the exiled Salian clansmen and that Anna was badly wounded and unconscious.
• Aaron promised Maximian that he would find those responsible and repay the blood debt, while Alusair agreed to end the survivors' exile and grant them citizenship in Suzail.
• Aaron asked Alusair to make the massacre public and protect Maximian and Anna, then assigned Eleanor to care for them.
• Charlotte insisted on joining Aaron's investigation in the Great Swamp, and Alusair advised him to recruit a skilled melee professional before they departed the next morning.

After learning that his family had been massacred, Aaron recruited Reynard and sought more teammates for a dangerous mission. Samir could not join, but introduced Aaron to the honeymooning Harpers Jaheira and Khalid.

• Eleanor left to accompany Maximian and Anna to the temple of Selûne, while Charlotte joined Aaron to find teammates.
• Aaron and Charlotte found Reynard at the refugee camp, where he confronted the guards over their watery porridge and tried to help Derrick.
• Aaron offered Reynard 325 Golden Lions to join the mission, and Reynard accepted after hearing about Aaron's family massacre.
• Charlotte warned Aaron that Reynard's choices could lead him to break his paladin oath, but Aaron said Reynard had to choose his own path.
• Aaron found Samir at a Midwinter party, explained the mission, and learned Samir could not leave his guests.
• Samir introduced Aaron to the newlyweds Jaheira and Khalid, fellow Harpers who might join the mission.

Aaron prepared to investigate the massacre of his relatives in the Great Swamp, recruiting a potential monk ally and setting out with Charlotte and Reynard. During the journey, Charlotte revealed that their planned operation, “King of Hunters,” had a finished prototype.

• Aaron met Jaheira and Khalid, then told Samir that Maximian was connected to cannibalism; Samir linked the cannibals to Cyric and promised more information.
• Samir gave Aaron a letter of introduction to Kong, a Sun Soul monk at a monastery in the Great Swamp, and Aaron promised Samir a favor.
• Aaron departed in Princess Regent Alusair’s convoy with Charlotte and Reynard, rewarding the escort soldiers and promising them extra leave.
• In the carriage, Charlotte teased Aaron about his feelings over his relatives’ deaths, and Aaron explained that he felt conflicted and had barely known them.
• Charlotte showed Aaron the completed prototype for their plan, named “King of Hunters.”

Aaron and Charlotte advanced their plan to win over Alusair by secretly using enchanted stockings to soothe her dragon-blood urges and expose her to Aaron’s magic. As their carriage neared the Great Swamp, Mannacorn reacted to the Salian Massacre by ordering his faction to help Aaron investigate, while keeping his own scheme to seize the kingdom concealed.

• Charlotte explained that she had devised the King of Hunters plan to bring Aaron, Alusair, and herself together, and revealed that they had already established Aaron’s access to Alusair.
• Charlotte showed Aaron enchanted stockings containing hidden Chaos Marks that would gradually infuse Alusair with his Slaanesh magic, and said Alusair had begun to grow attached to them.
• Aaron agreed to brand Charlotte with his Stigma after the current incident was resolved, and Charlotte insisted that helping him pursue Alusair would make all three of them happy.
• Outside the carriage, Reynard worried that Disma was being drawn toward Mannacorn Anaheim’s Soldiers’ Salvation Association and vowed to stop him if necessary.
• Mannacorn learned that news of the Salian Massacre had spread through Suzail and ordered his subordinates to send Aaron information and cooperate with his investigation.
• After his subordinates left, Mannacorn retrieved a secret plan to seize the kingdom, titled the King of Hunters plan.

Aaron and his companions traveled to Great Swamp to investigate the massacre and find out what happened to Maximian. At the monastery, they met the ascetic Kong, who sensed both goodness and primordial darkness in Aaron.

• Duke Kenness handed the wounded General Joachim Pope over to Aaron, who spared him but ordered him and his troops to remain ready to help.
• Aaron, Charlotte, and Reynard traveled through the frozen Great Swamp toward the Monastery of the Monks.
• Aaron used Tzeentch's Fire to drive off a band of goblins before the trio reached the monastery.
• The elderly monk admitted Aaron and his companions, then led them to meet Master Kong.
• Aaron gave Kong Samir's letter and asked for his help, but Kong sensed savage madness and primordial darkness within Aaron.

Aaron and his companions traveled with Master Kong to the exile camp, where they found his relatives’ remains and evidence of cannibalism. As Aaron tried to understand why the men had been taken, Tzeentch contacted him and demanded live cannibal specimens for study.

• Kong agreed to help Aaron, and the party set out for the Salian relatives’ place of exile.
• On the journey, Kong explained that Maximian was his disciple and had become a Sword Saint Monk who specialized in swords and longbows.
• The party reached the ruined camp and found the remains of Aaron’s relatives, including human bones in a cooking pot and mostly female bodies left behind.
• Aaron questioned why the cannibals had taken many of the men, while Charlotte comforted him and Kong prayed for the dead.
• Tzeentch contacted Aaron and requested live cannibal specimens for the Crystal Labyrinth, promising a reward.

Aaron traced the cannibals who had attacked his clan to a cave in the Thunderpeak Mountains, where their leader planned to lure him into a Cult of the Dragon stronghold. Aaron and his companions uncovered an ambush of armored wights, and Kong struck first, knocking them down as Aaron prepared to join the fight.

• Aaron used Slaanesh's power to trace his clan's bloodline north and set out with Charlotte, Reynard, and Kong to pursue the cannibals.
• Nate Frankfell learned Aaron was approaching and ordered his followers to lure him toward a nearby Cult of the Dragon stronghold.
• Aaron's party followed the tracks to a cave in the Thunderpeak Mountains, where Charlotte's light revealed wights hidden beneath the snow.
• Kong attacked the wights with ki, knocking the armored undead down before they could strike.
• Aaron sensed something inside the cave and urged Reynard and Charlotte to join the fight.

Aaron and his companions discovered that the cave they had entered was a Cult of the Dragon stronghold in an abandoned underground Dwarf city. When someone destroyed Aaron’s vines sealing the entrance, he realized the discovery was tied to a scheme by Cyric’s followers and decided to attack the stronghold on his terms.

• Aaron, Charlotte, Reynard, and Kong slew the wights guarding the cave and Aaron sealed its entrance with vines.
• Aaron explained why he preferred to let his good deeds be credited to Selûne, then used a Tzeentch Horror to find and disable magical traps.
• The party overheard Dragonclaws discussing orders from a Wearer of the Purple Robe and found an abandoned Dwarf city marked with the Cult of the Dragon’s emblem.
• Aaron tried to leave, but Kong, Reynard, and Charlotte persuaded him to stay and deal with the Cult of the Dragon.
• Aaron sensed that someone had destroyed the vines at the cave entrance, deduced that Cyric’s followers had set a trap, and agreed to attack the stronghold if the others followed his orders.

The Dragonwhisperer prepared the Cult of the Dragon’s Cormyr branch for a looming confrontation while Aaron and his companions fought their way through the cultists in the dwarven city. After defeating a half-dragon, they pursued the retreating cultists toward the city center, where Nate planned to ambush them.

• The Dragonwhisperer allied with Duke Caspar’s conspirators, brewed a potion to awaken ancient dragon blood, and prepared to protect two legendary items and summon Oglorosa.
• Aaron, Reynard, Kong, and Charlotte battled the cultists, with Charlotte hastening her allies and using lightning and other spells to cut down their enemies.
• A half-dragon charged Aaron, but Aaron’s Rusting Plague stripped away its armor and scales, and Aaron beheaded it after briefly stunning it with Slaanesh’s Glimmer.
• The cultists retreated toward the city center, and Aaron and his companions pursued them.
• Nate watched the battle with his followers and ordered them to wait until Aaron and the Dragonwhisperer had weakened each other before attacking.

Aaron lured Nate and the Cult of the Dragon’s elite into a confrontation, then hit both sides with Slaanesh’s Torment. As the spell turned the street into a bloody melee, Reynard carried the drained Aaron toward their retreat point, while Kong recognized the nature of Aaron’s blood.

• Aaron and his companions found the city center guarded by powerful cultists and half-dragons, but he insisted they follow the original plan and offered himself as bait.
• Nate watched Aaron emerge from the great hall badly wounded and led the cannibals after him, drawn by the scent and taste of Aaron’s blood.
• Aaron appeared on a rooftop and called on Nate to help him hold off the Dragonwhisperer and four master-rank half-dragons, creating a tense standoff between the groups.
• Aaron cast Slaanesh’s Torment, causing the cannibals and cultists to see visions of food or treasure and turn their weapons on one another.
• Reynard carried the drained Aaron toward their retreat point, and Kong concluded that Aaron’s blood was cursed and demonic.

Aaron and his companions reached the Cult of the Dragon’s main hall while Nate defeated the cult’s forces under Cyric’s command and set out to kill Aaron. Aaron found a powerful ancient dragon amulet in the cult’s treasury, but a distant roar revealed that the cult was awakening a dracolich.

• Aaron exhausted himself casting Slaanesh’s Torment, and Reynard carried him toward the main hall while healing him.
• Cyric restored Nate’s senses and ordered him to kill the cultists and Aaron Salian.
• Nate killed the Dragonwhisperer after cutting apart his Flame Dragon and stopping his giant dragon claw with his golden left hand.
• Aaron, Charlotte, and their companions killed the guards in the main hall, while Kong objected to killing peripheral cultists and Reynard defended their actions.
• Aaron discovered twenty-eight treasure chests and claimed an ancient dragon amulet that showed him the Law of Reincarnation.
• A distant dragon roar revealed that the Cult of the Dragon was awakening a dracolich, and Aaron urged everyone to hurry.

Aaron and his companions tried to escape the Cult of the Dragon’s lair as a Dracolich awakened, but Nate ambushed Aaron and forced them into a fight. Aaron trapped Nate in a Chaos Gate, and Kong’s intervention finally sent the Left Hand of God into Tzeentch’s Crystal Labyrinth.

• Charlotte stored the treasure and documents, but she could not put the Dragon-Shaped Mask or Golden Ancient Dragon Amulet in her Dimensional Ring, so Aaron took the amulet and gave her the mask as the Dracolich’s roars drew closer.
• Nate ambushed Aaron, whose protections kept the daggers from killing him, and Charlotte drove Nate back with layered spells and a fireball.
• Aaron ordered Charlotte, Reynard, and Kong to retreat, then baited Nate into a duel and opened Tzeentch’s Banishment as Nate launched his attack.
• Nate caught the edge of the Chaos Gate with his Golden Left Hand, so Aaron, Charlotte, and Reynard struck it together but could not make him let go.
• Kong overcame his hesitation and used Dragon Tail Sweep to shatter the divine shield on Nate’s hand, sending Nate through the gate into Tzeentch’s Crystal Labyrinth.

Nate became trapped in the Crystal Labyrinth, where a mysterious sorcerer erased his memories, while Cyric raged over losing divine power and ordered a purge of Bane’s followers. In the Thunder Peaks, Aaron and his companions escaped the dracolich Oglorosa after Aaron shattered its defenses with Chaos power and Selûne’s moonlight.

• Nate wandered the Crystal Labyrinth until a mysterious voice claimed him for a game and erased his memories, leaving him unable to remember his name.
• Cyric lamented the loss of a point of divinity and divine power, vowed revenge on Aaron, and ordered the Church of the Dark Sun to hunt Bane’s followers and Godspawn.
• Tzeentch rewarded Aaron with Tzeentch’s Disc and the Chaos Casting ability as Aaron, Charlotte, Reynard, and Kong prepared to teleport from the Thunder Peaks.
• The dracolich Oglorosa attacked the group, but its Legendary Dragon Fear failed to incapacitate them while Charlotte continued preparing the Teleportation Circle.
• Aaron received Selûne’s power, used Reynard’s and Kong’s spells to charge the Sword of the Dark Moon, transformed into a Keeper of Secrets, and broke Oglorosa’s force field.
• Aaron wounded Oglorosa with the Sword of the Dark Moon and escaped with Charlotte, Reynard, and Kong through the Teleportation Circle, leaving the dracolich roaring in frustration.

After escaping the Cult of the Dragon’s lair with twenty-eight treasure chests, Aaron and his companions divided their rewards and parted ways with Kong. On the journey back to Suzail, Aaron and Charlotte examined their loot and discovered the amulet was called the Sacred Dragon Emblem Amulet and contained the embryonic form of a law.

• Aaron offered Kong five treasure chests as a reward, but Kong accepted only four platinum coins for the Monastery and asked Aaron to treat Maximian well.
• Kong announced he would spend three years in secluded meditation, urged Aaron to remember “discipline, concentration, wisdom,” and departed.
• Aaron insisted Reynard accept two treasure chests as payment, worth over four thousand Golden Lions, and advised him to replace his equipment and save some money for Maria-Lysa.
• Aaron and Charlotte returned toward Suzail with twenty-six chests of treasure and began examining their gains in a carriage.
• Charlotte identified the Dragon-Speaker Mask from the Dracolich’s letters and found that the amulet was the Sacred Dragon Emblem Amulet, which contained the embryonic form of a law.

Aaron studied the Sacred Dragon Emblem Amulet and considered the laws he would establish if he became a god, while he and Charlotte divided their treasures. As Charlotte comforted him over his parents’ deaths, Aaron kissed her, triggering soul attunement.

• Aaron reasoned that his future law would embody Chaos through randomness and recurrence, and he memorized the amulet’s pattern for his Holy Symbol.
• Charlotte read a letter describing how dragons could consume their alternate counterparts to become true Ancient Dragons, and Aaron chose the Sacred Dragon Emblem Amulet while Charlotte took the Dragon-Speaker Mask.
• As they relaxed in the carriage, Aaron told Charlotte about his difficult relationship with his mother and recalled that both his parents had died in battle beneath the walls of Tifantom.
• Charlotte reassured Aaron that he was not alone and that his parents lived on in his memories and in the people who cared about him.
• Aaron hugged Charlotte and kissed her, and golden light appeared as soul attunement began.

Reynard accepted Aaron’s disguised financial help while Aaron and Charlotte grew closer as Charlotte shared the winter trauma behind her past. Meanwhile, Cyric defended himself before the gods over his alleged alliance with Man-Eaters, and the goddesses prepared to support Aaron as they awaited Tyr and the others.

• Reynard realized Aaron had arranged for him to receive the expedition’s treasure and celebrated becoming a Master Paladin.
• After Charlotte recovered from their soul attunement, she told Aaron that Shar’s followers had captured her as a child and that Vangerdahast had rescued and mentored her.
• Aaron promised Charlotte they would spend every winter together, and Charlotte offered to help him win Alice’s affection before asking him to inscribe her Stigma.
• At the Pole Star Encampment, Cyric denied accepting Man-Eaters’ allegiance, blamed Bilis Adal, and presented the priest’s execution as proof.
• Lady Firehair and the white-haired goddess discussed Aaron’s Man-Eaters and the arrival of a church party carrying cosmetics, then agreed to wait for Tyr and the others.