Chapter Summaries

The deities tried to challenge Lolth’s authority, but Mistris refused to join them, leaving Shar to redirect the confrontation toward Dunn. Lolth backed Dunn, provoking Shar’s jealousy as Shar reflected on her stalled advancement and limited divine power.

• The Lord of Dawn tried to draw Mistris into opposing Lolth, but Mistris dismissed the Wizard Council as irrelevant and refused to get involved.
• Shar asked whether Dunn qualified to challenge Lolth, making him the focus of the deities’ push against her.
• Dunn realized that Mistris, the Fate Overlord, and Cyric were unlikely to help, leaving him and Lolth to face the other intermediate powers.
• Dunn stood his ground when Shar questioned his qualifications, and Shar replied that she had doubts about him.
• Lolth laughed and declared that Dunn was more qualified than the other deities, angering Shar and stirring her jealousy.
• Shar reflected that despite nearly ten thousand years of life and the Night Kingdom’s faith, she had only reached intermediate power.

Shar’s jealousy of Lolth sparked a confrontation in the Pantheon, but Mistris and the Sun God calmed them before they could fight. The Goddess of Fertility questioned Dunn’s standing, and he repeatedly answered that he ranked fourth, provoking the Plague Lord.

• Shar challenged Lolth to prove that Dunn qualified, and Lolth accepted with a threat to teach Shar how to be a god.
• Mistris and the Sun God intervened to calm Shar and Lolth and keep their dispute from disrupting the gods’ plans.
• The Goddess of Fertility turned the discussion to Dunn and noted that she had never met him because Atlantis lay deep beneath the ocean.
• Dunn regarded the Goddess of Fertility warily because her role in childbirth made her influential among the gods, but he insisted, “I rank fourth!”
• The Plague Lord objected that Dunn’s rank had nothing to do with whether he qualified, and Dunn repeated his claim as the Plague Lord slammed the table.

Dunn’s scheme provoked the Plague Lord into challenging the Pantheon’s seating order, but the Fate Overlord and the Goddess of Magic shut down the gods’ attempt to gain a say. The gods accepted the decision, while Dunn felt relieved that Lolth had drawn their hostility away from him.

• Lolth mocked the Plague Lord by declaring that she ranked first, and he lost his temper and insulted her.
• Shar recognized that Faith Poison was weakening the gods’ self-control and noticed Dunn’s satisfaction as the Plague Lord questioned the seating order.
• The Fate Overlord interrupted the Plague Lord and declared that the meeting concerned the gods’ survival.
• The Goddess of Magic backed the Fate Overlord, saying strength determined who had a voice, and the four highest-ranked deities ended the dispute.
• The Plague Lord sat down, the other gods accepted the decision, and Dunn felt relieved that they were focused on Lolth.

The gods debated how to handle bearers of Heaven’s Mandate, Legendaries, and Wizards, while Mistris proposed gradually erasing Wizard legacies in favor of a replacement. Dunn realized the Fate Overlord had enticed Mistris with the idea of weaving a magic web, leaving him wary of the scheme behind their sudden rift.

• The Fate Overlord proposed winning over Wrath of the Firmament and the Dragon Emperor while seeking to kill the Elf Empress and the Wizard Speaker; the Goddess of Magic said the Mother of Sea Monsters and lesser bearers could be left alone for now.
• Dunn argued that the gods should also eliminate High Legendaries on the Main Plane, and Cyric urged them to wipe out all Legendaries.
• Dunn opposed killing all Legendaries, warning that they were needed to defend against Abyssal invasions and keep the world functioning.
• Mistris proposed destroying Wizard legacies gradually while developing a replacement for Wizards.
• Dunn recognized that Mistris meant to weave a magic web and concluded that the Fate Overlord had used that prospect to entice her.

The Gods voted on proposals to eliminate bearers of Heaven's Mandate, powerful individuals, Legendaries, and Wizards. After the Fate Overlord closed the session, Cyric raised a new matter concerning the Divine Abominations.

• The Fate Overlord announced that the Gods approved eliminating Heaven's Mandate and recruiting Wrath of the Firmament and the Dragon Emperor for Deification, with the Sun God and several of his Pantheon voting against it.
• The Gods unanimously approved eliminating all high Legendaries, but the Fate Overlord shelved a proposal to eliminate all Legendaries after the vote split 95 to 91.
• The Gods approved the Goddess of Magic Mistris's proposal to eliminate Wizards and their legacies by a vote of 112 to 74, after Dunn and Cyric voted in favor.
• Lolth questioned Dunn's support for the purge, and Dunn said the operation would take a long time and that the Goddess of Magic could replace Wizards.
• After the Fate Overlord ended the meeting, Cyric raised the matter of the Divine Abominations.

Cyric raised the growing threat of Divine Abominations before the Council of Gods, and Mistris ordered them sealed in a designated area of the Astral Plane. The Fate Overlord closed the Council without offering a solution, leaving Mistris’s unilateral decision in place and her rivals resentful.

• Cyric warned that Divine Abominations were multiplying and could eventually overwhelm lesser powers’ Divine Kingdoms.
• Lolth drew attention to the Goddess of Fertility, who said she could stop producing Divine Abominations but reminded the gods that she could safely purge Faith Poison.
• Mistris asked the Fate Overlord for a solution, but he only agreed that the threat needed addressing and stayed silent.
• Mistris asked Dunn whether Divine Abominations could be killed, and he said that a way might exist even if it had not been discovered.
• Mistris ordered the gods to seal existing Divine Abominations in an area of the Astral Plane and place future ones there, while the others withheld their objections.
• The Fate Overlord ended the first Council of Gods, leaving Lolth, Cyric, and Dunn resentful of Mistris’s decision.

After the first Council of Gods, the Silver Mirror Council members held a private meeting, where Lolth confronted Dunn about supporting the Goddess of Magic’s proposal to eliminate Wizards. The meeting ended with Dunn arguing that the Goddess of Magic’s actions gave their alliance a legitimate reason to unite against her and demand benefits.

• Dunn sent Annie and Gunara away, leaving the six Silver Mirror Council members alone in the Pantheon.
• Lolth accused Dunn of betraying her by supporting the Goddess of Magic’s proposal to eliminate Wizards.
• Dunn blamed the Fate Overlord for the Goddess of Magic’s plan, prompting the Fate Overlord to ask whether Dunn knew about the magic weave and a way to purify Faith Poison.
• Lolth demanded that Dunn and the Fate Overlord share their secrets, but both refused and assured her their private knowledge would not affect their pact.
• Lolth, Miriil, Cyric, and Tiamat called for the group to punish the Goddess of Magic for her actions at the council.
• Dunn said the Goddess of Magic’s actions gave the alliance a pretext to coordinate against her and make her offer them benefits.

After the First Council of Gods pushed the Astral Plane’s deities into five factions, Dunn received visits from gods seeking his support. Shar, Goddess of Night, unexpectedly proposed an alliance with him and explained why she considered him the best choice.

• Annie warned Gunara not to presume she could join the discussion inside the Pantheon, then left, and Gunara followed after casting a resentful glance at it.
• After the Council of Gods, deities across the Astral Plane began forming factions and seeking the support of the five beings with a say in the council.
• More than fifty deities visited Dunn over the course of a year, and he received them while recognizing that they needed his influence and he needed their votes.
• Shar visited Dunn’s Divine Kingdom and proposed that they form an alliance.
• Shar said Dunn was the most suitable partner, citing the other potential allies’ distance, domineering nature, inscrutability, or madness.

Dunn considered Shar’s proposal to form an alliance through marriage but rejected it because he valued Annie’s trust more than Shar’s support. Shar left still believing he might change his mind in the future.

• Dunn recognized that Shar understood the need to set aside divine pride and asked how she wanted to form an alliance.
• Shar proposed a marriage alliance, and Dunn was surprised that she regarded marriage as a way to build trust.
• Shar mistakenly thought Dunn hesitated because he cared about her past relationships and reassured him that she had only been with three men.
• Dunn considered Annie’s claim to the position of his divine consort and decided that marrying Shar could drive Annie away.
• Dunn rejected Shar’s proposal, and Shar accepted the refusal while hoping he might reconsider someday.
• Shar left Dunn’s divine kingdom after they agreed to remain on friendly terms.

After the Council of Gods, the Fate Overlord contacted the dormant Ancient Gods and shared information about them with the Silver Mirror Council. He found a chance to exploit the growing divide between Avalon and the Elf Empress, but still needed to persuade Lolth to join his plans.

• The Fate Overlord privately contacted the Ancient Gods, who had remained dormant because their strength was depleted and they feared the monster in the East Sea.
• Dunn learned that most Ancient Gods wielded elemental powers and had returned to their respective elemental planes, prompting him to wonder whether elemental authority was necessary to become an Ancient God.
• The Fate Overlord learned that Avalon and the Elf Empress had grown divided after thirty thousand years apart, as their pride and expectations of their marriage had changed.
• The Fate Overlord saw an opportunity to separate Avalon and the Elf Empress, but struggled to figure out how to persuade Lolth, whose combat strength was essential to his plans.

The Fate Overlord used the Munch-Munch Fruit to awaken the Mother of Sea Monsters’ reason as she devoured the Storm Ancient God’s corpse. She emerged in humanoid form, claimed dominion over the ocean and storms, and left the Wizard Speaker demanding answers from the Fate Overlord.

• The Council members persuaded Lolth to postpone attacking the Natural Ancient God, though they doubted she would hold back later.
• The Fate Overlord arrived at the Storm Sea and found the Mother of Sea Monsters devouring the Storm Ancient God’s corpse while gestating a third Heaven’s Mandate sea monster.
• The Fate Overlord fed the Mother of Sea Monsters the Munch-Munch Fruit, triggering a disturbance felt across the world.
• The Wizard Speaker hurried to the Storm Sea as storms and waves devastated the world, while the Dragon Emperor, Elf Empress, and Natural Ancient God sensed the change.
• The Mother of Sea Monsters stopped the disturbance, attacked the Wizard Speaker, and appeared as a humanoid figure with reason.
• The Mother of Sea Monsters declared herself lord of the ocean and storms, and the Wizard Speaker angrily questioned the Fate Overlord about how she had gained reason.

The Mother of Sea Monsters devoured the Storm Ancient God's corpse, ascended to Greater Power, and gained reason, then attacked the Wizard Speaker after the Fate Overlord nudged her toward him. As she pursued the fleeing Wizard Speaker toward the Elf Continent, the Fate Overlord announced that the grand show had begun.

• The Mother of Sea Monsters awakened with reason and attacked the Wizard Speaker, splitting the Storm Sea with a blow that damaged his Floating City.
• The Wizard Speaker accused the Fate Overlord of controlling her, and the Fate Overlord explained that he had reminded her of the beatings she had received from the Wizard Speaker.
• The Mother of Sea Monsters began building a rudimentary divine kingdom, so the Wizard Speaker fled toward the Elf Continent to seek the Natural Ancient God.
• The Mother of Sea Monsters sensed the Fate Overlord's goodwill, then formed a Sky Sea and charged after the Wizard Speaker.
• The Fate Overlord watched her depart and announced across the Astral Plane that the grand show had begun.

The Fate Overlord declared war after the Mother of Sea Monsters’ unexpected rampage threw the Gods into chaos. As the Mother pursued the Wizard Speaker toward the Elf Continent, the Gods began intervening, and hundreds of Deity Clones descended near the gathering battlefield.

• The Fate Overlord used his influence to steer the Mother of Sea Monsters around the Atlantis Empire’s heartland as she pursued the Wizard Speaker.
• Dunn warned the Atlantis Empire’s Legendary beings and Demigods not to risk their lives, then watched the Mother and the Wizard Speaker cross his territory toward the Elf Continent.
• The Elf Empress went to meet the Wizard Speaker, while Dunn notified his allies and sent down three Godhead Clones.
• Lolth descended with five Godhead Clones and attacked the Elf Empress, prompting other Deities to join the battle.
• Hundreds of Deity Clones descended near the battlefield as the Dragon Emperor and Wrath of the Firmament rushed to the area.

Hundreds of deity clones gathered off the Elf Continent as the Elf Empress and the Natural Ancient God confronted Lolth and questioned the Fate Overlord. The Mother of Sea Monsters suddenly turned against Lolth, trapping her clones inside her oceanic divine kingdom.

• Hundreds of deity clones descended off the Elf Continent, leaving the Wizard Speaker and the Mother of Sea Monsters wary as the Elf Empress fought Lolth.
• The Natural Ancient God appeared beside the Elf Empress, and they discussed the Mother of Sea Monsters’s transformation after devouring the Storm Ancient God’s remains.
• The Elf Empress asked the Fate Overlord why he had assembled the gods, but he denied responsibility and offered no explanation.
• Lolth’s tainted divine power drove sea monsters to slaughter one another, and the Mother of Sea Monsters suddenly shrieked, injuring nearby deity clones.
• The Mother of Sea Monsters attacked Lolth, destroyed one of her clones, and enveloped all of Lolth’s clones in her oceanic divine kingdom.

The Gods began fighting the forces of Heaven's Mandate after the Mother of Sea Monsters defected, while Dunn suspected the Fate Overlord had orchestrated the war to ascend to Greater Power. The battle devastated the Main Plane, and the Elf Race suffered catastrophic casualties as the fighting unleashed disasters across the Elf Continent.

• Dunn suspected the Fate Overlord had anticipated or arranged the Mother of Sea Monsters' defection as part of a plan to ascend to Greater Power.
• Mistris urged the Gods to fight, and the Fate Overlord's declaration persuaded them to attack those with Heaven's Mandate.
• The Gods' Clones swarmed the Elf Race's Legendaries, while their Heaven's Mandate-level fighters surrounded the Natural Ancient God, the Elf Empress, and the Wizard Speaker.
• Mistris confronted her former husband, the Wizard Speaker, and attacked him with three Legendary Spells empowered by Divine Power.
• The Wizard Speaker answered Mistris's assault by expanding his domain, Arcane Hall.
• The battle's shockwaves caused earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and hurricanes across the Elf Continent, killing countless Elves.

As the battle’s aftershocks devastated the world and the Gods poured Divine Power into the Main Plane, Dunn sensed an unknown pressure weighing on both sides. The fighting stopped when the East Sea rose into towering currents beside the Old World, leaving everyone staring at the impossible sight.

• The battle’s aftershocks caused billions of casualties, prompting over a hundred Deities to pour Divine Power into the Main Plane.
• The Mother of Sea Monsters attacked Lolth, and their clash tore apart space around the battlefield.
• Dunn sensed an invisible pressure affecting everyone and began searching for its source while fighting the Natural Ancient God.
• The God of Duels spotted something strange near the Old World and shouted that the East Sea had stood up.
• Dunn and the others stopped fighting and saw towering currents rise beside the Old World.

The Cleanser emerged from the East Sea, and the Gods learned that the Natural Ancient Gods had been guarding against its return. After killing the Tianlan Sword Saint with a single blow, the Cleanser crossed the Old World in a few enormous steps.

• The Natural Ancient God, Elf Empress, Wizard Speaker, Dunn, Shar, and other Gods watched a strange phenomenon rise in the East Sea while the Fate Overlord said he had only given events a small push.
• Kratinar and Elinar arrived and asked Avalon why the Cleanser had been disturbed; the Ancient Gods then discussed the Mother of Sea Monsters and her connection to Storm.
• The Tianlan Sword Saint attacked the blue-black figure revealed beneath the currents, but it killed him instantly without being harmed by his sword intent.
• Dunn saw that the Cleanser was a colossal being he could perceive only with his eyes, and the Wizard Speaker confirmed that the dead attacker had been the Tianlan Sword Saint.
• The Cleanser stepped onto the Old World's coast and crossed the entire world in a few strides.

The Cleanser arrived at the battlefield and silently killed the Mother of Sea Monsters, leaving Dunn and the gathered Deities unable to understand how it had attacked. Afterward, it turned its attention toward Avalon and the gathered Ancient Gods.

• The Cleanser’s approach and its destruction across the Old World drove many Deities to withdraw their Clones, while Dunn kept one behind to observe.
• The Cleanser arrived and fixed its gaze on the Mother of Sea Monsters, who shattered its embryonic Divine Kingdom against it and fled gravely wounded.
• The Mother of Sea Monsters died silently as it reached the sea’s surface, and Dunn could not tell how the Cleanser had killed it.
• Pennywise, Elinar, Avalon, Bacryl, and Kratinar discussed the Cleanser and Kaelsas, then Avalon stopped speaking when the Cleanser turned its gaze toward the Ancient Gods.

The Cleanser expelled the Ancient Gods and those with Heaven’s Mandate from the Main Plane, sending them into the Astral Plane. Dunn saw an opportunity to strike at those left behind, but the Fate Overlord warned him that provoking the Cleanser could bring it back against them.

• The Cleanser targeted the Natural Ancient God, who fled into the Astral Plane, then turned its attention to Pennywise and drove the Ancient Gods to flee after him.
• Dunn realized that the displaced Ancient Gods might seize Divine Kingdoms in the Astral Plane, including his own.
• The Cleanser turned on the Wizard Speaker and the Elf Empress, then drove them, the Dragon Emperor, and Wrath of the Firmament into the Astral Plane.
• After expelling everyone with Heaven’s Mandate and all the Ancient Gods from the battlefield, the Cleanser sank into the Deep Sea.
• Dunn proposed that he, the Goddess of Magic, and Lolth purge the Main Plane, but the Fate Overlord warned them not to provoke the Cleanser and urged them to return to the Astral Plane.

After the Cleanser drove the Ancient Gods and bearers of Heaven’s Mandate from the Main Plane, Dunn ordered the Atlantis Empire to launch an all-out war. In the Astral Plane, the displaced powers fought over access to divine kingdoms, with neither side able to retreat safely.

• Dunn ordered the Atlantis Empire to prepare for war against everyone on the New, Old, and Elf Continents.
• The Ancient Gods and bearers of Heaven’s Mandate gathered in the Astral Plane and resolved to find shelter and achieve deification before their influence in the Main Plane faded.
• The Fate Overlord offered to let the Ancient Gods leave if they promised not to seize the deities’ divine kingdoms, but Kratinar and Bacryl rejected the demand and Bacryl destroyed a deity’s clone with a casual strike.
• The deities attacked the Ancient Gods and bearers of Heaven’s Mandate, while Lolth charged Angharradh and Mistris fought the Wizard Speaker.
• The Ancient Gods overwhelmed the deities, but neither side could safely retreat because both needed divine kingdoms for shelter.