Chapter Summaries

Azik recovered the truth about his divided soul and struggled against merging with the mad Artificial Death, while Klein prepared to use the Fate Siphon Charm to help him. A mysterious woman intervened at the last moment, stopping Azik’s approach to his other half.

• Azik remembered that Death had divided his soul, leaving one half merged with the pathway Uniqueness that became Artificial Death and causing his repeated deaths and memory loss.
• Azik resisted the calls of his feathered-serpent self, fearing that merging would erase his humanity and turn him into a false Death.
• Daly sensed an unknown call in Gurain City, and Leonard heard a voice tell him to look toward the Raging Sea.
• Klein considered using the Fate Siphon Charm to take Azik’s fate but hesitated before finally drawing the charm and preparing to activate it.
• As Azik approached Artificial Death, a mysterious woman appeared and pressed her hand against the golden ornament on his forehead, interrupting the merger.

Azik chose to remain as he was rather than pursue the other half of his soul, and Klein returned with him from the mausoleum. After Azik departed to sleep, the Raging Sea stirred again, while Anthony Stevenson received news of Gehrman Sparrow’s reappearance and considered the sealed Angel of Concealment.

• A hooded woman offered Azik three choices, and he chose to give up the other half of his soul and leave the mausoleum as he was.
• The woman extracted the bird-shaped gold ornament, splitting Azik’s spirit; one half entered the ornament, and the other returned to his body.
• Azik thanked the woman, returned with Klein to Gurain City, and said he would sleep until he woke; he gave Klein his copper whistle before vanishing.
• Daly Simone said the Raging Sea had returned to normal, but brilliant stars soon appeared in its dark waters as Soest and Leonard watched.
• Anthony Stevenson received a telegram reporting Gehrman Sparrow’s return, Ludwell’s conversion into a marionette, and Ludwell’s use of the title “Death Consul”; Anthony recalled the records on Sealed Artifact 0-17.

Klein considered whether the Evernight Goddess had helped Azik in Death’s mausoleum and concluded that he might be Her Blessed, though he planned to remain cautious. He then assessed Ludwell’s abilities as his new marionette and prepared to leave Gurain City while waiting for Danitz’s investigation.

• Klein analyzed the female voice that had helped Azik and guessed that the Evernight Goddess had intervened to strengthen Her authority over death.
• Klein praised the Goddess and wondered whether he counted as Her Blessed, accepting Her possible protection while resolving to stay vigilant and keep a low profile.
• Klein examined Ludwell and learned that he was a Sequence 5 Gatekeeper who could command undead and make limited use of the door to the Underworld.
• Klein identified Ludwell’s Harris Rapier as a weapon capable of bringing absolute destruction to whatever it stabbed, and noted that Azik had taken Ludwell’s Death ring.
• Klein decided to leave Gurain City and wait elsewhere for Danitz to finish his investigation.

Fors received news of an abandoned castle that might contain a Scribe ingredient, then learned from Dorian that Calderón City was perilous. Meanwhile, the Red Gloves heard that Gehrman Sparrow had made Admiral of Hell Ludwell his Marionette, and Leonard discovered that Azik Eggers was the Death Consul behind Klein.

• Fors learned from Mr. Moon about an abandoned castle in Delaire Forest and began planning an exploration with Xio.
• Xio told Fors she had earned enough merits to obtain the Interrogator potion formula, then brought in a warning from Dorian Gray Abraham about Calderón City.
• Soest informed the Red Gloves that Gehrman Sparrow had turned Admiral of Hell Ludwell into a Marionette after Ludwell recognized his companion as the Death Consul.
• Daly explained that Death Consuls had ruled the former Balam Empire, prompting Leonard to speculate about Gehrman Sparrow's connection to the Spirituality Religion.
• Pallez told Leonard that Azik Eggers was the Death Consul and a Sequence 2 angel of the Death pathway, leading Leonard to understand Azik's connection to Klein.

Alger and Cattleya discussed Gehrman Sparrow’s capture of the Admiral of Hell and the angel of death among Mr. Fool’s Blessed. In the jungle, Klein summoned Arrodes to learn about Calderón City, discovering its origins as the lost divine kingdom of the Phoenix Ancestor Gregrace.

• Cattleya told Alger that Ludwell surrendered to Gehrman Sparrow after recognizing his companion as the Death Consul.
• Alger recalled a previous attack by Mr. Fool’s Blessed and concluded that the attacker had been an angel of death.
• Cattleya invited Alger to join an operation that would begin between seven thirty and eight that evening, during the targets’ dinner.
• Klein took Ludwell into the jungle and prepared to remove the conspicuous mask, but first summoned Arrodes to ask about Calderón City.
• Arrodes told Klein that Calderón City had been Gregrace’s earthly divine kingdom, was cast into the Spirit World, and was later named after the first Abraham Family angel to enter it.

Klein questioned Arrodes about Calderón City and removed Ludwell’s mask to study the creature inhabiting him. He then contacted Al Moria, who explained Calderón City’s dangers and confirmed that it was once Gregrace’s divine kingdom, while Alger and Cattleya waited outside a house in Bayam.

• Arrodes told Klein to ask Al Moria about Calderón and assured him that removing Ludwell’s mask would not be dangerous.
• Klein sent Arrodes above the Gray Fog, removed Ludwell’s mask, and discovered that a powerful Underworld creature had made him half-undead and half-human.
• Klein prepared a Spirit Channeling ritual with a paper figurine as a vessel and summoned Al Moria.
• Klein told Al Moria that he planned to hunt Spirit World Plunderers, and Al Moria said Calderón City was the easiest place to find them, though the Seven Lights could not enter.
• Al Moria confirmed that Calderón City had been Gregrace’s divine kingdom and warned that her failed resurrection had left its dangers mutated and unknown.
• Alger and Admiral of Stars Cattleya waited outside a house near the harbor in Bayam while someone inside finished dinner.

Admiral of Stars Cattleya used Frank’s specially altered mushrooms to incapacitate the Moon Primordial’s believers and capture the Artisan Sharif. After learning why Sharif had stayed with the believers, Cattleya asked to inspect his mystical items, and Sharif began by presenting the Gargoyle Glasses.

• Heath Doyle reported that the target’s meal included mushroom soup and pan-fried fish, and Cattleya explained that Sharif’s hatred of fish would keep Frank’s mushrooms from killing him.
• Cattleya and Alger entered the house after the diners began vomiting and found mushrooms growing from three Moon Primordial believers; Cattleya bound them, and Heath said cremation was the only way to stop the growth.
• Cattleya burned the three believers and questioned Sharif, who revealed that the Moon Primordial’s rituals had cured his ailment and that he now feared escaping.
• Cattleya decided to set aside Sharif’s belief and asked what mystical items he owned; Sharif showed her the Gargoyle Glasses, which Alger recognized as an item he had ordered.

Cattleya and Alger took several of Sharif’s mystical items and arranged to monitor the Artisan after learning that the Moon Primordial’s believers had a plan involving him. Meanwhile, Klein sought Reinette Tinekerr’s help exploring Calderón City, but she said she could not enter.

• Sharif introduced his mystical items, and Alger chose Words of the Sea, the Gargoyle Glasses, and the Blade of Venom while Cattleya claimed the rest.
• Cattleya and Alger decided to leave Sharif in place and watch for the Moon Primordial’s believers’ plan, then Cattleya took his blood to locate him if needed.
• After Cattleya and Alger left, Sharif used a Fate Puppet to protect himself from tracking or curses through his blood.
• Alger returned to the Blue Avenger and ordered a steak instead of the sailor’s mushroom dish.
• Klein summoned Reinette Tinekerr and asked her to help explore Calderón City, but she said she could not enter.

Klein searched for help exploring Calderón City, then asked Sharron to assist once she became a demigod. After Sharron said she needed one or two months to prepare, Klein decided to conduct low-risk reconnaissance first.

• Klein considered possible allies and dangerous schemes, but ruled them out as unsuitable for helping him enter Calderón City.
• Klein wrote to Sharron, asking whether she could cooperate if she had become a demigod, and sent the letter through Reinette Tinekerr.
• Klein disguised himself and his marionettes as a wealthy local and two servants, then settled in Tetwork City.
• Sharron replied that she needed one or two months to prepare but would help if Klein still needed her; Klein told her not to rush.
• Klein decided to investigate Calderón City's restrictions and death-related powers before attempting a dangerous exploration, and went to perform a divination.

Klein accepted the Words of the Sea cane, negotiated with it to reduce its disruptive singing, and prepared for a preliminary exploration of Calderón City. He chose to bring the Sea God Scepter and Tyrant card for protection, and ended the chapter transformed into a fearsome, pope-like figure holding the scepter.

• Klein examined the Words of the Sea cane and decided to have Enzo carry it, while considering how its pranks and lightning-related drawbacks might be managed.
• Klein tried to divine whether scouting Calderón City's outer regions would be dangerous, but the divination failed, so he planned to test the area with marionettes first.
• Klein found Creeping Hunger exhausted after its encounter with the cane, then criticized both items for their childish behavior.
• Klein negotiated with the Words of the Sea cane, which agreed to sing less often and warn him beforehand if it could not hold back.
• Klein planned his exploration equipment, deciding to bring the Sea God Scepter and Tyrant card to reduce danger in the Spirit World.
• Klein incorporated the Tyrant card into his spirit body, transformed into dark blue-black religious vestments, and caught the Sea God Scepter as the Words of the Sea cane prostrated itself.

Klein prepared to explore Calderón City, testing how its environment altered his and his marionettes’ powers before entering the city’s silent outer region. There, he saw his own reflection in a golden disk, but the reflected Klein looked dead.

• Klein chose his equipment, left the Words of the Sea cane with Winner Enzo, and gave Death Knell to Admiral of Hell Ludwell before traveling to the coordinates Miss Magician provided.
• Klein used his marionettes to confirm that Calderón City’s outer region did not block prayers to the gray fog, then discovered that the doors to the Underworld instead opened onto the city’s dark core.
• Klein tested the Death-domain abilities and other powers of his marionettes, finding that Death powers were stronger, lightning was weaker, and fate-related abilities remained unaffected.
• Klein entered Calderón City in shadow and followed his marionettes through the empty, unnaturally quiet outer region.
• Klein spotted a golden disk reflecting him as a deathly pale figure with lifeless eyes.

Klein discovered that Calderon was transforming living beings into the dead, then was ambushed by a Spirit World Plunderer and a horde of bizarre creatures. He used the Sea God Scepter to unleash two Lightning Storms, destroying the attackers and revealing a battered, headless figure he suspected was the Plunderer.

• Klein used Enzo to inspect a golden disc and realized its reflection showed him transformed into an undead being, concluding that Calderon changed the living toward the dead.
• Klein investigated a mausoleum smithy, where a giant blacksmith attacked Enzo, as a Spirit World Plunderer seized control of Klein’s Spirit Body Threads and bizarre creatures swarmed around him.
• Klein called on the glove to sing and used the Words of the Sea cane and Ludwell’s punch to recover his thoughts and break free of the control.
• Klein unleashed Lightning Storm twice with the Sea God Scepter, annihilating the surrounding creatures and leveling much of the area.
• Klein found Enzo unharmed and spotted a battered, headless white-robed figure emerging from rubble, which he suspected was the Spirit World Plunderer.

Klein fought the Spirit World Plunderer in Calderon’s outer region, using the Sea God Scepter to hunt it through a storm while trying to avoid exhausting his spirituality. After the creature ambushed him with its Mythical Creature Form, Klein revealed that his retreat had been a trap and activated a Fate Siphon charm.

• Klein realized the Spirit World Plunderer had used the golden disc and the giant blacksmith to distract him before attempting to make him a split soul.
• The Spirit World Plunderer used Flame Jump and a giant split soul to evade Klein, but Klein summoned a storm and repeatedly struck at it with lightning.
• Klein noticed the creature was baiting him into wasting spirituality, stopped the storm, and began leaving Calderon with Enzo and Ludwell.
• Klein and Ludwell exposed false Spirit Body Threads and struck at decoys, but the Spirit World Plunderer descended from the clouds and used its Mythical Creature Form to overwhelm Klein.
• Klein recovered enough to say “Fate!” and activated a Fate Siphon charm, revealing that his apparent retreat had been a trap.

Klein used a Fate Siphon charm to reverse the Spirit World Plunderer’s attack and destroy it, but fled Calderon when Ouroboros arrived. After securing the creature’s true soul body and its characteristic, he returned to sleep; meanwhile, Daly Simone’s spirit channeling revealed that Palenc Eggers had gone to meet Ince Zangwill.

• Klein exchanged fates with the Spirit World Plunderer using a Fate Siphon charm, then destroyed it with repeated lightning strikes from the Sea God Scepter.
• As dangerous forces stirred in Calderon, Klein realized the True Creator might have noticed the battle and saw Ouroboros enter the city.
• Klein escaped above the gray fog with Enzo, Ludwell, and the Spirit World Plunderer’s remaining bubbles just before Ouroboros reset the scene.
• Klein collected the Spirit World Plunderer’s true soul body and more than seventy grams of its characteristic, then returned to his body and fell asleep.
• Daly Simone questioned a captured member of the Spirituality Religion, who revealed that Palenc Eggers had gone to meet Ince Zangwill.

The Red Gloves learned that Ince Zangwill had gone to East Balam and began planning how to pursue him. Klein warned Danitz and his companions about the Aurora Order, and Anderson revealed that he had once belonged to another group that worshiped the True Creator.

• Daly questioned a member of the Spirituality Religion about Ince Zangwill, but he could not say where they had met.
• Soest ordered the Red Gloves to inform the Eye of the Goddess, investigate Ince Zangwill's objective, and report every coincidence.
• Klein realized Ouroboros might recognize the secrets of the gray fog and decided to warn his associates about the Aurora Order.
• Danitz received Klein's warning and asked Anderson whether he knew about the Aurora Order.
• Anderson explained its beliefs and revealed that he had once joined the Iron and Blood Cross Order, which also worshiped the True Creator.

Danitz told Anderson that the Aurora Order and the Spirituality Religion had marked Gehrman Sparrow for elimination, then explained his mission in West Balam. After learning that Ince Zangwill had contacted the Artificial Death Faction, Klein prayed to Artificial Death for insight and received a cryptic reply that Ince was possessed by an evil spirit and needed exorcism.

• Danitz warned Anderson that the Aurora Order and the Spirituality Religion had made Gehrman Sparrow a high-priority target, and said he was in West Balam to survey religious beliefs and secret organizations.
• Klein completed a Tarot Club transaction, then received Leonard Mitchell's letter reporting that Ince Zangwill had appeared in East Balam and met Palenc Eggers of the Artificial Death Faction.
• Klein recalled that the Evernight Goddess had gained control over Artificial Death and reasoned that the faction's prayers might have revealed Ince Zangwill's objective.
• Klein performed a ritual praying to Artificial Death for information about Ince Zangwill's purpose in contacting the Spirituality Religion.
• The ritual produced the message: "Possessed by an Evil Spirit. Exorcism required."

Klein learned that Ince Zangwill was possessed by an evil spirit and sent Leonard his assessment, along with a request for Worms of Time to make Fate Siphon charms. He used the Spirit World Plunderer's true soul to disguise his marionettes and arranged daily protection for Danitz, while Leonard read the letter and reacted to Klein's request.

• Klein received a revelation that Ince Zangwill was possessed by an evil spirit and wrote to Leonard about the discovery and its implications.
• Klein asked Leonard to provide Worms of Time so he could create Fate Siphon charms capable of affecting demigods.
• Klein used the Spirit World Plunderer's true soul to alter the appearances of Winner Enzo and Admiral of Hell Ludwell, but struggled with the soul-soothing mask Ludwell needed.
• Klein sent Danitz a Paper Angel's embrace to disrupt divination and prophecy targeting him.
• Leonard read Klein's letter and was surprised by the revelation and unsettled by the request for Worms of Time.

Leonard asked Pallez Zoroast for help preparing Fate Siphon charms, then questioned Daly Simone about evil spirits and realized the spirit possessing Ince Zangwill might be gathering Beyonder ingredients. He suggested tracing Ince’s journey from Backlund to East Balam, while Daly offered to help him investigate; in the City of Silver, Derrick Berg was assigned to an exploration of North City.

• Leonard persuaded Pallez Zoroast to provide two Worms of Time for charms, and Pallez began separating them before entering a two-week sleep.
• Leonard visited Daly Simone and learned that evil spirits could escape their territories by possessing suitable hosts, consumed souls and pathway ingredients, and might inherit their former obsessions.
• Leonard inferred that the evil spirit possessing Ince Zangwill might use his body to collect Beyonder ingredients and proposed tracing Ince’s movements from Backlund to East Balam.
• Daly recognized that Leonard was hiding something but offered to help him with anything concerning Ince Zangwill.
• Derrick Berg received orders to join Chief Colin Iliad’s exploration team bound for North City.

Derrick prepared to join Chief Colin Iliad’s expedition to North City and planned to obtain a Trickmaster’s blood for Mr. World. Meanwhile, Klein suspected that the Evil Spirit possessing Ince Zangwill was Red Angel Medici and sent The Hanged Man to investigate Bansy Harbor, before the chapter ended with Danitz confronting Anderson in West Balam.

• Derrick learned that Mr. World would trade a Light Priest’s Beyonder Characteristic for Trickmaster blood and joined Colin Iliad’s expedition, where Lovia’s presence unsettled him.
• Klein arranged for the City of Silver expedition to collect blood and planned to use Groselle’s Travels to confront the Trickmaster.
• After reading Leonard’s account of Evil Spirits, Klein connected Ince Zangwill’s possessor to the Hunter pathway and suspected it was the Red Angel Evil Spirit associated with Medici.
• Klein’s divination about the possessor failed, so he asked The Hanged Man to investigate Bansy Harbor for clues about the Evil Spirit.
• Klein worried that the Hunter Danitz and Anderson might encounter Ince Zangwill, while Danitz asked Anderson why he was following him in Kukwa City.

Anderson accompanied Danitz as he investigated West Balam, while Danitz learned from a newspaper that Gehrman Sparrow had killed Ludwell. Klein sent Leonard a letter with a Spirit Warlock Beyonder Characteristic and a lead about Ince Zangwill, and Alger arranged for the Blue Avenger to sail toward Bansy Harbor; Klein then activated the radio transceiver above the gray fog.

• Anderson questioned Danitz about his visions of an angel, then followed him outside to investigate West Balam.
• Danitz read that Gehrman Sparrow had killed Ludwell and taken over his fleet, and Anderson joked that Gehrman deserved the nickname “Pirate Admiral Killer.”
• Klein sent Leonard a letter identifying a Hunter-pathway evil spirit as a lead in the investigation of Ince Zangwill and enclosed a Spirit Warlock Beyonder Characteristic.
• Leonard returned two transparent worms to Klein's messenger, then told Daly that the suspected evil spirit might leave clues or misdirection.
• Alger agreed to sail the Blue Avenger toward Bansy Harbor after secretly spreading rumors about valuables there to make the crew request the trip.
• Klein brought the radio transceiver into the real world and activated it, limiting himself to two questions.