Dungeon Siege III Full Transcript

PROLOGUE
Odo: We are the 10th Legion... exiles from a dying Empire, who founded the kingdom of Ehb. For four hundred years, we guided and protected our people. We gave them peace... prosperity... fair judgment. Some say it was the death of the old king that turned the people against us. But it was Jeyne Kassynder who took up the sword and drove us from our chapterhouses and estates. I was not there for the final battle, when the last of our Legion faced Jeyne Kassynder, beneath and boughs of an ancient, hallowed tree. Nor do I know what power she called upon, in that forest, to murder my comrades and friends. After that, the forest was changed - twisted and ruined. Only Jeyne walked out of that place alive. Thirty years have passed since the Legion was destroyed, and Ehb has suffered in that time. War rages without end, between Jeyne Kassynder the east and the royal family in the west. A few sons and daughters of the Legion remain. You are one of their number.

[Now you can select a character:]

Lucas Montbarron
Lucas Montbarron is the son of the former Grand Master of the Legion. He is the last of a noble and respected line. Raised in a series of safehouses by families loyal to his father's memory, Lucas will not rest until the Legion is rebuilt, and his family's honor is restored.
Lucas is a skilled swordsman, and a master of two combat stances. He can fight with a sword and shield, which allows him to attack quickly, deal heavy damage, and interrupt and stun single targets. When outnumbered, he wields a massive two-handed sword. While slower to swing and less practical for one-on-one combat, he can use it to strike multiple foes and knock them back, making it an ideal weapon for crowd control.

Anjali
Anjali is an archon - a legend, come to life. In the old stories, archons were spirits of fire, who served the long- lost creator gods. But Anjali was raised by friends of the Legion, and she does not know how she came to this world, or what happened to the others of her kind.
Anjali can shift freely between her human form and an incarnation of elemental fire. In human form, she fights with a staff or a spear, allowing her to fend off multiple attackers while leaping in and out of the fray. In her fiery incarnation, she can hurl bolts of flame at ranged targets, flood areas with heat and fire, or inflict searing wounds that injure her foes over time.

Reinhart Manx
Reinhart Manx is descended from a long line of Legion mages. He has spent most of his life at the Collegium, in the city of Stonebridge, immersed in the study and practice of magic. Reinhart is known for his unconventional thinking and innovative magical techniques.
A scholar of arcane magic, Reinhart warps the forces of creation and destruction to his will. His Entropic magic can blast a wide area with life-extinguishing force, though it leaves him open to attack. It is perfect for destroying crowds of enemies, as long as he keeps them at a distance. His Dynamic magic is channeled through an arcane gauntlet and capacitor. It creates deadly currents of energy with a mere motion of his hand, allowing Reinhart to quickly incapacitate a single target at close range.

[You choose Lucas.]

Odo: I write to you, my young friend, with urgent news. I know your childhood has not been easy, passed from one sympathetic household to the next, always one step ahead of our enemies. Your father, Hugh Montbarron, was our last Grand Master, and he would have wanted a better life for his son. But he and your mother are long dead... murdered by Jeyne Kassynder. As the last survivor of the old Legion, I've tried my best to keep you safe - to ensure that you are trained in the manner of your forefathers, with sword and shield. But Jeyne Kassynder hunts for us still. Now I fear that her spies may be getting close. We cannot delay any longer. We still have a chance to join together, rebuild the Legion, and take our country back from Jeyne Kassynder, before it's too late. The sons and daughters of the Legion are gathering in the north, at your family's old estate. I urge you to join us in the valley of Rukkenvahl, as quickly as you can. Help us restore all that was lost. Your faithful friend. Odo.

A Gathering in the North

[]

Marten Guiscard: I was afraid everyone else was dead. Are you all right?

Lucas: I'm fine. But who are you? Have we met?

Marten Guiscard: No... but I've seen portraits of the Montbarron family, and you can only be Hugh Montbarron's son. My name is Marten Guiscard, and I'm a friend of Odo’s - and a son of the Legion, like you.

Lucas: When I got here, the house was on fire, and everyone was dead. How did this happen?

Marten Guiscard: We didn't have any warning. They surrounded the house and hit us fast. I don't even know who hired them. Damn - they've found us again! We can't wait any longer. I've set a trap... three kegs of gunpowder on the bridge below. Thought I'd cover my escape if they found me. All we need to do is light the fuses. Come on - to the bridge!

[]

Odo: The Montbarron Estate burned, and with it my dream of a reborn 10th Legion. Or so I thought. I did not know that you and Marten Guiscard had escaped the destruction. As you fled into the night, you bore with you the future of the Legion. Pursued by enemies, fleeing toward uncertain fate, you made your way across the empty leagues of the Rukkenvahl. Throughout the journey, you were driven by a single hope - that others had survived the devastation, and that they reached the safety of the Rukkenvahl Chapterhouse. It was a slender hope, to be sure, but even small hope can warm a man in the cold dark of night. As long as you drew breath, the 10th Legion yet lived, but your fees pressed close about, hunting you. The fate of the Legion - he fate of Ehb itself - rested with you...

Marten Guiscard: I know this part of the valley. We've come a long way... I think were close to the old Legion Chapterhouse. If any of our friends are still alive, that's where they'll be.

Lucas: Tell me about the attack. What do you remember?

Marten Guiscard: Odo sent letters to all the descendants of the Legion. He wanted to gather them here, train them as legionnaires, and take back the country. Most had already arrived, when the mercenaries found us. They surrounded the estate. Must have killed the men who were on watch. They smashed through the windows and the doors. Slaughtered everyone they could find. Then they set fire to the house.

Lucas: How many people were in the estate, when you were attacked?

Marten Guiscard: Almost forty... all sons and daughters of the Legion. Some of them had fought in the wars, but the rest... they were no match for those soldiers. We can hope that a few survived, but most of them are dead. Our enemies didn't seem interested in prisoners.

Lucas: Those mercenary soldiers... have you fought them before?

Marten Guiscard: They were Lescanzi. I think. A wandering people, from the desert in the north. I have no idea who sent them here. Lescanzi will fight for anyone who pays them. No, our real enemy hasn't shown himself... or herself. Not yet.

Lucas: Did you see what happened to Odo?

Marten Guiscard: No. I lost sight of him when the fire started. But we agreed to meet at the old Chapterhouse, if anything went wrong.

Lucas: That's enough about the attack for now.

Marten Guiscard: Right. Maybe Odo can tell us more... if he's alive.

Lucas: I've never been here before. Does this valley have a name?

Marten Guiscard: They call it the Rukkenvahl. It's hard country. Not easy to control, even with an army. That's why Odo chose this place. He thought we'd be safe here, while we trained a new Legion.

Lucas: How many people live out here?

Marten Guiscard: Only a few. There's a village - Raven's Rill. Most of the people are hunters and trappers, from all I've heard. Pilgrims and merchants used to come here, before the Legion fell. Made the town rich. But that was years ago, when the roads were still safe.

Lucas: Was my father born here, in the Rukkenvahl?

Marten Guiscard: I think so. The Montbarrons were granted their land by King Konreid, and the family lived here, ever since. Another Legion family had a manor here, too. The Gunderics... an old line. Your father didn't trust them.

Lucas: You said this is hard country. Are there any dangers I should know about?

Marten Guiscard: Spiders. They're as large as a man, and they're smart. They'll ambush travelers on the road. And there's worse things in the forest. Have you heard of the dakkenweyr... the Beast Lords? In other parts of Ehb, they're only stories. Out here... believe me they're all too real.

Lucas: Thank you. That's all I need to know about the valley.

Marten Guiscard: Sorry I couldn't tell you more. I've only been here for a few weeks, myself.

Lucas: The Legion had a chapterhouse here? In this valley?

Marten Guiscard: They built chapterhouses in every part of Ehb. Even in remote places, like this. They were strongholds where legionnaires would meet. Sometimes in fellowship, sometimes for war. You should have seen the Grand Chapterhouse in Stonebridge... headquarters for the whole Legion. My father took me inside it, once.

Lucas: Let's keep moving. We can talk more later.

Marten Guiscard: You're right. The chapterhouse isn't far. Follow me.

[]

Bogdan: Eh? What's this? Well, well... looks like I'll make some decent coin for this job after all.

Lucas: Out of the way. We have no business with you.

Bogdan: Spoken like a man of the 10th Legion - arrogant and foolhardy. Lucky for me, I found you first. That means I'll get a handsome bonus for your heads.

Lucas: You murdering scum. You'll have no bonus for my head!

Bogdan: Lively up, boys! It's time to earn some gold!

[]

Marten Guiscard: If we're lucky... Odo other side of this gate.

[]

The Venerable Odo: You're alive? Both of you? I thought I... I was the only one left.

Marten Guiscard: Odo! You made it! But where are

The Venerable Odo: The others? The men and women I've kept safe for thirty years? Dead... all of them.

Lucas: Do you have any idea who’s behind this?

The Venerable Odo: I can think of a few possibilities. Jeyne Kassynder, for one. As long as were alive, we're a threat... a symbol of the nation she destroyed. And there's the royal court... or what's left of it. They may still blame the Legion for the old king’s death.

Lucas: That's two possibilities. Any others?

The Venerable Odo: Anyone who stands to profit from civil war and bedlam. That's a long and formidable list.

Lucas: You don't seem hurt. How did you get out?

The Venerable Odo: I rounded up a few of our people... the only ones who hadn't been killed. Reynald. Hanna... and one of the twins from Drakkenberg... Giles, I think. We jumped from the second floor of the house, made a break for the woods.

Lucas: Tell me the rest.

The Venerable Odo: Some of the mercenaries saw us. They fired their guns. I heard one of the others cry out. Then there were more Lescanzi in front of us. We tried to fight our way through. By the time it was over... the others were dead. All I could do was make my way here.

Lucas: Who else could have survived? We need to find them.

The Venerable Odo: My ward... Anjali. I sent her to keep watch for latecomers. She wasn't at the estate, when we were attacked. And there's another survivor, too. The half-blood Lescanzi girl. I couldn't convince her to join us before, but things are different now. Might have been one or two others who hadn't arrived yet, when we were attacked. Hard to say.

Lucas: Odo, who is this ward of yours?

The Venerable Odo: Anjali. My adopted daughter. She's... unique. Has a foreign look about her. Resourceful girl. Learned that from me. Fights with a spear. She'll be hard to miss.

Lucas: What do you know about the Lescanzi woman? You say she has Legion blood, but is she really on our side?

The Venerable Odo: She'll be a delicate problem. I don't expect her to join us, not yet.

Marten Guiscard: We can’t trust her, Odo... she’s unpredictable, undisciplined, and –

The Venerable Odo: Doesn't matter. If there's Legion blood in her veins, she's family. I won't forsake her.

Lucas: If they're alive, I'll find them. Marten, you'd better stay here.

The Venerable Odo: I agree. You're bleeding, Guiscard, and you can barely stand up. I'll do what I can for Marten, but he'll be no help to you, not like this. I'm sorry... you'll be on your own, until you find the others.

Lucas: You know this valley better than me. Where could they have gone?

The Venerable Odo: Raven's Rill. It's the only town in the valley. The people here stayed true to the Legion, even when the rest of Ehb turned against us.

Lucas: I'll head for Raven’s Rill, then.

The Venerable Odo: The town is west of here. Cross the bridge, and turn right at the crossroads. Try to find Lazar Bassili, the town boyar. He's an old friend and he'll help us, if he can. And be careful. Those mercenaries are still here, in the valley. Keep your eyes sharp, and come back safe.

The Search for Survivors

[]

Ladislas: You're a legionnaire, aren't you? Bad idea, coming here.

Lucas: Why would you say that? Is there trouble in the village?

Ladislas: The Kill is an occupied town. Not sure how you got this far, with all the Lescanzi about.

Lucas: I dealt with some mercenaries. They were a nuisance, nothing more.

Ladislas: Won't matter. The Lescanzi have the village surrounded, and they've fortified the upper town - it's a lost cause.

Lucas: Do you know where I can find Lazar Bassili?

Ladislas: No. I haven't seen him... not since the mercenaries got here. Some of the folk in town may know more, but I doubt they'll tell you.

Lucas: And why is that?

Ladislas: They're scared. The Lescanzi have already killed one of our constables, and now they're asking a lot of questions about legionnaires. Everyone knows the Legion is finished. It would be foolish to help you.

Lucas: Are you going to let me pass, or not?

Ladislas: I've no orders to stop you. Open the gates!

[]

Ludmila: Please... I just want to be left alone. Can't a widow grieve in peace?

Lucas: I'm trying to find Lazar Bassili, the town boyar.

Ludmila: Forget about Lazar. He's probably dead, like my Vaclav.

Lucas: How did your husband die?

Ludmila: The mercenary filth marched in and took over the Rill. My husband, Vaclav, was a constable here in town. Vaclav spoke out against the invaders, and one of the bastards ran him through, without a second thought. Murdered him in cold blood! A curse on all Lescanzi!

Lucas: This murderer needs to be brought to justice. Who was it?

Ludmila: I heard the others cheer his name, Boris, as he… I beg you, Legionnaire, avenge this wrong. Avenge my husband!

Lucas: We'll give him justice... cold and swift. What does he look like, and where has he gone?

Ludmila: He wore a sash across his face. Bring me that sash, and I'll know the bastard is dead.

[]

Katarina: You're in danger. I can help you, but we must be discreet. Pretend that you know me. We're old friends, yes? Or even lovers perhaps...

Lucas: Then take my arm. Miss...

Katarina: Katarina. And if we weren’t playing. I might take your arm... if you were the charming gentleman you seem. But I have to be quick. This town is a trap. An army of Lescanzi mercenaries is hiding in the upper Rill, behind the walls. More of them are in the forest, outside of town. They wait for you, and for your friends. The woman who hired them... she is not taking any chances.

Lucas: So the mercenaries were hired by a woman? Do you know who she is?

Katarina: I won't speak her name, not when she's so close. You might think me foolish, but better foolish and safe than brazen and dead.

Lucas: You say this town is a trap. What's your role in it?

Katarina: I am the bait. I was told to watch for legionnaires, and to warn the others, if I found you. They would come running from all directions, and you would be caught. Or killed. But my sister and I have other plans. So the trap won't be sprung. Bad luck for my employer, yes?

Lucas: You're a Lescanzi. You’d betray your own people?

Katarina: I decide who my people are, and who they are not. My loyalty does not come at a price.

Lucas: I'm listening. Tell me the rest.

Katarina: Follow the western road out of town. My sister is waiting for you in a cave there. Her name is Leona. You would do well to speak to her.

Lucas: You said I'd do well to speak with her. Why?

Katarina: You are looking for your comrades, yes? Men and women of Legion blood? If any of them survived the attack, they are prisoners now. My Sister will know where to find them.

Lucas: I'll need better directions to this cave.

Katarina: Follow the western road, and look for a trail, heading north into the woods. It will lead you to the cave.

Lucas: Very well. I'll find your sister and see what she has to say.

Katarina: We shouldn't be seen together. I'll take a different path and meet you later, if I can.

[]

Leona: Ah, good, you've come. I was beginning to fear my sister was too late, and you were killed or taken by the others.

Lucas: I was told you had some information that would be useful.

Leona: Straight to business then? Pity. You weren't the only one to escape the slaughter at the estate - but the others were soon recaptured or slain.

Lucas: The Lescanzi took prisoners? Where are they being held?

Leona: In this very cave. At least one is still alive, maybe more. I offer you this: a key that will open the prisoners' cages. If you hurry, they might still be saved.

Lucas: What are the Lescanzi planning to do with the prisoners?

Leona: They'll be held here until the witches have prepared their rituals. Then they will be... questioned.

Lucas: I won't allow that to happen.

Leona: Then perhaps you should accept my offer instead of standing about asking questions, hmm?

Lucas: I need to know more about you before I agree to this. How can I trust you?

Leona: I have not lured you into a trap. Is that not evidence of my good intent? But if you insist. My name is Leona, and I have goals that are not shared by my kinsmen. Is that sufficient, or shall we dicker about as the flames grow hot?

Lucas: What kind of opposition can I expect?

Leona: Doubtless you have faced Lescanzi mercenaries already? More await you below, but you've made it this far - they should prove little challenge. The witches may give you more pause. Their spells are deadly, and they have power over the dead. Be wary, but moreover, be quick.

Lucas: Very well. I’ll accept your gift, and if it turns out to be genuine, you’ll have my thanks.

Leona: I'm pleased to see I was right about you. Go now - it would be better if I were elsewhere. Perhaps we'll speak again, after this affair is finished.

[]

Vera: It seems the Dark Sister smiles on us - she has brought the last of the wayward children to us.

Lucas: Release your prisoners and leave in peace, and I'll spare your lives.

Vera: Ha! You are a bold one, but I'm afraid not. I fear my employer far more than I fear you, little Legionnaire. But now that you are here... you have saved us the trouble of hunting you down.

[]

Armand: Thank you! Are you a legionnaire, too? I knew there must be a few of us left. Wasn’t sure you'd find me here, though. At least, not in time.

Lucas: What was that witch planning to do to you?

Armand: I don’t know. At first, I thought she was going to question me. I told her she wouldn't get any secrets out of me, but she just laughed. Then she and her friends lit that bonfire. If you hadn't gotten here when you did... I think she meant to burn me alive.

Lucas: Do you know if anyone else made it out of the estate?

Armand: Just the woman in the other cage. We haven't had the chance to speak much.

Lucas: How did you end up here?

Armand: I, uh... got captured, at the estate. When the others ran, I stayed behind to protect some injured men. I killed a few mercenaries, but they must have knocked me out and carried me here.

Lucas: That was a noble sacrifice you made. You might have been killed.

Armand: Yes, well... someone had to do it.

Lucas: So you're descended from the old Legion, too?

Armand: Yes... my names Armand du Blane. Grandson of Crespin du Blane. He died in Stonebridge, thirty years ago, before I was born. Our family had an estate in the farmlands, south of the city. We hid there, for a long time... but Jeyne Kassynder found us. She killed my parents. My brother and sister, too. I was the only one who got out.

Lucas: We need to get you out of here. You should be safe to head back to the chapterhouse.

Armand: Guess I owe you one. All right, I'll meet you at the chapterhouse. And... be careful.

[]

Anjali: Thank you for releasing me. I underestimated these witches. It looks like a simple cage, but it's not. I tried to burn my way out… somehow its proof against fire.

Lucas: You tried to set your cage alight?

Anjali: I've always been able to call fire at will. When I was young, I thought I was its source, but... it's stronger when my purpose is clear. I tried to burn the bars of the cage, but the metal stayed cold. Nor could I project flames from inside. Lescanzi witchcraft, it must be. Now that I'm free of that cage, they’ll need to jump into water if they want to escape my flames.

Lucas: You have a foreign look. Are you descended from the Legion?

Anjali: Not from the Legion... no. Odo believes that I am an archon. A creature out of myth. It sounds ridiculous, I know. And if it's true, then where are all the others of my kind? He found me, not far from here, when I was a child. He says that I was unique... a sign of hope to him. Those are his words, not mine. But I try to live up to them.

Lucas: Did the Lescanzi take you unaware?

Anjali: No. Odo sent me to keep watch for stragglers, anyone late to the gathering. I was in town when the Lescanzi attacked. Witch-magic painted their army as shadows and quieted their steps, but I saw them. It was my cries that alerted the town. The townspeople fled. I was alone, outnumbered, but... I chose to attack. I dont even know why.

Lucas: The mercenaries came here to ravage and kill. You wanted to see them punished.

Anjali: [Influence Gain: Anjali] Yes, you're right. I fought the Lescanzi not as a soldier, but as an executioner. They'd come to destroy the Legion. The idea that even one among them should escape... ignited me. I swore to burn all that I could, and did.

Lucas: Odo and Marten are waiting. They sent me to find survivors.

Anjali: Odo is alive? Take me to him! I promise, I can hold my own if it comes to a fight.

[]

Leona: Well! You certainly handled that with more aplomb than I expected. Bravo my dear! Now then, since you've accomplished your goals, I wonder if you wouldn't be willing to do me a favor.

Lucas: How did I know you were going to want something out of me?

Leona: Oh, come now, darling. After all I did for you, you can certainly spare a little time to help dear Leona. I have come into possession of a key — a key that opens the gates of Gunderic Manor. I need a big, strapping man to go in ahead of me and make it safe - so naturally, I thought of you, my dear.

Lucas: I want to know more about the manor, first.

Leona: Gunderic Manor was where the Legion trained its mages. They are all long dead, of course, and the house abandoned, but it may still prove useful.

Lucas: You already have the key - what do you need from me?

Leona: Gunderic Manor is abandoned but it is not empty. Lord Gunderic and his dead servants still roam the halls, slaying any who intrude. My arts give me some little power over the dead, but not that much. I need the Manor to be cleared before I take possession.

Lucas: Why do the dead walk in Gunderic Manor?

Leona: I've heard many tales. Some speak of Lord Gunderic's daughter dying young... but still being seen about the manor. Others speak of Gunderic himself. When the Legion made its final stand, Stephan did not stand with them. He remained within his manor, with his family and his most trusted students. Some say that cowardice damned him, others that he tried to enact a terrible spell to end the war then and there. Tried and failed.

Lucas: All right. Give me the key. I'll go look into it.

Leona: Wonderful! Such generosity deserves an immediate reward, so I'll tell you what I know of those who hunt you. The attack on the Montbarron Estate - Lescanzi mercenaries did the bulk of the fighting, but their leader was a woman named Rajani.

Lucas: That's not much to go on. Can you tell me anything about her?

Leona: I do not know who she is. Or perhaps... what she is more apropos. But she has great wealth behind her. She hired half the Lescanzi clans in southern Ehb and marched them here to stop you... to stop the Legion from being reborn. You might be interested to learn that she has bivouacked herself in the town hall. If you desire vengeance, that is where you should go.

Lucas: I appreciate your candor. That information will be very useful.

Leona: Information is only the barest glimpse of what I offer. Ours could be a very profitable friendship, if you give me Gunderic Manor. Here then - take the key. I will see you again, after the Manor's current residents have been... evicted. That door leads back to the forest. May the Dark Sister go with you, and the Faithful Hound guard your path.

Gunderic Manor

[]

Katarina: Ah, there you are. I wanted to thank you for trusting me... in spite of my Lescanzi blood.

Lucas: How do I get to Gunderic Manor from here?

Katarina: Ah, yes - Gunderic Manor. When you leave the cave, follow the road, away from town. The manor is not far from here. I do hope to see you again soon, but for now, I –

Anjali: More enemies. They know we’re here.

Katarina: The mercenaries are returning from Raven's Rill. They are looking for you, I think.

Lucas: Will you help me fight them?

Katarina: No... if they see me here, they will know that Leona has betrayed them. Faithful Hound protect you, and perhaps we shall meet again.

[]

Portrait of Alise Gunderic: [The large size of this portrait is unusual. The subject of the impressive work of art must have been someone of great importance to the owner of he manor.]

Portrait of Alise Gunderic: [The artistry of the portrait is of the highest quality. A large placard is mounted on the railing below it.]

Portrait of Alise Gunderic: Alise Gunderic: Daughter of Lord Stephan Gunderic.

Portrait of Alise Gunderic: [The woman in the portrait is undeniably beautiful, but her large gown sharply contrasts with an unhealthy thinness in her arms and face.]

Portrait of Alise Gunderic: [The artist captured her melancholy expression superbly.]

[]

Alise Gunderic: You are... alive? It's been so long... I'm so alone here. Please... help me. I've been trapped here... so long.

Lucas: I was told that this manor was dangerous. Are there other spirits here, like you?

Alise Gunderic: The others... they're bound to my father by loyalty. Defeat him... and they will be free. I am different. Trapped... held... by something powerful and old. Please... will you destroy it? It speaks in ancient whispers... calling me back from the River of Souls. It's in the vault... the lower level. Take this. A key... to the east wing. The vault is there... down below. It is sealed. You will need to find a way inside.

Lucas: How can I enter the vault? Where is the key?

Alise Gunderic: Only father knows. Search his study. If there is a key... it would be there. Beware... my father's men will try to stop you. They are loyal to him... even beyond death.

[]

Magical Guardian: Speak the password and you may enter.

Lucas: Rukkenberry pie!

Magical Guardian: A rukkenberry pie is a popular sweet dish, typically served during the Feast of St. Hiram.

Magical Guardian: Unfortunately for you, rukkenberry pie is not the password.

[]

Magical Guardian: Speak the password and you may enter.

Lucas: The password is Nagog.

Magical Guardian: Welcome back, Master.

[]

Gate: [This gate appears to be opened by a lever on the wall]

Gate: [Upon closer inspection, an empty, circular socket is apparent. Something appears to be missing from the lever.]

Gate: [Regardless of your effort, the lever seems to be stuck fast]

[]

Gate: [The orb easily snaps into place, and the lever begins to hum with power.]

Gate: [The lever now slides smoothly into place]

[]

Lord Gunderic: The Blood of the Legion returns. Come to avenge my treachery have you?

Lucas: I don't know what you're talking about.

Lord Gunderic: You think me a traitor - that I hid here while the Legion fought and died. I see it in your soul. You are a pitiful shadow of what the Legion once was. You will not pass judgment on me!

[]

Leona: My, but you do continue to impress me. F irst my sister-witches, and now Lord Gunderic, dealt with as handily as unruly children. I do wish I could entertain you properly, but I have so much to do here. So I must, sadly, ask you to leave my manor.

Lucas: Just like that? You promised me something that would help defeat Rajani.

Leona: So I did, my dear, and you shall have it. I believe you've more than earned this. Now then, as to my manor...

Lucas: Certainly. This place is too gloomy for the Legion.

Leona: Does that mean you won't be coming back to visit me? Now that's disappointing. Now, I really must ask you to leave me to my work. If you wish, I can transport you outside the manor's grounds - to speed you on your way.

Lucas: Very well. Send me outside.

Leona: But of course, my dear. The Dark Sister protect you on your journey.

[]

Anjali: Be careful. I know what this is. Odo told me the story of this... thing. He called it the Heart of Nagog.

Lucas: It's not literally a heart, is it?

Anjali: No, it's an artifact. According to Odo, it was stolen by Stephan Gunderic many years ago. Originally it belonged to a tribe of primitives in the great swamp. The First People. I think they were called. They received the Heart as a gift from a fallen god... before he died, like all the rest of his kind.

Lucas: The Heart has magical power, then?

Anjali: Can you not feel it? Like tiny needles against my skin, when I stand too close. The Heart holds sway over the souls of the dead... if a person was going to die, the Heart could bind her soul to this world.

Lucas: So that's what happened to Alise. Her father used the Heart to trap her soul in the manor.

Anjali: Yes, and she thinks that if we destroy the Heart, she'll be set free. But it's only a feeling. I would put more trust in that book that we found.

Lucas: You said the Heart was stolen? By Gunderic?

Anjali: It's been years since I heard the tale, but I remember most of it... Stephan Gunderic’s daughter was very sick, and he was sure that the Heart could save her. So he led a band of loyal retainers into the depths of the swamp. They found the primitives' village, crept in, and stole the Heart. But before they'd made their escape, the savages woke and came after them.

Lucas: How does the story end?

Anjali: Not well. Gunderic was the only survivor... all of his retainers were killed by the savages or swallowed up by the swamp, never to be seen again. Gunderic brought the Heart of Nagog back to his manor, whereupon he sought to use its power to save his daughter’s life. But if the story is true, then the Heart only trapped his daughter in a state of undeath. We met her ghost upstairs.

Lucas: I don't think we should touch this thing.

Anjali: I feel the same. The Heart is alive, somehow... and its spirit is hateful and impure.

[Lucas destroy The Heart.]

Alise Gunderic: Thank you. I am finally free... to return to the River of Souls.

[]

Leona: Ready to leave, my dear? Very well.

Lucas: Send me outside.

Leona: But of course, my dear. The Dark Sister protect you on your journey.

[]

Florin: You're... you're with the Legion! Maybe my luck isn't as wretched as I thought.

Lucas: What makes you think you have bad luck?

Florin: Aside from the fact that fate conspires to thwart me at every turn, you mean? I was trying to haul some goods south, to Stonebridge. But the whole valley's crawling with Lescanzi mercenaries. A whole pack of them set on me up the road and stole my wagon!

Lucas: I have a score of my own to settle with these mercenaries. I'll get your wagon back.

Florin: You may have just saved me from debtor's prison, friend. Don't think I won't repay this kindness. Get my merchandise back, and I'll reward you - and of course, you'll get a discount on anything you might want to buy.

[]

Florin: Ha! That'll teach those thugs to harass innocent merchants on the road! You have my thanks - and I suppose I can offer you this as well. If you're looking to buy, just step on up to the wagon and have a look - I'll give you a good price.

[]

Ludmila: Is it done? Has the Lescanzi dog been put down?

Lucas: He's dead. I hope you can find some measure of peace.

Ludmila: The peace I sought was not for me. With his death avenged, Vaclav’s soul will find its way to the River. There exists a debt between us now, Legionnaire. One of blood... and kin. What can an old woman do, to repay such a debt?

Lucas: I need to know where I can find Lazar Bassili.

Ludmila: Ah, Lazar. Haven't seen him since the Lescanzi arrived. He may be dead, but... Grigori would know for certain. Those two are thick as thieves.

Lucas: Killing a man is not worthy of reward, even a cur, such as Boris. Keep your belongings, Ludmila.

Ludmila: Such nobility, in these troubled times? I'll not argue with your choosing, but know this - Ludmila will always consider you as kin.

Lucas: I must go.

Ludmila: Farewell.

[]

Grigori: News of your deeds spread quickly throughout the town. Perhaps the Legion is not as feeble as the Lescanzi would have us believe. I know you have been asking about Lazar. Turns out, he had some correspondence with a rather elusive legionnaire - someone called Odo. That did not sit well with the woman who hired the Lescanzi. She locked poor Lazar in one of the holding cells, beneath the town hall.

Lucas: How do you know about this alleged correspondence with the Legion?

Grigori: I wrote most of the letters, myself. I have been Lazar's clerk for almost twenty years now.

Lucas: The town hall? And where is that?

Grigori: It is in the upper part of town, but you'll not be able to reach it. The Lescanzi have fortified the upper town, and they are letting no one inside.

Lucas: The Legion doesn't abandon its allies. Lazar will have his freedom.

Grigori: If you truly mean to save Lazar, I am at your service. What would you have?

Lucas: Carry a message to Odo in the old Legion Chapterhouse. Tell him what's happened to Lazar.

Grigori: If it will aid my friend, I shall do as you ask. You had best be off before any Lescanzi brigands spot us conspiring against them.

Return to Odo

[]

Tatyana: You! You're with the Legion? Thank St. Hiram. I feared none would be able to help me? My husband needs help. He is... was one of two constables in Raven's Rill. The Lescanzi murdered the other when they took the town. I feared for Niku's life and begged him to flee. He was forced to leave in such a rush, he had no time to take food or a blanket. Can you bring this package to him?

Lucas: Did he tell you where he was going?

Tatyana: He was headed to the East Forest, past the old Legion Chapterhouse. He said something about a cave he discovered as a boy. Niku isn't much of a hunter - he can barely take care of himself. Please, take this package, and give it to Niku if you find him.

[]

Armand: I got back just ahead of you, and I told Odo and Marten what happened in the cave. They want to talk to you, of course. I'll be in the Causeway room. Always heard stories about them, but I've never seen one before. One more thing. I have a few odds and ends... weapons and armor that I saved from my family s old estate... that sort of thing. I'd be happy to sell them to you, if you like. For a good price. I promise Just come and see me, when you're done.

The Venerable Odo: Anjali! They had you in a cage? But they didn't hurt you, did they?

Anjali: I'm well. A few hours underground, nothing more. But we learned our enemy’s name.

Lucas: It's true. Her name is Rajani. She and her mercenaries have occupied the town, and Lazar is their prisoner.

The Venerable Odo: So... without Lazar, we'll have no help from the people of Raven's Rill. But they're not fighting men - probably safer this way. It's time to strike. Catch them off guard. This Rajani has numbers on her side, but they're Lescanzi, and they're only fighting for pay.

Lucas: Lescanzi are mercenaries by trade. What else do we know?

Marten Guiscard: They're wanderers. Desert people. They lost their homeland years and years ago. Now they drift across the world and fight for whoever pays best. Our wars have been good to them.

Lucas: We're definitely outnumbered. How much of a chance do we have?

The Venerable Odo: We're the Legion. We're a family, were fighting for our country, and for the people we love. The numbers are on their side, but the stakes are on ours.

Lucas: We'll need to surprise them. Did you have something in mind?

The Venerable Odo: I did. You've heard of the Causeways?

Marten Guiscard: In the days of the Legion, they were passageways, cut through the fabric of another world. A legionnaire could enter a Causeway in Stonebridge and emerge an hour later in Raven's Rill. If we believe the old accounts.

The Venerable Odo: The Causeways were real. I walked them myself, before the Legion fell.

Lucas: If these Causeways are real... who built them?

The Venerable Odo: We did. Back in the days when Legion magic was strong, before all our mages were killed. Gave us a tactical edge. Send a few hundred legionnaires through a Causeway, all of sudden there's an army wherever we need one. Impressed the common folk, too. Gave us an air of mystique.

Lucas: Go on, Odo. I trust that your story is true.

Anjali: [Influence Gain: Anjali] As do I. Tell us what you have in mind.

The Venerable Odo: There's a Causeway here, inside this Chapterhouse. We can use it to slip into Raven's Rill, catch the enemy by surprise. Only trouble is opening the gate. I don't know how it's done. But I have an idea. The Grand Master's ring. They say it was a key to something important - why not the Causeway gate?

Marten Guiscard: The ring lies where the last Grand Master fell. The Mournweald. An ill-omened place.

Lucas: Odo, you were a legionnaire. You never learned to open one of these gates?

The Venerable Odo: I was a scout. A spy. A legionnaire, yes, but I spent my days in the woods and hills. Every chapterhouse had a Master and a mage. They opened and closed the Causeways. Not men like me.

Lucas: The last Grand Master. That was Hugh Montbarron. My father.

The Venerable Odo: Your father, yes. I'm sorry I have to send you to that place.

Lucas: What else can you tell me about the Mournweald?

The Venerable Odo: It's a forest. An old place. Used to be morn like the start of a new day. Now it's mourn like sorrow and regret.

Lucas: So it's changed? Why, what happened?

The Venerable Odo: The Legion made its last stand in that forest. By then. Jeyne Kassynder had poisoned the people against us. Mobs rose up, slaughtered legionnaires in all the cities and towns. Only place that was safe was this valley. So the last of the Legion came here. Jeyne followed them. Gathered an army, sacked this chapterhouse, pushed them back to the Mornweald.

Lucas: How did it end?

Marten Guiscard: Odo wasn't there. No one knows what happened in the forest, or exactly where they fell.

The Venerable Odo: Whatever she did to them... she twisted and ruined that forest. It's a festering wound that's never healed.

Lucas: If the ring is there. I'll find it. Just tell me where to look.

Marten Guiscard: There's a door at the bottom of the tower. It'll take you outside, into the forest. Here - you'll need the key. When you leave the chapterhouse, head to the east. You'll come to the Mournweald soon enough.

The Venerable Odo: The Legion died in that forest. Whatever happened, whatever Jeyne Kassynder did to them... that place is changed. Get in, find the ring, and get out. No unnecessary risks. Your life is too important to lose.

A Loss for Words

[]

[The path is blocked by a web of roots and brambles. They softly bend and creak, as if the forest itself is breathing]

Anjali: Strange. The forest refuses to let us pass? Perhaps if we looked for another – (the roots let them pass) This forest is aware of us. Why do I feel as if I know this place... and it knows me?

[]

The Radiant Youth: Be careful. You're in danger here... and not only from the creatures of the forest.

Lucas: Anjali? You've met this boy before?

Anjali: I must have met him... but I don't remember where, or even when.

The Radiant Youth: I carried you out of the forest on the day of your birth... the same day the Legion died. Your life began at the foot of this tree.

The Radiant Youth: Tell me... quickly. What brings you to this place?

Lucas: We were looking for the Grand Master's ring... to open the Legion Causeways.

The Radiant Youth: That ring is important, but it isn't what Odo thinks. It won't open a Causeway. Building the Causeways was an act of Creation. That is the most ancient power of all, passed down to us from the gods of old. Opening a Causeway... that is an act of Creation, too. I can give you that power. But you must promise never to come here again.

Lucas: Can you tell me why, at least?

The Radiant Youth: At the heart of this forest is a seed... one that's been dormant for many long years. It has great power and potential, but not for good... not anymore. It is very, very old. Older than the rest of the valley, older than the mountains or the sky The whole forest is waking. You've got to leave.

Lucas: Can we leave by the same path?

The Radiant Youth: You'll never find your way... not now. The Mournweald will trap you here, unless I intervene. I'll send you back to the edge of the forest. Remember what you saw here... hold it in your mind, or it will slip away, like a dream. The Causeways are yours. Use them to rebuild your kingdom and make your country whole. I ask only this. Let no one set foot in this forest, neither enemies nor friends. I'll guard this place... for as long as I can.

[The path is blocked by a web of roots and brambles. They softly bend and creak, as if the forest itself is breathing]

Anjali: Strange. The forest refuses to let us pass?

Lucas: What are you talking about? We just came from the forest... don't you remember?

Anjali: Now you are making sport of me. Odo tells me that I am an ‘easy target,’ but he will not say why.

Lucas: The giant tree? The dead legionnaires? The child who appeared out of nowhere? You don't remember anything?

Anjali: It all sounds familiar. Like a story I heard, and then forgot. When I think about it... this whole forest feels familiar. Not the trees themselves, but the power that gave them life. I'm sorry... I'm making little sense. If we have what we came for, then we should go.

Marten Guiscard: Azunai's blood. You look... different somehow. Changed.

The Venerable Odo: You found the tree, didn't you? And something more. What did you see in that forest?

Lucas: How do you know about the tree? You weren't there when the Legion fell.

The Venerable Odo: Saw it in a dream. A lot of us have seen it. Even the young, the sons and daughters of legionnaires, who were barely born when the Legion died.

Lucas: At the foot of the tree. I spoke to a boy...

The Venerable Odo: Golden hair. Piercing eyes. Kind voice, but far too old for his age. Stories of that boy go back to the first Conclave, and that's a thousand years, maybe more. The Radiant Youth, they called him.

Lucas: He gave me the power to open the Causeways. In return... he doesn't want anyone to set foot in the Mournweald, ever again.

The Venerable Odo: No one at all? But why not... what does he fear?

Lucas: So you've met the child before? And Marten, you've met him, too?

Marten Guiscard: No. Not me. I've only heard stories.

The Venerable Odo: No one's seen him in a long time... not since the old legion fell. We never knew why he left us.

Lucas: The boy didn't tell me his name.

The Venerable Odo: No. He never does. And he takes different forms - he doesn't look the same to everyone. The Boy... that's an auspicious form. Speaks of new beginnings, rebirth. Same form that the first legionnaires saw, back in the days of the founding. Most legionnaires see the Warrior, but I saw the Boy, too. Wondered what it meant, back then...

Lucas: You think the child fears something... or someone?

The Venerable Odo: He's not afraid for his own sake. That child is more than he appears. He could be trying to keep us safe. Still... why forbid anyone from entering the forest?

Lucas: If I can open the Causeway, we shouldn't wait any longer. Let's take back the town.

Marten Guiscard: He’s right, Odo. We can think on the boy’s words later. Now s the time to strike.

The Venerable Odo: When you reach the other side, you'll find yourself in a crypt... I think. Should be in the town graveyard. Head west, straight for the main square. Rajani is probably holed up inside the town hall. Take her alive, if you can.

Lucas: Is Marten well enough to fight?

The Venerable Odo: I've already told Marten... he's still in no condition for a pitched battle.

Marten Guiscard: No... but we can't leave the villagers to fend for themselves. I'll do what I can to protect them, try to get them to safety. Maybe distract some of the other Lescanzi, too. The ones outside the town.

Lucas: The Causeway... when I'm inside, what can I expect?

The Venerable Odo: In my day, they were safe. But no one's walked those roads in years. Try not to look down. That's the best advice I can give. Eyes ahead, and keep moving, no matter what you see.

Lucas: Any idea how many Lescanzi are inside the walls?

The Venerable Odo: Half their forces, maybe. But they won't be ready for you, not at first. They'll be scattered... confused.

Lucas: Anything else I should know?

The Venerable Odo: The boyar... Lazar Bassili. They're probably holding him in the town hall. Once you've dealt with Rajani, don't forget to set him free.

Marten Guiscard: Remember. We're the Legion. We will overcome.

The Battle for Raven's Rill

[]

Zaria: What in the Dark Sister's name? Are you some ghost of the Legion, here to avenge your comrades?

Lucas: I In no ghost, but I will have revenge for my brothers and sisters.

Zaria: Will you indeed? We shall see

Anjali: Your confidence only proves that you are ignorant, Witch.

Zaria: How can you hope to best us when the dead themselves answer our call? Kill them!

[]

Rajani: The girl... I know her. Is this some kind of ruse?

Anjali: Me? You're mistaken... we've never met.

Rajani: Whatever illusions you've spun, you won't break my resolve. Not even with such a cruel trick. My lady charged me to stop you, and I will not fail.

[]

Lazar Bassili: Thank you! I heard the commotion upstairs. That woman... she's not dead?

Lucas: Rajani is beaten, but she isn't dead.

Lazar Bassili: Well, we shall soon remedy that. How dare she march an army into Raven's Rill... and murder good sons of the Legion. I'll see her hang.

Lucas: You're Lazar Bassili? The boyar of the town?

Lazar Bassili: Boyar is an old and stuffy title. Lazar is fine, especially among friends.

Lucas: You're the only prisoner? Rajani didn't lock anyone else down here?

Lazar Bassili: With Lescanzi walking the streets? No need. My people fear the witch-men. They're the villains of every bedtime story... and most of those stories are true.

Lucas: We should get back upstairs.

Lazar Bassili: Quite right. Before Rajani wakes.

[]

Marten Guiscard: The town is ours! They're fleeing into the woods, in total disarray.

Anjali: What about Rajani? You saw how she fights. She calls fire at will... and her eyes, they're like mine.

Rajani: Who are you, girl? You look like someone I knew... you speak with her voice... but that woman is dead and gone.

Lucas: Anjali is one of us... a child of the Legion, like me.

Anjali: [Influence Gain: Anjali] My friend speaks the truth, Rajani. Whoever you think I am... you re wrong.

Rajani: Or perhaps you re a false prophet, meant to lead me astray. If you fight for the Legion, you re an enemy nothing more.

Lucas: You weren't acting alone. Who sent you to attack us?

Rajani: You know her name. She defeated the Legion once, and she'll defeat you again.

Marten Guiscard: Jeyne Kassynder. The old enemy. Thirty years on, and she's still hunting the Legion.

Rajani: And why should she not? You're traitors... kingslayers... murderers.

Lucas: How can we be a threat to you? We don't even know who you are.

Lazar Bassili: She's an archon. I know it sounds mad, but look at her. Just like the stories. Only she's real.

Lucas: What do these stories say about archons?

Lazar Bassili: They were divine messengers... heralds of the old creator gods. You see their pictures in books. Statues of them are supposed to bring luck.

Lucas: Kingslayers, murderers? What does she mean?

Marten Guiscard: Lies. Stories that the old king was murdered by the Legion. That's how Jeyne Kassynder turned the people against us. She claimed that the Legion betrayed its oath, tried to seize power for itself.

Rajani: They re not lies. My lady spoke the truth. But believe what you want.

Lucas: We have to decide what to do with her. Suggestions?

Lazar Bassili: She attacked a defenseless town... murdered your friends at the estate. Why are we discussing this? Kill her, and let justice be done.

Marten Guiscard: Wait. Listen to her words. She's misguided, confused... she fears us. Killing her wouldn't be justice. She's yielded... what if we set her free? Show Jeyne Kassynder that the Legion still has honor.

Lucas: Rajani, you're free to go. We're not your enemies, and we never were.

Rajani: You're mad. Now my lady will know your strength. Next time, she'll send more of us against you… But if that's what you want... then I'll go.

Lazar Bassili: I agree with the armored wench! You are mad, both of you. Stark and raving!

Marten Guiscard: No. We planted a seed. Now we wait, and see how it grows. Come. We should return to the chapterhouse and decide our next move... unless you still have business here.

Lucas: I'm ready. Our business here is done...

[Cutscene.]

Odo: Against the might of the 10th Legion, even the archon, Rajani, could not stand Jeyne Kassynder’s leitenant was vanquished, her mercenaries’ hold on the Rukkenvahl broken. In times past, the Legion’s judgment was merciful and fair... and you chose to spare her life. Who can say how an unexpected mercy knight change an enemy's heart? As the folk of the Rill set about rebuilding, we prepared for our next move. Our old enemy was stronger than she had ever been, and she still plotted our demise. The Rukkenvahl Chapterhouse would not be our sanctuary, but a staging ground for what was to come…

[Cutscene ended.]

The Venerable Odo: Marten tells me that Jeyne Kassynder was behind this. She acted fast - that means she's afraid.

Marten Guiscard: Rajani was full of lies about the Legion. We set her free, as a sign of goodwill. If we can make Jeyne see that she's wrong.

The Venerable Odo: You re an idealist, Marten. Don't assume our enemies have honor... least of all Jeyne Kassynder.

Lucas: Why is Jeyne Kassynder so determined to kill us?

The Venerable Odo: The woman's a mystery. Always has been. As far as we know, she was raised by the Azunite Church... an orphan, maybe, or a rich man s bastard daughter. Must have been eighteen, nineteen years old when the king died. She paraded through the streets of Bisselberg, claimed he'd been murdered by the Legion.

Lucas: Why did anyone listen to Jeyne?

The Venerable Odo: She was young... beautiful... full of passion. Spoke like she truly loved the king, but she couldn't have known him. Half the country was in love with her. The living saint, they called her. Still do, out east, where the Church is strong. And people were jeanus. We'd grown too rich and too fat. That was the Legion's sin, if you ask me.

Lucas: So Jeyne turned the people against us. What then?

The Venerable Odo: Jeyne had the Church behind her. She raised mobs in the cities. Bisselberg first, and the towns of the east Then Stonebridge... Glacern... everywhere else. In Stonebridge, the legionnaires refused to fight - wouldn't raise their hands against the people, Just stood there and died. Montbarron made his last stand here, in Rukkenvahl. The people here stayed loyal, so Jeyne had to march an army north. You know how it ended.

Lucas: And you were the only survivor. How did you escape?

The Venerable Odo: I don’t die easy. And I don't believe in noble last stands. Far as I'm concerned, the war's still on, even if I'm the last soldier in the field. Until I put a knife in Jeyne Kassynder's eye.

Lucas: I'm with you. Jeyne will answer for every legionnaire who died at her hand.

Anjali: [Influence Gain: Anjali] If Rajani was anything like her mistress, then force may be all that Jeyne Kassynder will ever understand.

Marten Guiscard: You all may think me a fool... but I'll never agree that this has to end in blood. We re the Legion - we can find a better way.

Lucas: Our numbers are too few. Can we find more men and women of Legion blood?

The Venerable Odo: Might be a few left. Not enough to build an army. But if we spread the word that the Legion has returned... we can rally Jeyne’s enemies against her. We should start by reclaiming the Grand Chapterhouse... the old Legion headquarters, in Stonebridge.

Lucas: So the Stonebridge chapterhouse is different than the others?

The Venerable Odo: It's bigger... grander. They built it during our golden age, after the Heroes destroyed the Seck. We claim that chapterhouse, hang our banners out front... people will hear that the Legion's returned.

Lucas: Are you sure the chapterhouse wasn't destroyed?

The Venerable Odo: By the people of Stonebridge? No, they never would. It's their mark of shame... reminds them how they betrayed the Legion, and they don't dare forget.

Lucas: Have you heard any news from Stonebridge?

Marten Guiscard: If I had to guess? More smokestacks... more spinning machines... more metal men, clanking through the streets.

Lucas: How do we get to Stonebridge, then?

Marten Guiscard: Stonebridge lies to the south and west... on the far side of the swamp. Lazar's people have repaired the bridge, so the road should be open again.

The Venerable Odo: Marten and I will stay here, for now. Help the locals rebuild.

Marten Guiscard: We owe them. They've endured a great deal, for our sake.

Lucas: Why send me? We could all go together.

The Venerable Odo: The Radiant Youth chose you for a reason. You he meant to lead us. Not Marten, not me.

Lucas: We have a Causeway gate here. Surely there must be another in Stonebridge.

The Venerable Odo: There is, but It's shut. Montbarron ordered most of them closed, to stop Jeyne Kassynder from using them against us.

The Venerable Odo: A Causeway gate can only be opened from the outside... and only by a privileged few.

Lucas: All right. I'll head south for Stonebridge.

Marten Guiscard: Jeyne Kassynder controls most of the land between here and Stonebridge. Her soldiers wear the raiment of the Azunite Church - avoid them, if you can.

The Venerable Odo: Once you're inside the chapterhouse, look for the Causeway gate. Open it, and you can bring the rest of us through.

Marten Guiscard: You're the vanguard of the Legion. All our hopes go with you.

On the Road

[]

Lazar Bassili: Off to Stonebridge, I hear? Before you depart, I have something I would discuss with you, if you're willing. The Lescanzi occupation depleted the town's stores. If we cannot replenish them soon, Raven's Rill may not survive the winter. I know the Legion has done a great deal for us already, but I fear I must ask your help again.

Lucas: Larger matters require my attention, boyar. Speak plainly.

Lazar Bassili: The Heroes' Crypt is where the heroes of the Seek Resurgence were interred. It was considered a holy site, and pilgrims flocked to it. After the crypt was sealed, the pilgrims stopped coming. I believe that if we open it again, we can bring prosperity back to Raven's Rill.

Lucas: Why do you need the Legion's help?

Lazar Bassili: The doors of the monument are sealed by Legion magic. They are impervious to any form of countermagic or physical destruction. They can only be opened by the signet rings of the Legion families who commissioned its construction - the Montbarrons and the Gunderics. I understand you've found both signet rings already. The crypt should open for you now.

Lucas: I'll do what I can.

Lazar Bassili: Excellent. Look for the two large statues outside the monument. I'll fetch Grigori. We'll need a scribe to document this historic event.

Heroes of Old

[]

Katarina: There you are! This may sound strange, but... I was told to wait for you here.

Lucas: Told? By whom?

Katarina: A child. A boy with golden hair and piercing eyes, who spoke like no child I have ever met.

Lucas: Did you follow us into the Mournweald?

Katarina: No... he came to me in a waking dream. I know better than to doubt a vision, especially one so clear. My father was Hugh Montbarron. Grand Master of the Legion. A proud man, I'm told, but not immune to my mother's seduction.

Anjali: Illegitimate, perhaps, but I think she tells the truth. I've seen paintings of the Montbarrons, and she has the same pale eyes. The resemblance is striking, actually... especially to Hugh.

Katarina: I do not know why this golden child chose me - but I believe I can be of help to the Legion. If you let me.

Lucas: Does your sister know that you're planning to leave?

Katarina: Leona's word does not bind me. I decide whose company I keep, and she knows better than to forbid me what I want. If only the rest of the world knew the same, life would be much simpler.

Anjali: So you haven't told her.

Katarina: Not exactly. But we ii be long gone before she finds out, no?

Lucas: Your mother seduced my father? So the stories about Lescanzi witches are true?

Katarina: What stories are those? The ones told to jealous wives by poxy-faced men? Of black-hearted witches who ravished them in the dark of night? Those stories are fancies, but they hide a deeper truth. Lescanzi witches have discerning taste. We will seduce a foreign man, but only if he is strong... clever... handsome.

Lucas: Lescanzi women are entirely practical? Love never plays a role?

Katarina: Sometimes. We are flesh and blood, after all, and even our hearts are not entirer immune to the mad distemper of love. But how many men would abandon their homes to wander with an outcast race? Passion fades, beauty withers, and all that is left is the endless road.

Lucas: If you're a Montbarron, then you're part of the Legion - and my family. We could use your help.

Katarina: Even if the child had not appeared to me... you are family. Of course I will help. We journey south, no? To Stonebridge? I know the roads, and charming company makes long miles less dreary.

[]

Leopold: Heavy smoke, down there. F rom the looks of it, there was another battle in the swamp. Azunite Church on one side, royalists on the other... they're always at it. I was questioned by soldiers down the road. They were Azunites... Jeyne Kassynder's men, and not a friendly lot.

Lucas: Any opinion on the Church soldiers? You seem to have run into them before.

Leopold: The Church army is the right hand of Jeyne Kassynder, but these men seems more mercenary than proper soldier. They may call her a living saint, but any woman who hires Lescanzi thugs must be a little crooked. That's just what I think.

Lucas: Have you dealt with the royalists before?

Leopold: They don't harass me on the road, so that makes them at least a touch better than Jeyne's soldiers. I think they're an honorable lot, but I don't see them winning this war They'll die for a Queen who's the last of her line, and barely more than a girl.

Lucas: Fighting in the swamp? Doesn't seem like the best place for a battle.

Leopold: The royalists are holed up in the Glitterdelve Mine, to the northwest, and Jeyne's army marches from the Azunite Coast, southeast of here. This swamp has the misfortune of being right between the two. This certainly isn't the first time we've had trouble here. Why I still take these routes, I don't know...

Lucas: Thanks for the warning. I'll be careful.

Leopold: I'll stay up here for a while - see if things calm down.

[]

Willem: Stand away, there! Not so close to the general!

Lord Devonsey: Never mind. I can hardly be called a general, with Her Majesty's army lying dead, all around us.

Willem: Sorry... Lord Devonsey... sir.

Lord Devonsey: Forgive the boy. A few months ago he was a royal page, now he's a soldier. Such are the depths to which we have fallen. I'm surprised to see any travelers on the road, with so many of Jeyne Kassynder's soldiers about. What brings you to this ill-omened place?

Lucas: We were sent by the Legion. We're heading south, to reclaim the old chapterhouse in Stonebridge.

Lord Devonsey: The Legion? So the rumors are true. A gathering in the north, the rebirth of the old Legion... That s beside the point, though. I m afraid you re stuck here, with the rest of us. The western road has collapsed, and we're surrounded on all sides by impassible swamp.

Lucas: All the dead soldiers were yours? How did this happen?

Lord Devonsey: Jeyne Kassynder's army was encamped in the swamp. I thought I'd catch her unaware, send her scrambling back to the Spire. So I force-marched out of Glitterdelve, sighted her troops at the base of the cliffs, and gave chase. In the first charge, we drove half her forces into the bogs. I could see Jeyne, not fifty feet from my lines... she had nowhere to run.

Lucas: You smelled victory... and that's when the battle turned.

Lord Devonsey: Jeyne sent a few of her sappers around back of my lines. They collapsed the roads behind me. A clever move, I'll give her that. Half my army - the young ones, mostly - saw their escape route cut off. Didn't matter that we were winning. They panicked... broke and ran. Some of the veterans held their ground and died where they stood. The rest retreated here.

Lucas: She boxed you in... with her forces on one side and the bogs on the other.

Lord Devonsey: Killed half my people with the cannons... the rest tried to flee into the bogs and drowned. And here I am. Trapped in this swamp, cut off from the queen. She has only her maids to protect her now.

Lucas: What forces do you have left?

Lord Devonsey: One of my officers. Roderick, had command of the baggage train. He managed to keep the wagons out of sight. Hid them under those massive roots. Unfortunately, the men who were guarding the wagons are my greenest troops... former servants, and the like. The only blades they've ever wielded are kitchen knives.

Lucas: What about those massive roots? We can walk across them like a road.

Lord Devonsey: Indeed, they'd support our weight... and my cannons and wagons, too. But the roots are separated by stretches of water. In order to create a path, we'd have to raise the land between them. Impossible, you might say. But I have a man in my army with power over earth and stone... a scholar called Phineas. If only he were here.

Lucas: This Phineas can raise a land bridge between the roots? How is that possible?

Lord Devonsey: He's made a study of earth magic... geomancy... the old magic of the warves. It's all very incomplete, but a movement of earth by simple brute force... yes, I think he could manage that much.

Lucas: We need to find this scholar, Phineas. Where has he gone?

Lord Devonsey: He was among the first to be taken by the damned savages. They fell upon us, not long after the battle, and they've been mounting raids and abducting our wounded, ever since. First People. That's what the scholars call them. Only Azunai knows what they call themselves. I'd thought of mounting an attack on their village, to rescue Phineas and the others. But my surviving soldiers are too few and too young. If I had your help, though...

Lucas: Let's try talking to the First People, before we do anything rash. Maybe they mistook you for a threat.

Lord Devonsey: A reasonable theory, but I've met their kind before. Scavengers, preying upon the weak and the wounded. They won't negotiate unless you hold a sword to their throats. I'll gather whatever men I can - the ones who can still fight - and we ii meet you there.

Roderick: I saw you speaking with the General. We must be in dire straits to rely on passers-by. But... Lord Devonsey has seen fit to trust you. You already know of the savages in the bog. Beastly lot, they are. Some of our best soldiers were captured in their raids. Others have gone missing. We sent scouting parties into the bog. I armed them as best I could, but baggage train attendants are hardly soldiers. They haven't returned for hours.

Lucas: This was a massacre. How did you survive the battle?

Roderick: We panicked - well, the young soldiers did, anyway, after Jeyne collapsed the road behind us. We were so close to victory! I kept the baggage train here, instead of risking an escape. The enclosure gave us just enough cover to survive the assault.

Lucas: If your people are raw recruits, they won't survive long in the swamp. Let me look for your missing soldiers.

Roderick: You surprise me. I can offer you little more than some extra supplies... and my thanks. Look for them to the east, out in the bog. We sent out two scouting parties. Hopefully the swamp hasn't claimed them. Devonsey won't permit any more of us to leave camp... so you're the only chance they'll get.

Lost in the Swamp

[]

Anjali: I didn't want to say anything in front of that lord... but I've heard the name Devonsey before.

Lucas: Do you remember where you heard the name?

Anjali: When I was young, I heard Odo speak of him, many times. In hushed and urgent tones. That name... Devonsey... it was often paired with another name, but I don't remember what it was. We should tell Odo, when we see him next. I think... this might be important.

[]

Royalist Scout: Damn natives. You made short work of them. I'm glad we're on the same side! We got split up from the rest of our party in the confusion. We're heading back to camp, but if you find the others, please help them.

[]

Lord Devonsey: There, look. The savages haven't seen us yet, but this is the edge of their village. Phineas and the other prisoners are probably being held on the far side... or maybe in the trees, above.

Lucas: They have the advantage of numbers...

Lord Devonsey: But we have the advantage of surprise. And their numbers will count for little, in that maze of platforms and islands. Once we get to the other side, on open ground... that will be the real test.

Lucas: Do you have a strategy in mind?

Lord Devonsey: Everything depends upon finding their leader - the chief shaman. If we take him alive, we can negotiate from a position of strength. Damn... they've seen us. We're out of time!

[]

Maru-yatum: You are not welcome here. You bring fire and poison to our home. You kill our sacred trees, and you move the crawlers to madness. Now you kill my seed in my village. I come to tell you that you will stop, or Maru-yatum will send you to the River of Souls.

Lucas: I didn't come here to fight. We just want our people back.

Maru-yatum: If you do not come to fight, why dress for war? Your blades were already wet with Ur-shamesh blood. For years you come and battle here. You kill warriors in metal and Ur-shamesh warriors - it matters not. Always it is the same. No peace in my village, or outside in the Damp.

Lucas: I know nothing of your people. Who are you?

Maru-yatum: I am Maru-yatum, he who whispers with Nagog, High Shaman to all in this village. We are the Ur-shamesh... the First People. This is our place. You do not belong here.

Lucas: You say the swamp is sacred, but we know nothing about it. Why do your people care?

Maru-yatum: Long ago, the old one, Nagog, fell from the sky. Our Fathers made a sacred bond with it, as it lay dying. So we all became Ur-shamesh.

Lord Devonsey: Gods falling from the sky... just like the old story of the creator gods.

Maru-yatum: The old one died, and became the Damp. When you walk, your feet touch Nagog. When you breathe, you inhale Nagog. All... is Nagog. All is sacred.

Lucas: There s only one thlng we want, and that s the men you took from us.

Maru-yatum: And why should I return your warriors? You have killed many of my seed. You have burned the ground and poisoned our waters with your dead.

Lord Devonsey: It was Jeyne Kassynder who burned your swamp and killed your people. Not us. I ordered my army to leave you alone.

Maru-yatum: You fought in the Damp and killed Ur-shamesh for years. You now speak names unknown to Maru-yatum to hide the truth - you are all enemies. When our blades pierce your heart, Maru-yatum will feed your flesh to the crawlers!

[]

Maru-yatum: Stop... put down your blade, Firebringer. No warrior has defeated Maru-yatum since he first whispered with Nagog. I will not fight you - your spirit is stronger. Today, all Ur-shamesh know the Firebringer's power and give respect. Take your warriors back, and walk in peace.

Lucas: You've been beaten - don't forget this. Well defend ourselves again, if need be.

Maru-yatum: No one of my warriors will forget. We will not challenge you again. It has always been this way. If the strongest of us cannot kill you then no Ur-shamesh will. Take this charm. It is known to the roots and vines that I command, and they will bow before you to let you pass. Walk free amongst my seed, and in peace.

[]

Phineas: I'm glad to be free, but I'm sorry that so many natives had to die. I wish there could have been a less violent solution. The Ur-shamesh are a fascinating people. It's like they've taken all of our values and turned them on their heads... and then shrunk them. Yes, those babbling heads are more than a little revolting, but the natives have their reasons for that, too. I apologize, it’s been a trying day and I ramble.

Lucas: Is it true? Can you get us out of the swamp?

Phineas: Indeed. I never thought studying old Dwarven lore would turn me into such a valuable instrument of war! That certainly wasn't my intention. Lord Devonsey is a good friend. He would not have left me, even if I didn't nave my magic. But now that I’ll free, I should be able to fashion a bridge of mud and roots. It's a bit larger than anything I've done before, but I'll manage.

Lucas: The sooner we can leave this swamp, the better. Can you raise the land bridge soon? What are the babbling heads? You're fond of the natives...

Phineas: As soon as we return to the camp. I'm sure we'll be moving out soon.

Lucas: I must be off. My road takes me to Stonebridge.

Phineas: Indeed, we are all in your debt. These are troubling times, but your actions remind me of kinder days. Days when the Legion and the Crown served one another. May we meet again.

[]

Arah: So, you're the one who led the attack. Was it worth it? I can only hope that the lives you took were necessary. I came here because I didn't want to serve Azunai through war. Now that you've done your fighting, you might help me tend to its victims. I've been collecting materials from the swamp that I can use as remedies and cures. Will you help me find more?

Lucas: This isn't the place I'd expect to find an Azunite. How did you get here?

Arah: I was once an apprentice alchemist - a promising one, I might add. When my father fell gravely ill, I found that none of my cures would help him. I prayed and prayed, and Azunai saved my father. Since then, I've dedicated my life to his service. Unfortunately, most Azunites seem to think that spilling blood in Jeyne Kassynder's name is the only true means of worship. I teach the children and help the villagers with my remedies. It's a simple life, but better than fighting in Jeyne Kassynder's army.

Lucas: What are you looking for? Gathering a few roots doesn't sound like much of a challenge.

Arah: If only it were that easy! I've no shortage of bog plants, but slug eggs - that's a different story. They have extraordinary healing properties. With all the bloodshed that's taken place here, the villagers have need of such aid.

Lucas: I must be off. I will look for the eggs when I'm in the bog.

Arah: Thank you. And be careful out there - the slugs can be rather vicious.

Missionary Work

[]

Royalist Scout: Good thing Roderick sent you. We wouldn't have survived... you have our thanks. We should be able to make it back to the camp on our own. We'll tell Roderick what happened, but I'm sure he'll want to thank you himself.

[]

Roderick: I can hardly believe it - all my men have returned, safe and sound. It may not seem like much, but believe me when I say that you've given us hope... raised the morale of the men. Please, take these supplies. We'll say they fell off the wagon on the way to Glitterdelve. You've more than earned them.

[]

Lord Devonsey: We go our separate ways from here. Pity to see you go. The queen could use good people like yourselves.

Phineas: Pity also that my freedom was purchased in blood. The First People were only safeguarding their land, from their point of view.

Lord Devonsey: That's more than enough, Phineas. I'll not hear any ungrateful talk, not in front of our benefactors.

Lucas: Let him speak his mind. I admire his candor, at least.

Lord Devonsey: The boy never lacked for sincerity... or nerve. Just like his father in that.

Lucas: Once I've crossed the bog, what's the fastest route to Stonebridge?

Lord Devonsey: On the far side of the water, you'll find an old trading road. It should bring you straight to Stonebridge.

Lucas: Now that we've rescued your people, where will you go?

Lord Devonsey: I'll march what forces I have to Glitterdelve, try to get there ahead of Jeyne Kassynder. With these cannons, we can mount a respectable defense. We'll hold Jeyne's army at every gatehouse, every checkpoint. Keep the queen out of enemy hands. But it's no longer a question of victory... not with the forces I have left, and no allies to support us.

Lucas: How long will it take to raise the land bridge?

Phineas: Not long. I'll begin straightaway.

Lord Devonsey: If our fortune holds, then Jeyne Kassynder will not have reached Glitterdelve, not yet. We'll march to Queen Roslyn's side, as quickly as we can. Perhaps we'll see each other again, before this war is done.

Phineas: We promised you a road out of the swamp. Follow me.

[]

Svarbog: I thought I might find you here, on this road. Did you think you could escape Lescanzi vengeance?

Lucas: You want revenge? And why is that?

Svarbog: You slaughter us by the score, butcher us like animals, and you dare to ask why? I am Svarbog... son of Zaria the witch, who died at your hand. You will answer for her death, and for the deaths of all my kin!

The Grand Chapterhouse

[]

Automaton Constable: Welcome to Stonebridge. I see you are a... 10th Legionnaire! I am instructed to treat you with tepid disdain and mistrust. Your nation, faction, race, or institution has a negative history in our city. Local constables will keep you under careful observation. Please state the nature of your visit to our fair city.

Lucas: There's no need for the hostility, we're here on Legion business.

Automaton Constable: The official census indicates that zero citizens in Stonebridge are registered members of the 10th Legion. Perhaps you are in the wrong city? Regardless of your reasons, Stonebridge is open to the public. You are free to go, unless you require further assistance.

Lucas: We're looking for the Grand Chapterhouse.

Automaton Constable: The Grand Chapterhouse is located on the south side of the central plaza. It is officially vacant, but some treasure seekers have gone inside. They have not come back out.

Lucas: We'll be on our way.

Automaton Constable: Be advised: causing a disturbance may result in fines, detainment, bodily harm, or death. Enjoy your stay.

[]

Legion Scroll: The 10th Legion was founded upon four principal pillars... Vigilant defense. Reconciliation with our foes. Allegiance to the Crown. Fair judgment. Just as these four pillars uphold our Legion, so do the four books guard this Chapterhouse. If the books are not in place, the inner sanctum will be closed, and the guardians will slay those who trespass on our sacred ground...

[]

Anjali: Strange. These Causeways have a quiet beauty, to my eyes.

Lucas: Anjali... take the Causeway back to Rukkenvahl. Tell Odo and Marten that we've reclaimed the Chapterhouse, and bring them back here.

Anjali: [Influence Gain: Anjali] In the old Legion, the role of herald was an honor especially when the news was good. I'll go at once, and I'll guide them safely back...

The Venerable Odo: I remember this place. It hasn't changed so much...

Marten Guiscard: We heard rumors of a battle in the swamp. Royalists against Jeyne Kassynder. What news? You weren't caught up in any trouble, I hope?

Lucas: The rumors of a battle were true. Most of the royal army are dead, but we met their general - a man called Devonsey.

Marten Guiscard: Devonsey? You're sure that was his name?

The Venerable Odo: Thirty years ago, Finn Devonsey was one of us. Master of the Legion Chapterhouse in Glacern. And he called himself by a different name. A Legion name.

Lucas: He called himself by another name? What was it?

Marten Guiscard: Bohemund... an old and respectable name. He wasn't born to the Legion, so he took the name after he joined. My father knew him, spoke well of him.

The Venerable Odo: When the Legion was accused of murdering the king, Devonsey renounced his vows and quit the Legion. Insisted that the charges were true. Stubborn man. Strong conscience. Best tactical mind in the Legion, too.

Lucas: Devonsey has Legion blood. He might be willing to join us.

Marten Guiscard: He might speak on our behalf, at least... convince the Queen that we can be trusted. If we seal an alliance with the royal court, we prove that Ehb has a future. People would rally behind us. Last I heard, the Queen had retreated to the Glitterdelve Mine.

The Venerable Odo: That's where Jeyne will be going, too. If she gets her hands on the Queen... our war is lost.

Lucas: Devonsey mentioned the queen, more than once. What's her name?

The Venerable Odo: Roslyn. She'd be... what... seventeen years old, by now. Last of the royal line. Jeyne Kassynder would like nothing better than to capture the girl. With Roslyn caught... or dead... resistance dries up, and Stonebridge stands alone.

Lucas: How do we know that the royalists will talk to us?

The Venerable Odo: We don't. They probably still believe that the Legion murdered he old king.

Marten Guiscard: Odo's right. They may be wary of us. But we have truth on our side.

Lucas: What's the fastest road to Glitterdelve?

The Venerable Odo: Glitterdelve Mine is a long march from here... many days on foot. Take the Causeway instead. The Legion had an outpost, not far from the mines. Must have been a Causeway there, too, and I doubt the gate was ever sealed.

Lucas: We'll try to find the royal court, then. Is there anyone else who might join us?

Marten Guiscard: The Meisters... the merchant lords of Stonebridge. They'd be powerful friends.

The Venerable Odo: Friends. These people believed Jeyne’s lies. They murdered our brothers and sisters. No reason to think they'll embrace us now.

Marten Guiscard: No reason to think they won’t, if we show ourselves worthy of trust. At least the Meisters could tell us if any legionnaires survived.

Lucas: Jeyne is probably besieging the mines, by now. The Meisters can wait.

Anjali: [Influence Gain: Anjali] I agree. And if Jeyne is at Glitterdelve... we may have a chance to kill her, and finally end the war.

The Venerable Odo: Up to you. Marten and I will trust in your decision, and we'll be here, if you need us.

Majority Rules

[]

Royalist Sapper: I thought you were part of Jeyne's advance guard. Never been happier to be wrong. We're nearly too late - the enemy will soon take the rear entrance into the mines. My men and I came here to collapse the entrance with our cannons, but were taken by surprise. I... I was wounded.

Lucas: Do we have enough time to seal the rear entrance?

Royalist Sapper: I... believe so. But you'll need ammunition. We've used the ruins on this mountainside as storehouses. Take this key - some of them are locked. Our cannons are past me, down the path, on a perch overlooking the entrance. Once you've found what you need, you can fire the cannons and collapse the entrance into the mine. If you don't, the Queen's men will be overrun.

Lucas: I've passed by some of these ruins. What are they?

Royalist Sapper: Old Legion watchtowers and outposts. They've seen better days, but they work well enough as shelter and storage.

Lucas: I'll head to the ruins, now.

Royalist Sapper: Thank you. I'd go, but... I don't think I have much time left. One of the ruins is down this path, past our cannons on the overlook. You walked past the other two, already. We used the big one as a camp, but the Azunites seized it. You'd have to blow open the gates to get inside. Regaining control of the camp would help us hold the mountainside... but nothing is more important than collapsing the mine entrance. I wish you luck.

Making An Entrance

[]

Ibsen: Azunai's bones, look what you've done. Think you can just blow up the mountain as you please, eh? Fool soldiers, playing war games you don't understand. Always eager to tear things down. You just blew up my front door!

Anjali: You mean that wall of ice? That was a door?

Ibsen: Yes! And a damn good one - kept you gits off my side of the mountain.

Lucas: Who are you? What are you doing here?

Ibsen: What are you doing here? You all look like you stepped out of a Stonebridge parlor room - I've never seen prettier mountain men. To answer your question, I'm Ibsen Yamas the Fourth, and this is my home. It's far from your civilized world, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Lucas: We're not from the royalist army. And we're not from Jeyne's army, either.

Ibsen: Of course, my mistake. How could you be soldiers, as heavily armed as you are? Expeditioners - mountain explorers, no doubt. To be honest, I don't care why you're here or why you think firing cannonballs is a good use of your time - as long as you stay clear of my home.

Lucas: We need to find a way into the Glitterdelve mines. Do you know how to get inside?

Ibsen: Through this pass? There is a way, but good luck finding it. The blizzards are fierce around here. All that snow'll turn an experienced mountaineer around. But I'll make you an offer. You fix my front door, and I'll show you the way.

Lucas: Are you any relation to the famous Ibsen Yamas? The Overseer of Glacern?

Ibsen: Unfortunately, yes. I've lived long enough to see everything my ancestors built come crashing down. The whole country's fallen apart. I don't need any of that. Everyone tries to rebuild the old kingdom, but all they do is tear things up even more. Out here, things are simple.

Lucas: Your front door was a wall of crystal and ice. How do we replace that?

Ibsen: This isn't just any mountain. That waterfall you just walked past - a bit peculiar to have flowing water here, don't you think? That's geomancy at work. Dwarven magic. It can do all sorts of things. In this case, it heats the rocks and stops the water from freezing, so it’ll flow into the mines. Fresh water, year-round. It's all part of a vast magical system... the Stonestream. Amazing work of art. Disrupt that, and that waterfall will freeze right up and make me a new door.

Lucas: All right. If that's what it takes, then we'll do as you say.

Anjali: [Influence Gain: Anjali] I agree. The future of the Legion is more important than any dwarven relic.

Ibsen: Good. It’s hardly something to worry about, anyway. The Stonestream’s magic moves through conduits all over this mountain. Three of them flow out to the surface in this pass. They burst out of raised holes in the ground - an odd, floating line of stones. Hit them a few times and you'll collapse the opening. Believe me, you won't hurt anything important. It'll be like cutting a leaf from a tree.

Lucas: How will I know that I've found these openings?

Ibsen: Look for cracks in the ground with a line of stones floating out of them. They'll stand out - you know, since rocks don't normally fly.

Lucas: Very well. Well return when the job is done.

Ibsen: I'll be here. Now if I can avoid any more visitors, I just might salvage my day. I say this because I saw some royalists bumbling about the pass like a bunch of lost cubs. Thought you might want to know. Tell you what - if you find them, feel free to bring them back. Everyone seems to need my help right now. Might as well be a gracious host.

[]

Ibsen: The waters still flowing, which means you haven't closed up all those streams yet. I'm a man of my word. F ix this problem of mine and I'll show you the way out.

In Search of Solitude

[]

Royalist Scout: Who are you? You're not with Jeyne, by the looks of it.

Anjali: No. We are definitely not.

Royalist Scout: I m sorry. These storms have completely turned us around, and we can hardly be expected to know friend from foe. We're grateful for your help. Do you know a way out of this pass?

Lucas: There's a cave not far from here where you can take shelter.

Royalist Scout: We'll follow your lead.

[]

Ibsen: You brought guests, I see! I thought you might go hunting for them. You seemed like the type.

Royalist Scout: A do-gooder?

Ibsen: A meddler. But at least one with good intentions. Take this for your trouble. Your sorry lot will be staying with me. When you're rested, I’ll show you how to get back to your glorified cave.

Lucas: What will happen to these soldiers? They still need to find a way back to Glitterdelve.

Ibsen: They'll be put to work. Can't expect life-saving assistance for free in this world. Don't worry, they'll make it back.

Lucas: Your waterfall is frozen, now.

Ibsen: Quite a Sight, isn't it? As for our deal... here, take this stone. It's a Lodestar, a very special kind of rock the dwarves discovered long ago. Certain gems will glow when a lodestar is nearby. Gives off a bright light that'll pierce even the angriest snowstorm! The dwarves placed clusters of these gems on the mountain and used them like beacons. Clever little fellows, I'll admit.

Lucas: Can you point me in a direction, at least?

Ibsen: Head west, and follow the lights. You'll find your way. While you're out there, you might happen upon a cave. I'll let you in on a secret - it makes for pretty poor shelter. Swarming with dakkenweyrs and frost imps. Nasty place. Though it could be nice, one day, if those buggers were cleared out. Do me this favor, and I'll toss a little something your way. Good luck out there.

Ibsen's Cave

[]

Phineas: What's this? How did you get here?

Roderick: Calm yourself, Phineas. Our friend here helped us seal the rear entrance. We're all thankful for your heroics in the swamp. Especially those scouts whose lives you saved. I've no doubt that you'll prove your worth again.

Phineas: I don't doubt your worth. Your timing is just... uncanny. No matter - Jeyne is doing her best to flood these mines with her men. Their numbers are great, and they've employed a fearsome creature - an old blind, but powerful warbeast. It... trampled many of our men. We fell back and collapsed the main entrance, but others remain. For now, we're just trying to hold the Azunites back.

Lucas: We're looking for Queen Roslyn. Where is she?

Phineas: She refuses to leave her army, even now. She's as stubborn as she is brave. Listen. Queen Roslyn will want to see you. She’s still in her court... Just follow the path up the Well.

Lucas: The Well? I assume that's what were standing in at the moment?

Phineas: The Deep Well, actually. That's what the dwarves called it, when they were here. This chamber led to all the riches found in these mines, the wellspring of dwarven culture. The name was a mark of respect.

Lucas: The Azunites are a formidable enemy. How have you fared against Jeyne Kassynder?

Phineas: Not well. We're trying to seal all the tunnels that connect to the surface. But Jeyne has hundreds of soldiers, and they attack from every direction at once. It's only a matter of time before we're overrun.

Lucas: I’ll go and find the Queen. Good luck to you.

Phineas: We'll stay here a while longer and make sure that the tunnels will hold. I'll see you at the court.

Roderick: It's good to see you again. May Azunai keep you safe.

[]

Lord Devonsey: I can scarce believe my eyes! Queen Roslyn, these are our friends from the swamp, the ones who helped us escape.

Queen Roslyn: You!

Lord Devonsey: You couldn't know them, my queen. Perhaps you saw their kinsmen in a painting, so they only seem familiar. I saw you in the Mournweald, when you spoke to the golden-haired child. Was it only a dream, or were you really there?

Lucas: I was there, and I spoke to the child, just as you say.

Queen Roslyn: I've met the child before, but only in dreams. Three nights ago, I saw him again. The child said that Jeyne and her army were near. That’s why I told Lord Devonsey to collapse the front gate.

Lucas: You said that you've met the child more than once?

Queen Roslyn: The first time was the night my father was killed, and we fled his court in Glacern.

Lord Devonsey: It was her Majesty's dream that led us safely here. She kept her calm. So young, but very much a queen.

Queen Roslyn: Every time Jeyne comes close to catching us, the child warns me and we escape. It's happened twice more, since Glacern.

Lucas: Did the child say anything more?

Queen Roslyn: Only that help was coming... three days after the siege began.

Lord Devonsey: Jeyne was clever this time - she traveled only by night, and she kept her army small and silent. We would never have been ready, if the queen hadn't warned us.

Lucas: Your Majesty, I was sent here to find you. The Legion seeks an alliance with the royal court.

Lord Devonsey: An alliance? I m not sure the Queen is ready to take such a radical step.

Queen Roslyn: Am I not? My father refused to reconcile with the Legion. He kept his pride and lost himself a kingdom. If not for these legionnaires, you would still be trapped in the swamp, and I would be at Jeyne Kassynder's mercy. For that alone, I trust them.

Lord Devonsey: This is not a matter of trust, your Majesty, but of appearances. The Legion murdered your grandfather.

Lucas: The Legion murdered no one. You were a legionnaire yourself - you should know.

Lord Devonsey: Are you so sure you know the truth? Were you there, were you privy to the Grand Master's council, as I was?

Queen Roslyn: I'll hear no more talk of my grandfather’s murder. Whatever the truth may be, these legionnaires are our guests and our friends.

Lord Devonsey: The signal... so soon? Jeyne moved faster than we thought. We're not ready to repel her.

Lucas: Give us your leave, and we’ll help you defend this place.

Queen Roslyn: A poor queen I should be, if I refused the help of a friend. Lord Devonsey can tell you where you're needed most.

Lord Devonsey: Jeyne's soldiers are pushing their way into the mining tunnels above and below us. I'd thought to collapse those tunnels more quickly, but my people are too few. We need to drive back the enemy soldiers, set black powder charges at each of the mining tunnels... and get out of the way before they collapse.

Lucas: How many of your soldiers are left?

Lord Devonsey: Just the few you saw in the swamp. Page boys and destitute lords, most of them.

Lucas: When the tunnels are sealed, is there any other way for Jeyne to get inside?

Lord Devonsey: Only one - a half-finished tunnel at the base of the Deep Well. I'd hoped to seal all the entrances but that one, force her to attack us there. But the present circumstances may work in our favor. The lower entrance won't seem so much like an obvious trap. Assuming, of course, that we can stop her forces in the mining tunnels.

Lucas: No time to waste, then. I'll head for the mining tunnels.

Lord Devonsey: Roderick is my officer in charge - he's probably on his way to the tunnels.

Queen Roslyn: And thank you. It means a great deal to have the Legion at my side

Enemy at the Gates

[]

Roderick: Devonsey sent you to assist? That's welcome news. My men are stretched too thin. We haven't the manpower to contain all the breaches. These tunnels are already overrun?

Lucas: You've seen what we're up against. What's our next move?

Roderick: Collapse those tunnels, straight away. We've got a breach at the ventilation shaft to the east. We brought black powder as quickly as we could to the opening, but we're still a few satchels short of what we need. You can find satchels in the mining tunnels. Grab them, make your way to the breach, and help us collapse it!

Lucas: No time to waste. I’ll head for the breach now.

Roderick: Very good. I'll head to the western tunnels to see how our men fare there. Good luck!

[]

Roderick: Still alive, I see. That means plenty of dead Azunites, which makes me a happy soldier. But we're outnumbered here, and the tunnels have been overrun with more of Jeyne's dogs.

Lucas: What's the situation in these tunnels?

Roderick: We have a breach at the old transport shaft. The dwarves built it here since its further down the mountain and closer to the main roads. My men weren't able to carry much explosive powder before the attack began. You'll have to find more powder satchels to bring the tunnel down. You might find some in our storage chamber by the incinerator pit, but my men are under attack there. If you could help them, I'd be grateful.

Lucas: I'd better get to the breach right away.

Roderick: Thank you, Legionnaire. I’ll round up a few soldiers and make a stand at the Court. I pray it won't come to that.

[]

Lord Devonsey: I'm told that the tunnels are sealed, and Jeyne's forces are repulsed. That was fine work! Now she's trying to drill her way inside, at the base of the Deep Well. You heard the noise in the tunnels, no doubt?

Lucas: What kind of drill are we talking about?

Phineas: Goblin technology. Easy enough to procure, if you have contacts in Stonebridge, and everyone does. We acquire our cannons the same way.

Lord Devonsey: Phineas and I have prepared a trap for Jeyne. It will require all our remaining stores of black powder.

Phineas: We'll need to shut down the Stonestream... allow the combustible vapors to accumulate at the bottom of the Well.

Lucas: So if the vapors collect at the bottom of the Deep Well, we can set off an explosion.

Lord Devonsey: And consume Jeyne's army in fire. If any survive, they'll surely be crushed by falling rock, and their tunnel will be buried, as well I've taken some of the cannons that you saved from the swamp and set them at the bottom of the Well. If Jeyne's forces break through the tunnel too soon, they'll provide a tactical advantage.

Queen Roslyn: What do you think of our plan? Lord Devonsey is sure it will work, but I should like to hear the Legion's opinion, too.

Lucas: This is our best chance to inflict terrible losses on Jeyne, and still keep most of your people alive.

Anjali: [Influence Gain: Anjali] You must think of your own people first, your Majesty. Jeyne's army will show them no mercy.

Queen Roslyn: Most of Jeyne's soldiers are deluded and young. What a horrible way to die, for men and women who are little older than me. I’m sorry - you must think me silly and soft. If you and Lord Devonsey are agreed, then I shall trust your judgment.

Lord Devonsey: Phineas will climb to the top of the Well and shut off the Stonestream. Will you go with him, and keep him safe?

Lucas: So you'll be at the bottom of the Well, setting the black powder charges?

Lord Devonsey: Roderick and his men are already at work. They're bringing the last of the charges below.

Lucas: Phineas will be safe with me, as long as he stays close.

Phineas: Right. I've got to fetch a few books and scrolls. I'll meet you at the top of the Well...

[]

Roderick: Phineas did it, didn't he? The fans have stopped, which means that the Well is going to be a dangerous place very soon. Unfortunately, it won't be soon enough. Jeyne's army broke through, and her men are storming into the Bedrock. Lord Devonsey and his soldiers are holding them off. Help them buy us some time to get our explosives ready - then we'll send those bastards to Azunai!

Lord Devonsey's Trap

[]

Lord Devonsey: I'm glad you're safe. Look... down there. We hold the high ground, but they’re pushing us back. My soldiers need your help. You can't ?e the floating platform to the bottom. Thanks to you, we still have our cannons, from the swamp. We’ll use them to cover you, until Roderick Signals us all to retreat. Do whatever you can to delay Jeyne's army. We need more time for the vapors to build up, at the bottom of the Well.

[]

Saraya: Hold your peace! My lady Jeyne Kassynder calls parley!

Jeyne Kassynder: Lower your weapons. We've come here to talk. I would know who leads my enemy's army. Tell me, why is your face so familiar? Are you the child of some lord that I've slain?

Lucas: My father was Hugh Montbarron, Grand Master of the Legion. You murdered him in the Mournweald.

Jeyne Kassynder: And the girl? The one who stands with you? Why does an archon fight against her own kind?

Anjali: Be silent, traitor. You and your handmaids are no blood of mine.

Rajani: My lady. I know them. These are the legionnaires who spared my life in Raven's Rill.

Jeyne Kassynder: Mercy from the Legion? I find that hard to believe, unless it was some kind of ploy. Violence has always been the Legion's way, ever since Hugh Montbarron murdered the old king. Did you plan the same for Little Queen Mouse?

Lucas: What did we do to earn your hate? It couldn't have been the death of some distant king.

Jeyne Kassynder: Some distant king. Yes, he must seem so to you. The old king - the man your Legion sought to murder and displace he was my father.

Lucas: And your mother? Who was she?

Jeyne Kassynder: An archon. One of the last of her kind, granted shelter and solace by my father, the king.

Lucas: If your father was the old king, then you and Roslyn are family.

Jeyne Kassynder: By blood, Roslyn is my niece, but I will never call her kin. Her family stood by, content to watch while I destroyed the Legion and avenged our father. Only then did they turn against me. They raised an army to put me in chains. A mistake, they'd tell you, if they were not all dead.

Lucas: If the royal family turned against you, they must have had good reason

Jeyne Kassynder: Good reason? Only if you count jealousy and fear. People had begun to whisper that the king had been my father. They were rumors, nothing more, but they worried the rightful heirs. I had no designs upon the throne, not then. But neither would I go quietly to the noose. They created the very monster they feared.

Lucas: Roslyn had no part in any of this, so why fight her?

Jeyne Kassynder: Because Roslyn is weak. She could never rebuild this nation alone. She'll be forced to rely upon others - like your Legion - and you will have power over her. But that is what you want, is it not? I have no need to make such bargains. I am strong enough to rebuild my father's kingdom on my own. And greater powers - not of this world - have shown their favor of me. I will not fail.

Lucas: Roslyn said nothing of this to me. Does she know that she's your niece?

Jeyne Kassynder: Perhaps she doesn't know, if her family kept it from her. What better way to let a shameful secret die?

Lucas: We've spoken enough about your father and his kin.

Jeyne Kassynder: Now you know why I lay claim to this kingdom. I am well within my rights.

Lucas: You say your mother was an archon? A creature out of myth?

Jeyne Kassynder: She came to this world with her sisters, seeking the lost gods they once served. Look no farther than the woman who fights at your side, if you don't trust my words. She is one of my mother's kind, whether she knows it or not.

Lucas: What if I take you at your word? Can we negotiate a truce?

Rajani: They need not be killed, my lady. We could offer exile, or

Jeyne Kassynder: Not to the Legion. No. I have heard the voices of my mother's lost gods. On this day they will grant me victory over you and the pretender queen. This parley is finished. Remain here, and you will be slain. Try to run, and I will hunt you down. We shall not speak again.

[]

Lord Devonsey: Jeyne's army is fleeing down the mountain. The woman lives, but we're safe from her... for now.

Queen Roslyn: The Victory is yours. We owe the Legion our lives.

Lord Devonsey: I'm told that Jeyne spoke to you. She mentioned the old king, no doubt... and the Legion's role in his murder.

Lucas: I need to know what really happened. All the facts, no matter how shameful.

Lord Devonsey: Jeyne Kassynder spoke the truth... as far as she understands it. The commanders of the Legion did conspire to unseat the old king. The goal was never to murder the old king, only to replace him with his eldest son. But the king resisted, and... the matter went awry

Queen Roslyn: You must understand... my grandfather was a monster. Even his own children despised him.

Lucas: You say the king was a monster. What had he done?

Lord Devonsey: I do not pretend to understand the man, but by all accounts, he was prone to paranoia... irrational rages. He grew jealous of the Legion. Before long, he started seizing our chapterhouses and estates threatening to disband the Legion altogether. So Montbarron struck first.

Lucas: If they didn't mean to harm the king, then why was he slain?

Lord Devonsey: I wasn't there when it happened, but I'm told that the king drew a sword. The man wasn't much of a fighter. More a danger to himself than the legionnaires. Who knows how he ended up with a blade in his gut. All the parties are long dead, and we shall never learn the truth.

Lucas: We have a friend, an old Legion scout called Odo. Would he have known about the plot?

Lord Devonsey: No. Montbarron told the rank and file nothing, so that they wouldn't share in his guilt. Little good it did them. They all died, innocent or not.

Lucas: You were one of the Legion commanders. Weren't you part of the plot?

Lord Devonsey: When the plan was put forward by Montbarron. I spoke against it. We had all made a vow to defend the crown, and it seemed to me that our word should be kept. But all the others disagreed. So I abandoned the Legion. Left the hall, out the door, and never went back. The king was in the wrong, yes. But was treason our only recourse? I thought not.

Lucas: You were the only one who abandoned the Legion over this?

Lord Devonsey: A good friend followed me into exile. His name was Garin Marcel. We served the royal family as generals, during the war with Jeyne. Garin died at the battle of Drifter's Cross. Phineas is his son.

Anjali: Another son of the Legion. I never thought to find so many in such an unlikely place.

Lucas: Jeyne told me something else. She said that she was the king's illegitimate daughter.

Lord Devonsey: Ah. The old rumors. I can't say for sure, but I'm inclined to believe them.

Queen Roslyn: Jeyne Kassynder shares my blood? What else have you not told me, Lord Devonsey? The woman lost her father. Her family betrayed her. That doesn’t excuse what she's done, but at least now I understand.

Queen Roslyn: I would ask one more favor of the Legion. Should you meet her again, will you spare Jeyne Kassynder's life?

Queen Roslyn: I would ask one more favor of the Legion. Should you meet her again, will you spare ]eyne Kassynder's life?

Lucas: If she's willing to surrender. I'll let Jeyne live.

Queen Roslyn: Lord Devonsey will surely chastise me for my gentle nature, but I am sure this is the right course. Whatever happens, the Legion has my trust and support.

Lord Devonsey: I shall send riders to all the towns and villages that support the queen, with news of our alliance. You have the word of the royal court. All western Ehb will stand united behind the Legion.

[]

Phineas: You've done it. That's twice that we've survived, thanks to your efforts. You'll always be welcome here. I hope that I may find a way to repay you someday.

Lucas: What will you do, now?

Phineas: Well, if Glitterdelve is to be salvaged, I must find a way to reactivate the Stonestream. I believe it can be done. After that, we'll rebuild and regroup. Jeyne won't be back anytime soon.

Lucas: We must return to Stonebridge. Best of luck to you and the Queen.

Phineas: To you as well, friend. May our paths cross again. Or mine shafts, as it were.

Queen Roslyn: My family should have reconciled with the Legion years ago. I’m glad we're allies again.

[]

Roderick: We've come a long way from that filthy swamp, haven't we? You've given us a victory that will be remembered for years to come. Escorting you to the Causeway is the least that we can do. Are you ready to go?

Lucas: Yes, let's head to the Causeway.

Roderick: Welcome back, Legionnaire. Come to see the Queen? Follow me and we’ll take you to her straightaway.

Lucas: I m not heading that way at the moment, thanks.

Roderick: Just let me know if you'd like an escort. These mountains still have their dangers.

[]

Marten Guiscard: We've had rumors of another battle. Is it true? Jeyne Kassynder's army retreating in disarray?

Anjali: She is beaten! The only misfortune is that Jeyne herself survived.

The Venerable Odo: And Roslyn - what did you think of her? Worthy to wear the crown, or not?

Lucas: She has a kind and temperate nature, but I saw some iron underneath. I think she’ll make a good queen.

The Venerable Odo: Kind and temperate is a far cry from her grandfather. Perhaps this exile has been a blessing for her family, after all. What about our proposal? Does she favor the Legion?

Lucas: Roslyn agreed to an alliance. She and Devonsey gave their word.

The Venerable Odo: Well done! But that's not all, is it? The news can't all be good.

Lucas: My father tried to unseat the old king. The murder was an accident, but Devonsey said –

The Venerable Odo: No more. I don't want to hear. You think I hadn't guessed it was something like that? I still called it a lie. We can't tell this story, not ever.

Lucas: The people already heard this from Jeyne. It's too late to hide the truth.

The Venerable Odo: If we win this war, Jeyne will be dead. Her words become lies and ours become truth.

Marten Guiscard: You're wrong. Odo. The story needs to be told, or the lesson will never be learned.

The Venerable Odo: And what then? The people won't blame Montbarron, they'll paint the whole Legion with the same bloody brush. Kingslayers, forevermore. We'll be feared. No matter how virtuous we seem, we'll always be a threat.

Lucas: Better that the people hear the truth from our lips. I won't lie to them.

The Venerable Odo: I was half-afraid that Marten might say something like this, but you, too?

Marten Guiscard: The Legion will be better for this, not worse. The Crown, as well. If we all know the story and remember it, we won't repeat the same mistakes. We've made our choice - let's speak of something else. What else did you learn in Glitterdelve?

Lucas: Jeyne Kassynder is the daughter of the old king. She told me herself. You never knew?

The Venerable Odo: I always thought that was just a rumor. This changes things.

Marten Guiscard: If Jeyne Kassynder is the old king's daughter, then she has a claim to the throne. Probably thinks it's her right.

The Venerable Odo: Better to strike now, while she's off balance, still reeling from her loss at Glitterdelve.

Lucas: Can we use the Causeways to slip past her army?

The Venerable Odo: No. If a Causeway ever led to the Spire, it's long since been shut. But your instincts are good. We need an ally who can keep her soldiers occupied, while we go after Jeyne, herself.

Marten Guiscard: Stonebridge can field an army of automatons, if need be. If we can seal an alliance with them, they might be willing to help us against Jeyne.

Lucas: Jeyne could be anywhere. Do you know where she's gone?

The Venerable Odo: Jeyne's capital is five days march from here, maybe more. She calls it the Spire - half-cathedral, half-fortress, on the summit of a mountain. That's where she'll be - the most impregnable stronghold in Ehb.

Lucas: Would the Meisters really go to war with Jeyne?

The Venerable Odo: Doubtful. No profit in it, and besides, these merchants and bankers are soft.

Marten Guiscard: I agree, our chances may be slim. But it's still worth a try.

[]

Sigismund Wulf: Ah! Half a minute, there! You came from the chapterhouse, did you not? Tell me... is it true? Has the Legion returned?

Lucas: Only a few of us. But yes, we've reclaimed the old chapterhouse.

Sigismund Wulf: Ha! Let them laugh at me now! Meister Wulf, with his silly dreams of radiant children, and prophecies of the Legion's return.

Lucas: Are any legionnaires still living in Stonebridge?

Sigismund Wulf: I'm sorry... but I'm afraid not. Jeyne and her mobs were quite thorough. That whole affair was a mark of shame upon our City. Be assured that I took no part in that travesty. Nor did my father or anyone else who bears the name Wulf.

Lucas: I'm here to address the Meisters. We want to propose an alliance against Jeyne Kassynder.

Sigismund Wulf: An alliance? That'll be tricky business. I can force them to give you a hearing, at least. I'll warn you, though - they're scared. Scared of Jeyne Kassynder and her armies. Scared that we'll lose our republic, if she takes the city by force. And scared of... other things, too.

Lucas: The Meisters are scared of something else... something inside the city?

Sigismund Wulf: No... forget I spoke of it. The other Meisters will know you've been talking to mad old Wulf, with his secrets and conspiracies. And that won't win you any friends on the council.

Lucas: I'm ready to address the Meisters.

Sigismund Wulf: Capital! I shall go on ahead and announce you. We'll await you inside...

[]

Sigismund Wulf: Gentlemen and goblins! Order! Council recognizes the envoy from the 10th Legion.

Mayor Grimmelhaus: Meister Wulf tells us that you propose an alliance. A grave matter, indeed. Perhaps our colleague forgot to emphasize how deeply we value our neutrality.

Rorik Kassel: A war with Jeyne Kassynder would risk the very life of our republic. What do we gain by siding with the Legion?

Lucas: For thirty years, we've known nothing but civil war. Help us bring order to Ehb. We were one people, one nation - we can be so again.

Sigismund Wulf: A chance to redeem our city's name. An honorable course to take.

Mayor Grimmelhaus: Nonetheless, you can understand why some in the city might fear the Legion's return.

Rorik Kassel: Countless legionnaires were murdered in our streets. People might think that you've come to seek revenge.

Lucas: Forget the past. Those murders are thirty years gone. We came here to reconcile - not for revenge.

Mayor Grimmelhaus: Words alone are unlikely to sway our good citizens. Perhaps if we form a committee... study the problem for several months, or a year...

Sigismund Wulf: Nonsense! The Legion is no threat! There's far more dangerous things in this city, if you would only open your eyes!

Rorik Kassel: Ah! Our colleague again speaks of the Dapper Old Gent, no doubt.

Sigismund Wulf: Indeed, sir, I do! You think that the trouble in the Foundry is not the work of the Gent?

Lucas: Wulf? You didn't say anything about the Foundry before...

Sigismund Wulf: Bad business. The Foundry supplies power to all of Stonebridge but now it's gone Silent, and no one knows why.

Mayor Grimmelhaus: Meister Wulf' Let us not turn aside from the matter at hand. We owe the Legion our vote.

Mudgutter: No - wait. That hardly seems fair. Force a vote now, and it will assuredly go against the Legion.

Mudgutter: I propose a recess. Let us each speak privately to the legionnaires, so that we can reach an informed and impartial judgment.

Lucas: How many votes do I need to win your support?

Mayor Grimmelhaus: A simple majority will suffice. Three of five votes, cast in the Legion's favor.

Mayor Grimmelhaus: Council declares a recess! We shall reconvene after the Legion envoy has spoken to each of my esteemed colleagues, and all are prepared to render a judgment.

[]

Rorik Kassel: Ah, so the Legion has come looking for my vote. These are perilous times... an entangling alliance is hardly prudent.

Rorik Kassel: But I forget my manners. I am Rorik Kassel, city meister and factol of the Ironmongers.

Lucas: In the council meeting. Wulf said something about the Foundry. Is that your responsibility?

Rorik Kassel: Ah... yes. That’s our responsibility. The Foundry is the wellspring of our city's prosperity. We keep the economy in motion and we are the drumbeat of progress.

Lucas: Your guild is obviously important. We need friends like you, and we re willing to prove our goodwill.

Rorik Kassel: If you wish to be of service, there is a certain... problem... that requires attention. The Foundry is presently... overrun. It's the blasted cyclopses. They were docile workers for years, but something in them snapped, and they've brought the Foundry to a standstill.

Lucas: We'll take care of these cyclopses... if you'll pledge your vote to the Legion.

Rorik Kassel: Fine, fine. It's a deal. Speak to my foreman, Mr. Snell, at the Foundry. He will explain our predicament in greater detail.

[]

Mudgutter: Ah yes, I was wondering when you'd come and harass me. No doubt you're here to solicit my vote for your organization.

Lucas: Let's get right to the point. What can the Legion do to earn your support?

Mudgutter: Well, you could help me alphabetize court documents... but a better use of your talents would be to help me with an investigation. Normally I'd have Wulf handle the situation, but it happens to involve a sizable degree of danger, and Wulf is too important to risk.

Lucas: If this is the price for your support, I accept. Just tell me what you need.

Mudgutter: So, the matter at hand. We've had numerous reports of masked individuals hauling automatons into the crypts under the city. Whatever their aim, they are slowly eroding our defenses. And that is intolerable, especially with Jeyne Kassynder and her army on the loose. If someone was to enter the crypts and purge them of these criminals. I would owe that person a favor.

Lucas: Consider it done. We'll be back when we've dealt with these criminals.

Mudgutter: Well then, if you keep your word, I shall do the same and cast my vote in support of the Legion. Good day.

Strike!

[]

Automaton Constable: Not so fast, Legionnaire! None shall pass this gate without the express authorization of the wise and beneficent Meisters of Stonebridge!

Lucas: Meister Kassel asked us to end the work stoppage in the Foundry.

Automaton Constable: I apologize, I do not comprehend the terms, work stoppage general strike, or free will. I will let you pass now. In the future, we will avoid this topic of conversation. Enjoy your time in the Foundry!

[]

Deter Snell: Sorry my friends, the Foundry is closed for... an undefined amount of time. We do regret any inconvenience this may cause.

Lucas: The 10th Legion is at your service. Just tell us what's going on.

Deter Snell: What a blessing! The city's automatons can't handle the heat of the Foundry, and we Ironmongers are craftsmen, not constables. The cyclopses have gone mad! They've killed a few of our foremen, and the gears of the Foundry have stopped. We spotted goblin agitators inside, as well. And if that wasn't enough... the fire elementals that power our furnaces have gotten loose!

Lucas: We're ready to help - what would you have us do?

Deter Snell: Our attempts to parlay have ended in bloodshed. You'll need to pacify them by force. I don't want the cyclopses eliminated. I just want them to go back to work. So find their leader and humble him. The sooner the Foundry is back in operation, the better. If you can restart any of the gearworks below, that would also be a great help.

Cogs and Wheels

[]

Olbert Lutz: Please help! The cyclopses have gone mad! They locked us in here and dragged my men off to Azunai-knows-what awful fate!

Lucas: I'll free your men. Do you know where they were taken?

Olbert Lutz: The cyclopses took them. Over there, past the fire grates on the other side of the chamber! I don't know what they're planning, but those two are like brothers to me! Please, will you help them?

Hostage Situation

[]

Olbert Lutz: Did you find my men? Are they all right?

Lucas: No, I haven't found them yet.

Olbert Lutz: Please hurry. I'm afraid the cyclopses have some dire plan for them!

[]

Metalsmith: Saints bless him, I knew Olbert would send someone for me! Thank you, stranger - now, I'm going to make a run for it while I still can!

Shift Supervisor: I thought I was a goner for sure! I need to get to the surface and let my family know that I'm not dead. I owe you one, Legionnaire.

[]

Ergometheus: No more! Why do you fight us? What have we done to you?

Lucas: You murdered defenseless men. The ironmongers asked us for help.

Anjali: [Influence Gain: Anjali] It was you who started this fight... not them.

Ergometheus: We did not attack them, it was self defense! They made slaves of us! The Paper told us we deserved better!

Lucas: What Paper are you talking about?

Ergometheus: An old man gave The Paper to me. He called it a... Man-i-fest-o. He said we deserve a better life. We have the right to refuse to work to demand better pay!

Lucas: If you tell your brothers to stand down, well talk to Meister Kassel.

Ergometheus: I will trust you to go to the Ironmongers... to decide how best to end this fight. It is only by your mercy that we live. We will accept whatever judgment you make.

[]

Ergometheus: We only ask for better pay... we do not want to be treated as slaves.

[]

Rorik Kassel: Surely you must be joking. Meister Fiddlewick. I shall not reward the slaying of my guildmembers with salaries and contracts! If these beasts weren't vital to the operation of the Foundry, I'd charge every one of them with murder, and they could all go to the gallows!

Fiddlewick: Funny that you mention legal action - last I recall, slavery was a criminal offense in Stonebridge. Shall we take this matter to the courts?

Lucas: You weren't honest with me, Meister Kassel. The cyclopses didn't go mad, they were fighting for their rights.

Rorik Kassel: What are you talking about? The cyclopses turned violent and killed my people without provocation!

Rorik Kassel: Is that what they told you - that this was a work strike? I'd say you've been misled!

Lucas: The cyclopses agreed to stop fighting, if I speak to you on their behalf.

Rorik Kassel: You... what? What nonsense is this?

Fiddlewick: Meister Kassel is an endless font of courtesy and grace. Go ahead thank the Legion for saving your lives.

Rorik Kassel: Yes, yes, thank you for ending the violence. But what do you mean, you speak for them? Those beasts are making demands?

Lucas: The cyclopses have a manifesto of demands. They want better treatment, from now on.

Rorik Kassel: A manifesto? What kind of nonsense is that?

Anjali: The cyclops said that an old man gave them the manifesto. But what does it matter where their ideas came from, if their demands are fair?

Rorik Kassel: An old man? The Dapper Old Gent, no doubt. When Wulf hears about this he's going to give me the I told you so of a lifetime.

Lucas: The Foundry needs to re-open, one way or another. I speak for the cyclopses, so whatever I say, they will honor.

Fiddlewick: Well then, something good came of all this violence. My good legionnaire, tell the cyclopses that they may resume work as salaried employees.

Rorik Kassel: Shut your goblin spout! They agreed long ago to servitude as payment for their crimes - they cannot just ignore a contract.

Lucas: I've heard enough. I'm ready to decide.

Rorik Kassel: My hands are tied. The cyclopses will listen to you, and you alone, now that you've beaten them. I pray you make the right choice.

Fiddlewick: And I, for one, respect the old tradition of letting the Legion be the mediators of best resort. I know you will choose rightly.

Lucas: The cyclopses acted in self-defense. They must be given fair wages and treated with respect.

Rorik Kassel: What? Nonsense! The cyclopses are bound by an agreement! If you wanted my vote... you just lost it. Bah! Tell them... tell them I will negotiate their wages. This decision is foolish, but I won't have the cyclopses leave - the city needs them.

Fiddlewick: He'll calm down eventually. But you have my thanks, and I pledge my vote to you, when the time comes.

Deter Snell: Terribly sorry. Meister Kassel has insisted that we have no further dealings with the Legion. Kassel believes you capitulated to the demands of thugs. But I am grateful for your help. More of our colleagues would surely have died, if not for you.

Lucas: We fixed the gears, as well as we could. The Foundry is impressive when it comes to life.

Deter Snell: True! The whole city relies on the power of our furnaces and gears. Here is a little.

Olbert Lutz: Did you find my men? Are they all right?

Lucas: Yes, they're safe.

Olbert Lutz: They are? Azunai bless you, and all the saints as well! I wish I had more to reward you with, but this is all I can give.

Lucas: You're very generous. I just want to settle this quickly, so you can all get back to your work.

Olbert Lutz: And so do I, my friend. So do I.

[]

Hermann Holtzman: Ah good, I thought I'd find you here. I heard the Legion was back in town and I've been scampering to get my old notes in order. You see. I've been archiving the history of the 10th Legion in Stonebridge. A sad history, to be sure... but my research can help you.

Lucas: Go on. What kind of research do you mean?

Hermann Holtzman: I've studied the event of the local Legion's demise: the riots. I've kept track of many looters and killers that profited on that day. Some who looted the chapterhouse proudly displayed their ill gotten gains - showing off stolen Legion property to house guests. Such arrogance. Well, I have kept track of these pompous criminals... especially the ones who insisted they be buried with their trophies.

Lucas: Those artifacts belong to the Legion. I'll do whatever it takes to get them back.

Hermann Holtzman: I've assembled a list of graves that should contain stolen property. Problem is, the crypts have become too dangerous of late. Here, take my notes. Unless the thieves have started looting coffins at random, you should be able to recover the stolen items.

Anjali: A shame no one confronted these looters while they lived. But at least we can recover what they took.

[]

Shipping Label: Gunter, store these goods with the other two shipments. If we're lucky, we'll find a buyer fast, before Schnaus even knows they're gone. Invoice No: 3439, Destination: Schnaus's Mercantile. Contents. Four (4) Bundles of Parchment.

Stolen Shipments

[]

Ehregott: I spent a small fortune hiring every cutpurse, footpad, and ruffian this side of Rukkenvahl. Great deal of good it did me.

Lucas: Good idea, setting up shop in the crypts. Think of all the money you saved on funeral expenses.

Ehregott: There's plenty of open graves available. Let me know where I should dump your corpses after we kill you. Enough? I know when I've met my match. Spare my life, and I'll go quietly.

Lucas: You've been hauling automatons into the crypts. Tell us why.

Ehregott: The Dapper Old Gent hired us to abscond with the city's automatons. We tear them up, turn them over to the Gent... he pays us good coin. I'd guess he's selling the damned things on the black market, but it's none of my affair. It's hard to carry those metal brutes very far, so we set up here, in the crypts. The locals don't come down here, not anymore.

Lucas: One more question. How do I find the Dapper Old Gent?

Ehregott: Best of luck to you, friend. I've sent people to follow him, but it 5 been no use. He's like a ghost - my men will trail him to a dead end alley, and like that, he'll be gone. He finds me, I never seek him out.

Lucas: Constables will be coming to arrest you. If you try to run, well hunt you down.

[]

Ehregott: I told you all I know. Leave me be.

[]

Marten Guiscard: I'm glad I caught you! There's trouble, all over Stonebridge. The automatons - they've gone mad! They're tearing the city apart.

Lucas: Everything was quiet, a few hours ago.

Marten Guiscard: One moment they were fine, the next they just... changed. As if someone took control of them. It's been less than an hour, and they've already taken the main square. They're fighting like an army - working together, attacking every person they see.

Lucas: What happened to all the people?

Marten Guiscard: They're hiding indoors. A few are still on the streets, and I'm trying to keep them safe. We're sheltering people in the chapterhouse, too. Odo's barred the doors.

Lucas: All right. What's our plan?

Marten Guiscard: The automatons are headed for the city hall. You've got to warn the Meisters - save them, if you can. I'll be all right - go!

The Automaton Rebellion

[]

Sigismund Wulf: The Gent - he was here! As soon as you entered the hall, he fled.

Lucas: The Gent was here? Did he speak to you?

Sigismund Wulf: He threatened us... told us he was going to bring down the city. The madman said we deserved it.

Lucas: You don't seem hurt. What about the other Meisters?

Sigismund Wulf: Just a few cuts and bruises. My own automatons held the doors and kept the enemy at bay. The Gent never got to my constables. Bad luck for him. Ha!

Lucas: He fled on foot?

Sigismund Wulf: No, he opened one of those shimmering doors. Just over there, in the corner.

Anjali: A Causeway. We should follow, and catch him by surprise.

[]

The Dapper Old Gent: You simply do not give up, do you? How much did the Meisters pay you to finish what they began, thirty years ago? Tell me, what price does my blood fetch? No matter. Whatever the sum, you will not live to collect.

[]

Sigismund Wulf: Surrender yourself. Gent! By all the saints, your judgment is long overdue!

The Dapper Old Gent: Judgment? By what right? The people of Stonebridge are guilty of far worse crimes than mine. I spit on you. Murderers and traitors, all.

Lucas: Murder and betrayal? Who do you accuse?

The Dapper Old Gent: Not you. I've not seen your face before, and you are a mystery – No, I speak of these merry Meisters in their pretty clothes, and all the people of Stonebridge. They tore open the doors of our chapterhouse. Dragged us into the streets. Murdered my brothers... my sisters... the whole damned Legion.

Lucas: You were there? You actually saw what happened?

The Dapper Old Gent: I was there. I saw these people with my very own eyes, watched them slaughter legionnaires who refused to fight back.

Sigismund Wulf: Many joined the mobs, sir, but many more did not!

The Dapper Old Gent: Half your people stood by, while the other half did murder. Did you hold the killers to account? No? Then you share in their guilt.

Lucas: If you claim to be a legionnaire, then tell us your name.

The Dapper Old Gent: Archambaud du Payen. Senior apprentice to the Grand Mage. Last survivor of the Legion.

The Venerable Odo: No. Not the last. Look at me, brother. We stood at Hearthfire together, forty years past, spoke the rites and made our oaths to the Legion.

The Dapper Old Gent: I remember you. Odo. The tracker, the tireless scout, the watcher of roads. How can this be? In my dreams, I saw the whole Legion dead... scattered around a great tree.

Lucas: You saw a tree? Was it full of ravens?

The Dapper Old Gent: Just as you say. Sometimes I see my fallen comrades scattered about its base, an army of corpses, rotting in a foul and twisted wood. Every time I close my eyes, the dream is there.

Lucas: What about the Radiant Youth - the child with golden hair? Have you ever met him at the tree?

The Dapper Old Gent: No. I saw him only once, at my induction into the Legion. Odo was there and saw him, too. I thought he'd turned his back from us. Or just from me.

Lucas: You're a criminal... but you're a legionnaire, as well.

Sigismund Wulf: Hand him over to me, and I'll see that he gets a trial. He'll hang, I expect, but that's a quick death. Better than he'd get if we tossed him to the people.

The Venerable Odo: Wait. He's a legionnaire... he's one of us. And he's a mage. If we give him to the town, all his knowledge is lost.

Sigismund Wulf: This man is a criminal, Sir! He tried to ruin our City, and who knows how many lives he took! Would you let him walk free?

Lucas: We'll take custody of the Gent. He won't trouble your city any further.

Sigismund Wulf: I must vigorously protest! This madman tried to bring down the city - I'll not have him running loose!

The Dapper Old Gent: My word that I'll leave you in peace, constable, on the following terms. First - that your fine council grants full support to the Legion. Second - that you find the ones who slaughtered my Legion brothers, if they yet live. And hold them to account.

Sigismund Wulf: I daresay we have little choice, sir. Very well - I agree to your terms. That's one matter settled, but we still owe the Legion a vote. I'll convene the council at once...

[Cutscene]

Odo: Was this, then, what the Legion had become? A bitter old man bent on revenge? I didn't want to believe it. The Gent was a true man of the Tenth, and its ideals still lived in his heart. Though the committed terrible crimes, the Legion had need of his knowledge. His skills would serve no one if we went to the noose. So the Dapper Old Gent returned to the Chapterhouse, his crimes forgiwen in the eyes of the Legion.… if not the people of Stonebridge. We have gained a poweful ally, and the people of Stonebridge have pledged themselves to our cause. As long as Jeyne Kassynder remains a threat… they have little choice.

[Cutscene ended.]

Sigismund Wulf: Gentlemen and goblins! Order! Council will address the proposed alliance with the 10th Legion.

Mayor Grimmelhaus: Circumstances have indeed changed since we last spoke. I now find myself addressing the savior of our city.Does the Legion envoy have anything further to say, before a vote is called?

Lucas: Judge the Legion by our actions, not our words.

Mayor Grimmelhaus: Very good - no reason to postpone our decision any further. All those in favor of the alliance, vote aye. Those opposed, vote nay.

Sigismund Wulf: First Constable votes aye.

Mudgutter: Chief Barrister votes aye.

Rorik Kassel: Guild of ironmongers reminds the council of the considerable cost of the events in the Foundry. Are we now to pay for the Legion's war, as well?

Fiddlewick: First the guild abuses its workers... now it votes against the savior of our city? I wonder what the people will do, when they hear? And I promise that they'll hear.

Rorik Kassel: Ahem. Guild of ironmongers... respectfully abstains.

Fiddlewick: Master of the College votes aye.

Mayor Grimmelhaus: Three votes in favor, one abstention. As mayor of the city, I shall join the majority and vote aye. Be it resolved, then, that an alliance is declared between the city of Stonebridge and the 10th Legion. May our enemies tremble with dread!

Lucas: I'd like to thank the council for putting its faith in the Legion.

Mayor Grimmelhaus: Of course! You are the savior of our city! Ask any favor of us, and the answer will be yes.

Lucas: Will you send your automaton army to attack Jeyne Kassynder? We can take her by surprise, and end the war.

Mayor Grimmelhaus: Er... the army? When I said any favor. I didn't actually mean

Sigismund Wulf: Capital! I can have the automatons ready in short order. Shall I make ready to leave? I should warn you - we may not return to Stonebridge again, before this war is over.

Lucas: How many automatons are left? I destroyed a lot of them.

Sigismund Wulf: The Gent only managed to take control of about half our automatons. And not all of those were destroyed, so the army is intact. Jeyne's forces may outnumber us, but her soldiers have never faced automatons before. I daresay that will work in our favor.

Lucas: I don't see any reason to wait. We'll leave for the Spire, as soon as you're able.

Sigismund Wulf: Mm. The Spire stands atop Mt. Jhereb. That's a week's march from here, on foot. Our automatons will assault the town of Aegis Bay, at the foot of the mountain. They ll engage Jeyne s forces and provide a distraction, you see? That will give you a chance to climb the trails to the top of the mountain and assault the Spire, itself. It will be an honor to fight alongside the Legion. And may fortune smile upon our endeavor.

[Cutscene]

Odo: At long last, the tide turned. No longer was the 10th Legion fighting a defensive war - with the automaton army of Stonebridge behind us, we took the battle to our enemy. Under the command of Marten Guiscard and Meister Wulf, our army poured forth from Stonebridge in a flood of iron and flame. The journey was a long one, and difficult. Had you marched with soldiers of flesh and blood, I do not doubt that many would haw died, but the automatons were tireless. At last you reached your goal – the Spire. Crowning the sacred mountain of Jhereb, it was the heart of Jeyne Kassynder’s strength. No army had ever conquered it. Azunite zelots and Stonebridge automatons clashed at the mountain's foot. Blind faith and cold reason struggled for dominance, as file ground churned with oil and blood. Above the clamor of battle, you ascended a forgotten path up the mountain, seeking the Spire itself…

[Cutscene ended.]

On Holy Ground

[]

Rajani: Wait! No weapons. We've come to talk, not to fight.

Saraya: Quickly, Rajani. We shouldn't be here.

Lucas: Jeyne doesn't know you're here, does she?

Rajani: We only speak for ourselves, not for our lady.

Saraya: Jeyne is first among our sisters, like her mother before her. We don't want to betray her, but

Rajani: Jeyne has lost her way. She talks of visions and dreams. A great tree... carrion birds... She claims to hear the voices of our lost gods in her mind. And that proves she is mad.

Lucas: Maybe she is hearing the voices of your gods.

Saraya: Our gods are dead. Tumbled from the heavens and gone. We sought them long, across a thousand divine realms, and never found a trace.

Rajani: Not true, sister. Jeyne's mother claimed to have discovered a remnant... a forgotten seed of the First Creation, the handiwork of our gods. But none of us ever saw.

Lucas: What kind of seed do you mean?

Rajani: She never told us the form it took... only that she could sense the power that shaped the world, still alive and potent within.

Lucas: So what do you propose?

Rajani: You spared my life in Raven's Rill. And when you spoke to Jeyne in Glitterdelve, you weren't the monster that she said you'd be. I don't want to see my sisters destroyed in Jeyne's pointless war. Too few of us are left. We ask for your mercy. For our sisters, and for Jeyne herself. In return we’ll grant you whatever aid we can.

Lucas: I promised the Queen that I'd spare Jeyne’s life. I’ll try to spare your sisters, too.

Saraya: So Jeyne was wrong about you, after all. When Rajani told me... I... I didn't believe.

Rajani: Beyond this gate is the Bailey Garden, filled with soldiers. They're fanatics, loyal only to Jeyne... they think her a saint, and you'll never sway them. At the far side of the Garden is a door, protected by a magical seal. Two of our sisters fashioned that seal from their own living fire. Now their lives are tied to the seal. To pass the door, you would need their consent, and that, they’ll never give. So you'll have to find them... and kill them.

Lucas: I thought you wanted me to spare your sisters' lives.

Saraya: Those two - the ones who watch the gate - they're different. No one speaks of them, not anymore.

Rajani: The spell they wove has driven them mad - they don't even answer to their old names. We only know them as the Archon of Vengeance and the Archon of War.

Lucas: And on the other side of the door?

Rajani: The Chancel. A place of worship, for the zealots who call Jeyne their living saint. And above that, the Sanctum of F ire, where our sisters dwell.

Lucas: And by zealots, you mean her soldiers and priests?

Rajani: In the beginning, they were useful tools, nothing more... an army to protect her from the royal family. She didn't believe she was really a saint. But now... As I said... she's lost her way.

Lucas: Enough about the Spire. I should be able to find my way.

Rajani: As you wish. Can we tell you anything more?

Lucas: You haven't told me where I'll find Jeyne.

Saraya: No need. She’ll find you.

Rajani: She's somewhere in the Spire - probably watching, using our eyes as her own. She ll know that we've betrayed her.

Lucas: Are there any hidden places? Secrets that Jeyne wouldn't want me to find?

Rajani: The dungeon. Underneath the Bailey Garden, that lies just ahead. Jeyne keeps her most valuable prisoners there. Look for the stone centerpiece, in the middle of the garden. The door to the dungeon is hidden in its base. But you can only open the door by stepping on a golden pressure plate hidden in a corner of the garden.

Lucas: You should leave this place. And stay away from our soldiers - they'll take you for enemies.

Saraya: No - wait. The girl who travels with you - why doesn't she know who she is?

Anjali: We may share the same eyes, and yes, I can call fire, like you. But I've never seen you before. I'm not one of your sisters.

Rajani: But you're wrong. We know you. Don't you remember the place where you died?

Lucas: You saw Anjali die? Where did this happen?

Rajani: When we first came to this world. She tried to follow Jeyne's mother into a primordial forest, where a fragment of the First Creation was said to lie. The forest consumed her, tore her to pieces before our eyes. We thought it was a sign - choosing Jeyne’s mother over the rest of us. But now our sister has returned, to trumpet Jeyne's fall...

Saraya: We don't know that yet. We'll wait, for now... the meaning will make itself clear.

[]

Dungeon Siege

[]

Fitch: You! You're not one of Kassynder's mercenary dogs! Please, for the love of mercy, let me out of here!

Lucas: Why should I let you out of there?

Fitch: A business proposition, eh? Sharp, friend, very sharp! Tell you what I'll do they stashed all my contraband in a chest someplace 'round here. Let me out, and when I get it back, I’ll give you a nice, hefty discount on whatever you like.

Lucas: Where might I find the keys to these cells?

Fitch: The Jailor carries them. He lingers at the north end of the cell block – though he passes through here to torment us often enough.

Lucas: I'll return when I have the keys, then.

[]

Fitch: Have you got the keys yet?

Lucas: I haven't found them yet.

Fitch: Well, what are you waiting for, an engraved invitation? Go take care of the Jailor.

[]

Fitch: Have you got the keys yet?

Lucas: Of course. Just let me get this door unlocked.

Fitch: Azunai bless your soul, friend! You're a true hero, you are, and I'll be sure as to tell anyone I meet!

[]

Archon of War: All is fire and blood and the screams of dying men... the stench of burst guts, sweltering heat of battle-lust, taste of copper and of fear. Armies wheel and clash, steel turns to flame in the morning sun, forever and unchanging, war without end, war without end... What is this? The foeman seeks to steal a march? To arms, to arms may the line hold strong!

[]

Gavril: Wait! Stay your hand, Legionairre, I mean no harm!

Lucas: If this is some kind of trick, you’ll regret it.

Gavril: No trick, I assure you. I see the way the wind is blowing. I'm bound for the Aranoi, and wherever the road takes me. Still, I could use a bit of coin for the journey - and I've acquired quality gear from the armory.

Lucas: You mean you've stolen from your employers, and you plan to desert.

Gavril: Well, yes. Assuming that s not a problem for you, I m happy to show you what I have.

[]

Archon of Vengeance: Injustice! Injustice gives way to trespass, trespass demands redress, redress comes only through blood! If the son strikes the father, let his hand be hewn off, if the serf wounds the noble let him suffer the lash, eye for eye, tooth for tooth... If a man should trespass, let his feet be seared with hot coals and let him be whipped from the city!

[]

Jeyne Kassynder: And here is the Legion, their hands washed with innocent blood. Thirty years, and nothing has changed.

Lucas: The Queen asked me to spare your life. Yield, and no harm will come to you.

Jeyne Kassynder: The Queen is as soft as a milkmaid. She might be churning butter and birthing calves, and Ehb would be in safer hands. I say to you, lay down your arms. The days of your Legion are past and gone. When I faced the traitor Montbarron, the gods of my mother struck him down. And they shall guide my hand against you now!

Jeyne Kassynder: The fires in this place give us strength, Legionnaire. My handmaids and I will bum you to dust!

[]

Jeyne Kassynder: You have defeated my archons... crushed my soldiers... defiled this most holy of places. No more! The gods of my mother stand with me, while you have nothing but the ghosts of your broken Legion. If any of you pretend to piety, pray to your gods now! I will not bow my head to you. Neither will I grovel or beg.

Lucas: Give yourself up, and we'll treat you with respect.

Jeyne Kassynder: You mistake me. I do not concede defeat to the Legion, so you need not offer terms. My gods have not abandoned me, not yet. They dance like shadows at the corner of my eye, and they whisper in my ear. I will go before the gods of my mother... appeal to them for aid... and call her fallen sisters back from death. And when I return, we shall drive you from this kingdom that is mine by right!

[]

Rajani: Where is Jeyne? Is she...

Lucas: Vanished. She went to find her mother's gods... to appeal to them for help.

Rajani: But they are long dead. Unless she means… The forest... the place you call the Mournweald... it grew from a seed of the First Creation. Perhaps it contains an echo of our gods.

Lucas: She thinks she can restore the other archons to life, with the help of her gods.

Rajani: Our legends say that no archon could ever truly die. Their fires could always be kindled again, if our gods willed it so. If Jeyne restored them all to life... she would have an army behind her.

Lucas: Just how many archons were there, when your gods were alive?

Rajani: We counted ourselves as numerous as the stars in the sky. Indeed, the stars were fashioned in our honor - one for each of our sisters.

Rajani: Or... so the stories tell us.

Lucas: We've got to follow Jeyne. How can we get to the Mournweald from here?

Rajani: Jeyne built this place on the ruin of a Legion stronghold. I've seen one of your Causeways in the dungeon below. The gate was hidden behind a locked door, but Jeyne entrusted her handmaids with a key. I have it here.

Lucas: Now that Jeyne has fled, where will you and your sisters go?

Rajani: We shall watch... and wait. My sisters may not all believe, but this battle doesn't only chart the course of your kingdom. It also foretells the future of our race. Do we follow Jeyne... the First Sister of old... or a new road, led by the prophet who walks at your side?

Anjali: You mean... me.

Rajani: Yes. You may not remember your life before... but you challenged Jeyne's mother in the Mournweald. For that offense, you died. You were called back to life with purpose, as the harbinger of Jeyne's fall. I believe that you were meant to take her place. But we will see.

Lucas: Marten, what about our army? Has the battle ended?

Marten Guiscard: We've won... but only thanks to you. A few of Jeyne's people surrendered, the others all fled.

Lucas: You re too humble. Marten. I didn't win your battle for you.

Marten Guiscard: No, I don't mean to be modest. We held our own, but we’ll never have swept them off the field. When the fire burst from the top of the tower, the fighting nearly stopped, with everyone straining to see Then the fire went out, and Jeyne s army knew that she d lost. They ran like autumn leaves before a storm.

Lucas: I tried not to harm the other archons, but I couldn't be sure they survived.

Rajani: Thank you. They are alive, all of them. Saraya is with them now. I know my sisters. They'll see Jeyne's defeat as a sign that she led us astray. None of us will follow her again.

Lucas: Can we take the elevator down to the dungeon?

Rajani: Yes. No need to stop in the chancel. It will take you all the way to the dungeon, below.

Marten Guiscard: I'm with you. Let's go and see if this Causeway is still intact.

Rebirth

[]

Fitch: Made it out alive, did you? Not bad. Since you did old F itch a favor, let old Fitch do one for you. Got some good stuff here - I'll sell it cheap.

Marten Guiscard: I'd consider his offer. You won't have another chance to buy weapons or gear, before you face Jeyne.

[]

Marten Guiscard: So... one way or another, this is the end of our road. Shall we go?

Lucas: Stay here, Marten. Someone needs to take charge of the Spire.

Marten Guiscard: I thought you might say that. Meister Wulf doesn't lack for nerve, but the man's a bit mad. Seems wrong, though. We started this journey together... I would have liked to have been there, at the end.

Lucas: You re a good friend. Marten. Take care.

Marten Guiscard: Remember. Out of all the survivors of the Legion, the Radiant Youth chose you. He appeared to no one else. I think he chose well. And I'd follow you down any road. Goodbye my friend.

[]

Old Letter: [This letter was written in haste. It hasn't been disturbed in a long time… If you are reading these words, then you are surely a child of the Legion. The Causeways will open for no other. My name is Etienne du Marnay, and my family has served the Legion for many generations. I have escaped Jeyne Kassynder's crusade and fled north, to the edge of the Aranoi Desert. I will not write what I am seeking there, in case this letter falls into enemy hands. I will only say that it is very old... the greatest treasure of the ancient Azunite faith. Look for me at the Abbey of St. Hiram. I await the day when I might see my comrades again, and I pray for the survival of our fellowship and our sacred blood. ] Yours in friendship. Etienne du Marnay 1st day of Dusken-fall, in the year 1265]

Anjali: The same year that the Legion fell. This letter is old... but he may still be alive.

Last of an Ancient Line

[]

Causeway Portal: [Stepping through this portal will transport you to the Rukkenvahl. Beyond this point, you will not be able to return] If you have any unfinished quests in the Aranoi Desert, you will not be able to complete them. Do you wish to step through?]

[]

Armand: Azunai be praised, you're here! You won't believe what's happened! It started just before you arrive.

Lucas: Jeyne Kassynder is here, in this valley. She thinks she can speak to her mother's gods, and call the archons back to life.

Armand: Well, whatever she's done... you'd better look outside. Something terrible is happening... it's like the sky's been set afire! Come with me. I'll show you!

[]

Lazar Bassili: Legionnaire! It seems that you've arrived just in time for the end.

Lucas: You should be with your people, Lazar. They need your leadership now.

Lazar Bassili: If I could reach them, I would. That path is closed to me, alas.

Armand: He's right. The entire west wing has collapsed. Returning to town is impossible.

Lucas: We're alive, aren't we? Don't be so quick to give up hope.

Lazar Bassili: Hope? You think I should have hope? Look! The signs are all around us - stars are dropping from the heavens, and we are all going to die! You see? It is folly to think of hope.

Lucas: Are you quite finished? I can get you to safety in the Causeway.

Armand: The Causeway? But I thought only legionnaires were allowed to

Anjali: You are a legionnaire. And Lazar is under your protection, is he not?

Armand: Excellent point. To the Causeway, then.

[]

Armand: I've always wanted to do this... to travel by Causeway, like the legionnaires of old.

Lazar Bassili: I'm happy for you. It would be a shame to get this close, only to die.

Lucas: Go on, head through the Causeway. You should be safe in there.

Armand: Here, take this key. You'll need it to unlock the door downstairs. Until our paths cross again. Hopefully sooner than later, eh?

[]

The Radiant Youth: Jeyne Kassynder is close. She found her way to the tree, at the center of the forest, and she s waiting for you there. I came to warn you. She is not alone.

Lucas: She's called the other archons back to life. I've already seen them... and another creature, too.

The Radiant Youth: Not just the archons and the daevas. Something much worse. It hasn't taken shape... not yet.

Lucas: What's happened to the archons? Why do they look so strange?

The Radiant Youth: The power at the heart of this forest has been twisted and ruined. It can only give birth to monsters, now. That is Jeyne's fault... though she doesn't understand what she's done wrong.

Lucas: So those four-armed demons have a name.

The Radiant Youth: No one has seen a daeva since the dawn of the world. They served the creator gods, just as the archons did. Even then, they were said to be terrible. But not as monstrous as you see them now.

Lucas: Jeyne called something else back to life? Do you know what it is?

The Radiant Youth: Nothing I have seen before. But anything is possible here. This forest grew from a seed of the First Creation. It's alive with the power of the old creator gods. Jeyne has tapped that power. She has used it wrongly, yes, but it's still the same power that gave birth to the world, limited only by her mortal mind. But it won't matter. If you strike now, you can still defeat her.

Lucas: Is there anything else you can tell us? If what you say is true, we'll need every advantage we can get.

The Radiant Youth: The danger won't come from Jeyne Kassynder. You have nothing to fear from her. The presence that is taking shape... tbatis the real threat. Destroy it, and the power in this forest will be broken. Jeyne s archons and daevas will return to dust. That's all I know for certain. But I'll be with you again, before the end.

[]

Jeyne Kassynder: So you followed me here. You are stubborn... and I admire you for that. But you should never have come. I have restored the archons to life... just as I promised.

Lucas: All this... for what? To win a crown?

Jeyne Kassynder: Yes! To take back this kingdom, as is my right. The archons are not all that has returned. The power of Creation still lives in this grove, and anything can be born anew. Even the creator gods, themselves...

Anjali: One of her mother's gods. She's called it back to life...

[]

Jeyne Kassynder: They're gone. The voices of my mother's gods... I cannot hear them anymore. Not even a whisper.

The Radiant Youth: They are lost. You will not see them or hear them, ever again.

Jeyne Kassynder: You lie, child. Or whatever you truly are, behind that innocent face.

The Radiant Youth: No, Jeyne Kassynder. I speak the truth. What remained of your mother's gods has been destroyed, and the power of Creation has fled this grove. It will never return.

Lucas: You told me that this forest grew from a seed of the First Creation. Is it dead, then?

Jeyne Kassynder: That cannot be. My mother searched for thousands of years, and this was the only remnant of her gods that she ever found.

The Radiant Youth: The power in this forest might have been used to restore the old gods and all their servants to life. Not the twisted half-life that you gave them, Jeyne Kassynder. A true rebirth, as they were at the dawn of the world. But you called upon that power to destroy... not to create. You twisted the power of Creation to your own ends, until all that was left was an empty shell, rotted from within. And now it is gone.

Lucas: Why did this power respond to Jeyne, and no one else?

The Radiant Youth: Jeyne's mother was First Sister. When she died, her fire passed to Jeyne. The First Sister stood at the right hand of her gods. Only pale shadows of their minds persisted in this grove... but they remembered her. That is why Jeyne saw her gods in visions and dreams. Just as her mother did, before her. And that is why Jeyne could unlock the power that was buried here.

Lucas: We have a decision to make - what to do with Jeyne.

Anjali: Wait. I have a question... and I may never be able to ask it again. I was born in this grove, thirty years ago... was I not?

The Radiant Youth: Yes. I found you here, on the day the Legion died, and I carried you to the forests edge.

Anjali: So the creator gods... whatever remained of them... they called me back to like.

The Radiant Youth: That may be... yes.

Lucas: If that's true... it must have happened quickly. Soon after Jeyne destroyed the Legion, but before the forest became corrupt.

The Radiant Youth: Perhaps the creator gods knew that they were doomed... and they wanted Anjali to destroy them. To undo Jeyne's mistake.

Anjali: If that is true, then at least I've honored them. Thank you... your words give me comfort.

Lucas: And Jeyne? What of her?

Anjali: As long as she lives. Jeyne is a threat... a sword hanging over our necks. The Legion will never be safe, not until she is dead.

Jeyne Kassynder: I expect no mercy from the Legion. Do as you like.

Lucas: Before I pass Judgment on you, I want to know why you acted as you did Honestly, and in your own words.

Jeyne Kassynder: Why did I murder your father? That is what you want to hear, is it not? I was young. Full of anger. My own father was dead by the Legion's hand. So I raised an army. I swore to avenge him myself, if I had to carve my way through every chapterhouse in Ehb. If the other legionnaires had handed over Montbarron, I would never have hunted them down. But they were so stubborn... so loyal to their chief. That was wrong of me. I should not have punished the whole Legion for Montbarron's sin.

Lucas: You're sorry for killing the legionnaires... but not for killing my father.

Jeyne Kassynder: I take no pride in the pain I caused you. But I am not sorry for the death of Hugh Montbarron. No... I would kill him again. He murdered my father, and I don't care what hls reasons were. You asked for honesty. There you have it.

Lucas: The Mournweald was sacred to your people... and especially to your mother. Why would you confront the Legion here?

Jeyne Kassynder: Montbarron lured me to this place. Somehow... he knew what I was, and he knew that this forest was sacred to me. He believed that I would never dare to strike him down... not in the presence of my mother's gods.

Lucas: He was wrong. You used the power of the Mournweald against him.

Jeyne Kassynder: Montbarron was so arrogant... so sure that he'd outmaneuvered me. That smug look on his face, with no hint of remorse for what he'd done. That was what doomed him, most of all. I will never understand why the forest allowed him to enter, when so many others were kept out.

Lucas: Unless your gods meant to test you. Perhaps they wanted to know if your devotion to them was stronger than your rage.

Jeyne Kassynder: I... I never thought of that. If that is true... then I failed them.

Lucas: You've told me why you destroyed the Legion. But why fight a war with the Queen?

Jeyne Kassynder: I will answer your question with one of my own. Do you believe that Roslyn would make a stronger queen than me? My father was a king, my mother a chief among her people and chosen of her gods. I have made mistakes, yes, but I know how to lead. And Roslyn? She has the heart of a lamb. Would you trust the rebuilding of this kingdom to a sheltered little girl?

Lucas: If Roslyn falters, the Legion will keep the country whole.

Jeyne Kassynder: Be careful. I hear the echo of Hugh Montbarron, behind those words. Take too strong a hand, and the people will cast your Legion down again.

Lucas: I have no more questions. I've made my decision.

Jeyne Kassynder: And I am ready for your judgment... though I know what it will be.

Lucas: No... you won't die today. I promised Roslyn that I'd spare your life.

Jeyne Kassynder: Little Queen Mouse? I owe my life to that cringing girl? That is a fine irony. Am I to be your prisoner, then? Paraded through the streets in a gilded cage?

Lucas: Atone for all the suffering you've caused. Help us to rebuild the kingdom.

Jeyne Kassynder: You are not the Legion I remember. They were arrogant, and they would never have proposed such a thing. Very well... you have my promise. I will use what influence I have to help you heal this country. Let the war between us end.

The Radiant Youth: By those words, Jeyne Kassynder, you are bound to the Legion now.

Lucas: It's over, then.

The Radiant Youth: For now. You deserve a rest... but it may be short-lived.

Lucas: We need to build our strength and train more legionnaires.

The Radiant Youth: You will find many willing to join the Legion now. Even a few who might surprise you. And you'll need them... soon. The country is still divided, and the Legion has many old enemies who yet live. But you've shown yourself to be fair, as well as strong. Whatever happens, the people of Ehb will stand behind you.

Anjali: You and I started this together. Whatever comes next, I will follow where you lead.

The Radiant Youth: We part ways, then. I will be watching, and one day, I will see you again.

[Final cutscene.]

Odo: You bid farewell to the Radiant Youth, and he sent you back to our chapterhouse in Stonebridge, where I awaited your return. In the weeks that followed, news spread of Jeyne Kassynder's defeat. Your armies scattered, giving us time to rest and regroup. Marten Guiscard returned safely from the Spire, along with Meister Wulf and the automaton army. Only a few weeks later, elections were held in Stonebridge. Meister Wulf, who is had been so public in his support of the Legion, almost won the office of Mayor. But he was defeated in the end. Many people had wanted the Dapper Old Gent to hang. They resented the fact that the Legion had spared his life, and they blamed poor Wulf. After the humiliating events in the Foundry, Meister Kassel was forced to resign as guildmaster of ironmongers. The cyclopses negotiated a new contract for higher wages, and with the help of Meister Fiddlewick, formed a new workers' union. For the first time in a hundred years, they were permitted to leave the Foundry and spend their newfound wealth in the markets and taverns of Stonebridge. Cyclopses are becoming an increasingly common sight in Stonebridge... and many believe that they will eventually take their place as equal citizens of the town. Archambraud du Payen - formely known as the Dapper Old Gent - proved a valuable addition to the Legion. His knowledge of Legion magic allowed us to retake control of the Sentinels that had long guarded our chapterhouses and estates. But the Gent couldn't leave our chapterhouse without drawing an angry mob. His confinement started to drive him mad. So he returned to his beloved Causeways, beneath an endless sky... and he dwells there still. The following winter was a harsh one in the Rukkenvahl... just as Lazar Bassili feared. Without any trade from the south, the people of Raven’s Rill went hungry and many dies. Among them were a widow Ludmila and Lazar’s friend and scribe, Grigori. When spring came, the dead were mourned, and Lazar’s people did their best to carry on. In his last letter to me, Lazar added one other piece of news. Gunderic Manor has a new mistress... a witch called Leona. The Manor has become a gathering place for scores of Lescanzi witches... many of whom are apparently quite beautiful. Lazar reports that the young men of Raven’s Rill have also begun frequenting the Manor... much to the irritation of their mothers and wives. Since the local men will not hear any talk of banishing the witches, it appears that Leona and their people have found a new home... which was, perhaps, what she intended from the fit. Queen Roslyn abandoned Glitterdelve, embarking on a tour of all the cities and towns of the west, meeting as many of her subjects as she could. The queen showed all the energy of youth, and I think she fully expects to reunite the country in a matter of months, not years. Realty not be so kind, as Lord Devonsey has tried to make her understand. In truth, the future of this country depends more upon that we decide. If she doesn’t have the Legion behind her, the Queen is only a single voice, well-meaning though she might be. As for Devonsey himself... I think the man was impressed by your decision to spare Jeyne Kassynder, as the Queen had asked. When he visit Stonebridge, he spent a great deal of time in our chapterhouse. I believe he may actually be willing to rejoin our ranks... if we choose to accept him. Rajani and her sisters returned to Stonebridge... quietly, and carefully disguised. Jeyne Kassynder's defeat affected them deeply,' though not in the way I expected. Their devotion to Jeyne was replaced by a deep admiration for your companion Anjali. I think they saw in Anjali the leader they should have followed all along, and they have lately expressed a desire to join our ranks. I maintain my suspicion of any archon who once followed Jeyne.… but I believe that redemption is not impossible, even, for them. Jeyne Kassynder was as good as her word... though I had my doubts, at first. She returned to the cities and towns of the east and urged the people to end their war with the Legion and the Crown. Jeyne s repentance was heartfelt, and many were swayed by her words But others have not been so compliant. The Church Synod in Bisselberg - who once called Jeyne a saint - have declared her apostate and threatened her life. Though Jeyne refuses bodyguards of any kind, Queen Roslyn fears for her life. And if anything befalls her, our gains in the east may yet be lost. As for the Legion? The rest of our story is yet to be told. We have a nation to reforge... a fellowship to rebuild... and old enemies who would see us destroyed. And we have questions to decide. Who will assume true power in Ehb, if the nation is restored? And who will take the mantle of Grand Master? But this matters I leave for another chronicle, and another time. Whatever happens, know that you will not face the future alone. The Legion will stand by you... always.

THE END