After arriving in Choisy-le-Roi, Edmund and the group attempt subtle recon on Sal’s ally, Rispin—but their cover is blown when a barmaid, Annalise, betrays them. A hasty teleport lands them in a wintry region, forcing a regroup. Now, with surprise lost, they plan a direct assault on Rispin’s home.
Edmund dreams of a sunless desert, flying zombies, dwarven meat carts, and an epic aerial rematch with Alistaira—who turns out to be Salithius in disguise. Alongside Jon, Amy, and Quinn, he explores bizarre landscapes, slays the cowardly mage with Amy’s help, and outmatches Salithius in a surreal sky-duel. A groinal ache snaps him awake in their Rope Trick hideaway. Peeing upside-down might be the least confusing part of his day.
Edmund, Amy, and Jon reunite under shadowed skies, bound by a mission no one else dares claim—assassinate Salithius, the mad wizard who turned an entire city into undead. As they plan in The Cauldron’s eerie quiet, the weight of past lives, lost friends, and council expectations grow heavier. Jon’s guild delivers a lead: Sal’s companion resides across the sea in Choisy-le-Roi. Their final night of calm is pierced by grim resolve. The hunt begins. There’s no turning back now.
Edmund’s been living his best life—partying between The Cauldron and Quashie—until Willard crash-telepaths him mid-romp with Tara. The message? Salithius has gone full maniac, and it’s Edmund’s job to end it. No Order approval, no debate. At least Amy’s already in Sweetwater and up to speed. Looks like Edmund’s vacation is officially over—and the hunt is on.
Following a fiery dispute with Archambault, Edmund finds himself accused of threats and arrested by city authorities. Though he initially refuses, a strategic retreat to avoid Willard’s fury sees him accept a brief incarceration. Freed, he turns his focus to The Cauldron—securing it as the party’s future sanctuary and relocating Aerunda’s treasure from Bastion. With construction left to Mabel’s oversight and tensions in the city simmering, Edmund quietly shifts the centre of gravity to a place entirely under his control.
Still reeling from vampire attacks, the group faces a new threat—poison in their own sanctuary. Edmund’s quick magic reveals the assassin Analee, who takes her own life before questions can be asked. As Amy returns to Wolf Hill, Edmund confirms The Guild’s contract is active again. In Bastion’s market, another hitman fails. Captured and interrogated, he confirms their worst fear: the hunt is on. Edmund prepares a brutal warning. Survival now demands ruthless choices.
In Salithius’ cave, Edmund uses anti-magic to trap Reginald the Sadistic, who feigns unconsciousness after a chaotic scuffle. Despite Abby’s protests, Rouse slits Reginald’s throat, and Abby’s sword stops glowing—confirming his true evil nature. Edmund later learns Reginald was Salithius’ apprentice. After leaving Willard’s gift on Salithius’ pillow, the group escapes a deadly golem with a misfired teleport.
Edmund smuggled Abby, Jon, and Rouse out of Bastion under magical disguise. Along the road to Finnsbury, Abby was swallowed by a tree beast, Rouse was charmed by a vampire, and Jon narrowly survived an 80 mph ambush. Poisoned in town, Edmund and Jon turned to divine help to rescue Abby and Rouse from a guarded Westerose warehouse.
On the road to The Twins, the group meets Colonel Smuts and hears of Copper’s fall. They find Amy in Mur and survive banishment to Lehoo. Back in Bastion, Edmund duels Alistaira high above the city in a brutal aerial battle, nearly dying several times before defeating her. They expose a fake MacEachern and head for Finnsbury seeking answers.
Edmund joins the party after attending Francis’s funeral in Bastion, sent north by his mentor Willard to aid Abby, Jon, Barit, and Mila. Their mission: deliver a letter to a man named Andrew. But upon arriving at Andrew’s cabin, they unwittingly trigger a trap, unleashing a deadly flesh golem. The creature proves immune to Edmund’s magic and tragically kills Mila. Pressing on, they encounter Christian Couver, a monk with questionable morals, and send him back to his monastery. The next day, the group is ambushed and captured by a band of riders led by Robert Moss—mercenaries hired by Bastion councilman John MacEachern to kill the party and kidnap Abby. Edmund turns the tide with magic, Jon breaks free, and they defeat their captors. With Robert as a prisoner, they confirm John’s betrayal and set their sights on reaching The Twins, now fully aware they’re caught in a far more dangerous game.
Edmund recounts the chaotic origins of the group that would become central to the Salithius saga. Beginning with orc attacks and a ruined town, the tale follows a band of survivors—Abby, Francis, Jon, Barit, Hanna, and others—through battles with trolls, beholders, undead, and even a vampire. Along the way, they lose comrades, uncover dwarven ruins, and retrieve a dragon egg as payment for a mysterious mage’s favour. Francis's death at The Forks marks a tragic turning point, and Abby’s heartfelt letter home sets the stage for the group’s next mission—northward to deliver a letter that might change everything.
Edmund discovers Oliver Miller’s detailed journal chronicling a dangerous 1031 winter in Mountainview. From missing livestock to deadly cave encounters with a destrachan, Oliver’s entries capture escalating battles, mysterious undead, and a growing threat. The journal ends as the party arrives in Faith, chasing answers—and perhaps more peril.