Steps to Deliverance by Mark Barber is the first complete novel book in the Tales of Pannithor series. The title of the book is named after the Sisterhood practice of the Steps to Deliverance.
About
Over a decade after violating his ruthless orders from his superiors in the Basilean military, ex-legion captain Dionne emerges from hiding in the Mountains of Tarkis, leading a force of rebels against the dark forces of the Abyss.
Desperate to clamp down on the popular rebel leader, the Basilean Duma dispatches a force to bring the former legion officer to justice. Leading the paladins of this force is Tancred, freshly promoted and harboring political ambitions of his own.
Under the brutal leadership of Hugh, the commander of the force, Tancred must struggle to find the balance between obeying orders, following the path of righteousness, and advancing his own ambitions. Tancred is accompanied by Orion, a brutal and violent paladin with a personal history with Dionne.
Plot Summary
The following contains spoilers
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In 3854, Orion of Suda was a squire in the Order of the Sacred Ark and was assigned as squire for his uncle, Jahus. They were ordered with another Paladin, Antoni, to hunt down Captain Dionne who had disobeyed the orders from the Basilean Duma. They journeyed to the Mountains of Tarkis in search of him.
On the way to Captain Dionne's encampment they were ambushed by raiders. As Antoni and Jahus were fighting off the attackers, a group of raiders came straight at Orion, however he was saved by an unknown woman, later discovered to be Aestelle, who appeared to be part of the Basilean Sisterhood and performing Step 5 in the Steps to Deliverance. The group continued towards the encampment after defeating the attackers and some brief observations on the new arrival.
They approached the encampment and managed to call out Captain Dionne, who attempted to resolve things peacefully. Due to the tense situation, Dionne's lieutenant Lourne and Antoni drew swords then Antoni took Lourne's head clean off. The fight broke out and soon enough Orion was being charged at by a spearman. Antoni spotted this and intervened, killing Orion's attacker however this allowed one of Antoni's previous attackers to plung his sword into his back which emerged from his chest which killed him.
Enraged, Orion lunged at Antoni's attackers, beating them the best he could until he was pulled back and then stood back-to-back with Aestelle. Dionne then commanded for the fight to cease and revealed Dionne had defeated Jahus badly and bloody. Dionne allowed Orion to take his Uncle, Jahus, and he carried him down the mountain. Jahus soon died as he was taken down the mountain and Orion was left to mourn his Uncle by Aestelle who told Orion that he needed to grow up quickly
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Journey to the Mountains of Tarkis
11 Years later, in the City of Goldern Horn, the newly promoted Lord Paladin Tancred was summoned by High Paladin Augus who was the head of the Order of the Sacred Ark. Tancred was ordered to travel to the Mountains of Tarkis to hunt for Captain Dionne with the 32nd Legion of the Basilean Hegemony (led by Dicator-Prefect Hugh of Athelle) and a group of crossbow mercenaries, Tancred was also ordered to take Orion, who was recently reassigned from the 9th Order of the Sacred Ark Cohort to the 15th Order of the Sacred Ark Cohort and had earned a reputation of being brutal and savage paladin, as his deputy. Augus did this in order to give Orion a fresh start and despite Tancred's protests, Tancred agreed hesitantly.
Tancred and Augus moved towards the nearby training grounds, where five squires were taking on Orion with wooden training weapons. Orion easily defeated the squires and moved to greet Tancred and Angus, however Angus was summoned away by one of the Quartermasters due to an undisclosed urgent matter. Tancred, clearly intimidated by Orion's fighting ablity, questioned Orion on the purpose for defeating the squires in training and after being corrected by Tancred on how Orion should address him, Orion explained it was to prove that the squires were not ready for their final trials which were only days away. Tancred ordered for Orion to go get his equipment ready for the expedition north and Orion left towards the Barracks to do so. Augus shortly returned to Tancred, after observing their interaction asking if there were problems already however Tancred reassured Augus that it was nothing he couldnt handle.
The next morning, Tancred (riding his horse Desiree) led the gathered forces out of City of Goldern Horn which included members of 15th Order of the Sacred Ark Cohort including Paladins Orion (riding his horse Star), Xavier, Jeneveve, Reynaud, Tantus and squires Max and Kell. Men-at-Arms Swordsmen also were assembled, led by Captain Georgis and a leaving parade was put on for the exiting force. They begun to travel north and the rest of the force traveling with Hugh of Athelle was scheduled to meet up with them in a few days on their way to the Mountains of Tarkis.
A few days later, Constance, who was the leader of a crossbow mercenary unit, was waiting for the arrival of Tancred, 15th Order of the Sacred Ark Cohort and the 32nd Legion of the Basilean Hegemony along with other members of her unit including Jaque, Hayden, Wulf, Mallius, Carmen and 25 others (30 in total). Jaque called for Constance after he spotted Tancred and his force approaching. Jaque and Constance, now joined with Hayden, met to greet the forces representive, Captain Georgis. While discussing the atire of the mercenary unit, it was revealed to Constance that the force would be lead by Dicator-Prefect Hugh of Athelle which caused Constance to immediately call off the deal and refuse to help due to her past experience with Hugh. Captain Georgis reported this to Tancred, who approached Constance and managed to convince them to honor the agreed contract by having them fight for the 15th Order of the Sacred Ark Cohort instead of 32nd Legion of the Basilean Hegemony.
Meanwhile, Captain Dionne was leading an ambush on a group of Orcs with his rebels including recently joined member Teynne. Despite losing six men, his forces were able to successfully defeat the Orcs with Captain Dionne taking out the Krudger
Hunt for Captain Dionne Begins
A few days later, Hugh of Athelle along with his aides Trennio and Platus arrived to join up with Tancred, 15th Order of the Sacred Ark Cohort and the 32nd Legion of the Basilean Hegemony. Captain Georgis advised that reports have indicated that Captain Dionne is placed east of the Mountains of Tarkis and suggested patrolling that area, Tancred disagreed suggesting to establish themselves in the area as show of force. Hugh agreed with Tancred's idea and requested to meet with a representive of the mercenary band that were assisting them.
In the Mountains of Tarkis, Phellius brought two men to Captain Dionne who had recently asked to join Dionne and his rebel's from Astennes. After questioning their motives, Dionne sent the younger of the two back home to his pregant wife, refusing his service however accepted Castus offer who was an older former miner who had lost his wife and son to an Orc attack. Phellius proceeded to help Castus settle in before returning back to Dionne's side. Phellius then hesitantly told Dionne of the concern about Teynne and how much authority he has been given over short about of time, indicating that he might be spy for the Duma. Dionne assured Phellius that he will keep a closer eye on Teynne in order to ease his worries.
The 32nd Legion of the Basilean Hegemony and 15th Order of the Sacred Ark Cohort were 3 days away from the Mountains of Tarkis and had set up camp to rest for the night. Constance observed a circle of men-at-arms swordsmen and her mercenaries watching a paladin and men-at-arms member called Eustace fighting. Eustace had bragged about being unbeatable however the paladin challenged and beat him with Eustace lying unconscious on the ground. Jaque was disappointed that the entertainment had ended, and Constance offered a story or two to end the night around the campfire. Jaque left and gathered other members of their unit (such as Hayden, Wulf and Mallius) and Constance told the story of the Fenulian Mirror.
Meanwhile, Orion was resting by a campfire while his squire Kell was sharping Orion's swords. After giving some harsh advice to Kell about his sharping technique, Orion opened a letter from his mother and began to read it, he thought back to his uncle Jahus and after some thoughts decided to save the rest of the letter for a later time. Deciding instead for evening prayers and to redo the efforts of sharping his weapons because of his squire Kell poor attempts.
Arriving at Emalitos
The 32nd Legion of the Basilean Hegemony and 15th Order of the Sacred Ark Cohort continued to march towards Mountains of Tarkis, eventually coming upon the town of Emalitos. Hugh ordered Tancred to take a couple fellows with him into the town and access how much room they had at the local inn. Tancred took Jeneveve and Orion into Emalitos and made their way into town. As they arrived in the town square of Emalitos where the town hall was located, the paladin's dismounted and began to secure their horse when suddenly three men in mail hauberks, equipped with swords exited the town hall. Unknown to the paladin trio, one of these men was Phellius who was part of Dionne's rebel group. Suddenly one of the men yelled "Go! Run!" and they quickly moved to the stables and bolt out on horseback. Tancred quickly remounted Desiree and began chase, with Jeneveve following close behind. As Tancred began to close in on the rebels, one looked back only for a branch to snap his neck when he turned back forward, wrenching him from his saddle and falling down dead. Tancred managed to dodge this branch and continued to chase the remaining two rebels, however needed to make up ground after avoiding the oncoming branch. Tancred continued the pursuit and he saw the rebels stop, with the shorter of the two shouting to the other (which happened to be Phellius). Phellius continued to run while the other rebel turned and charged at Tancred with sword drawn, Tancred drew his own and managed to easily plunge his sword through the rebels chest. Tancred continued on and chanse Phellius, eventually cornering him by a sheer cliff face and forcing Phellius to surrender. Jeneveve and Orion arrived shortly after, questioning who this person was. Orion offered to go back to town as Tancred and Jenevene brought the prisoner back, puzzling Tancred to why Orion wanted to return to the town so quickly.
Orion arrived back into Emalitos and headed to the inn where he observed members of the 32nd Legion of the Basilean Hegemony beating and restraining the locals. This confirmed his suspicions about Hugh and his men after knowing about Hugh's actions in the Peasant's Revolt of Karathos. Orion dismounted and called out the men who were assaulting one of the locals, with one of the men walking out to confront Orion. Orion easily pushed him into the dirt and continued to towards the other men beating the local man. Orion grabbed one of men-of-arms by his throat, demanding to know what was going on. The men advised that they had been given orders from Dicator-Prefect Hugh to get information from the towns people by any means. Orion continued to demand that they release the townsfolk that they are currently holding and entered the inn, kicking one of the doors in. Inside Hugh and his aides (Platus and Trennio) were at the Inn's bar while ten Men-in-arms beat four townsfolk in the middle of the room. Orion demanded they stop however Hugh reminded him who was in charge resulting in Orion threating to put them all down if they didn't stop their beatings. Hugh ordered for Orion to be restained but Orion managed to intimiate the soldiers enough that they hestitated. Hugh drew his sword and once again pointed out Orion lack of authority in this situation. Tancred then entered the inn and demanded to know what was going on, Hugh advised of Orion being arrested with Orion following trying to explain the assualt on the townsfolk. Tancred cut Orion off and pointed out he has seen what was happening outside. Tancred demanded Hugh to order his men to stop, mentioning that they are committing an illegal act. Tancred went on to point out what legal authority Hugh actually had along with pointing out that the Paladin Orders do not answer to the Duma but to the Hegemon directly which means that paladins have authority in this matter when it comes to the law. Defeated, Hugh and his aides (Platus and Trennio) stormed out of the inn, followed by the rest of his men. Tancred then questioned Orion why he would draw a sword against a Dictator with Orion defending his actions as they were attacking innocent people. Tancred told Orion to go help the others outside who were helping the townsfolk, stating he needed to think.
Meanwhile, Captain Dionne's men continued to train at their hidden encampment, with crossbowmen firing shots and men practicing spear drills with twenty men led by Vassia, one of Dionne's veterans. Teynne then approached advising he needed to talk, which Dionne replied that he need to do the same thing and they moved somewhere more private, to a small shallow cave. Dionne told Teynne about Phellius' concerns of Teynne being a spy for the Duma. Teynne pointed out he knew these concerns came from Phellius but went on to advise that Phellius has been captured while getting supplies in Emalitos less than an hour before. Dionne questioned how Teynne knew that, and Teynne revealed himself to be as an undercover Abyssal Champion.
Dionne drew his sword quickly as Teynne urged him to stop. Dionne and Teynne began to fight while Teynne continued to attempt to convince Dionne to stop and listen to him. Teynne managed to trap Dionne against a wall and managed to calm Dionne enough to listen to his point of view. Teynne managed to convince Dionne that they wanted the same thing, to bring down the Hegemon however pointed out Dionne's current forces wouldn't be enough of a military force to achieve this. Wondering why Teynne needed Dionne, Teynne mentioned he needed his tactician skills and wanted to get him a big enough army to take down the Hegemon. Teynne had already started to amass Dionne's existing forces to their current location and needed to leave immediately to go north, with his forces intended to be sent again the legion hunting them (which was the 32nd Legion of the Basilean Hegemony and 15th Order of the Sacred Ark Cohort) to slow them down, with Vassia leading them. Hesitantly, Dionne agreeds.
South of Emalitos, Constance and her mercenaries have set up came and were discussing the events which occured within Emalitos against the townfolk. Constance, Wulf, [[Jaque] and Mallius discussed the specifics of Orion's actions with uncertainity about what actually occured. Jaque decided to go thank Orion for his actioned however Constance was unsure it was a good idea and went with him. The duo managed to find Orion and told him they wanted to pay their respects towards his actions today. Orion dismissed Kell and began to discuss the day's events, straightening out the specifics of the story within the Inn. Constance and Jaque went on to tell Orion about their own relationship with Hugh, specifically about being part of the 78th Legion of the Basilean Hegemony which was previously led by Captain Dionne and the punishment (which was inflicted by Hugh) of being part of that legion despite not siding with Dionne. Constance and Jaque thanks Orion for listening and left for the night.
Inside the Inn in Emalitos, Tancred was finishing his meal when Hugh arrived to speak to him and discuss the recent events with Orion. Hugh wanted to thank Tancred for intervening and it seemed like Hugh was attempting to charm Tancred into keeping quiet about the event. Hugh eventually left and Tancred finished his drink then went to bed. Tancred was awoken by Hugh alerting him to an approaching force of 200 warriors in the fields to the north.
Battle in the Fields of Emalitos
Constance and her mercenaries began to get into positon, moving north and taking postion to the right side of the road. Hayden have short blasts on his horn to communicate to those who could not hear Constance. The mercenaries arranged themselves into three columns, with ten men/women each row. Looking ahead of them, they saw hundreds of warriors in formation. Constance order the unit to load
Tancred, on top of Desiree, met with Hugh and his aides (Trennio and Platus). Hugh pointed out how they were outnumbered 2-to-1 however atleast half were untrained peasants. Hugh's plan was to take out their two units of Men-at-Arms (one swordmens and one crossbowmen) and assumed the peasant's will flee once they do. Hugh wanted Tancred's knights to attack both the unit's flank once Hugh sends his own men to engage. Tancred suggested ten of his knights on the left flank with the rest on the right, Hugh agreed. Tancred moved back to his kinghts and assigned Orion to the left flank with nine other knights.
Constance and her mercenaries began to fire at the incoming Men-in-Arms Swordsmen while being peppered with shots from the rebel's crossbow unit as the Swordsmen marched towards the mercenaries, and were managing to slowly pick off swordsmen while taking their own losses. Hayden would quickly tend to the wounded the best he could.
Orion was waiting, impatiently, for is order's to engage the enemy while observing the battle. Orion ordered his troop to form up and make it appear they were about to charge, this diverted the enemy crossbowmen to target them, taking pressure off the Mercenary unit.
Constance's mercenaries continued to fire at the oncoming swordsmen, even ignoring getting hit herself, as they got closer and closer. The enemy crossbowmen had turned back from the Paladins and continued firing at the mercenary unit. Constance was hit in the leg by an incoming bolt but pushed on. Jaque began to worry about how close they were however Constance yelled back to not run or they will be cut down and to keep shooting. One group of Men-in-Arms Swordsmen managed to get close enough and charged at the mercenaries and locking them into hand-to-hand combat.
Tancred watched as the swordsmen charged the mercenaries, as the other Men-in-Arms Swordsmen unit were engaged with the legion's Men-in-Arms Spearmen led by Captain Georgis which seemed to be going the way of the legion's forces. Heading towards Tancred and his paladins were the peasant infantry. Tancred got the signal to charge from Hugh and ordered to target the Men-in-Arms Swordsmen fighting legion's spearmen, ignoring the peasants. Tancred nodded to Kharius, who gave the signal to the rest of the unit. Another signal from Hugh ordered Orion to charge the Swordsmen who are engaged with Constance's mercenaries. Tancred's Paladins began to charge.
Orion's paladin's charged while the enemy crossbowmen shots attempted to slow them down. Some of the mercenaries had began to flee as Orion saw Constance and Jaque on the front lines, then he heard the order from Tancred to break off his attack which he complied despite the shock of the mercenaries.
The rebel swordsmen charging at the mercenaries stopped as they reformed to face Orion's paladins. Constance ordered her mercenaries to fire while they had the chance. The rebel swordsmen turn again to fact Constance and her mercenaries once they saw Orion's paladin's cease their charge. As they did, Tancred and his paladin's smashed into side of the swordmen, spliting the unit into two. The swordsmen turned to run, only to be cut down by the paladin knights.
Orion and his knights continued their charge, however this time towards the swordsmen engaged with the led by legion's Men-in-Arms Spearmen led by Captain Georgis and engaged with them. The rebels began to run with the far off peasants doing the same. The battle was won.
The Battle's Aftermath
Tancred went around providing Rites of Departed Souls to the fallen including 21 (3 of his paladins) from his own force while his paladins helped heal the injured mercenaries and Men-in-Arms. Jeneveve approached Tancred advising that Hugh had requested his company and they moved to the plateau where he was based. With Hugh was Captain Georgis, Orion, Platus and Trennio. Hugh congratulated Tancred on the battle including changing Hugh's original orders to gain the upper hand. Captain Georgis then mentioned that it was the Crossbow Mercenaries which weakened the enemy enough to help win the battle. Hugh then ordered Platus to get the mercenary leader, Constance, while Jeneveve reflected on the battle. Limping towards the group, Constance arrived, assisted by Jaque, as requested with Platus. Hugh attempted to commend Constance and her unit, however Constance replied with hostility. Despite Platus reminding Constance to talk to Hugh with respect, she continued to be hostile and Platus went to strike her with his hand. Orion grabbed Platus by the wrist, stopping him, and threatened to break him if he was to strike any soldier in in the force. Tancred called for Orion and he released Platus. Hugh dismissed Constance and she left back to her unit, questioning why she threw his gratitude back at him with Trennio backing him up. Hugh dismissed everyone gathered and as they all dispersed, Orion met up with Tancred alone to attempt to apologize. Tancred expressed how he does not respect Hugh but understands his actions, wishing he was more like Orion in how he stood up to him. Tancred apologised on how he has treated Orion since he arrived and Orion apologised back that he didn't make it easy for Tancred either, settling their differences with a handshake. Orion left to see to the other paladins while Tancred stayed to pray.
Meanwhile, Teynne and Dionne continued to travel, dispite Dionne being on guard after discovering Teynne true form. They were resting by a campfire, eating some food and discussing their situation. Teynne explained his own Abyssal hierarchy struggles and Teynne attempted to bond with Dionne, trying to find some common ground. Dionne questioned where the promised army was coming from and Teynne revealed they were going to the Abyss. Shocked, Dionne called the deal off and Teynne had enough of Dionne's complaining and whining. Teynne begun walking off, however Dionne started to question if he was wrong by not trusting Teynne. Dionne changed his mind and ran towards Teynne to catch up with him.
A week later, Dionne and Teynne arrived at a location north where Teynne could use his Portal Stone to open a portal back to the Abyss, the location has enough energy to connect to The Abyss with help from the other side. Teynne opened the portal and they both went through, arriving at the First Circle of the Abyss. Teynne explained to Dionne what he was seeing within the circle and Teynne's loyalists bowed as he was noticed within the circle. Another portal opened up, and Am'Bira arrived, a temptress who seemingly is also loyal to Teynne. Teynne explained that Am'Bira will introduce Dionne to his new soldiers and advised that all his men were dead, killed by the legion's forces. Teynne then convinced Dionne to stay and they shook hands in agreement.
Meeting Aestelle at Torgias
Orion and Tancred were sent ahead of the main force after the battle to scout for infomation on Dionne which led them to mining town of Torgias. They approached Torgias gates and asked the guards to get their commander, Vendis. Tancred introduced himself and requested assistance to guide them north through the Mountains of Tarkis. Vendis refused, noting that he did not have the authority to take any of their guards however suggested to seek out the mercenary Aestelle at the Trade Wind Inn near the centre of town.
Tancred and Orion arrived at the Trade Wind Inn and walked in, which Orion's presence silenced half the room. Tancred walked over to some nearby patreons to ask for Aestelle who then pointed him to her. Tancred and Orion moved towards her and advised Aestelle that she was recommended by Vendis to help with guiding them through the Mountains of Tarkis, after some insulting banter. After telling Aestelle who they were looking for (Dionne), they negotiated the payment and agreed to help. Aestelle told the duo to come find her as soon as their forces arrive.
On the day they were to leave, Aestelle awoke from one of the Trade Wind Inn's rooms and left to find Tancred and Orion.
Hugh, Constance and the rest of the 32nd Legion arrived in Torgias to meet up with Tancred, Orion and unknowningly Aestelle. Hugh, along with his aides Platus and Trennio, rode over to the two paladins and Aestelle. Constance dismissed her unit and she along with Jaque and Hayden went to see if Orion wanted to join them for a drink which Orion wanted to accept however Orion knew they will soon be on their way north. Hayden then left to round up the mercenary forces before they got too drunk while Jaque inquired to why Orion shaved his head. After discussing with Constance and Jaque, Orion agreed to stop shaving his head so he looks less intimating. Jaque then noticed Aestelle, which Orion explained was their guide and they prepared to travel north.
Meanwhile, at an undisclosed location away from the First Circle, Dionne and Am'bira wer e discussing Dionne's discomfort with the abyss. Am'bira revealed that she was a former member of the sisterhood and took the sixth step. A small portal opened up as they talked and Teynne arrived through it, dismissing Am'bira in the process. Teynne requested that Dionne begin to pay the correct respect to Teynne's rank and status while in the presence of others which Dionne resistantly agreed to. Teynne advised that Dionne was to be sent back to Basilea to defeat the army which has been hunting him, which will send a powerful statement to the Hegemony. Dionne noted that he will need an army to do this which Teynne replied that Dionne didnt need to worry about that.
Fixing the Bridge
Back at the expedition who were traveling through the Mountains of Tarkis, Tancred was an informed of a problem up at the head of the column and was summoned by Hugh. Tancred handed his reins to Jeneveve and advised his knights to rest as he made his way to the front. Tancred arrived and saw the track stopped infront of a gaping chasm with Hugh, his aides Platus and Trennio along with Captain Georgis and Aestelle and the group began to discuss what to do. Aestelle noted that the bridge had been fine for the last 5 years and has only recently been destroyed. Aestelle suggested on getting someone with a good throwing arm to the otherside and repair the bridge, saving them days of time if they took an alternative route. Tancred offered to go, however Hugh refused noting that losing Tancred would mean losing one of the best men in the force. Hugh suggested to send Orion despite Tancred's protests on the suggestion and Aestelle offered to go with Orion to look after him. Tancred left to inform Orion of this.
Tancred, Orion and Aestelle arrived at the cave enterance which would lead them to the otherside, which later to be revealed to be at the bottom of Mount Ekansu. Tancred advised that he would come in and find them in an hour if they had not heard anything from the duo. Orion and Aestelle entered the cave and began making their way through, starting with a short drop and making thier way down. As they made their way through, the rocks below Orion gave away and he fell down into the darkness, passing out briefly. Orion awoke to Tancred calling for him from above, however Aestelle, who was close by to Orion, assured Tancred they were fine and they both carried on. As they did, torches illuminated the chamber they were in which revealed a set of tall double doors with armoured skeleton warriors between each of the torches around the room totaling 12 warriors. As room lit up, the warriors came to life then attacked the duo. Aestelle yelled for Orion to get the door open, only for Orion to insist that Aestelle go while he held them back. Aestelle managed to get the door open and they both sprinted through the door, locking it behind them with a heavy wooden beam. The duo were now inside what seemed to be a burial chamber and began to walk down burial tunnel, avoiding traps as they walked. They worked out that they had previously been in the outer chamber and now were in the chamber of procession, they continued to move deeper into the crypt in hope to find another entrance out. Aestelle noted that the person buried here was someone important, based having a inner guard chamber, and then a Zombie Troll emerged attacking Orion and Aestelle, with Aestelle being smacked to the side while Orion swung his broadsword.
Aestelle recovered, despite her broken ribs, by healing herself with divinity magic and re-entered the battle against the Zombie Troll currently fighting Orion.
Orion and Aestelle continued to fight the Zombie Troll, eventually gaining the upper hand and Orion managing to detach the zombie troll's head completely off. Orion checked in with Aestelle, however she noted it was nothing compared to her fight with the Orc warlord, Skullface. Aestelle noted that based on everything they have faced, it is most likely a Necromancer who was buried here. Aestelle looked around and found a hidden tunnel with one staircase leading to the surface and another leading down to what she assumed to be the main burial chamber. Aestelle wanted to go down to look for possible treasure however Orion insisted to reach the top to establish the bridge across and began to walk up. Despite Aestelle's protests, she followed him to the surface.
Tancred had waited for Orion and Aestelle for two hours and Hugh was becoming inpatient. Suddenly a snaking rope flew through the air, indicating that Orion had made it to the other side and attempting to establish the bridge. Hugh ordered his men to assist and in less than an hour, the new bridge was established with Tancred, Hugh and his aides,Platus and Trennio, being the first to make it across. The expedition then continued on.
Burning of Peleura
The expedition continued on through the Mountains of Tarkis, as they rested Constance was summoned by Hugh, via Tancred, due to an issue at the head of the column and left to meet him along with his aides,Platus and Trennio along with Aestelle and Captain Georgis. Hugh pointed out smoke coming from a small fishing village, called Peleura, indicating that it had been attacked and was burning down. Constance didn't believe that Dionne was behind this, still believing he was honourable, and Hugh did not want to divert course unless there was evidence that Dionne was behind it. Aestelle offered to go and find out what happened then report back, with the expedition continuing North until Aestelle was back.
Aestelle rode towards Peleura, meeting survivors escaping the attack from the village. They noted that "Demons" appeared and attacked the village, killing everyone and tearing them appart. Aestelle told them to continue moving and she moved into the village. When Aestelle arrived, the fires had stopped with only blackened and charred buildings remaining and she made her way to the centre of the town. Aestelle noted piles of burnt corpses and the stench of death, eventually coming upon Am'Bira on the wooden steps of the burnt tavern, with around 20 lower abyssals around her. As the lower abyssals saw Aestelle, they moved to attack however the the first two were easily defeated by Aestelle which caused the remaining Abyssals to keep their distance. Am'Bira approached Aestelle, offering her a bottle of wine while identifying her as formerly part of the sisterhood which Aestelle took. Am'bira revealed that she is letting Aestelle live in order to bring a message back to the expedition that Dionne has an Abyssal Legion to crush Basilea and that he is the cause for the burning of Peleura, however Aestelle retorted back saying that she could easily kill Am'Bira but will not as Am'Bira would only be rewarded in the Abyss after being killed in the mortal realm. Aestelle left promising to kill Am'Bira next time they met.
Constance rested with her mercenaries, including Wulf, Mallius and Hayden. Constance spoke to Hayden as he was writing a letter to his daughter, Maya. A rider approached informing of Aestelle's return and Constance left to meet up with Hugh. As Constance approached Hugh and Captain Georgis while Trennio was instructing the packing of Hugh's tent. Tancred arrived also just in time for Aestelle to deliver her report to Hugh. Aestelle advised about the Abyssal attack and her discussion with Am'Bira. As they discussed, Hugh summoned over his aides,Platus and Trennio. Constance dismissed the reports, insisting that Dionne wouldn't side with the Forces of the Abyss which Aestelle insisted to be true. Constance and Aestelle disagreement became heated with Tancred having to step in to calm the situation. Hugh decided they were going to go south to chase down Dionne and the Abyssal Legion which Aestelle informed that they would have only been able to amass such a force by the use of a portal stone. Hugh then ordered Aestelle to go South inform the Duma of the situation.
A short while later at Golden Horn, Grand Mage Saffus of Aigina and Valletto of Auron arrived to address the Duma after Valletto had received a message through the arcane plains by a former student (later to be revealed to be Perrio). Saffus and Valletto moved into a big room containing around two hundred senators with Saffus moving to a platform in the middle of the room to address them. Saffus began to inform them about the Abyssal incursion and how this information arrived, however the senators dismissed this due to lack of evidence. Saffus invited Valletto to speak, and with Valletto's credibility added the debate continued within the chamber. It was stated that these reports should be investigated, a motion which was seconded by Senator Agorea of Vecci causing the room to erupt in arguments. Saffus and Valletto left the room.
Valletto travelled home, being greeted by his servant, Hustas, when he arrived at his front door. As Valletto entered he was greated by his son Lyius, daughter Jullia and his wife Clera then went on to inform them that he was being sent away, upsetting Lyius. After a sleepness night and saying his goodbyes, two paladins from the Order of the Blades of Onzyan,Silus and Lyen, arrived to escort him north.
Ambush on the Hilltop
After three days of tracking the Abyssals, the expedition were resting for the night when Tancred was awakened unexpectedly, sensing something nearby. Leaving his tent, he attempted to try to find the source of this disturbance and walked around the camp. Sensing Abyssal's sorrounding the campsite, he quickly ran to Jeneveve and asked her to subtly start waking up the paladin's starting with Xavier. Tancred then moved to two sentry guards on duty and advised them to quietly wake up Hugh and prepare his men for battle. Tancred waited on the perimeter and was soon joined by Jeneveve and Xavier then Hugh. Tancred advised the enemy was all around them and they began to set up their defences with Constance Mercenaries to take the eastern side, Captain Georgis to take the north and west and finally the Tancred and his Paladins to take the south, with some of the best paladins preparing to mount their horses.
Constance, now awake and with her mercenaries on the eastern side of the hilltop, arrived at the far end of her crossbowmen by Jaque. Noting they can hear them chittering in the distance, Constance advised to stay hidden and to start shooting only when it's neccessary. Constance moved back to her place in the center of the line and waited. Suddenly, the Lower Abyssals emerged in their direction and Constance advised one of the squires to alert Hugh and commanded her troops to fire then quickly loaded again to fire off another shot.
Lower Abyssals and Abyssal Guards attacked Tancred, Jeneveve and the rest of the paladins to the south as they held a steady wall as they charged up the hill. Once the Abyssal's were close enough, Tancred ordered to charge and the sides clashed against each other. Jeneveve took a blow to the head, sending her to the ground bloodied. Seeing this, Tancred roared with rage and killed Jeneveve's attacker. In his rage, Tancred was hit and he was smashed to the ground, locked in a fierce grapple with an abyssal. The Abyssal gained the upper hand and rolled on top of Tancred, biting into his neck. Howling in pain, Tancred smashed his elbow into the Abyssal's head then the hilt of his sword until the abyssal skull gave way. Tancred got to his feet and continued the fight.
At the centre of camp, the wagons had been made into a defensive circle with Hugh, his aides Platus and Trennio, along with expedition quartermaster and supplymen. Seven paladins, including Orion, arrived and let into the circle, Hugh asked where the rest of the paladins were and insisted that the paladins mount up go support Tancred. Orion ordered his squire, Kell, to get his lance and to arm himself.Orion gave some final words to Kell and left to help Tancred in the south, noting the mercenaries to the east were gone with only Abyssals remaining. To the north, Abyssal Horsemen had gotten through the Men-at-arms Swordsmen and were approaching the opening of the defensive circle. Orion and his mounted paladins charged at the enemy towards the south, dismounting after engaging the enemy and fighting Abyssal Guard, killing many.
Tancred was being dragged into the defensive circle by Jeneveve and was healed by Xavier, which helped Tancred regain his senses. Rising to his feet, Tancred assessed the situation and looked towards the south, seeing Orion getting overrun. Tancred insisted they go save him, however Jeneveve stopped him, noting they managed to escape because of Orion and going back would defeat the purpose of that. They watched as Gargoyles began to attack Orion and he fended them off as best he could, eventually they lost sight of Orion under a red wave of Abyssals. Tancred's focus was then directed to the retreating Men-at-Arms heading towards the circle, including Captain Georgis. Georgis was the last to arrive however just before getting into the circle, Georgis turned back around and insisted "she"needed help. Am'Bira had created an illusion of a distressed peasent woman, tricking him to head back and was killed by the approaching Abyssals with his limps being ripped out of their sockets. As the rest of the Basilean force remained in the defensive circle, the Abyssal horde stopped and fell silent when Captain Dionne emerged to taunt the survivors. Hugh replied back in defiance and as he did, Trennio grabbed Tancred and told him to mount up then retreat with Hugh. Trennio and Platus leaped from the circle, attacking Dionne and buying time for the survivors to mount up. The survivor's then charged out of the circle towards the east, Tancred looked back and saw the surprise on Dionne's as he killed Trennio and Platus while being chased by Abyssal Horsemen. Eventually morning came and they managed to escape the following Abyssals.
Aftermath
Constance awoke to find herself imprisioned by Abyssals with Jaque and Hayden inside a wrecked small farm building. Slowly coming to terms with the consequences of losing the battle, Constance learns from Hayden and Jaque that Wulf and Carmen were with them to begin with, however they were taken away and presumably killed. Constance stuggled to to stand and fell back down, as she did Am'Bira arrived in the doorway of the room. Am'Bira's lower abyssals then dragged the three out of the room to begin torturing them, breaking the spirit of Jaque in the process. As Am'Bira continued, Dionne arrived questioning why the prisoners hadn't been executed and Dionne discovered they were his old 78th Legion of the Basilean Hegemony troops that served under him. Dionne dismissed Am'Bira and decided to free Constance, Jaque and Hayden who then left the abyssals as quick as they could. Eventually, Hayden decided to leave Constance and Jaque to go retire in peace with his daughther Maya. Soon after, Constance informed Jaque that she was going to go back to Dionne, believing that there was still a chance to save him. Constance and Jaque said their goodbyes and Constance walked back to the Abyssals.
Tancred and the survivors (21 of them) arrived at a small deserted logging village south-east of the Mountains of Tarkis. Tancred ordered to gather in the village tavern, as the survivors looked for food and supplies. Tancred questioned Hugh on what to do next, however Hugh did not know. Tancred advised they were to rest for now and Hugh added that they will move south to link up with the relief force marching north. Jeneveve questioned if Hugh even knew that the relief force was coming however Tancred backed up this decision and ordered the survivors to rest for now.
Orion woke up alarmingly in a bed inside a small room. A female Elohi nearby told him to rest but to revert his eyes and Orion moved to sit on the side of the bed with his back to her.Orion learnt that the Elohi had saved him after the battle and healed most of his wounds. Encouraging Orion to find Aestelle, the Elohi spoke of Orion's uncle Jahus concerns on the path Orion has taken of violence at the cost of friendship and devotion. The Elohi left Orion with Orion left to think hard on how to change for the better.
Constance, still wounded, arrived at the farmhouse to find it abandoned with the Abyssals moving on. Constance followed the Abyssal horde the best she could, eventually catching up to them. Spotting her oppotunity, she called out to Dionne and confronted him. Dionne then approached Constance and stabbed her in the gut with a knife, leaving her for dead.
Aestelle was travelling back north after delivering the message to Perrio (who passed it on to Valletto) when she heard a high pitched scream from some nearby farm buildings. Aestelle quickly dismounted and approached the buildings stealthly and came upon six Lower Abyssal's in a semi-circle around some farmers of men, women and children. Aestelle called out towards the Abyssals and killed 5 of them with the last one running into the nearby woods which Aestelle gave chase to.
Recovery
Emerging from the woods victorious, Aestelle approached the farmers and took up the offer of wine which farmhand Justin got for her along with Aestelle's weapons she had left in the woods. Aestelle was hugged by a small child before their father dismissed them and begun talking to Aestelle. Astelle learnt about the Ambush on the Hilltop and eventually learnt about Orion at the farmer tavern. Aestelle quickly asked for its location.
Tancred, Hugh and the rest of the survivors continued to move south, slowly regaining their strength. Currently resting at tavern they encountered, only Tancred, Hugh, Jeneveve, Xavier remained awake while the rest of the survivors rested for the night with the exception of Reynaud and Tantus who had gone to a local chapel for evening prayers. Tancred and Jeneveve discussed the possibility of Orion surviving but Jeneveve insisted he was dead. Tancred then moved to talk to Hugh however after being welcomed to sit by Hugh, Hugh seemingly poisoned by the serving girl insisting she was forced to do it. Tancred ordered Jeneveve to grab the man who forced the girl to poison Hugh and asked Xavier to help attempt to heal Hugh however it was too late. Hugh had died. Tancred gave the Litany of the Soul’s Transition to Hugh and began interogating the man who had forced the poisoning through violent means. Jeneveve protested this, insisting that violence for information isn't right however Xavier backed up this decision by Tancred. Jeneveve stormed out of the tavern however Xavier stayed to make sure Tancred didn't kill the man.
Meanwhile, Aestelle arrived at the tavern where Orion was recovering at. After finding out his location, she forced the innkeeper to let her into Orion's room and she saw Orion, who was now clean shaven with a new haircut. Aestelle finally learnt Orion's name and was reminded of their first meeting in 3854. After they both realised their previous connection, they discussed the recent battle and Aestelle's connection to the Elohi being half-elohi. After discussing their pasts, Jahus, Orion falling Kell and what the Elohi said to Orion, they began preparing to hunt down the Abyssals.
Valletto was travelling north with paladin knights from the Order of the Blades of Onzyan, Silus and Lyen. They had encountered Constance slumped over on top of a horse, gravely injured which led to Silus attempting to heal her. After getting Constance off her horse, she told the trio that it was Abyssals with Dionne leading them. Valletto ordered Lyen to take Constance to nearby convent (assumingly the Sisterhood Order of the Penitent and Devoted) for medical treatment while Valletto sends a message back to Golden Horn before carrying on north with Silus.
Magistrate Turius had arrived to meet Tancred after he had a change of heart about obtaining the information from the prisoner who killed Hugh. Turius revealed that the killer was tasked to look for a Portal Stone which would help bring more Abyssals from the Abyss into Basilea. Knowing the impact if the Abyssals find it, Tancred decided to change the plan to move south and attempt find the stone, ordering Turius to raise what he could to help support Tancred. After discussions with Jeneveve and Xavier, they prepared their soldiers to move back north.
Hunting the Abyssals
Aestelle obtained some information from local survivors from the recent Abyssal attacks that were at the tavern. Orion had suited back up in his armour and discussed with Aestelle what she has found out from the villagers who had worked out that the Abyssals were looking for something. Orion and Aestelle prepared to move out with Orion taking Davith's horse, Henry, and promising him to return him once they were done. The duo then moved out to hunt the Abyssals.
Orion and Aestelle managed to find a group of Abyssal's around an ancient site worshiping the Celestians. The duo creeped stealthily as Aestelle managed to workout they were most likely looking for a portal stone. Orion moved into the circle to force enagagement with the Abyssals as Aestelle took them out from distance. Dispite their lack of battle cohesion, Orion and Aestelle defeated the Abyssals and rested for the night.
Tancred thanked his squire, Max, after being handed back his longsword and advised him to prepare to leave in the morning after his group had setup camp for the evening. Xavier advised Tancred of recent reports of Orion and Aestelle's actions (however they did not know it was them specifically, with the reports saying they were Elohi) in hunting the Abyssals. As they were discussing, Valletto and Silus arrived to meet the group with Valletto explaining his task to find out more information about the Abyssal invasion. While discussing, Valletto advised them about Constance and after finding out about Dionne's army, Valletto prepared to send a message back to Saffus.
Valletto sent his message to Saffus using magic which weakened him greatly with Tancred helping him recover after the message was completed. Valletto told Tancred of the message he sent including Hugh's death and about the relief force that was already on its way. Unsure on how long it will take for the force to arrive, the group agreed to continue fighting and suggested to find the "Elohi" that were reported to be hunting Abyssals.
As they were resting, Aestelle suggested to Orion to find some caves that were a place of worship during The God War based on the pattern that the Abyssals were taking. Orion continued to read his Eloicon as they rested for the night.
A few days later, Tancred, Jeneveve, Xavier, Silus and Valletto were following up on rumors from some local villagers regarding the "Elohi" and the group came upon slain Lower Abyssals. They spread out to investigate further and a short while later Silus called to Tancred that Xavier had found something. The group gathered outside a cave entrance, sensing something inside the group moved into the cave. They came upon Aestelle and Orion who were at a runic obelisk among more dead abyssals. After briefly catching up, it was determined that the obelisk wasnt a Portal Stone and the group left together out of the cave.
Tancred, Orion, Aestelle and the rest of the group arrived back to the survivor's campsite where the rest of the soldiers were resting. Orion met back up with his squire Kell and his horse, which he learnt was named Star by Kell. AFter making amends with Kell, Orion and Aestelle discussed further Orion's visit by the Elohi and returning Henry however the conversation turned sour and Aestelle stormed off. Tancred arrived shortly after to summon Orion to discuss the next steps.
Tancred and the other five remaining paladins (Jeneveve, Xavier (basileans), Orion, Reynaud and Tantus) along with Silus, Valletto and Aestelle gathered in a local farmhorse to discuss the next steps. After discussing the information they had, Valletto offered to contact Saffus for the location of the Portal Stone then the group would move to protect it from the Abyssals. Before a decision could be made, a squire came in to inform that the local milita that Magistrate Turius had arranged had arrived, lead by Dorn. Tancred then decide to tell Valletto to contact Saffus for the location of the portal stone.
The next day, Orion gathered up the seven paladin squires including Kell, Carolyn, Francis and advised them of the plan to send them away in hopes of reaching the relief force to advise them of the Portal Stone they believe is near Andro. Dismissing the squires to their task, Kell spoke to Orion and told Orion he knew the squires were only being sent away to keep them safe. Orion gave Kell the task in finding Constance which Kell agreed to while also asking Orion to try and protect Jeneveve which Orion agreed to. As the squires rode away, Aestelle approached Orion and they made amends regarding their recent argument with Aestelle agreeing to help them protect the Portal Stone. Tancred then arrived to advise them it was time to leave.
Battle of Andro
As they marched towards Andro, Valletto thought back to his wife Clera and his daughter Jullia and prepared mentally for the task in defending the Portal Stone. Valletto was dreading that was about to happening.
Arriving at the Portal Stone, Orion looked to the north and saw that Andro was lit up with its buildings on fire. Noting they were on a hill and had the high ground advantage, the group prepared to defend the hill including some prayer from the Eloicon. Dorn then noticed to the south of the Basileans vanguard force however the were moving the wrong way, opposite to their current location. Tancred ordered Aestelle to take his horse, Desiree, and signal the vanguard towards their location using the Banner of the Order of the Sacred Ark. Tantus helped prepare Desiree and handed her over to Aestelle who mounted Desiree and took off towards the force. Silus then informed Tancred of Abyssal scouts and Tancred ordered to form up the defence to prepare.
Aestelle rode Desiree down the hill and towards a peak overlooking the inland road, hoping to attract the army. Behind her now however, Gargoyles began to percue her from above.
Tancred heard the Abyssal scouts approach as the paladins, along with Dorn-led militia and the last 5 men-at-arms stood shoulder to shoulder at the top of the hill. At first, the abyssals attacked from the Eastern slope with Valletto keeping them at bay with his Aeromancy. A fireball came from the northern slope, hitting and killing one of the milita. Tancred ordered to fall back to avoid any further fireball attacks, however Dorn and the militia were engaged on the southern slope with the Abyssals. A moment later, the first abyssal appeared ontop of the northern slope and the paladins engaged the enemy.
Aestelle continued to ride towards the peak and finally caught sight of the army. She dismounted Desiree and attempted to light a tree on fire however it was too damp. Aestelle ran back to Desiree and took the banner of Order of the Sacred Ark and held it high, waving her torch from side to side in hope to get their attention. The soldiers halted and the army turned towards Aestelle. Now successful, she planted the banner and turned to face the approaching Gargoyles, coming face to face with them and Am'Bira who had also arrived. Drawing her sword, Aestelle begun to fight the Gargoyles.
Meanwhile at the Portal Stone, the top of the hill had decended into chaos. Valletto stood in the middle of the triangle of portal stones with the paladins fighting on one side and the militia fighting on the other. Valletto summoned a monsoon of rain towards the northern side which caused its surface to become a thick slippery mud, with the abyssals slipping down then summoned lightning towards the eastern side, burning holes into many Abyssals.
Orion continued to fight on the hill, slaying many and given a slight reprive due to Valletto's magic. Tancred attempted to form back up the defence however only 6 paladins remainded (Tantus had been killed]] and only half the milita force remaining, directing them to the south slope. Tancred asked if Valletto could take out another slope however dropped to his knee when he attempted, Xavier dashing over to help him. Dorn alerted his troops of the new wave of Abyssal's arriving and the paladins enagaged the new arrivals, with Orion standing shoulder to shoulder with Tancred and Silus as the rushed out to meet the [[[Abyssal Guard|Abyssal Guards]].
Back at the peak below, Aestelle was fending off the Gargoyles the best she could, killing two but taking wounds in the process. Eventually, Am'Bira attacked Aestelle and they began sparing, however Am'Bira was quickly gaining the upper hand by cutting into Aestelle a few times. Am'Bira managed to plunged her sword through Aestelle. Am'Bira then threw Aestelle to the ground, defeated and dying. She closed her eyes, accepting her fate when 3 Elohi arrived and began attacking the Gargoyles, causing them and Am'Bira to flee. The Elohi healed Aestelle then flew towards the Abyssals attacking the Portal Stone. Aestelle moved back to Desiree.
Tancred remained fighting on the hill with Orion, Jeneveve, Xavier, Valletto and Silus. Reynaud and the milita leader Dorn were dead. Having a moment after defeating the recent Abyssal wave, the group spotted 5 Molochs approaching pacing up the hill. Tancred attempted to rally the force and they began to attack, with the men-at-arms and milita being batted away by the Molochs. Then the 3 Elohi arrived, taking one Moloch out however one Elohi was caught by a Moloch and killed. The paladin's enagaged with the remaining Molochs with the Elohi. They eventually defeated the Moloch's however Silus did not survive and Xavier was gravely wounded. Orion told Tancred to take Xavier and find the relief force. Hesitantly, Tancred left with Xavier (ontop of [{Star]]) to find the relief force with only Orion, Jeneveve and Valletto remaining to defend the hill.
Aestelle rode through the relief force while the lead units engaged with Abyssal scouts, which were attempting to slow down their progress to the Potral Stone. Aestelle met with the force Dictator however after explaining herself was met with only suspicion. The Dictator ordered her to be restrained and she drew her sword in response. Eventually, a member of the Sisterhood confirmed her identity and the Dictator began to get directions from Aestelle, as they did Tancred, with Xavier, arrived requesting aid for Xavier. After providing a status update on the hill and the defence he questioned why the force had not moved to assist. Despite the Dictator's resistance, they eventually agreed to move the force towards the hill and ordered Tancred and Aestelle to guide the cavalry.
Tancred joined the left flank eventually meeting up with paladins from 6th Order of the Sacred Ark Cohort led by Artavius. Tancred took command and led the force, charging into the enemy consisting of Molochs, Flamebearers, Lower Abyssals and Abyssal Guard. Slowly making thier way up the hill towards the top.
While the force charged up the hill, Aestelle watched as Men-at-Arms, along with Sisterhood Infantry charging the Abyssals main line supported by the two remaining Elohi which boosted morale. Aestelle joined with the Paladins charge until she saw Am'Bira around one of the nearby burning buildings, which she turned towards and charged which caught her by surprise. Aestelle whipped out her pistol and managed to shoot Am'Bira in the hip then slashing her wing. A few moments later, Aestelle cut off Am'Bira's head, sending her back to the Abyss. The abyssals she commanded began to break and ran.
Dionne felt that victory was near and only needed the small portal stone that Am'bira held to activate the larger portal stones. First, he needed to secure the hilltop and Dionne moved to the top of the hill to face the 3 remaining defenders (Orion, Jeneveve and Valletto). Dionne congratulated them on their defence so far and told them to run while they could. Orion refused and the 3 began to fight Dionne head on.
Orion, Jeneveve and Valletto attacked Dionne in hand-to-hand combat with Dionne managing to gain the upper hand. Eventually, Dionne managed to deliver a mortal strike against Jeneveve, killing her. Dionne once again gave Orion and Valletto a chance to flee which they again refused. Valletto slowed down an oncoming Abyssal with Aeromancy while Orion once again charged at Dionne. As Orion and Dionne fought, Dionne managed to get hold of Orion's uncle Eloicon and threw it into a nearby fire, destroying it. Eventually Dionne gained the upper hand however just before he was to strike the killing blow on Orion, he was hit by an arrow fired by Aestelle who had arrived, distracting him while Orion got to his feet. Orion and Aestelle begun fighting Dionne together. Orion managed to break through Dionne's defence, slicing off his arm and causing him to drop to his knees. Orion gave Dionne one last chance to repent however refused, then Aestelle sliced into Dionne, half-severing his head and killing him. Orion looked towards Tancred and the paladins charging down the final abyssal warriors. The battle was won.
Back to Golden Horn
Orion watched as the relief's soldiers cleaning up the bodies from the battle, both Abyssal and their own wounded. Tancred was talking to the Dictator to assist the wounded, one including Valletto and another being the last men-at-arms who belonged to the original expedition force who was knocked off by one of the Molochs. Aestelle approached Orion and offered her own sisterhood Eloicon which Orion tenatively accepted. Aestelle then left on her own back to Golden Horn. Tancred then approached Orion to take note on what they achieved and began their trip home.
The force arrived back to Golden Horn days later, with crowds and bells celebrating their return with Tancred, ontop of Desiree, at the front moving in the direction of the palace. Behind him rode Orion, Xavier and Valletto followed by the relief force. As the Basilean force began to break rank, as was tradition when returning, Valletto saw his son Lyius, daughter Jullia and wife Clera and Valletto moved to great them.
Tancred arrived at the palace after being summoned by the Hegemon with rumours he was to get a Laurel Ring. Awaiting at the top of staircase was High Paladin Augus to welcome him. They were soon joined by Tancred's senator father, Tristen, who gushed about Tancreds achievements. Silencing his father, insisting that he was not him alone that managed this victory. They were joined by another senator, Ferrien, who again lauded Tancred for the victory which Tancred angrily pushed back on and stormed into the palace to meet the Hegemon.
At an undisclosed tavern, Hayden was playing music on his lute. Hayden then noticed two newcomers enter, Constance and Jaque. Hayden was happy to see them both and more so that they had survived. Hayden's daughter, Maya, was one of the serving girls and went to get them both a drink. Constance informed they were paid well from Tancred and were reforming the company, wanting Hayden to join them. Hayden refused however and they all, including Maya, sat down to catch up over drinks.
Orion was promoted to Paladin Defender by Gnaeus Sallusis after a formal debrief. Orion then met up with Kell advising him he was going to put in for promotion next year and left to a grand inn within the city. There he met Aestelle who had been paid well and was leaving to see her old accomplice Z'ákke to investigate the Undead which they awoke earlier with Orion. Orion gave her a small sapphire bead for her hair as a gift and they said their goodbyes.
Valletto was resting at hom with his son Lyius, daughter Jullia and wife Clera when their servant, Hustas announced that Orion had arrived. Valletto invited Orion inside and introduced him to his family.
Characters
Basileans
Human
- Castus
- Clera
- Davith
- Dorn
- Hustas
- Justin
- Jullia
- Lyius
- Maya
- Turius
- Vendis
- Perrio
- Godfrey (mentioned)
- Leoni (mentioned)
- Gideus (mentioned)
- Daven (mentioned)
Human-Elohi Hybrid
- Aestelle
- Gnaeus Sallustis (mentioned)
Horse
2nd Legion of the Basilean Hegemony
32nd Legion of the Basilean Hegemony
33rd Legion of the Basilean Hegemony
- Trence Andorset (mentioned)
Constance Mercenaries
Order of the Sacred Ark
6th Order of the Sacred Ark Cohort
15th Order of the Sacred Ark Cohort
Paladin
Squire
Horse
Order of the Blades of Onzyan
Dionne Rebels
Members of Duma
Forces of the Abyss
Abyssal
Temptress
Kingdoms of Men
- Harrett (mentioned)
- Okestes (mentioned)
- Macron (mentioned)
- Jarek (mentioned)
- Elinathora (mentioned)
Elves
- Calisor Fenulian (mentioned)
Orcs
- Skullface (mentioned)
Celestians
- Oskan (mentioned)
Trivia
- While their name isn't stated in Steps to Deliverance, the magistrate that helped figure out that the Abyssals were looking for a portal stone (Chapter 16) was revealed in Hero Falling was Magistrate Turius
External Links
- Steps to Deliverance Paperback Edition - https://www.whpsupplyroom.com/fantasy/p/tales-of-mantica-steps-to-deliverance#gsc.tab=0
- Steps to Deliverance Digital Edition -https://www.manticgames.com/fiction/tales-of-pannithor/steps-to-deliverance-digital/
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