Ryparin lies in stasis on a stone slab in a large stone room with a high-domed ceiling deep underneath the secret monastery of the monks of the order of the flying sandal. He is aware of his surroundings even though he has not opened his eyes since falling from the sky on an enemy drake. He had leaped from Nyneve in dragon form to this enemy beast in order to stab it with his sword, which he did, but then it and he plummeted to the earth.
Only Ryparin’s magics preserved him.
Instead of hitting the ground it felt to him like he dived into a pool of purple mana. The light of the lanterns, perhaps. He was not sure. But now he felt his spirit separated from his body and struggling to get back. The home base signal was weak, which probably was not a good sign.
Instead of finding his way home, Ryparin found himself spying on the commander of the invading force behind the attack on Bale Keep.
He had spied on her before so he recognized her when he saw her (see earlier story post).
She was upset at having been fooled into believing that the purple beacon in the Hool Marshes was a Lantern of Light. In fact it was a fool’s errand intended to create space for you – the pesky adventurers – to sneak off and pursue the real Lanterns of Light in their true location using Alandra de Winter’s magical sextant, as read by her daughter Nyneve, to guide your way. This is what led you to the Demi-Monde. You then entered it through Morgan’s side.
Ryparin’s lost spirit continues to watch as the commander of the invading force redirects her forces to finding the Lanterns of Light where they truly are. They seek out the adventurers who got away. They seek out and eventually obtain information about the Sea Ghost mooring in Seaton and taking on a crew. And one of those crew is trackable to them. And so they do…
Before Ryparin retreats from the scene before him, despite the risk of his presence being detected, he lingers in order to delve deeper and reveal even greater secrets. By doing so he comes to understand that the war that was fought twenty years ago – The Unforgivable War – which “concluded with The Great Killing at Meat Grinder Rock”, in fact was not the conclusion of that war, but rather a postponement by about twenty years, to now.
Twenty years ago, after entering the Underdark with her companion Morgan, and before leaving the sniverfbalen who first took her in (see earlier story posts), Alandra de Winter foresaw the events to come. All the way to Meat Grinder Rock she saw it all.
She foresaw that her role during that combat, healing Morgan repeatedly so he could do what he does – an event burned in the history books as “The Great Killing” – that her role in that conflict would cost her the ability to access the Divine Well – the source of her magic.
She knew that after Meat Grinder Rock she would be weak, that she would have to re-invent herself as a sorceress who draws upon the Arcane Well.
She also used her power to close any access in this realm to the third well – the Psionic Well.
She foresaw it all.
And so, before losing her divine powers, she took the seeds of her divine essence and planted them in six lanterns. These lanterns would not only bestow magical properties upon their properly-aligned bearers, they would also become the future basis for her own rebirth after Meat Grinder Rock.
Ryparin suddenly understands. Each lantern has the power to cast from the Divine Well, and together they are stronger… but all together they can heal Alandra de Winter back to what she was before Meat Grinder Rock.
And a restored Alandra de Winter, after twenty years of training in the arcane arts, and after closing the Psionic Well, is sure to win the war once and for all. But can a band of adventurers be counted upon to restore her?
When Ryparin opens his eyes, his spirit reunited with his body, Ash is there. “Welcome back,” the dwarf says. “You are urgently needed on the battlefield.”