Thought have crossed your mind of why you are helping these Rokari people of Carbo, but you have good enough reasons. You still don’t like them. Shrett and Boamund have their higher moralities of protecting those who cannot defend themselves.

You faced the terrible monsters in the Carbo arena, buoyed by St Avlor’s blessing and your common hatred (or at least disgust) for Chaos. The black Fiend comes flying in; the red one comes striding forth; and the bat-faced horror scrambles in quickly. The red Fiend blasts the whole entrance with its flame breath, and some of you suffer nasty wounds. You take cover behind pillars and cast magics; Shrett tries hitting one Fiend with an arrow but of course it glances off its scales. Soon, they all engage you. The black Fiend dives down at Boamund, stomping on him with a great hoof, and crippling his left arm. Bog fights with the bat-thing and it tries to bite him but instead bashes its head against the pillar, then he crushes its back end with one blow, then another, and it dies. Things don’t go much better for the red Fiend. It faces off for a while with Fraud, lashing with its venomous barbed tail and biting and clawing, but then Boamund comes in; with demon sword and then a scorpion-arm with his Northwinds blade; and stabs it through the chest with the latter, freezing it! This becomes a theme. The black Fiend has flown past on its diving path, starting to circle back, when Shrett throws a Mist Cloud on it and the whole arena (and more) is enveloped in the Auloring mists, leaving it disoriented and flying harmlessly around. Shrett hurries to the stage where the children are, while Boamund and Fraud ensure the death of the red Fiend and Bog follows. Shrett opens the side-doors to get the children to safety. You gather there, hearing the Fiend flying above, when the Mist Cloud vanishes suddenly! Battle begins again. It flies down to land, and Bog, Boamund and Fraud are there waiting for it. It doesn’t survive long. You deal it numerous wounds to the head and arm, then it is felled (I forget who got it). You have defeated the terrors of the arena!

You find a route through the arena innards to the viewing box, where you figure more trouble awaits. The interior passage to it is narrow, so Boamund leads the way followed by Bog and Fraud and then Shrett. Boamund opens the door… The room is richly appointed and dimly lit by a few oil lamps. There are fine chairs, tables and setees. There are five figures around the room. First, a suit of corroded iron plate armour that must have contained a person once, but now is entirely filled with muscular purplish tentacles that spill out of gaps in the armour. It wields a wicked iron axe in one of its unnaturally long arms. Second, a man in violet wizard’s robes, who floats over the floor and likewise is bursting with mauve tentacles. Third, there are two people in fine Safelstran clothes that hold mocking silver masks and silver daggers that glow lavender like dusk. One is a tall thin man and the other is a short rotund woman; both are very handsome. Finally, a throne holds a nearly shapeless form that was once a noble, judging from its fine gold-trimmed robes. It oozes and flows over the furniture, one foot spilling onto the carpet. It appears boneless and viscuous, like an octopus hauled onto the deck of a boat. Its eyes, set into drooping sockets, lazily look upon you as its tongue twitches and it speaks in a groaning, deep, inhuman voice: (Safelstran) “It seems we are rudely interrupted in our rapture. But welcome – we are the Seers of the Gloaming. I shall witness your demise.” And the room bursts into action! Fraud feels the presence of the Purple Sonnet even without hearing its verse, but he steels himself against its madness.

It's a grind getting into the room. The iron-clad tentacle-knight holds Boamund at bay while the two masked people keep slinging Disrupt spells at him to little effect. The boneless man vanishes but periodically reappears and babbles nonsense. The hovering tentacled priest or wizard keeps casting spells at Boamund: first with a stream of corruptive ooze that takes down Bog, who is pulled clear by Shrett as Fraud steps up. Fraud tries throwing a Ward Chaos spell on the knight but nothing seems to happen; was it a protective Chaos Feature or magic or mystical illumination hiding the Chaos? In a horrific moment, the Boneless One appears and vomits a gout of acid onto Boamund’s right arm, eating all of that precious iron. The wizard throws spectral tentacles against Boamund but he shakes them off. He has knocked down the knight but it got up again, then it goes down again and he is able to step in, letting Bog (now on his feet again thanks to his False Healing) slip in (instead of Fraud, who had planned to be next!). Boamund hews off the arm of the masked man and he dies. The Boneless Man reappears and curses Boamund for still being here, lazily suggesting that he should die, but Boamund holds fast and refuses to join the ranks of the dead. Bog kills the female masked one, and while Fraud keeps the knight busy Boamund pierces it with his freezing sword and again this enemy is dispatched. You gather around the throne awaiting the Boneless Man to reappear, while Fraud corners the priest and almost knocks him out. The priest has used a fiery gaze to blast Boamund and harms him; Boamund is sorely wounded. Shrett has finally made it inside after a long wait at the back, and has figured out where foes are just in time to help… And then as the Boneless Man reappears (proclaiming that he shall do his final performance), and Bog is ready, and smashes his face in, but he lives! It is Boamund who deals the death-blow, with a wicked strike through the collapsed remnants of the head. A bubble of acid had been coming up from its belly but is stopped as the man dies. And the man explodes, coating the room in flesh and slime in an awful blast! You’re all hurled to the ground and most of you crippled (not Bog, but he still has other wounds); Boamund’s arm is maimed. The floating priest dies with a final gasp that Fraud barely hears: “So cometh Urcheth.”

Yet you survive the vengeance of the Boneless One of the Seers of the Gloaming, and the arena is silent in your victory. You maintain that silence as you treat your injuries. Shrett hurriedly stops Boamund from bleeding to death and then Fraud does a heroic job of bandaging him, bringing him back conscious. Boamund shakes his head, his body wracked with pain, and rubs his Aldrya Truestone, invoking its Heal Body magic to restore him to full health! In the meantime Bog has searched the mess inside the viewing box. There is the knight’s iron armour (Boamund is pleased to find that its right arm fits his, and takes some more to spare). Then the axe, various robes, silver masks, two iron maces and two silver daggers (Shrett takes these). On the female ogre there is ink writing on a circle of skin (human, probably), and Bog eats that before he can be stopped (haha). He had found a thick book with mad scrawlings in Safelstran and was eating that page by page, but Fraud stopped him and takes it. There is also a now-filthy pile of valuables (coins, jewelry, etc.; 3333 silvers worth!) and you take that. You spend much more time healing, and are able to stagger out of the arena.

Back outside the arena, you see that Carbo’s crisis is getting under control. Fires are going out, and knights are cornering the mobs, whose madness is quickly fading. But the town is devastated; over half of its buildings burned; and the casualties are very heavy. The future of Carbo looks poor. You take the children to the main eastern gates, where Shrett turns them over to the care of the guards. You’re hurried to meet Lord Grimoald at his manor. He is greatly saddened, trying to remain calm: “I never thought to see a dark day like this. Or if I did, I thought it might come from King Guilmarn’s army, not my own people driven to lunacy by devils. What has happened, do you have any insights?” You explain what you can, that Chaos had come but you had stopped it, and he agrees that without you Carbo would have been doomed. Your description of some of your foes remind him of stories of the Boristi sect of Malkioni, which were known to have troubled Dainmol (west of Tiskos City) and have returned to again be a problem in Tiskos County, as seen in Carbo now. “My gratitude overflows. You have saved what remains of Carbo, and maybe me too. I don’t know how to begin thanking you. I have my share of material wealth. I am no great warrior or magician. My power is merely local, and now has diminished, I admit. But I have the iron will of Rokar to help you as I can. Carbo’s people are resilient, by the grace of Rokar. Our survivors will need their prior comforts and employment to try to return to sane normality. You may stay here as long as you wish and partake of what we have to offer, all at my expense. The main temples in town survived the riots, and I will ensure that their available services are offered to you if need be. But I do know people, and that is valuable in Safelster.”

He offers help in the latter regard as you talk to him. Count Reynaldi Abryon he knows well (loyal to him); and the Limestone Family with its head the Baroness Terentia heknows well enough. He says he will write letters of introduction to them. He also addresses your request for aid in forming alliances, saying that such things are of great value in Safelster. “In case you are unaware, the League of Daran includes the counties of Daran, Tiskos, and Tarasdal. Furthermore, the lands of Kustria and Estali are allied and bonded together via a very strategic marriage, and Estali can be sympathetic to the League of Daran. And the county of Azilos is cooperating. So, much of western Safelster has some unity against King Guilmarn. This is still not enough compared with the might of all Tanisor. And these alliances are fragile. We Safelstrans love to backstab each other; a cautionary saying is “An enemy known is a blessing. A friend is a curse.” And tonight we learn about the renewal of the Boristi. Which may have deeper, worse roots.” You’ve mentioned this Urcheth to him again but he has no clues about it.

You also ask about Duke Kimiv and he says (distastefully) that he has heard that and his retinue are there in Tisks, somewhere but not in the open, and expected to remain at least through Dark Season. He also brings up (again distastefully) that there are “too many Arkati there.” And a lot of strife: Rokari, Arkati, maybe Boristi, henotheists, Orlanthi, Argan Argar and Uz… Which sounds very different from the Rokari you know, and Grimoald says that the Count is a strong ruler who keeps these factions together.

You agree to stay and take up his offer of healing and other care. You get good rest in his manor. Bog tries to keep the nightmares at bay with a surfeit of booze. You’ve all seen awful things today and try to deal with the memories. Fraud tries to read that big book but its mad ravings and the exhaustion of the day defeat him. The next day, you go to get healing while Fraud tries again to read the book, to no avail as it is so bafflingly insane, but he at least figures out that it is about the Boristi sect, who are heretics that use Chaos and oppose Arkati in Ralios. Somehow they’ve survived since the First Age. They even have their own Borin County to the north across the lake. Shrett wanders Carbo, talking to the merchants as they try to get their businesses back up and running. He had hoped to speak to Hykimi asking about Black Eyes, but there are none around Carbo. He learns a few things though, more generally:

-The Archon Foyalfine of Azilos has had a lot of important emissaries lately and people are sure he’s up to new schemes. (You’ve heard of him before; he’s famous) -Officials in other cities have caught numerous hazia shipments en route to Walim (city state west of Tiskos/Dainmol). There must be some criminal underground power growing. -People are wondering about rumours that various Hsunchen wandering around Safelster have been asking about dragons. Some are concerned about this, some confused, and some excited. People of Carbo/Tiskos fall into the first category.

Finally you leave Carbo, looking back on the smoking ruins and bodies and rubble, not so sad to say farewell.

You join the crowds on the main east-west road. Soon you come to a person in exotic garb, masked and carrying a staff ending in a strange symbol including a Beast rune, and other signs of Arkati symbols on him. More strangely yet, he is followed by a line of animals: a white tortoise, a bluepaw monkey, a skinny pig and a black heron; all proceeding along the road westwards. Passersby are gawking; most laughing. You come forward and Shrett talks first, in Beastspeech, introducing himself. The figure stops, turns and responds in a hollow mechanical voice. They call themselves Donkey; they are from Sentanos (county to the northeast across the Lake). Quickly it turns to address the others, and Fraud takes up the conversation. They are going to the Temple of Great Arkat in Tiskos to meditate. They carry “The Seven-Horned Staff of Hykim’s Echoing Revival”. Fraud says that he’s an Arkati and is asked of which mask, and he says Chaosbane, and the voice responds negatively, turning away as it says that your paths will cross again. The strange man must not follow the same mask, but you’re confused as to its intent or affiliations. Boamund tries Sense Chaos just in case, but that reveals nothing. It walks onwards but is slow, so you pass it soon enough. Shrett notices that the animals simply follow it and watch the man, but did not respond to his Beastspeech.

You can see as you approach along the road that Tiskos approaches, but does not rival, the size of Estali. It is surrounded by many sheep pastures, wheat fields, vineyards, dense orchards featuring diverse hues of apples, and small hills. The walls are massive, but not as old as those of Estali. Atop the walls there are great rime-covered statues of hulking figures of no certain form. But it is certain, and disquieting, that they are watching you. The guards are distinguished by simple helms with a small Law rune on the forehead, and most bear a small insignia of a black tower on a white background, surmounted by a checkered band. You figure that this heraldry is of the lineage of the current Count Reynaldi Abryon, who claims to be a valid Prince of Seshnela. He thus contends against the lineage of King Guilmarn, who has done very well so far in his claim to be King of the West. You reflect on this as you approach. Guilmarn has been greatly aided by his Zzaburi who have permanently transformed the whole Rokari faith, in their goal to winnow Rokarism down to its basic tenets, such as removing most Saints from “cult” status. Anyway, you come closer and see details of Tiskos. You can see a fair-sized port on Lake Felster. The Tiskos River flows through the east side of the city into the waters near that port, forming a small swamp to one side. There is a heavily fortified main gate on the southwest corner, at the end of the side-road from the main east-west road. The iron-bound gate has elaborate geometric designs around it that suit the Rokari faith – no images of people, but symbols to contemplate. It is flanked by imposing cylindrical towers topped with a pillared dome, in First Age style. There is a considerable military presence camped or roaming outside the walls, the main one you see being cavalry with Rokari emblems, but other non-Rokari troops, too. Peasant buildings are scattered through the orchards and fields around the walls.

You come and join the morning queue to enter Tiskos, debating who will talk to the guards at the gate. Boamund says no way, he hates these Rokari and will have nothing to do with discussing entry. Fraud can’t hold back his feelings of hatred that have welled up, too. He sits down on a mule and hands your letter of introduction to Shrett, who agrees to speak on your behalf. The guard gladly speaks in Tradetalk. First he explains that all races and religions are welcome in Tiskos, as long as the rule of the Count and High Council of Tiskos are obeyed. He asks a string of questions (all recorded by a scribe accompanying the guard), which Shrett answers honestly: names, settlement of origin and country, religious affiliations (Shrett says he was raised Rokari; the guard looks on him suspiciously but Shrett manages to talk his way around this; Bog is looked upon with ill favour but it is obvious what he reverse; and Boamund and Fraud say they have ‘no religion’), business in Tiskos, next destination from Tiskos (Daran, you say). They then say they are hecking for contraband: caste-inappropriate things for Rokari (e.g. gold or riding horse w/peasants), hazia, etc. You consent to having your mules searched. While this is done, you’re asked what iron do you carry? As the guards look you up and down, their eyes glancing along all of the iron you wear and wield. This must be declared, they say. A war is on. Fraud says that you carry this iron as a means to aid them, and the guard says ahh, you’re here to trade your iron? No, you want to fight Seshnela. Ahh, mercenaries, then? Not so much, and then Fraud launches into an oratory of your lofty aims and deeds and noble bearing, and this impresses the onlookers. The process continues more swiftly and politely. You’re warned of the Tiskos armament edict: “The Count’s edict is that armament is to be regulated in Tiskos. All entrants must register their weaponry with the Guild of Protocol. Nobles and others approved by the High Council may carry a one-handed sword and a dagger without registration. This edict is enforced at checkpoints throughout the city and by our City Guard.” Punishments can be severe. You declare all of your many many weapons! (except Fraud’s hidden blade). You’re assigned a guide, an apprentice to the Guild of Protocol, who first registers your weaponry: he is Ricbodo – a young man with a pockmarked face, short-cropped dark hair, in nice brown peasant robes. You get to know him as a very by-the-book (Rokari) servant of the Count but he shows great deference to and respect of Fraud and Boamund. He brings you inside and you’re directed to a stable inside the walls for your mules, then down the streets, as you ask for an inn and he says (with a hint of disdain?) that he knows of just the place you’d want.

There’s a fortified courtyard beyond the gate designed as a bottleneck for invaders; and ramps up to the towers. Tiskos sports well-organised cobbled streets that wind gracefully through the city. Here and there you see remnants of inner walls that tend to follow the middle streets: crumbling ruins of the old city, First Age walls from a smaller original Tiskos. These bear remnants of sigils of Arkat, but visibly much of the stones have been harvested for other stonework in the city. There is nice vegetation throughout – abundant gardens, and as Ricbodo tries to emphasise, it is an even greener city than Estali (you’re not so sure, but it is not as densely urban, true). More peasant and burgher buildings cluster within the walls. Nicer ones tend to be closer to the harbour or Citadel. A difference from elsewhere in Ralios so far, is that there are few obvious Hykimi about. Ricbodo gets you through the first armament-checkpoint with no issues. He answers your queries, as you walk, about features of Tiskos that visitors might find of interest. And he says that a messenger has already been sent to the Count to arrange an appointment for your audience with him, which the messenger will bring back word of later today.

Tiskos has sites including: the Citadel of Tiskos, the great Harbour, the Limestone Mansion by that, two huge merchant quarters (Wetmarket and Drymarket), with powerful guilds led by the Seven Great Guilds. There is a complex military, led by Baron Ducat Abryon (the Count’s brother). The Library of Safelster. Then many temples: Temple of the Storm Henotheists, Storm Tribe temple complex, Stygian Temple of Henotheists, Temple of Great Arkat, Temple of The Invisible God as prime examples. And he takes you to the Dumped Barrel Inn: the most popular inn in town for foreigners and locals alike. Very successful. Large, rather new, three-storey and well-kept. Its sign shows an overturned barrel with drunks falling out. Inside, its walls are festooned with objects and writings. As you look about, and Ricbodo stands awkwardly by a wall, refusing to drink, you learn that people come here to put up trophies of and propaganda about struggle with Seshnela; a very anti-Seshnelan sentiment prevails. You settle in with your belongings, getting rooms, and then leave with Ricbodo.

He takes you to the Temple of Great Arkat nearby, then stays outside (he clearly does not want to be here). It is a gargantuan hilltop conglomeration of stout domed towers around a few connected main buildings, all of dark stone. Unlike some other major buildings in Tiskos, it does not look like a fortress. Its design emanates an aura of celebration. Symbols of Arkat are everywhere, with statuary of Arkati heroes and victories lining the entry path and plaza. Fraud is exhilarated, he’s never seen anything like this, it’s a dream come true! And Bog is pleased to see some statues of Uz, but impatient to find some living ones to talk to. You go in; there conspicuously are no guards; and not many visitors; and you find a temple worker who says to Fraud that this is the Temple of Great Arkat, not of all Arkats, so maybe the temple doesn’t have what he seeks. Shrett asks about the Father Elzemond Blackhand and is told that yes, he and his 2 apprentices might be available, and indeed you are taken to him. He is an energetic, dark-haired man; known as a troll-friend; with a little shadow-imp on his shoulder. And he immediately recognises you and is thrilled, launching into a stream of questions and excited statements as he rushes you into an echoing, empty private chamber. He says that Syrr Kogag had told him of your coming and he’d been eagerly awaiting it, and had been wondering what was happening around Ralios and what you’d been doing. You have a hard time keeping up with his breathless, enthusiastic questioning and flow of facts. But you learn a lot.

In Tiskos, Arkati are tolerated here in the open, in some cases. You ask about the Count and, while he is a good foe of Seshnela and Chaos too, he is a strong ruler and Elzemond warns you that he is interested in rule, and does what he must to keep order in Tiskos, and there is the hint that he uses Arkati as he must, to keep that order, and it’s best not to bring them up and not speak of them unless he brings it up; and to be careful. The Count sounds tricky.

The Temple’s role is lore. There is no Arkati magic accessible here. It probably remains locked by Godlearner magics and Shadow Warrior guards on the Hero Plane. You begin to feel some disappointment, as he started disavailing you of any notion that vast powers await you here. There are no shrines. No one can pray to Arkat and receive answers here, but people do “pray” in meditations, and Arkat is very much loved by people who come here, with diverse visitors. You tell about Donkey the man you met on the road and he says he’ll watch for him but the description doesn’t bring anything to mind.

He tells of the unlocked heroquesting for Arkati since the Boat Planet rose– Arkat’s constellation (in the Celestial Fields) is free from Hell and open. Fraud interrupts and says yes, yes, you know, you were there. Ahh, then, Elzemond says, you know that one star was there at the Dawn; three more at Great Arkat’s apotheosis in 500; and there are less bright ones but now there are five of those that have brightened. You didn’t know the last bits. And he explains the significance, which connects some dots for you. There are now five Arkats in Safelster, but Peacemaker and Great Arkat are the other two masks (= 7 total) and they cannot exist in this world until the others agree on who is the real Arkat. So peace and prosperity will not happen, only strife; the Autarchy cannot rise again; unless those five Arkats can settle their differences. Or so this temple believes. Other Arkati may think that their Arkat is the Great Arkat and other Arkat masks were actually just other people; allies of the real Arkat; e.g. known Harmast Orlanthi and Talor Laughing Warrior. Elzemond begins explaining the myriad complexities of real Arkati in Safelster. Outsiders have simple notions. Reality is much messier. Arkati masks are not simple. “Chaosbane” might be interpreted as Orlanth, Humath, a Stygian sorcerer or henotheist such as Black Arkat, or any combination. Similarly, “Destroyer” might be a troll like Kingtroll, Zorak Zoran, and/or something else. It depends on the sect’s beliefs. Even in favouring the same mask, different sects may disagree strongly, even violently, even calling other sects of that mask “Gbaji”.

You ask which masks are known now as people. He says that Foyalfine of Azilos claims to be the Saviour (Arkat as Hrestoli Man-of-All, second mask, foe of Gbaji from Loskalm to Ralios; killed in Ralios and then resurrected by Harmast to become “Chaosbane”), and has done much in that regard. There is much concern that the “Chaosmonster” (is this the Deceiver mask, or just Gbaji?) will return or has already. As you’ve heard, maybe this is Argin Terror of Tinaros to the northeast. Liberator, Chaosbane, Destroyer masks? Not clear.

The Limestone Family comes up and Blackhand says that they once were strong Arkati, and the populace still holds them in high regard, but he and the Baroness don’t really cross paths. Asked, you hear that the Stygian Henotheists’ temple’s High Wizard is a colleague of Blackhand’s and might know things of Arkati nature or such, but they do not see things the same way as Elzemond… you get the feeling that this will often apply to people in Tiskos. But there is some sort of connection between them and the Limestone family.

Bog asks about Duke Kimiv. You’re a little taken aback that Elzemond dances around the topic; yes he’s here, but he’s not easily reached; stick around… And yes there are Uz, but they tend to keep a low profile except when in good numbers, such as when the Argan Argar Chain comes through. There is strong hint that he knows more and is being very cautious, even though he must trust you. This appears to be a delicate issue politically?

He tells about The Being Who Knew Arkat, a local mystery. It does not allow digging here– no catacombs or sewers in Tiskos. The Count reinforces this longstanding rule. Long ago, there was a carving on underground gallery before that all vanished: “I, who knew the founder of the Empire Himself, have elected my residence in this place. None shall dig under the ground in Tiskos.” There are no basements here in the temple, as elsewhere in Tiskos. At least, not that anyone knows of… You start wondering how you might find what does exist—if digging is not allowed, was it once, and so do underground spaces exist? Perhaps the Temple has lore, or Elzemond or someone knows more?

It's clear that Blackhand is a valuable contact in Tiskos, and very willing to help where he can. You’ve just begun. With a foothold here in the Temple, and an upcoming meeting with the Count, you seem in good position to begin navigating the maze of people and ideas and places that is Tiskos… Elzemond summarises the situation aptly by saying, explore Tiskos and you may be surprised what friends you make. You’re reminded of Lord Grimoald’s statement on the double nature of “friends” in Safelster.

Asked about uniting Arkat with beasts, Elzemond has no idea. It’s just not a part of Arkat’s history per se; although he allied with many Hykimi at times, he also fought them (e.g. Galanini et al. allied with Aldryami and others with Nysalor/Gbaji), and things didn’t go so well at Hrelar Amali (in the view of some Hykimi). Maybe someone knows.

How can the Arkati be encouraged to unite? War, he says, then clarifies he means more of a spiritual war. The ugly history of Arkati since the end of the First Age (and in some of Arkat’s own life events—Harmast and Talor, for example, turned against him as he turned to Darkness magics and Uzdom!) means that there will be violence between the Arkati, which will sweep through Ralios. And at this bad time when Seshnela/Tanisor threatens it.

And on Chaos such as Urcheth, Elzemond has no idea except that it’s all bad news, and fits the trend of much more trouble in Ralios lately. Not just the war with Seshnela; internal problems aplenty, worse than before. Warring city states and such, and this resurgence of Chaos has been building.

Then: I could email privately but prefer to do this openly as I would have in-game: While Fraud and Shrett handle the main discussion with Elzemond (who is happy to speak Darktongue or Seshnelan so you all understand!), you don’t notice that the black imp is gone from his shoulder. Bog feels a cold heaviness on his left shoulder; like a lump of lead. The imp is there, and whispers: “Hello great one among the Enlo. Call me Nugget. Father bore me from Wonderhome. I’ll be your friend too. He can’t talk about it but I can. The Duke Kimiv thing is a tender issue. The Duke is only barely on speaking terms with the Count. Not really here to talk to him, even though Kimiv leads Naskorion County. They have little in common and plenty of mutual hatred and jealousy. He’s here privately, in the Terminal of the Argan Argar Chain. That’s in the ghetto; old Tiskos; on the west side. The “Borough of Lost Hopes”. Some call it the ghost city. For good reasons. But you can’t just walk in and find it, or him. He’s not looking to be found. He’s sort of not even there, in a manner of speaking. I can help you though. This High Wizard Oriolandus Dervay that Father spoke of, he does know Kimiv. And many others. Well connected. And he likes Uz. Expect there to be a price; there always is in Safelster. Yet he can help you reach the ‘Chain and Kimiv. And Orkbrakt. He’s here. You need to meet him. But come talk to me first. Don’t go straight to the ghetto. I’ll give you more advice. For a price. Today’s a freebie. And as much a secret as you like. We can keep secrets together. Very tasty, I like secrets.” And it leaps off into the darkness. [Nugget can Darkwalk at will, which is handy]

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