Episode Introduction
The Mortal Guardians join a crusader-led expedition journeying eastward to recover Viszigrav, the cursed weapon that may be key to Ylvogg's dark plans. Their path brings them to an ancient tribal site defiled with demonic runes, only to find that cultists are sparking a deadly cycle of violence. They encounter new allies and make difficult choices, as the threat of war looms over Velanaura. Will their faith in justice and honor be enough, or will they uncover truths that threaten everything they believe?
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Episode Recap
With a glimpse into Arammog’s childhood, we learn hints at his own tribal origins—and then the Mortal Guardians embark on their journey eastward toward Cindervaeld. They travel alongside Arammog, who seems haunted by memories as they approach the tribal lands, as well as soldiers and crusaders of the Sentorrian March.
At a defiled grove of tribal deities, they meet Professor Crayne, a mysterious and unsettling figure who inspects and studies the sacrilegious runes. Crayne, an undead scholar from the umbral city of Gloomnuor, has been hired as a guide by the Mortal Guardians to ensure the authenticity of any discoveries made on their endeavor.
A demonic ambush erupts, revealing the cultists’ violent intent to incite further chaos. The Guardians fend off the attack but are soon drawn to Baernfeld, a village left in charred ruins by bloodburned warriors who serve Ylvogg. There, the haughty General Thistledern and his brutal Colonel Graakthar assign the Guardians to investigate the village. As they explore, they rescue survivors and discover grim clues of escalating hostilities between crusaders and tribal cultists.
The Guardians are soon ambushed by the bloodburned, only to be joined by Ashen Scale scouts led by Rashaveera, an envoy from the Elder Council. Rashaveera warns of the cultists’ schemes to provoke the crusade, heightening tensions even further. When crusader Lieutenant Nadrughar arrives and demands they arrest the scouts, the Guardians face a critical choice: honor the crusade’s laws or allow the tribal allies to escape. Their decision foreshadows tensions to come between Velanaura’s divided factions.
In the epilogue, Rauggma stands amidst his followers in a feverish war chant while Dralkarn and a hunter plot in the shadows. As ambitions and alliances shift in the wastelands, Rauggma’s rise faces challenges from within, promising future conflict that will test loyalties to their darkest limits.