Chapter 1, Russell’s point of view
Russell is studying magic at the Academy, in Derregain. He is so haunted by his failure with the Portal spell, that he spends nearly every waking hour practicing. His professor notices Russell’s mastery over basic Portals and wants to know how he became so skilled. The professor tests Russell’s strength with a miniature magical battle. He is so impressed he decides to become Russell’s mentor.
Chapter 2, Saro’s point of view
This chapter introduces Saro, the leader of the Downtrodden street gang. He and his El’orin are setting a plan into motion. Saro wants war in Derregain, but he can’t accomplish that while the Governor lives. Achillion’s aura is strong enough to quell riots. Saro’s solution is to murder the Governor.
Speaking with other members of his Coterie, Saro explores the potential of the street drug, Primal. When used a certain way, it sends users into a blinding rage. Saro believes it will counter Achillion’s aura. Saro tasks his team with purchasing massive quantities of Primal. They plan to distribute it to a horde of children who will ambush the Governor.
Chapter 3, Conner’s point of view
Conner is healing swelling in his brother’s brain. The swelling appears disturbingly close to where Liam’s skull shattered. Conner heals the wound frequently, but it always returns. Later, Conner reflects on life since arriving in Derregain. The group is staying in a large row house Arronhelm rented for them.
Liam has joined the militia, while Conner, through the Academy, started taking shifts at the House of Healing. Shortly after arriving, the group discovered they were addicted to Ganna fruit. Fortunately, Eliana was able to make a few Ganna trees grow outside, in the courtyard, but that created another set of problems. Malcolm fears the magical trees will draw unwanted attention to the group.
Chapter 4, Felerin’s point of view
Felerin, Norinae, Urgo, Axel, and Gunther are out hunting a swamp drake. They find the drake and battle it, but before that, Felerin reflects on what happened to the refugees as they fled the Citadel. Their first challenge was dealing with the assaulting demons, and their elementals. They solved that problem by orchestrating an ambush. Gunther, using a Potion of Flight, managed to kill one of the wind demons. That was all it took to reduce the elemental attacks to manageable levels.
Their journey ended when a giant kraken, known as the Lurker, assaulted their ship. The attack occurred as soon as they crossed into deep water. The Lurker wasn’t alone. Talons, a race of amphibious warriors, were with the Lurker. The attack was devastating. Only 248 of the 650 refugees survived.
Chapter 5, Gunther’s point of view
Gunther and his allies kill the swamp drake. Later that night, during watch, Gunther starts feeling sorry for himself. Lacking focus, he fails to notice talons sneaking into their camp. The talons ambush the sleeping adventurers, nearly killing Axel, the fisher, and gravely wounding Urgo. Gunther and his allies kill the talons, but not before their boat is skuttled, leaving them stranded in the swamps.
Chapter 6, Raelyn’s point of view
Raelyn summons an imp, hoping to reach Daemenos, but instead gets Larry, a down on his luck imp. She is being punished, both for using the Banishment spell, and for violating the terms of her agreement with Horex. Things aren’t all bad, though. Cinderhorn found his brother, and Bonewalker agreed to keep silent about how she defeated him for the period of one year. Raelyn ends the chapter thinking about how they are losing the battle against Plaguebringer’s sickness. She discovered an herbal recipe to combat the plague, but it requires a component that is in short supply.
Chapter 7, Cinderhorn’s point of view
Cinderhorn meets with Daemenos. They discuss Raelyn and Plaguebringer. Afterwards, Cinderhorn meets with his brother, Nesharon. They discuss a disturbing rumor Nesharon heard from his neverling allies. They conclude that the Dark Lord has been reborn as an El’orin within Malcolm, and that Malcolm and his friends have relocated to Derregain.
Chapter 8, Achillion’s point of view
Achillion attends a Conclave, involving many of Derregain’s El’orin. The purpose of the Conclave is to help maintain the peace treaty between the city’s El’orin. Saro and Vallon argue, which is understandable, as Saro’s gang is preying on Vallon’s people. After a long debate, Saro agrees to sign a separate peace treaty with Vallon. The signing is supposed to take place in two days, at the Conclave. Saro demands that Achillion attend to bear witness.
Chapter 9, Eliana’s point of view
Eliana is working on one of Derregain’s greenhouses. At the urging of her supervisor, she planted a Goldthorn Berry. Derregain desperately needs to grow the missing component in Raelyn’s herbal treatment for Plaguebringer’s sickness, and Eliana believes the Goldthorn Berry will help it happen.
Eliana’s supervisor, Belegor, notices the magic of the Goldthorn Berry and is amazed. He walks Eliana home, where he sees and tastes Ganna fruit. Impressed, Belegor agrees to give Eliana a private space in the greenhouse to grow things as she sees fit.
Chapter 10, Gunther’s point of view
Gunther and his friends are back in their settlement. Urgo is unconscious and being tended to by a healer. The wounds he sustained from the talons are serious, and strangely, won’t stop bleeding. Gunther literally carried Urgo through the swamps, drawing upon his El’orin and his battlemagic to run for days without tiring.
The healers say it will take too much magic to keep Urgo alive, but Gunther won’t hear it. Norinae speaks of something called the Lifepool. It lies at the center of the swamp. It is said its waters can heal all injuries. It is of course guarded. Gunther and his friends agree to quest for the Lifepool in the hopes of saving their friend, Urgo.
Chapter 11, Saro’s point of view
Saro goes over the plan with his accomplices, Quick and Stone. They know when Achillion will be heading to Conclave, and Quick followed Achillion a few days ago, so she knows what route he is likely to take. They plan to station 60 or more children in a couple of alleys along the Governor’s path. They will arm them, and give each several doses of Primal. Saro and Stone plan to be at Conclave, so they have alibis. Quick will be in the alleys. She will be the one to trigger the ambush.
Chapter 12, Achillion’s point of view
Achillion makes his way to Conclave. He is ambushed by a horde of armed children. He fights back, but the Primal makes them almost immune to pain. As more children swarm him, Achillion summons his El’orin’s aura in the hopes of calming the children. The Primal allows the attackers to ignore it. The Governor frantically tries to fight off the army of children, but there are too many. In desperation, he casts Flare spells and Alarm spells.
Chapter 13, Liam’s point of view
Liam is on patrol with his militia team. The leaders of his team are corrupt. They encounter a store being robbed, and Liam charges in. He is attacked by someone very powerful. Liam learns that his opponent, Claw, and another one of the thieves likely host El’orin. As Liam is chasing the thieves away, the team hears the Governor’s Alarm spells, and sees his Flare. Liam wants to respond, but the patrol leaders refuse.
Chapter 14, Raelyn’s point of view
Raelyn hears the Governor’s Alarm spells and decides to investigate. She flies out over the city and very quickly finds the battle. She realizes Achillion is in terrible danger and decides to help, but she struggles to push past his aura. Eventually, she claws her way to Achillion and crafts a telekinetic explosion, slaughtering scores of children in gruesome fashion.
She scoops up Achillion and flies back to the House of Healing, where she spends her remaining power saving his life. She considers kissing him, as it will permanently charm him to her, but Achillion’s El’orin telepathically communicates, convincing her not to do it.
Chapter 15, Attia’s point of view
Attia is out hunting rival El’orin when a militia team finds her. She is carrying her weapon, which is illegal. She expects them to question her about it, but they try to rape her. She reacts violently, and her El’orin support her. She gets notably lucky during her fight with the militia, but she manages slaughter them all. She notices a strange cat looking on from a nearby roof.
Chapter 16, Malcolm’s point of view
Malcolm is in the basement, studying. He lives alone down there, largely avoiding Eliana, who still hates him for sacrificing her mother. Attia comes to visit him. It is immediately after she killed the militia rapists, and her clothes are still bloody. Malcolm recognizes her distress, and he reassures her, telling her she was justified. They discuss ways of concealing Attia’s sword, and Malcolm remembers a rune recipe he found in Semilae. He offers to build the runes for her in exchange for a future favor.
Chapter 17, Felerin’s point of view
Felerin, Gunther, and the rest of the team join up with Pathrunner Tarron and his friend Nessa. They begin their journey to the Lifepool, despite the vehement objections of Chancellor Falstaff.
Chapter 18, Achillion’s point of view
Achillion wakes in Raelyn’s arms. She playfully teases him, but the recent ambush dominates his thoughts. She saved his life, but she was unable to cure a vicious cut across his cheek. Achillion’s El’orin is devastated by the nasty scar. She needs to feel beautiful to recharge her aura, and the scar damages her beauty. Before letting him go, Raelyn makes Achillion agree to a date.
Chapter 19, Liam’s point of view
Liam and city officials investigate the militiamen Attia recently killed. At least one of the deaths was an execution, and Liam is fairly certain Attia was the killer. Later, they investigate the scores of dead children in the streets. The Governor arrives and partially explains what happened. Liam takes the opportunity to call out members of his militia team for being corrupt. As punishment, he is reassigned to the worst part of the city, an area known as Crapland.
Chapter 20, Russell’s point of view
Russell and his mentor work on new skills. They strike an agreement. In exchange for rapid advancement in the Academy, Russell agrees to share information about his original teacher, Arronhelm. Later, when Russell returns home, Liam interrogates Attia about the murdered militiamen. She admits to doing it, but points out it was self-defense. Most of the group sides with Attia.
Chapter 21, Eliana’s point of view
Eliana and Russell talk. Eliana decides to make peace with Malcolm. She mentions there is a strange cat following her on a daily basis. Eliana thinks through all the amazing coincidences surrounding her life and decides they are not coincidences, but rather, part of a larger plan.
Chapter 22, Conner’s point of view
Conner is at a casino, gambling to appease his El’orin. He loses badly. Unable to pay, he is dragged into a back room. The casino threatens to remove his eyes and sell them to the Watcher to satisfy his debt. Terrified, Conner tells them that he is a healer and begs to work off his debt. The casino agrees and assigns him to heal for some underground fights. When Conner arrives, he discovers that Attia is a participant.
Chapter 23, Attia’s point of view
Attia wins her first fight, and Conner heals her. They talk quietly, but the person running the fights, the Ringmaster, is a skilled sonic mage, and he hears every word. The Ringmaster uses the information to blackmail Attia into more fights. She wins her second fight, but only by relying on her El’orin’s abilities.
Chapter 24, Cinderhorn’s point of view
Daemenos shares some critical information with Cinderhorn. Plaguebringer spreads his sickness through special acolytes. He can only make eleven of them at any one time, and Raelyn, unbeknownst to her, has seven of them quarantined in the House of Healing. Daemenos also tells Cinderhorn about the Serpentus demon that Chariden summoned and sent to Derregain.
Chapter 25, Liam’s point of view
Liam meets his new militia team, and participates in a raid. The kids who nearly killed the Governor were all hopped up on the drug, Primal. Only one street gang makes Primal, the Sewer Rats. The militia’s mission is to go into the sewers and capture the leaders of the Sewer Rats gang.
The mission is dangerous, and many of Liam’s team perform poorly. In the end, he and a few others manage to corner the leader of the gang. The leader is there with his two children, Eirini, and Dimitri. Both of the children are skilled with magic. The leader agrees to surrender. In exchange, Liam allows both Dimitri and Eirini to go free.
Chapter 26, Malcolm’s point of view
Eliana visits Malcolm in his basement. They make peace with one another. Malcolm discusses his difficulties leaving the basement. Ever since defeating the spider queen, in the Theleram, spirits have started following Malcolm. Other necromancers can see them, and he worries it will make him an obvious target. Eliana suggests using the magical water they took from the rainforest to hold the spirits in the basement.
Chapter 27, Gunther’s point of view
Gunther and his companions reach the region containing the Lifepool. The Lifepool rests inside an enormous crater. The outsides are elevated to keep the swamp out, but the inside of the crater descends below sea level. All the plants and animals inside the crater are gigantic. Gunther’s group defeats a 15’ tall praying mantis.
Chapter 28, Felerin’s point of view
Hours after encountering the praying mantis, they encounter a giant orangutan. After defeating it, the group rests in an alcove. Pathmaker Kostanus, who has been tracking them, finds them and joins their mission.
Chapter 29, Attia’s point of view
Attia is challenged to a fight to the death by Claw, the El’orin Liam encountered earlier in the book. Attia bargains with Ringmaster, agreeing to take the fight in return for Conner’s freedom. Before the fight, Claw trades information with her. Claw is surprisingly honorable. He tells her about Achillion’s treaty for El’orin in Derregain, and how to get involved. They fight, and Attia wins.
Chapter 30, Achillion’s point of view
Achillion meets with the imprisoned leader of the Sewer Wolves, Calinus. He agrees to spare the man’s sister, Stitches. In return, Calinus tells the Governor the Downtrodden bought all the Primal used by the children who attacked him in the streets.
Chapter 31, Conner’s point of view
Conner reports to work at the House of Healing and is given a special assignment. He, Lehnai, and another student are to prepare some space on the third floor. When they arrive, they smell waste and see evidence of blood and filth in the halls. They explore and find an enormous, disgusting flesh demon. The moist meat monster kills Lehnai and the other student. Conner runs for his life.
Chapter 32, Raelyn’s point of view
Raelyn speaks with a new imp, Justinivious the Magnificent. The imp, who works for Daemenos, tells Raelyn about the acolytes she is holding, and warns her that she is in grave danger. Raelyn runs down to the third floor, opening the door just as Conner is running for his life. She grabs Conner and flees up to the fourth floor, taking shelter in her private lab. She seals the door with telekinetic magic. During the crisis, she calls Conner by his full name.
Conner asks how she knows his name, and she tells him about her role in destroying the Citadel. While they argue, the flesh demon finds a way up into the ceiling and starts breaking into the room. Raelyn says she is out of power. Conner bargains with her, offering to use his El’orin’s abilities to restore her power in exchange for the Banishment spell. Raelyn agrees, and Conner restores her power. She builds telekinetic pillars to reinforce the ceiling.
Chapter 33, Eliana’s point of view
Due to the Goldthorn Berry, Eliana’s plantings in the greenhouse flourish, and she is given space to expand her growing operation. The Governor shows up and meets Eliana. He shares that he also hosts an El’orin. He schedules a time to meet with all of Eliana’s friends.
Chapter 34, Gunther’s point of view
Kostanus shares his tale with Gunther and the rest of the team. He discusses what happened with Attia and her friends. He returned to the library in Semilae, but found no evidence of their demise. He believes they somehow survived.
Chapter 35, Russell’s point of view
Russell is in the Academy, after exams. His mentor, Professor Keldon, arrives, and Russell tells him about the Citadel. The professor seems overly interested in what happened to Arronhelm’s ring. Malcolm inherited it, but Russell doesn’t share that. The professor interrogates Russell with a lie detection spell. After giving up more information than he would like, Russell flees the interview.
Chapter 36, Kostanus’ point of view
The group finds the Lifepool. The fight the guardians, a collection of giant snakes woven into the surrounding trees. Pathrunner Tarron and Nessa die in the fight, but the rest of the group manages to escape with a healthy quantity of water from the Lifepool.
Chapter 37, Conner’s point of view
Conner and Raelyn are trapped in her lab. The gigantic moist meat monster won’t let them leave. It taunts them, creating hundreds of mouths. Raelyn contacts Justinivious and tells the little imp to get word to Achillion. Raelyn explains how death is far worse for demons than it is for humans. Demons don’t actually die when killed outside the Netherworld. Instead, they are imprisoned in a cell beneath the Netherworld, where they suffer a century of torture.
Chapter 38, Achillion’s point of view
Achillion receives a Soundsend spell notifying him of Raelyn’s predicament. He rushes to the House of Healing and tries to free her from the enormous flesh demon. Achillion isn’t able to make it into Raelyn’s lab, but he gets close enough where he can shout through the door.
Chapter 39, Raelyn’s point of view
Raelyn cancels all her telekinesis, allowing both Achillion and the moist meat monster into the room. Achillion and Conner both protect her as she casts her Banishment spell. She manages to finish her spell, defeating the flesh demon.
Chapter 40, Attia’s point of view
Attia is returning to the row house. It is late at night, and she just finished scouting some farmhouses outside of Derregain for Malcolm. Her El’orin tells her that, in life, she was an assassin working for the Demon Queen.
When Attia arrives back home, the Governor is there. He meets with all of them. He tells them about the treaty, and tells Liam to assume leadership over his militia group.
Chapter 41, Eliana’s point of view
The cat that has been following Eliana enters her room while she is sleeping and bites her nose. She realizes the cat houses a special El’orin. It is the Trickster spirit Eliana’s El’orin knew, three centuries ago, when Gaea was shattered by Chariden. She makes peace with the cat, and he becomes a powerful ally and companion.
Chapter 42, Liam’s point of view
Liam leads his team for the first time, and he struggles to earn their loyalty. They explore some deeper sections of Crapland, coming across a gathering where Plaguebringer’s acolytes are mass-infecting the population. The acolytes chant a rhyme that charms listeners into obedience.
Chapter 43, Saro’s point of view
Saro meets with the other El’orin in his Coterie. Due to the failure of his plan to murder the Governor, Stone deposes him and takes over leadership of the Coterie.
Chapter 44, Achillion’s point of view
Raelyn meets Achillion for their date. They realize they are right for each other. During their discussion, Achillion reveals his El’orin’s need for him to dress as a woman, and Raelyn explains that demons must consume human blood to remain in this world. They also discuss the prisoners Achillion has been trading to the Glabsezrii Mael Kahn. Raelyn tells him he must stop. Finally, they retire to the bedroom where Achillion willingly kisses Raelyn, despite knowing he will become charmed.
Chapter 45, Russell’s point of view
Russell returns to the Academy and confronts Professor Keldon. Russell agrees to continue his studies, but only if they shift the focus to mental protections. Russell wants to make sure no one can violate his mind. In addition, Russell gets Professor Keldon to show him the Academy’s Inscription.
Chapter 46, Conner’s point of view
Conner goes to the House of Healing. He notices that things are very busy, with countless people showing up with symptoms of Plaguebringer’s disease. He meets with Raelyn. She honors their deal, and casts Banishment into the Elestone he received from Eliana. Raelyn also agrees to start teaching Conner.
Chapter 47, Malcolm’s point of view
Malcolm and Attia subdue a family of farmers and sacrifice them to the neverlings. This pays off the debt incurred when the neverlings rescued the group from Semilae. Malcolm also successfully bargains for a spell to summon ghosts. Attia is noticeably disturbed by the arrangement.
Chapter 48, Gunther’s point of view
Gunther delivers the Water of Life, and it heals Urgo’s wounds. Later, Gunther celebrates with the Pathfinders. The spirit of Arronhelm reaches out to him, and asks to be released. The spirit was what allowed Gunther to cast Portals. Gunther releases Arronhelm. Afterwards, he shares Arronhelm’s true story with the gathered Pathfinders.
Chapter 49, Raelyn’s point of view
Raelyn summons Justinivious the Magnificent. She gives the comical little imp two pieces of her special jewelry as a reward for helping her. Justinivious is moved by the gesture.
Epilogue, Ssalyssna’s point of view
This chapter introduces the Serpentus demon. We see her approach Derregain and slaughter a few guards. We learn she can consume a victim’s memories and skills. She can impersonate victims she consumes, essentially appearing as they did in life.