In the depths of Raven’s Crest, eight heroes stand before a pool of blood, about to undergo a trial that will challenge not just their courage, but their very understanding of divinity. As Bells Hells prepares to meet the Matron of Ravens, the weight of their recent victories – their confrontation with the Unseelie Court, their audience with the Arch Heart, and the fall of Sorrowlord Zathuda – hangs heavy in the air.
Morning Promises
The day begins with Fearne and Ashton waking beside Gloamglut, their night under the stars having forged an unexpected bond. The fey dragon teaches Fearne how to call for it before taking flight, a final gift from the creature that once served her father.
Inside Ligament Manor, Nana Morri greets everyone with both mouths smiling at Braius, though she makes sure to remind Bells Hells of their growing debt of favors. When Laudna asks about the Matron of Ravens, Morri calls her “a fickle b*tch,” making her feelings clear. Before leaving, Birdie and Ollie share goodbyes with Fearne, all of them promising better days ahead.
The group spends time examining Zathuda’s longsword Duskhunger with Identify and sorting out their magical weapons. Dorian uses the Quintessence Array to absorb the Harp of Valor, and then Morri teleports them all to Vasselheim with a final piece of advice for Fearne: trust her instincts.
The Streets of Vasselheim
Vasselheim is packed and tense as the group makes their way to the Duskmeadow District. Chetney raises an important point – they’re just assuming the Matron is the other god who wants to release Predathos. They need to watch their step.
At Raven’s Crest, they meet three shadowy figures near a pool of blood. Lieve’tel Toluse steps forward, introducing herself as one of the Coven of the Veil, high priestesses of the Matron. When Imogen mentions feeling drawn to the Matron, they’re told to enter the blood pool.
Ashton: Not to be dark, but I didn’t actually think I’d live this long. People who come from Greymoore, that’s not a beginning that promises a very good ending. Had a good time, seen a lot more than I expected, and met better people than I thought I would.
Fearne: And now you’re going to save the world.
One by one, they sink into the crimson liquid. They realize they need to actually drown – Dorian struggles the most with fighting his survival instinct. As each one lets the blood fill their lungs, they find themselves together at the bottom, where golden threads glitter in the distance and a figure in dark robes and a white mask approaches.
The First Test
Laudna tells the Matron about meeting the Arch Heart and learning about the gods’ fear in Aeor. The Matron responds coldly, telling them to go home. They refuse, reminding her that her champion needs help.
The goddess summons three figures: Liliana Temult, forced to abandon her life; Opal, manipulated by dark gods; and Vespin Chloras, who tried to become a god himself. When listing their strengths isn’t enough to impress the Matron, the figures attack.
A Divine Trial
The fight erupts without warning. Fearne reaches for Opal only to be met with steel, her former friend’s daggers drawing first blood. Liliana responds with a Reverse Gravity spell that sends everyone floating upward, while Opal turns her attention to Chetney. The wolfsmith answers the challenge by shifting into his bestial form, meeting blade with claw.
Orym proves why he’s one of Exandria’s deadliest fighters, disarming Opal with a precise strike that forces her to reveal her true form – a horrifying half-spider creature. Meanwhile, Vespin stops time to unleash Crown of Stars and Horrid Wilting. Only Fearne’s quick thinking with Aura of Life saves them from the worst of the decay magic, though she loses concentration almost immediately.
The fight becomes airborne as Imogen takes flight, channeling lightning into Vespin’s form. Not to be outdone, Ashton creates a portal with their Wormhole Strike, sending their hammer through space to break Liliana’s concentration and send everyone crashing back to the ground. Dorian manages to grab hold of Liliana on the way down, turning their fall into a desperate grapple.
As the fight intensifies, something strange begins to happen. Opal and Liliana start showing signs of confusion, as if waking from a dream. Taking a chance, Dorian flies into one of the fate threads hanging in the chamber. He’s immediately flooded with Opal’s memories, ending with a vision of her alive in the Hellcatch Valley. “It’s not real,” he calls out to the others.
Laudna seizes the moment, assuming her Form of Dread and summoning her Spirit of Death in the form of Emhira. The very threads of fate tremble at this display. Then comes the moment that stops everyone’s heart – Liliana looking at her daughter and asking, “Do you trust me?” After what feels like an eternity, Imogen whispers, “Yeah,” only to be struck down by her mother’s Power Word Stun.
The fight ends with Chetney’s claws tearing through Vespin while Orym delivers the final blow to Liliana, leaving the chamber in sudden, ringing silence.
The Matron Unveiled
The masked figure vanishes, replaced by a woman in the Matron’s robes. She apologizes for testing them and shares that she and the Arch Heart think alike – the gods are becoming stagnant while mortals continue to create and evolve. When she removes her mask, they see the face of a pale, sad woman they don’t recognize.
“The cycle of our existence, divinity, mortal, life and death, growth and destruction, it will ever continue, and with every passing cycle, we, the gods, just pull further and further away, but it does not stop us from manipulating and imposing under the guise of guidance and protection. Many would not admit it, but we grow docile, unchanging, stagnant, while our mortal children are the bastions of change, evolution, and true creation. […] I grow tired. So, welcome to the conundrum. What is it you wish to know?” – The Matron of Ravens
She tells them everything:
- Her champion’s fate was hidden from her sight.
- The other gods want to remove the Divine Gate but need unanimous agreement.
- She’d rather let mortals choose their fate than flee from Predathos.
- She became the death god with help from her predecessor, whom she grew to love. That same force – love – might help Imogen control Predathos’s power.
The Matron warns that these views might get her labeled as a new Betrayer God. She explains they need to remove a mysterious “beacon” before destroying the key to save her champion. When Ashton asks about Laudna, the Matron says her fate is now tied to Imogen and the others.
She gives them her mask to call for help when needed, then sends them back through the blood. They emerge gasping at the pool’s edge, completely unharmed – as if the entire trial had been a vision.
TLDR: Bells Hells parts ways with Gloamglut, travels to Vasselheim, and meets the Matron of Ravens through a blood ritual. After fighting shadowy versions of Liliana, Opal, and Vespin, they learn the Matron believes mortals should shape the future, not gods. She gives them her mask and reveals that love might be the key to controlling Predathos.
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