Lord Magnius Arvanxi sat in his office, nestled deep within Arvanxi manor, which itself sat on Hellhound Hill in Egorian, capital of Cheliax, the Infernal Empire. He listened intently as his younger cousin, Renzio, briefed him on current affairs both within and without the nation. Each rumor carried potential, though whether that potential was positive or negative for him and his House was unknown at this time.
The Storm Tyrant gathering an army within the Mindspin Mountains was a serious concern, as that was fairly close to Cheliax. However, more information was needed in order to properly assess the threat. He did wonder how Bolvar Gemforged, legendary hero of the Dwarves, felt about an ancestral foe amassing soldiers near a pair of Sky Citadels.
While rumors of some sort of wintry artifact buried deep within Irreisen was troublesome, he was at least mildly confident that the trio of armies there would do their best to destroy each other. Plus, he had heard tales of a powerful Kitsune warrior-mage who had bested the Old Crone Baba Yaga. Supposedly, he and his wife(a Winter Wolf?!?) were working to turn the frozen kingdom into some sort of safe haven for all manner of species, which was a commendable goal. Especially considering that’s what Magnius had turned House Arvanxi into. They seemed capable of handling the threats within their borders, but he had his daughter, Sabella, monitoring the situation, just in case.
The reports that some of the Seven Swords of Sin were possibly awakening were deeply intriguing. The Runelords, and their champions, were all incredibly powerful and capable individuals. They could be valuable allies or implacable foes. Thankfully, his ‘aunt’(and Renzio’s mother) Lady Dressarosa was keeping abreast of things from her position as ambassador to Korvosa.
A graveknight giantess wandering around Ulstav was worrisome, but nobody seemed to know what her goals were. Until there was more intel on her, she would have to wait. Besides, renowned undead slayer, and hero of the siege of Gallowspire, Lord Marshall Xia was based there. If anybody was a match for a lone graveknight, it would be her. Still, it might be a good idea to dispatch the twins, Valryx and Votos, to keep an eye on things.
By far the most interesting piece of information was the apparent convening of a so-called Council of Wryms. Unfortunately, nothing else was known. Not where it was taking place, what they might be discussing, or why they were meeting. Some claimed they were going to make a proclamation about the end of the Age of Man, but Magnius did not think a monumental assemblage of every species of dragon would be over such a decree. Whatever they were meeting about, it was far more dire.
Finally, the news about Malyas and activity around his caste, Kronquist, also sounded like it could be most problematic. Much like the graveknight in the same region, however, there was scant little else beyond those potential stirings. He told Renzio to inform the twins about this situation as well.
Before he moved on to domestic affairs, Magnius’ information broker had one last piece of intel to share. ”There’s some rather interesting whispers coming out of the Worldwound. Supposedly, Areelu Vorlesh, she who lead the ritual to open the rift to the Abyss, has somehow found herself on the path towards redemption. I’ve sent word to Zyblina, who is currently stationed in Mendev, to investigate these rumors further.” The head of House Arvanxi nods in agreement. ”It might also be a good idea to inform Sabella. As a high priestess of Nocticula, she knows much about forgiving one of their sins.”
His younger cousin continues. ”There’s a pair of rather distressing reports within our own borders. It would appear your erstwhile uncle, Aberian, has somehow bound his soul to Liebdaga the Twin, the Pit Fiend imprisoned beneath Westcrown. This merging of souls has caused them to grow greatly in power, such that they now rank as an Infernal Duke. Tanarr’xia is currently there, assessing the overall threat. They’ve been told not to even consider engaging, but you know they can be a bit reckless. Still, I think they’re wise enough not to try taking on an Infernal Duke on their own.” Maginus stifled a chuckle. To call his youngest child brash was quite the understatement. They were very prone to act first, and maybe ask questions later. That said, they were usually capable of showing restraint, when it was absolutely necessary. ”Send Vaklam to assist ‘Xia. He’s even-tempered and cool-headed enough to keep the situation from getting out of hand.” Ren adds that to his ‘to-do list’ then goes on. ”Finally, it would appear that there is some massive Iomedan army, the Glorious Reclamation, marching towards the Whisperwood and the Infernal gate there. Queen Abrogail has unleashed the Brimstone Battalion, including the Hellfire Engine, to eradicate them. Such a clash would likely result in devastating losses on both sides, and cause cataclysmic damage to the Wood and the surrounding countryside.” The young man pauses a few moments. ”I’m not entirely sure what the best course of action is here. I don’t think we can let these two armies meet, but I also don’t know how we can prevent that in a way that wouldn’t be seen as treason.” The current head of House Arvanxi is silent for some time, contemplating his options. ”Perhaps I need to personally pay a visit to this so-called “Glorious Reclamation” and see if I can’t persuade them to cease their invasion. However, it might be a good idea to discreetly send word to Lord Aedar and the Sanguine Crescent, should things go poorly. They might be the only option to resolve this catastrophic situation with as little bloodshed as possible.” Renzio swallows hard, and nods glumly. The Sanguine Crescent were an elite order of assassins, mercenaries, and soldiers of fortune made up of former members of the Red Mantis, ex Hellknights, Gray Maidens who didn’t wish to follow Qualins Rachmirol in pledging their loyalty to House Thrune, and similar dissidents. Worse, the upper echelon were all ancient vampires. Renzio had no idea how Aedar managed to control or at least lead said vampires, but there were several rumors swirling around him: Some claimed he was some sort of ‘master’ vampire, others that he was an immortal mage who was simply powerful enough to command the respect of them, and there was even whispers that Aedar was actually a minor demigod of vampires. That last was highly unlikely, but only Magnius knew the truth, and he wasn’t telling.
Renzio took his leave to begin carrying out the head of House Arvanxi’s orders, while Magnius himself prepared to deal with the invasion of his homeland.