¶ Forces Amassing
As The Lost Pilgrim stands before The Church of Her engulfed in flames, two factions emerge.
¶ Division
The Church of Her is burning, and a great conflict arises.
To the west, the Encampment of Her Light gathers followers of Mother Agora.
To the east, the Bulwark of The Serpent houses those who pursue The Coil of Abyss.
Each of the travelers must decide for themselves which of these two forces they will join, or if they will stay on the sidelines and watch their fates be determined. There is promise of certain death for many as The Lost Pilgrim divides, and followers of each camp begin waving their banners in exhileration for the war to come.
As ranks fill, Her Silence begins to champion the Encampment of Her Light, ushering newcomers and returning faithfuls to the war, assuring them that under the glory of Mother Agora, there is no way they can falter.
Meanwhile, at the Bulwark of The Serpent, many begin to follow The Decrepits into servitude to the worm. This expedites as both Detriti, the Swamp Witch and The Nameless Charter arrive at the bulwark, ready to join the fight.
Before long, the bodycount across both forces is in the hundreds, though it is remarked that the call of Detriti and the Noxium Brew of The Nameless Charter bolster and strengthen their side as if one hundred extra soldiers had joined the fight each.
By dusk it is clear that the Bulwark of The Serpent has a tremendous advantage by The Seventeen's participation.
¶ Ivan's Revenge
While the camps are being built, and The Lost Pilgrim decides their allegiances, a figure approaches.
Ivan is a Druids of the Southern Plains, and reveals that the war that is brewing has been building over many cycles, and that though The Church of Her is in flames, it has survived many cycles and reflects the very nature of The Forsaken Lands.
Following neither of The Two, he believes the conflict is an apex driven by politics after countless attrocities committed unto each side by the other — pains of which he understands, having lost his family and many allies from within the Druids of the Southern Plains to the killings of The Darkblade Guild.
Ivan laments there is no side in the war for him, detesting the followers of Agora for their zealous devotion and the harm it brings, but also The Nameless Serpent cannot be his cause as those followers allow The Darkblade Guild like the Nameless Darkblade Disciple who killed his friend and stole his weapons and armor to co-exist in their burrows.
He doesn't care about joining the war, but will be taking it as an opportunity to reap revenge.
¶ Safe Havens
Amid the chaos at The Church of Her, a small space within is found to be safe and a place where travelers can gather to speak and discuss the transpiring events.
King Offling seeks an audience with a woman of The Darkblade Guild known as Quiet, about her pursuit of Julian Tryhard.
She is aloof and disinterested in conversation, but listens enough to hear warning about plans made to rescue the fool and the king's suggestion that Julian may not be acting entirely of his own accord. Quiet does not make much for conversation, but notes the warning suspiciously and vacates The Church of Her.
It is clear that amid the chaos of the impending war, there is little room for peace talk.