Selys laments being newly rich. She meets up with some childhood friends and they go to the market. Selys is thinking about buying a bag of holding, her friends want her to buy them new cloths. An argument ensues.
A merchant gives Selys advice on navigating wealth, before making some sales and then other merchants descend on her.
Selys is battling some issues relating to hording and wealth, Tekshia come over to her apartment gives good advice and tell Selys the story of how she lost her wealth.
Octavia is asking Krshia for help with her problem is ignored again.
Krshia talks with Selys, about issues with the city, dungeon and ineffectiveness of Liscor's council, leading to Krishia's idea to change the council selection to a vote. Selys agrees and they go to Zevara who likes the idea.
The Bushrangers are taking a contract on giant serpents from the new dungeon with the Rustless Guard.
United Nations officers go over the finances, things are looking up.
Paige shows Daly the bombs she made, both are terrified of them, Daly want more made.
Luan returns, stories are exchanged, Daly confirms that all members are having issues remerging family from Earth.
The Featherfolk Brigade come to request Daly and Geneva to talk with their leader Fezimet, who tries to get information from them before desiding there are not a threat and allow them to operate in his city, but they will have to pay for the honor.
United Nations leadership meet debriefing on the Featherfolk meeting and Luan tells them of the upcoming job from Venaz, leadership votes to try to get some connection with the Forgotten Wing Company if possible. Daly does not inform them that they are making bombs.
Chapter shows and follows Niers' Advanced Students.
Advanced students go over their homework with each other, before begin called down to see the new academy students.
Niers has the new students experience combat by having them participate in a war game under Venaz. Venaz uses the new students as decoys and charges Niers' command tent. Niers is not there and wins the war game.
Students return to class. Topics include the homework, the mock battle with Venaz, Olesm's latest chess magazine that positively mentions goblins.
Niers discusses the upcoming game coming up in two days, the Advanced Students go drinking and talk about preparations.
Everyone arrives in Daquin. Niers meets with city council and Wistram mages. Wistram will be broadcasting the games. Niers introduces the seeker for the game Tulm the Mithril. Tulm's presence is enough to cow the students, but Niers gives a speech, without skills, to rally the students.
Then the game starts. Luan enters Daquin breaking the Iron Vanguard blockade, Venaz is not at the meetup location, Luan is about to be apprehended when some students make a break for it. The Vanguard fairly easily captures the early runners showing off Xol, some divisions and some gold rank adventures. All advanced class students stay hidden gathering info during the early movements. Niers' officer classes take an advantageous skirmish, after trying to get Nier's to comment he starts talking over the commentors not letting a work in and advertising his students to the world. Tuln is forced to get serious.
Venaz locates Luan, Wil calls in 4 warships of drowned men to break the Iron Vanguard blockade and delivers hundreds of knights including his sister's Summer Knight order
Venaz gets his package from Luan, Marian hires Luan to help out as he can.
Wil takes control of the forces he brought and advances into the city. Venaz dons his armor he, Marian, Umina and Luan continue, through the fog, take out a few patrols, Luan gets healers to hide the four from an Iron Vanguard patrol.
Some students get close to victory but are captured, Umina runs off to try her own plan, Venaz and Marian group up with Wil. Feshi bows out to rallies the citizenry of Daquin, in exchange for Wil sending trade caravans to Gnoll lands. Luan has an idea to use children against Xol. A final charge to the plaza Venaz, Marian and Wil leading it.
Umina wins, having had Nightmen dig a tunnel 12 ft from the nearest latrine to the circle while all the mages were too occupied with the battle to be scanning for tunneling.
Niers announces rewards for many students, Umina winning the main prize but others getting some rewards, Wil also gets to ask a question.
Tulm pulls the Iron Vanguard out of the city. He, Xol and the Seer of Steel debrief on a warship trying to figure out why Niers' would risk so much on a game. Xol puts out a bounty to rough up Luan and break his boat, in response for Luan putting children in danger.
Luan and the students talk as Luan gets paid. Luan extols Geneva's ability, the students invite her to the school.
Niers is pleased, the whole game was a setup to get a meeting with United Nations company with no one thinking he desired it.
Thomast cools down Bethal stopping her from an immediate warpath. Bethal goes for a ride, gets jumped by assassins, Thomast and Farmer Lupp kill all but one.
Lupp shows off his corn, he and Bethal talk as she calms down, she is appalled that he sells the corn for so little, she insists on buying it a higher price.
Bethal and Thomast return to Reizmelt, and hire Ryoka to run to Walta to report to the Order of the Petal's master. Ryoka makes the run quick enough to be considered for a courier, she out runs 3 ambushes.
Ressa does morning rounds at the mansion watching over the staff.
Magnolia and Ressa tour her lands the first village they visit misused the funds given to rebuild, the second took the money and stated a textile industry. Magnolia and Ressa discuss her methods of rule and improvement, giving people the change to rise or fall but helping directly.
Magnolia and her ladies all receive black roses and are attacked by assassins. Ladies Zanthia, Wuvren, Pryde all display their charators and skills as Ladies as they defeat the assassins sent at them. The Assassins guild is no longer in Magnolia's pocket.
Magnolia starts making moves using a skill to declare a trade war and spreading some secrets around.
Erin, Mrsha and Lyonette are enjoying the onset of spring. While the 3rd floor and tower are still damaged, the second and ground floors are all repaired, Erin is doing better mentally and grass is growing on the inn's hilltop thanks to Mrsha's magic. Lyonette is still in charge as Erin is taking time off.
Erin finds blue fruit trees have started to fruit.
Olesm is inundated with letters from his chess magazine, most are unhappy with his thoughts on Goblins. After dissection with the inn's guests Olesm and Pisces go to Pallass to write a response.
The inn hears of protests happening in Liscor, apparently instigated by Krshia. Liscor citizens are unhappy with the Council after hearing Krshia's arguments and start pushing for elections.
Klbkch is going over reporst from the hive. Zevara and Selys meet with Klbkch to get Antinium support for the election plan. He supports the plan but still pushes some extra concessions.
Pawn is still depressed from the losses at the Goblin Lord's assault on Liscor. through meeting some new autonomous worker units he relies that he has been too far removed and missed much. In talking with Belgrade and Anand Pawn realizes how much they have changed and how different they think than he does, talking with Belgrade, Belgrade has a mini panic attack Pawn takes him and a patrol to the inn.
The Free Queen speaks to Bird and Garry trying to explain what the Antinium were, and the history of the flight from Rhir. Bird shows that he can mentally hear the Free Queen, like a True Antinium would.
Lism makes a push to prevent Krshia's election. Yellow Splatters is reveled to have undergone the Rite of Anastases. He has a new body, can speak and is introduced as an Antinium hero. Yellow Splatters says he saw Antinium Heaven.
Embria has a day off and spends it with Relc. The day starts off well but she end up asking him to rejoin the army and it goes down hill, and Erin's small talk with Embria does not help.
Embria halving a bad day has nothing to do, ends up sparing with Yvlon who talks to her about Erin and tells her about Relc's achievements and what he does for the city. Embria does not apricate meeting Ksmvr.
Relc meets up with Embria at the Adventure's Guild, they do not agree on anything, they start an intense spear warmup, that impresses all, then they spar, that helps breakdown the wall between them.
They clean up, start talking and listening to each other return to the inn, and actually connect.
Ilvriss is settling back in in Salazsar. He reads of Liscor's elections, choose to sit back and wait till Erin makes a move.
Erin has gathering in her inn introducing Licorians to Pallassians, the two sides start up a dialog between them. Maughin, Grimalkin, Relc discuss making workout weights a real product.
Erin displays her food innovations to the Pallass crowd, Licaorians get the chance to feel superior as they have had this food for months, Erin starts selling them a huge mark up.
Antinium arrive at the inn for construction, Pallassian watch is angry, Erin enforces a peace. Liscorians are appalled at Pallass disgust of their Antinium and impressed at the efficacy of their construction.
Zevara tells Calruz about what is happening at the inn. Calruz mentions that what she has done hasn't changed the logic of the election but has emotionally appealed to many. He wants to know when he will be executed, Zevara is unsure if something was influencing him in the dungeon.
