Editing Chapter 9.04

{{Infobox_episode|title=Chapter 9.04|published=July 2, 2022|link=[https://wanderinginn.com/2022/07/02/9-04/ Chapter 9.04]|previousChapter=[[Chapter 9.03]]|wordcount=21,951|nextChapter=[[Interlude - The Isles of Goblin and Minos]]}}

'''Chapter 9.04''' is the 6th chapter of [[Volume 9]].

== tl;dr ==
* The theme is "threats" and the chapter ends with the supply of [[Eir Gel]] running out. 
* The [[Blighted King]] plans to settle a colony on the new [[Izril]] land and begins preparations. 
* [[Flos]] and his crew use a combined skill to blow up [[Nerrhavia's Fallen]]'s armies, and [[Flos]] plans an expedition to [[Izril]] with his new earthers.
* [[Az'kerash]] slowly falls into [[Nerrhavia]]'s trap. He defends against [[Belavierr]]'s attacks who wants [[Maviola]] back. 
* [[Eldavin]] is back at [[Wistram]], does an interview with [[Drassi]], and tells the other archmages about [[Az'kerash]]. 
* [[Teriarch]] slowly makes his way towards [[Terandria]]. 

==Synopsis==
This chapter comes from multiple perspectives the first of which is the [[Othius the Fourth|Blighted King]] who spends time considering his rule and motivations. He is and always has been motivated by the demise of the [[Demons]], but he also recognizes the cost of this protracted war on himself. Othius found himself in a meeting with his top advisors, and he declared that the [[Blighted Kingdom]] would be sending people to make a colony to the new lands of Izril. There would be multiple purposes for this though the main one was as a check on the [[antinium]] to have an advance force in case of a third antinium war, but also to act as an outpost for the kingdom. They planned on selling this idea of being an antinium deterrent to the [[drakes]], and the [[gnolls]] would be exempted from any tributes to Rhir for the near future given their desperate situation after the costly war. A third reason for sending a colony over was to train the kingdom's new [Heroes] and have them level under the difficult circumstances that would likely occur on Izril's new lands. Finally, his most secret motivation involved using his [Chronomancer], [[Nereshal]], in an undisclosed fashion that seemingly involved sacrifice of himself or others.

The next perspective came from [[Reim]]. Here, [[Trey Atwood|Trey]] dealt with the aftermath of his retrieval mission where [[Flos Reimarch|Flos]] and [[Amerys Retoiber]] had been reunited, and they'd returned with more [[Earthers]] including [[Elena Othonos|Elena]] and [[George]]. The time the twins had spent separated did have an impact on each other. They grew apart with their different experiences, but they were both still Flos' vassals. They both watched as four of Flos' [[Seven]] sent out a combined skill to decimate one of [[Nerrhavia's Fallen]]'s war camps. Amerys' return had opened up the opportunity, but she also brought more opportunities for the kingdom's revitalization. Without heavy magic power, Flos was extremely limited, but with Amerys he could get started on redesigning parts of cities. She disagreed, but things were looking better for the kingdom regardless. Most of Flos' wars had cooled down with only Nerrhavia's Fallen being a particularly active front, and even they were getting pushed back by Reim. To capitalize on this, Flos sent his armies forth to slowly continue to push them back, but he also wanted to send forces to the new lands of Izril. His motivation was more for the adventure inherent in discovering new lands, but he also had a strong desire to send a force to meet [[Erin Solstice|Erin]], who he'd heard so much about. Flos planned on sending an expeditionary force in secret including some of his recently gained gnoll tribes and potentially one of his Seven.

The third perspective was that of [[Toren]] currently defending against an attack by a cloth titan sent by an enraged [[Belavierr Donamia|Belavierr]]. She wanted [[Maviola (Undead)|Maviola]] back, but wasn't in a position to contest with [[Az’kerash|Az'kerash]] in-person due to the mission she was sent on previously by the [Witch] ghosts. Belavierr had sent over a dozen attempts to retrieve her daughter, but Az'kerash and his [[Chosen]] had repelled them each time. Az'kerash himself even sat down with Maviola to explain to her that Belavierr was not a capable mother, and Toren explained his own poor experiences with mothers which convinced Maviola not to run away. This fight was mainly Toren and some of the chosen against the cloth titan. Toren handled himself well, but they should have been supported by Az'kerash. Unfortunately for him, he was preoccupied by the powerful ghost in his castle, [[Nerrhavia]]. She had been mentally breaking him down for some time with promises of secrets paired with demands of servitude, but Nerrhavia was kept around slowly gaining freedoms. She had knowledge that Az'kerash wanted like how to make a special type of undead and other knowledge that he needed like the threat of the [[Dead Gods|Gods]]. The two discussed plans and how to proceed including the fact that Az'kerash had already sent out [[Kerash]] to lead gnolls towards the new lands of Izril. To put more of these plans in place, the two brought forth Toren who had just defeated the cloth giant. They made plans to use Toren where Az'kerash would finally give him a voice and Nerrhavia would give him a purpose. On the verge of finalizing this, another perspective appeared on a nearby scrying orb, Archmage [[Eldavin]].

Eldavin announced himself to the world by teleporting [[Drassi Tewing|Drassi]] all the way to [[Wistram Academy|Wistram]] for a short interview with him. After the interview, he went to visit the other living [[Archmage|Archmages]] of Wistram who were determined to hold out against him. This did not last long since he opened the meeting by revealing that Az'kerash was alive, and that he had killed [[Zel Shivertail]]. With this news, the alliance crumbled, and Eldavin put more of his plans into place. He requested the appointment of a member of [[Ullsinoi]] as well as appointments by foreign mages to Wistram's Archmage post. Eldavin beat down the Archmage's resistance and eventually found privacy where he could think about his newfound freedoms. Freedoms and his ability to level when he grew to be a Level 8 [Magus]. [[Teriarch]] himself watched this aforementioned interview as he made his way north towards Terandria. 

At the very end of the chapter, it was revealed that the Isle of [[Hesheit]], the only producer of [[Eir Gel]], disappeared meaning any upcoming supply of healing potions had just vanished.

==Characters==
( * = First Appearance)

* [[Blighted Kingdom]] private court
** [[Othius the Fourth]]
** [[Nereshal]]
** [[Coretine]] / Blighted Queen (''Name Revealed'')
** [[Hayvon Operland]]
** ? - Dullahan [Governor] *
** Torthe - [General] *
** ? - [Catastrophe Aversion Strategist] *
** Veixl - Admiral *
* [[Thomas]] (''Mentioned'')
* [[Flos Reimarch]]
* [[Trey Atwood]]
* [[Teresa Atwood]]
* [[Earthers]]
** [[George]]
** [[Elena Othonos]]
* [[Amerys Retoiber]]
* [[Orthenon]]
* [[Nawalishifra Tannousin|Nawalishifra]] (''Mentioned'')
* [[Venith Crusland]] (''Mentioned'')
* [[Calac Crusland]] (''Mentioned'')
* [[Minizi]]
* [[Takhatres]]
* [[Gazi Pathseeker]]
* [[Mars]]
* Gnoll Chieftains
** Reitx *
* [[Esiela]] (''Mentioned'')
* [[Erin Solstice]] (''Mentioned'')
* [[Belavierr Donamia]] (''Only by Proxy'')
* [[Toren]]
* [[Venitra]] (''Mentioned'')
* [[Bea]] (''Mentioned'')
* [[Ijvani]]
* [[Maviola (Undead)]]
* [[Devail]]
* [[Wesixa]]
* [[Healing Slime]]
* [[Az’kerash]]
* [[Nerrhavia (Queen)|Nerrhavia]] / Immortal Tyrant
* [[Kerash]] (''Scry Projection'')
* Lomost Tribe Gnolls (''Scry Projection'')
* [[Eldavin]]
* [[Drassi Tewing]]
* [[Ryoka Griffin]] (''Mentioned'')
*[[Feor]]
*[[Verdan Blackwood]]
*[[Viltach]]
*[[Gaxiela|Gaxiela / Galei / Taxiela]] (''Mentioned'')
*[[Teriarch]]
==Locations==

* [[Rhir]]
** [[Blighted Kingdom]]
* [[Chandrar]]
** [[Reim]]
* [[Izril]]
** Az’kerash's Castle
* [[Wistram Academy]]

== [[Undead]] ==

* Skeletons
* [[Liches]]
* Skeleton Lords
* Bone Giants
* Belavierr’s half-undead, half-string warriors
* Cathian Tombwalkers (''Mentioned'')

== Golem ==

* Belavierr’s cloth titan

==Creatures==

* [[Vorepillars]] (''Mentioned'')

==Items==

* Ring of Greater Ice Resistance (''Mentioned'')
* ''Memoirs, the 5th Wall'' - Book
* Ring of Greater Telekinesis
* Toren's Relic-class pieces of gear (x8)
** ? - Enchanted boots
** ? - Sword made of glass
** ? - Gauntlets that make you as strong as a giant
* [[Seithbone]] (''Mentioned'')
*[[Eir Gel]] (''Mentioned'')

== Statistics Obtained ==

==== [[Eldavin]] ====

* Classes/Levels = [Magus] Lv. 8 (+?)

[[Category:Chapters]]
[[Category:Volume 9]]