Mid-afternoon, Astofar informs the group that the latrines have been silent since this morning. After two long weeks alone in the excrement, Duke Umbar is no more.

The adventurers use the rest of the week to train. Sandarme and Aldanàr get into the habit of running every morning to improve their stamina, Thorgrim trains in hammer combat with dwarves from the guard, and Sandarme practices keeping an eye open at all times.

The next day, the group returns to the Blanchecrête camp with a more official (and less armed) delegation, a chest containing 10 gold coins, 5 barrels of ale and victuals. After a small ceremony, the agreement is signed between King Leif and Duke Rakam.

A banquet follows, celebrating this unexpected alliance. Discussions get underway, and a proposal of marriage is made by the people of Blanchecrête to Leif. Aldanàr talks with Edd, who suggests meeting Kartorda, the high priest of the Rouiller. The geopolitics of the region turn out to be more complex than expected, and new opportunities arise. Thorgrim takes the opportunity to talk about his relationship with his hammer... and Teramalda.

The small army arrives in front of the camp in the early afternoon. The adventurers ask to speak. Three men emerge from the camp, approach the delegation and introduce themselves. Among them are Rakam, Duke of Blanchecrête, Edd, a brother of the Rouiller, and another with oriental features.

As discussions progress, the adventurers learn that these are the men of Blanchecrête, come to inspect what they believe to be their territory. The negotiating skills of the four companions turn the situation around. In return for a one-off payment of 10 gold coins and guaranteed free passage for caravans, Blanchecrête agrees to cede all territory south of the Wash River (including the Hollows). The agreement is formally signed in the same place the following day. The party then set off back towards the castle.

The adventurers decide to take action and solve the problem of the armed troop. Leif gathers volunteers in the market square under construction. He offers three copper coins to each man willing to accompany him. The adventurers, part of the guard and a small group set off to meet the camp.

Summary of castle resources:

- Silver mine produces 48 silver ores
- Forge consumes 48 silver ores
- Forge produces 4800 copper coins
- Quarry produces 120 stone blocks
- Lumber camp produces 120 logs
- Hunting camp produces 24 furs
- Brewery consumes 10 bags of grain
- Brewery produces 5 barrels of beer
- Firewood consumes 20 logs
- Tax collection produces 220 copper coins
- Wage payments consume 2502 copper coins

The adventurers take advantage of the week to rest and regain their vitality. Sandarme spends a lot of time studying the Night Ranger's amulet. In fact, he discovers that it is a map showing a temple located further south. Aldanàr identifies this temple as a significant place for the Elves. The scouts report their observations: it seems that this armed troop is looking for the location of the silver mines. They have also set up a small camp.

Summary of castle resources:

- Silver mine produces 48 silver ores
- Forge consumes 48 silver ores
- Forge produces 4800 copper coins
- Quarry produces 120 stone blocks
- Lumber camp produces 120 logs
- Hunting camp produces 24 furs
- Brewery consumes 10 bags of grain
- Brewery produces 5 barrels of beer
- Firewood consumes 20 logs
- Tax collection produces 220 copper coins
- Wage payments consume 2502 copper coins

On the evening of their return, the company holds another council meeting. Beronyx proposes that the council begin with a minute's silence in memory of Klotinde. Astofar, the new Chancellor, presents the business to be discussed:

- The mines have been repaired and can now operate at full capacity;
- A letter from Milvia states that she has reached the Shroud Forest and encountered goblins there. She intends to explore further, towards the sea;
- A letter has arrived from the Black Peak. Another group of adventurers has moved into the ruins and set up a community. They wish to meet us. It is decided to send an emissary;
- Aldanàr reports on the capture of Grindbone. The decision is made to send an emissary to Emperor Rhoka to thank him and offer him the necklace recovered as a token of good faith;
- An armed group of 40 has been spotted prowling the castle grounds. The decision is made to send out scouts to find out more.

The two-day journey to Weatherstone goes off without a hitch. As the castle comes into view, King Leif, still weak, delivers a speech. He presents the ideals and objectives of the fortress, offers freedom to all the slaves and proposes that they join the new town as free men, if they so wish. They all accept.

All except Undar. Undar, suffering from a lack of trust on the part of the adventurers, is locked away under the latrine. Not in the latrine, but far below, in the pit.

The troupe wakes up the next morning to the sweet aroma of breakfast prepared by Mahinniver. Leif is better, cared for by Solaik, but still rather weak. It was soon decided to return to the castle, leaving the town under total orc control. The loot is shared, with the adventurers pocketing 19 gold pieces, 30 silver pieces and a rich gemstone necklace. The party preparing to leave is made up of the dwarf squad, the adventurers, Solaik and 40 slaves.

The orcs' advance quickly turns into a nightmare. As soon as they enter the citadel, they are greeted by the mysterious Blood Myst, who decimates them. They flee. It is decided to stay away from the old tower, and the orc army continues the siege.

The adventurers make their way to the inn, where they meet Mahinniver, the tavernkeeper. He regales the group with his best dishes and offers to come and manage Weatherstone's inn.

Late at night, the village of Grindbone is finally under the control of orcs and adventurers. Only the old fortress remains, where the last defenders have taken refuge. The adventurers meet with the orc commanders to plan the next step. A small troop will patrol around the village, while the rest of the army will attack the fortress head-on. The group of dwarves will keep watch over the prisoners and slaves.

As for the adventurers, they head for Duke Undar's residence to capture him. A few exchanges later, after setting fire to the house, Sandarme finally manages to get the former village chief to come out. The latter offers him the Night Ranger's Amulet, allowing himself to be captured. However, his dog is less friendly and attempts an attack, but is felled by Aldanàr's arrow.

As fighting rages in the city, Aldanàr meets up with Leif. Together, they climb onto a roof and, armed with their bows, fire on the Rusty's men.

The elf spots a winged Iron Guard flying overhead, shoots but misses. The guard approaches and fights on the roof. The fight is intense. Leif gives Aldanàr one of his poisoned arrows and steps in to protect his friend. But after a few exchanges, the Iron Guard wounds Leif in the foot, severing his big toe. Aldanàr finally finishes him off.

Meanwhile, Thorgrim, sensing the call of battle, rushes towards Kratulos, accompanied by a group of orcs and Broyeur. The dwarf easily makes his way through the melee and engages in combat with the guard leader. A few exchanges of attacks later, Thorgrim, his eyes filled with hatred and anger, stands over the corpse of his opponent.

After activating his armor, Thorgrim challenges Gul as stones swirl around him. The orcs, dumbfounded, form a circle around the two adversaries. The fight becomes more intense and breathtakingly violent. But the dwarf emerges victorious!

As soon as the fight begins, Sandarme and the dwarves head for the slave pen and focus on rescuing the Raven Sisters. They cross the first barrier and face the Boar Dog. Sandarme takes risks with the beasts to help the dwarves; the fight is tough, and Sandarme's leg is torn to shreds. Not without difficulty, Sandarme and Torov's squad free the slaves and find Solaïk. Her friend Solène was not as lucky as her and died shortly after their captivity.

In the evening, Aldanàr gets into trouble in the tavern with some Rusty men who want to have some fun with an elf. He throws coins in the air to cause a disturbance, which he takes advantage of to hide and avoid further complications. Leif rests at the inn.

The orc army arrives and assesses the situation. The troop enters the town and the battle quickly begins!

Leif and Aldanàr arrive in Grindbone. The elf asks to see Kratulos, the militia leader, and convinces him to leave the gates open using one of his gifts of persuasion. The orcs will come to feast and spend their money.

Leif goes to a merchant to buy barrels of wine and, trying to poison them, knocks the whole lot over, angering the merchant. A brawl breaks out, but Aldanàr arrives in time to calm everyone down and take care of his friend.

After the battle, a strategy meeting is held. From this meeting emerges a plan for the attack on Grindbone. Leif and Aldanàr will leave early to infiltrate the castle. Their aim will be to support the attack from the inside. Meanwhile, the orc army will position itself openly in front of the village, pretending to want to buy slaves, then launch the attack once inside.

At the edge of a clearing, after two days of carefree travel (during which Leif finally manages to find ingredients to concoct a poison), the party encounters an Isirs orc encampment. Gul wishes to launch an attack, while the adventurers would prefer to bypass the camp. However, the orcs are determined to fight and the battle breaks out. Twenty prisoners, food supplies and a few riches are recovered.

It's time for the little army to set off. In the strategy room, it's decided to go west, through the Arina forest, to bypass Lake Claye. This route is not without its dangers, but it also offers a significant element of surprise.

Summary of castle resources:

- Silver mine (damaged) produces 24 silver ores
- Forge consumes 24 silver ores
- Forge produces 2400 copper coins
- Quarry produces 120 stone blocks
- Lumber camp produces 120 logs
- Hunting camp produces 24 furs
- Firewood consumes 20 logs
- Wage payments consume 2604 copper coins

At the end of the day, Torov Wurmschreder leads a troop of twelve dwarves to the outskirts of the orc fortress. The army is complete, and the campaign begins tomorrow. A feast is organized to celebrate the event. Leif, after one last unsuccessful visit to the forest, engages in a discussion with the Empress. She gives him a book as a gift.

The next day, the company is rested and ready to begin preparations for the campaign. Emperor Hroka is proud to present his 140 orc warriors to King Leif. King Leif spends the whole day in the forest, looking for herbs for his potions. Unfortunately, he finds nothing and gets injured. The other adventurers train and prepare for the journey.

The adventurers arrive at the Rose Eye in the early afternoon. Everyone is exhausted, and Aldanàr goes straight to sleep.

An urgent discussion between King Leif and Emperor Hroka is arranged. The orc ruler quickly agrees to attack Grindbone. The arrangement is as follows: he will provide 140 soldiers, under the command of a certain Gul, take half the gold and half the slaves, and guard the village.

The company quickly returns to Aldanàr to recuperate.

Early in the morning, after riding all night, Aldanàr, exhausted, falls asleep and falls off his horse. The rest of the group keep him awake until they reach the castle.

Despite fatigue and the late hour, the company decided to ride immediately to the Rose-Eye to propose to Emperor Hroka that they lay siege to Grindbone, the slave village. A pigeon is sent to Weatherstone to urgently request a detachment of a dozen dwarves.

The last surviving attacker is taken in for questioning. A good part of the afternoon is spent getting the horses out of the hole.

Sandarme begins to interrogate the surviving sorcerer:
- He comes from Farendel and knows one of the Raven's two sisters.
- The ruined town has been completely evacuated.
- He knows that she is currently in transit to Grinbone, her final destination being the witch's home.
- A powerful person wishes to meet the adventurers.

Once the interrogation is over, Leif quickly puts an end to the witch's life.

The company rode north all morning. Suddenly, Leif observes a strange behavior in his companions: they are galloping straight towards a rune engraved on a stone. He tries to stop them, but to no avail. The troop then falls into a hidden ditch.

It's a complete mess. Leif manages to cling to the wall with his sword. A group of Rusty's followers appear and ask them to lay down their weapons.

Sandarme starts the fight with a well-placed bolt, sending one of the opponents to the ground. Then, Leif and Aldanàr take the lead, returning blow for blow and eliminating even the most distant enemies. The confrontation doesn't last long.

The next morning, it was decided to set off in haste for the ruined city of Farendel to try and rescue the two sisters from the raven.

The next day, a new day begins:

- Sandarme embarks on learning a new form of magic, symbolism;
- He also trains hard with the crossbow;
- Leif devotes himself to his craft, using his talent to create a potion;
- Aldanàr strives to make contact with the stone elves. He manages to obtain some information.

A sumptuous feast is held in Klothinde's honor, celebrating her memory and deeds. During the meal, important decisions are made. Astofar le Revenant is officially appointed the castle's new chancellor. Milvia and her team generously offer their services to King Leif, proposing to explore new lands south of the fortress. An emotional moment comes when everyone agrees that the new dovecote will be named after Klothinde.

The battle is over. The wounded adventurers, panting, finally lay down their weapons. Thorgrim's eyes are riveted on the enchanted armor. Beronyx breaks the silence. He is devastated by Klotinde's disappearance and angrily strides towards Sandarme, cursing him. Aldanàr steps in and tries to calm him down.

Sandarme, for his part, approaches Thorgrim and helps him to equip himself. He then speaks up, not only to Beronyx, but also to the others who are starting to come running. To make Weatherstone prosper will be dangerous, to triumph over the rising forces will require sacrifice, and we'll have to do better and be more careful.
This armor was not a whim, but a testament to Thorgrim and his quest for the Dwarven throne.

The latter activated the armor's magic, mimicking the Stone Storm chant he had so often heard the half-elf sing, and six elongated, black stones embedded in the breastplate broke loose and began to swirl. In the midst of this maelstrom, he asks the Dwarves present to pay their respects to Klotinde.

During the evening, Sandarme gathers his friends in the castle courtyard. His intention is to sing the Stone Tempest, while lacing a Binding ritual to enchant Thorgrim's armor. He warns everyone of the dangers ahead and the importance of being prepared.

Suddenly, after several hours of invocation, a rift opens in the fabric of the world, plunging everything into darkness. Strange noises are heard. A gigantic demon appears, accompanied by a few minor demons, and battle breaks out.

Klotinde quickly disappears into nothingness after attempting to cast a spell. Astofar, witnessing this event, loses confidence in his magic, but eventually pulls himself together and fights valiantly. Leif wields his Maligarne sword brilliantly, inflicting heavy damage on the enemy.

Shaken by the situation, Sandarme throws a few crossbow bolts without shining. Broyeur takes many blows, doing his race proud. Thorgrim rushes at the demon, taking hits as well as inflicting them. Beronyx fights with unparalleled fury to defend his castle. As for Aldanàr, he dominates the battle from a distance, launching deadly arrows and finally bringing the demon down.

On the morning of Earth Day, Sandarme prepares for his Liaison ritual.

Summary of castle resources:

- Silver mine (damaged) produces 24 silver ores
- Forge consumes 24 silver ores
- Forge produces 2400 copper coins
- Quarry produces 120 stone blocks
- Lumber camp produces 120 logs
- Hunting camp produces 24 units of fur
- Firewood consumes 20 logs
- Wage payments consume 2184 copper coins

The whole week is taken up with improving equipment and perfecting skills:

- Aldanàr uses the forge to make a two-handed sword and set it with an Elven ruby;
- With the dovecote completed, Leif tames a dozen piegons and wanders through the forest to find herbs;
- Sandarme locks himself in the castle and copies all his known spells into his new grimoire.

The following day, a modest ceremony is held to celebrate the company's return and announce the planned changes. Particular attention is paid to the passing of the sword between Milvia and Leif. A dwarf also makes a surprising request to the king, asking him to be godfather to her newborn son.

After such a long journey, the company decides to hold a council meeting. The meeting begins with Beronyx presenting his report:

- The mysterious disease has caused some deaths, but seems to be subsiding. The last sufferers have been quarantined in the old laboratory;
- A tunnel in the silver mine has collapsed, resulting in one death; repairs are underway;
- A letter from Mrs. Polmore has arrived, stating that the Rusty men are back in force and are out to capture the group alive.
- A group of farmers have decided to move into the château.
- A certain Dalb has also arrived.

The council continues on more administrative matters. It was agreed that councils would be held every second Sunday. Klotinde will be appointed new chancellor and will be in charge of collecting grievances. It was decided to build a dovecote, a vault, a cellar and a marketplace. Finally, with supplies becoming critical, a caravan was sent to the Œil-de-Rose for supplies.

Finally, a discussion takes place concerning Maligarne, the magic sword. She will stay with Leif, in exchange for which he will give his sword to Milvia.

The time has finally come to return to the château. The company leaves the Œil-de-Rose early in the day. After a short journey, the group sighted the fortress in the late afternoon. The adventurers are greeted by a modest gathering of farmers building an inn in front of the walls, and by Beronyx, who requests an audience.

The next day, the group decided to spend the day at the Rose Eye. Sandarme, eager for knowledge, heads for the library to look for writings on magic. He rummages through the shelves and finally unearths a parchment on blood magic. He decides to steal it and study it in detail later.

Meanwhile, Aldanàr follows up the leads he has found on the plotter.

Summary of castle resources:

- Silver mine produces 48 silver ores
- Forge consumes 48 silver ores
- Forge produces 4800 copper coins
- Quarry produces 120 stone blocks
- Lumber camp produces 120 logs
- Hunting camp produces 24 units of fur
- Wage payment consumes 2114 copper coins
- Firewood consumes 20 logs

The evening is filled with festivities in honor of the adventurers' triumphant return. Leif has a long talk with Hroka, the Emperor, away from the party. Meanwhile, Aldanàr informs the rest of the group of Hranga Gala's planned treachery against Leif. The Emperor shows a large old map and presents his war plans to the entire assembly. His plans are very ambitious.

Later in the evening, they decide to meet alone to discuss them in more detail, but Sandarme is already inebriated and vomits on Aldanàr's shoes.

Sandarme passionately recounts his adventures in the Tisseroche mines, captivating his audience.

But the enthusiasm is short-lived when Hranga Gala, the Emperor's human advisor, interrupts the story. The stone that advises the king has been stolen and replaced during the adventurers' last visit. What's more, Empress Soria is not present to defend them. Hroka grabs King Leif by the neck and threatens to break it if he doesn't explain immediately. Leif replies firmly that his empire is not due to a magic stone but to himself. However, he offers to reveal the location of Kalmar Rodenfell, a powerful elven druid who can help Hroka reclaim his property. Aldanàr promises his help with this mission.

After the ceremony, Aldanàr decides to follow the advisor. He discovers that the advisor is plotting on his behalf, against the Emperor.

The company finally arrives at Rose's Eye after four days' trouble-free march. Two Orcs died during the expedition, but the adventurers return with glory. King Hroka will receive them later today.

The next day, the company is ready for the return trip. The adventurers have rested all day and are fresh for the long days ahead.

As they set off, one of the dwarves, a survivor of the mines, offers Thorgrim his plate armor as a token of allegiance.

The adventurers find an elevator that takes them out of the mine. A few hours' walk later, after avoiding a pack of wolves, they arrive at the camp in the dead of night.

The company, panting, catches its breath after the tough fight. Sandarme, carefully scanning the room, comes across a magnificent sword. Proud of his knowledge, the half-elf launches into a long and complex explanation of the weapon's origin. But he is quickly interrupted by Aldanàr, who seizes the sword and declares: "This is Maligarne, the mythical sword."

Milivia asks for it back as a reward for her bravery, while Aldanàr obviously wants the precious elven stone. It will be Broyeur who will have custody of it until this dispute is settled. The group also finds gold and silver coins, as well as a magnificent gold tray.

But the calm only lasts a moment. With a deafening crash, a gigantic Worm of the Abyss with a human face enters the room. It's Martea. Enraged by the loss of her child, she immediately attacks the group.

Thorgrim leaps into the worm's maw and deals many blows. The other adventurers attack the monster from the outside. The monster dives underground. Thorgrim continues to fight inside the worm, eventually killing it underground. In a joint effort, the company pulls the demon out of the hole and saves the dwarf warrior.

Progressing slowly through an unbearable stench, the company moves into a labyrinthine area with fragile walls. The girl's song resounds.

The adventurers finally reach a larger room. It's extremely hot, and in the center of the room, sitting on a pile of demonic matter, is the girl. She wants to play! A tentacle lifts Astofar. The Revenant and Broyeur quickly attack the little girl, but it's Milvia who puts her to death. Calm returns.