Twisted Fate

The symbol of Twisted Fate, the wolf Finnigan howling across a twisted knot of Druidic runes.

## Membership

### Members

Key Members: Amon Mordai, Jaeger Flamefeather, Gesh Goldscale, ShanksSecondary Members: Charybyda, Garr, Skamos, Kell Grassong, Ratface, Ahrimanius, Octavius (In Mortal Form), Vigori, Cthillax, Edward The Eighth (As Haestan Jnr)

### Allies

Silverfang Argenti, Hroarmungund The Winter King, King Tyrak Vok-Kha-Zal

### Enemies

Edward The Eighth, Edwardius, Shanks, Ragnar The Black, Obstinath

Twisted Fate was a group of adventurers in Forestsedge that formed prior to, and heavily participated in, The War of The Keys. During the climax of the war the group fought off an Avatar of Edwardius and saved all of Veiltouria. Currently the group has disbanded, though many of its members went on to form The Guardian Council and are as close as family.

## History

### The Twists of Fate

Twisted Fate was formed, as many adventurer groups are, by chance. A group of over a dozen individual warriors was hired in the small town of Illithien to partake in a quest deep into Saigan Forest, to recover a rare item from the chasm known as The Delve. One of the few openings to The Underdark that are visible on the surface, The Delve was a dangerous and lethal place. Despite this many had shown up to meet with the woman offering the job, an Elvish merchant named Tyribad Botha, as she was paying an impressive sum of gold for the retrieval of the artifact.

Among the many warriors assembled were the Tiefling wizard Amon Mordai, the dragonborn cleric of Octavius Gesh Goldscale and the halfling bard Bill High-Hill, individuals as yet unknown to the world at large but who would soon be known across the continent. Together these three warriors, along with the many other mercenaries hired, set off towards Saigan Forest and The Delve. The journey was immediately difficult, as they encountered multiple small bands of orc warriors who thinned the group down dramatically. Eventually, they made their way to The Delve and began the dangerous descent down its steep walls.

The fragile shale cliffs of The Delves edges took the lives of more adventurers, until only Mordai, Bill and Gesh remained. The three survivors managed to enter the cavern indicated on their map, and followed the path down deep into the ground, where they encountered a ghoul hive. Entering the hive, they were immediately ambushed by ghouls, but defeated their foes and found themselves in a makeshift prison, containing the dwarf demigod, and child of Ogrimmoth, Ogrimm The Unbroken. A knight in shining plate armor was also trapped, though he refused to name himself and was not freed. Ogrimm, who was freed by Bill, expressed that he owed the group a debt then vanished. The group then engaged a ghoul sorcerer in combat and retrieved the desired item, which was revealed to be one of The Nine Keys of Anvilguardius, incredibly powerful artifacts long thought lost.

Escaping with the key, the cohort were ambushed by the knight they left trapped, who revealed himself to be Edward The Eighth, the ruler of The Eldritch Citadel and a mighty warrior. Despite fleeing with the key and sensing escape, the group were caught in a dark spell of Edward’s that captured their fate and gave him command over their destinies. Now unable to escape Edward’s reach, but retaining the Ruby Key in their possession.

### The War of The Keys

Returning through the forest in a bloody rush, the trio of warriors returned to Illithien only to find it overrun with ghouls and orcs, who along with the Saigani Elves, had formed an alliance intent on locating the Nine Keys. Under attack, the trio were forced to continue fleeing else be caught in the many waves of attackers. Illithien burned to the ground behind them as they fled.

The road was dangerous and proved costly, as they were impeded by many bands of both ghoul and orc. Eventually, the group were forced to stop in the small village of Staghelm, to rest and to plan. Whilst there, the three agreed to go by the name of Twisted Fate, and to work with one another to restore their fates and stop the alliance of orcs, ghouls and elves. Whilst in Staghelm the trio crossed paths with the Bloodthorne Gang, a group of gnomes who clashed with Mordai, resulting in a barroom brawl and a slain gnome. This death led to them being brought before Baron Staghelm himself, who after negotiation, agreed to aid the trio in their quest in exchange for their aid in dealing with the invading forces. The Baron informed the group of the city of Batia, where one the Sapphire Key was long rumored to reside. Assigning them a protective force of guards led by a warrior named Haestan, the Baron bade them retrieve the key and learn more of this alliance.

Twisted Fate set off to Batia, not only searching for the key but also the son of Haestan, who was last seen lost in the town. Arriving in the town, they found it burned to the ground, the city pillaged and the inhabitants slaughtered. Sensing an ambush, the group were forced to make haste in their quest for the key, located inside a large warehouse. They managed to retrieve the key at the cost of Haestan’s life, but not before saving his son Haestan Jnr and reuniting them for a brief moment before Snr's passing.

The warehouse soon proved to be a trap, however, and the cohort were attacked by Edward The Sixth and his undead black dragon Geriotrax. After a lengthy battle, they were again forced to flee further north with the Sapphire Key in hand, but Staghelm cut off from them due to the armies of the alliance, which they learned was called The Godfall Pact, named after their goal of gathering all nine keys and taking them to The Anvil in order to bring the god Edwardius to Terra Aletheia.

During this time it was also revealed that Gesh was the exiled son of the dragon Obstinath, who needed the gold dragonborn for some yet unknown purpose. Despite his heritage, the other members of Twisted Fate accepted Gesh as one of them without judgment.

### Liberating High-Hill

Lost, with few allies and little choice, Bill led the party to his home region of The Highlands, hoping to earn enough money to regather themselves and continue their quest for the keys. Bill was forced to reveal to the group that he was an exiled prince of High-Hill, forced out by its council and the queen, his sister Bellina High-Hill. As the group entered the High-Lands, Bill was shocked at the state of his home nation. Bandits ruled the countryside and farms were dying with no support from the capitol. When they made it to the city itself, Bill was enraged at the sight, the once white buildings of High-Hill littered with filth. Mordai and Gesh soon entered themselves in a tournament hoping to earn income, while Bill was cornered by his sisters guards and forced to watch as his friends battled for their lives.

During the tournament, the duo of Gesh and Mordai proved highly effective, defeating every opponent until they came up against one of The Seven Shards, Death Knights who could be bound to one's soul and forced to serve their paired partner. Seeing his friends nearly killed by the Shard, Bill realized his sister was the one who owned the knight's soul. He pleaded with his sister to see the error of her ways, how he had never wanted the throne but it was the corrupt Quiet Council who had twisted his sisters mind and turned her against him. Bellina seemingly ignored her brother's pleas, forcing Bill to jump into battle himself. Entering the fray, Bill was nearly killed by the undead warrior's power, but managed to hold the knight off with his Storm Javelin, a family heirloom and symbol of the royal family. With Twisted Fate battered and bruised, and the knight advancing upon them, all seemed lost. That was until Bellina threw herself from her balcony, taking her own life and ending the Shard.

Upon his sister's death, the public cheered Bill, who in full view of the citizens claimed his birthright as King of The Highlands. With the support of the people, Bill assumed the throne and immediately set about cleaning up his city. After a few weeks of organization and system change, Bill soon found himself clashing with members of The Quiet Council, in particular the Minister of Coin Ignacious Rampart and the Minister of Whores Selville Coil. The group received their own citadel, called The Thunderdome, which became Twisted Fates guildhall and the location where they stored their collected keys. Bill set Mordai the task of investigating the Council, while he had Gesh receive King Thorrik Vok-Kha-Zal of Kha-Li-Daz, who hoped to ensure The Highlands and Kha-Li-Daz’s alliance remained strong.

Bill met with Thorrik while Gesh sat and drank with Tyrak Vok-Kha-Zal, the King's son and heir to the throne. Both meetings went incredibly well and a strong bond was formed between Twisted Fate, the Vok-Kha-Zal family and their respective nations. King Thorrik revealed that the true reason he had come was to hand over the Emerald Key to Bill, as his spies had learned of The Godfall Pact and their quest. Bill gladly accepted the offer.

While this was happening Mordai had scouted the dwarven envoys camp and found himself in conversation with a group of Dwarven shadows, warriors who were skilled assassins but outcasts due to their peoples view on stealth. The group, whose names were Vigori, Garr, Skamos and Mako, seemed to Mordai kindred spirits and they spent the night laughing and forming a strong bond. Mordai offered them good coin and a home that respected them in exchange for their service. The dwarves readily agreed. Mordai had the group assassinate King Thorrik, who had previously insulted Mordai for his race and class, and placed the blame on the ghouls and a bandit group from Saschia named The Steel Phoenix, who had been identified as the main organized crime group in High-Hill.

Following the death of Thorrik, Tyrak swore an oath of vengeance and kinship with Bill, who had pledged to avenge his father and wipe Edward and The Steep Phoenix. Tyrak then returned to Kha-Li-Daz, a staunch ally of The Highlands and its leaders. Following the dwarves' departure, a garrison of dwarven soldiers was left in High-Hill, to help rebuild and strengthen the city. The demigod Ogrimm was among them, here at his fathers urging to repay his debt and help Bill restore peace to the south, as well as carrying news of Staghelm's invasion.

Bill, unable to leave his kingdom, sent Mordai, Gesh and the other members of the group to Staghelm via a portal, hoping to liberate their people and stage a rebellion. Mordai infiltrated the destroyed remains of Staghelm looking for survivors but was captured and tortured. Gesh, the dwarven shadows and Haestan Jnr and his fellow Staghelm warriors attempted to rescue Mordai, but were soon overwhelmed by Ghoul Ogres and surrounded. Haestan Jnr, Garr and Vigori pushed on to free Mordai at Gesh’s request, who, along with the remaining warriors, would hold the Ghoul hordes off. Mako soon fell, slaughtered by ghouls, as did the Staghelm guards. Seeing Skamos about to die, Gesh teleported him to safety and readied himself to hold the line alone. Despite slaying hundreds of ghouls with his radiant magic and divine breath, Gesh too was soon swarmed by ghouls. As the hordes surged onward, they were met with fire and devastation as Mordai had been freed by his dwarven brethren.

Unleashing a devastating attack on the ghoul hordes, most were either incinerated or forced to flee, and Mordai had won a small respite. As the ghoul swarms cleared, Skamos limped back to the group with tears in his eyes, pointing to the bodies of the fallen. Among them was Gesh, who had given his last breath trying to save his friend. With the ghoul forces reforming, and the city of Staghelm a burning wreck, Mordai teleported the group and their fallen back to High-Hill.

Devastated, Bill gave Gesh and the other heroes funerals, as well as naming the city square after him. Determined now to defeat Edward, Mordai and Bill spent the next several months cleaning up and securing the borders of The Highlands, coming into many conflicts with The Steel Phoenix gang as well as the forces of The Godfall Pact. No sign of any more keys arose, however, and the duo began to despair.

### Feud With The Steel Phoenix

During this period of recovery and reinforcement, Twisted Fate made new allies. First was the human fighter Jaeger Flamefeather, the disgraced son of Eminence Argammemnon Judiciar, one of The Divine Lords of The Holy City. Jaeger had been exiled from the Holy City after his beloved had been killed, causing him to incite a rebellion and fight against The Holy Cities oppression. He and Mordai became tenuous allies after Jaeger was placed amongst Twisted Fate by the Quiet Council as Bills protector.

Jaeger and Mordai had a tense first encounter, which eventually led to Mordai storming off and hunting down Selville Coil, though the council member gained the upper hand on the tiefling and proceeded to paralyze and torture him, before planning to turn him into one of his twisted abominations. The Dwarven Shadows managed to save him in time and Mordai slew the council member in secret. While this was occurring, Jaeger participated in a local tournament and crossed swords with a misshapen champion from Saschia, who fled before Jaeger could defeat him.

After Jaeger’s arrival, the kenku assassin Shanks also joined the group as an assassin for hire. Having lived a cold, cruel life, Shanks was quite callous and vicious, though his skill with a blade proved useful. He had no true motivation other than power and vengeance, which he felt Twisted Fate could provide. Bill, feeling the need to strengthen their power base, willingly accepted the two warriors as they proved themselves powerful allies.

Following their bolstering of ranks, Bill received word from The Quiet Council that The Steel Phoenix had recovered two of the keys themselves and were stockpiling them in Saschia. Both Mordai and Bill found this fortuitous, as The Steel Phoenix had proven troublesome in recent weeks, and Saschia was The Highlands nearest neighbor. If they could eliminate the leadership of The Steel Phoenix, retrieve the two keys and liberate Saschia in one fell swoop, they would be all the stronger in their position against The Godfall Pact.

The members of Twisted Fate made the long journey to Saschia overland, with Jaeger and Haestan Jnr often coming into conflict, the two coming into many professional disagreements. Shanks’ bloodlust proved concerning to the cohort but his efficiency overruled their trepidation, though his continued thievery and murders drove a wedge between Jaeger and himself. By the time they had reached the underground entrance provided to them by the Quiet Council, tensions were high.

Sneaking into the catacombs of Saschia, the group were ambushed by an Umber Hulk and its hundreds of spawn, the small larval Umber Beetle’s proving extremely deadly. Twisted Fate managed to drive off the parent, however Mordai foolishly ate one of the larvae in hopes of gaining their properties. Instead, it began to consume him from within, forcing Shanks to cut him open and remove the larva. After healing himself, Mordai found the larva had bonded with him, and named it Charybyda. The small beetle quickly settled in his pockets and fell asleep. Moving on, the group followed the windy paths of the abandoned crypts below the city, eventually stopping once they reached the headquarters of The Steel Phoenix.

Initially planning an assault via stealth, Mordai, Shanks, Bill, Haestan Jnr and the remaining dwarven shadows positioned themselves strategically within the open space that served as the central control area of the HQ. However, when the demonic leader of the Phoenixes, Captain Tar-Grishin, emerged with the Bone and Glass keys around his neck, Jaeger leapt into action. The plan abandoned, Twisted Fate engaged in all out battle with The Steel Phoenix, the two groups clashing in a mighty cacophony of bloodshed and violence. Bill eventually dealt the finishing blow to Tar-Grishin, who revealed in his dying breath that the Quiet Council had been supplying and funding The Steel Phoenix the entire time.

With The Steel Phoenix shattered and Saschia liberated, Bill used a teleportation scroll to return the group to High-Hill, only to find the city in conflict. The Quiet Council had led a rebellion and violence had erupted in the streets, as most citizens opposed their attempt at usurping the throne. Ogrimm had been leading the counter attack against the Council and forced them back into the castle of Hillspire. As Twisted Fate returned to their home, Ogrimm detailed the situation, leading to Bill and the others to rush down into the dungeons of Hillspire, to where the Council had fled.

Working their way down deep into the darkest cells, Mordai found himself drawn to a cloaked figure, who telepathically warned him of traps up ahead. Thanking the stranger, Mordai freed him, and the figure identified itself as the Illithid Cthillax. Exiled from his people, Cthillax sought a new home, and Mordai willingly provided one for him. With another member added to his cadre, Mordai was building his own powerbase around him. Jaeger also crossed paths with a prisoner, a nameless smallpaw warrior and former victim of The Holy Cities slave trade. Naming him Ratface, Jaeger freed the diminutive warrior and begrudgingly allowed him to follow along.

With their numbers bolstered, Twisted Fate descended into the bowels of Hillspire, to its very base. There, they found a horrific sight. A brutal ritual that had consumed the lives of all the council members, siphoning their life force into an abomination, the beholder known as The Demoralizer. This creature had infiltrated and gained power over the Council on behalf of Edward himself, and had slowly been orchestrating the kingdom's downfall. Now, cornered and confronted by powerful foes, it had abandoned its allies and used their souls to empower itself further.

A fierce skirmish broke out between The Demoralizer and its ghoul minions and the members of Twisted Fate. Struggling to wound it due the monster's magic negating powers, Mordai and Bill were nearly slain before Ratface managed to deal the finishing blow. Following the battle, Shanks stole a section of The Beholder and allowed it to bond to him, the monster's sentience now wrapped up in his.

Following the battle Twisted Fate spent a few months rebuilding The Highlands and High-Hill, as well as providing support to Saschia and its nascent government. During this time Bill called Marvira Spellsong back to his side and formed a new Council. Mordai further recruited for his Secret Daggers and nurtured Charybyda, the Umber Hulk growing huge in size. Jaeger grudgingly stayed in High-Hill out of respect for Bill and a hope that in time he could aid him in taking down The Holy City. His partnership with both Ratface and the God of Nature Themistrea grew, and he gained the services of the deranged human Octavius. Shanks was pushed further and further into darkness by The Demoralizer and conflict within the group drove him deeper into evil.

### Surviving Crows Nest

Months after the liberation of Saschia and the collection of their last keys, Mordai’s follower Vigori heard word of a key located in Crows Nest, the city of pirates. After waiting for so long without any progress, and the armies of Edward slowly pushing further north, Twisted Fate set off immediately East, leaving Haestan Jnr in charge at High-Hill as steward. In recent days it had been revealed that The Godfall Pact had turned on one another, with the ghouls defeating their former allies and consuming their resources and territory. Edward planned to wrest control of all the remaining keys with haste, something Twisted Fate could not allow to happen.

Setting out on foot, Mordai’s familiar and companion Sawtooth, a mimic who had grown to tremendous size, fled into the water, much to Mordai’s chagrin. Without their makeshift wagon the large cohort, now almost  a dozen strong, were forced to make the long journey on foot. During their travels they encountered many bandits or travelers, who Bill made every effort to treat with kindness regardless of their station, offering bandits employment as warriors in High-Hill and paying out coins to weary travelers. Stopping in the city of Riverside, the group rested for a few days. During this time Mordai began to act erratically, feeling the presence of Ax Mystia on his mind. This led to him performing a series of violent acts in secret, murdering innocent fisherman to alleviate the visions from the God of Schemes. The cohort also encountered an old man passing through the humble tavern they were staying in. Seemingly ordinary in appearance, the man named himself Silverfang Argenti, and told the group he knew of their quest. Sitting down amongst them, he explained he was an ally and had seen their presence in his visions. He warned them of The Pirate Kings, but said he had an ally they could trust who may be able to help them. Directing them to another smaller tavern at the edge of town, the group warily accepted his advice, while Bill took a single silver coin from the man at his insistence.

Pushing into the tavern Silverfang directed them towards, Twisted Fate were met by The Deckhands, and their leader Canis Absalom. Wary of the Pirate and his reputation, Bill stated they had been led to the Sea Wolf as per Silverfang’s suggestion and were in need of aid. Jaeger, who had taken a strong admiration to the shadar-kai, was eager to accompany the pirate on his journeys and proposed an alliance between the two groups. Canis told the group the pirate known as Sloan had the Obsidian Key in his possession. Canis also revealed that Sloan was also in Riverside, though his ship would be leaving that night. Sensing the dark presence within Shanks, Canis goaded him into assaulting Sloan’s ship The Iron Obelisk, though the rest of Twisted Fate refused to help the kenku in an outright assault and instead planned to sneak aboard, thinking Shanks had agreed to their plan. Canis told the group they could find him in Crows Nest if they needed more aid.

That night, as the members of Twisted Fate attempted to sneak on board The Iron Obelisk, Shanks broke away from the plan and proceeded to attack the ship. Trapped by its wards, he was captured by Sloan and dragged below decks to be tortured. Dismayed at their plan being foiled, Twisted Fate could only watch as the Obelisk sailed away. Mordai, however, felt a familiar presence in the water and watched in awe as Sawtooth emerged from beneath the waves, a fully grown mimic ship. Setting off to catch the Obelisk and rescue Shanks, Twisted Fate began to sail the high seas.

Whilst Twisted Fate set off in pursuit of the Obelisk, Shanks himself was being tortured by Sloan, the huge Slaad intending to find out who the kenku worked for. After days of suffering, Shanks made a deal with The Demoralizer and its patron Edwardius, gaining an increase in power that allowed him to escape and return to Twisted Fate. Shocked at his ability to escape, Twisted Fate then decided to dock at Crows Nest and take stock before moving on to hunt down Sloan and retrieve the key.

Once arriving in Crows Nest the group split apart, with Mordai and Bill heading to the city center to find any information on Sloan, while Jaeger and Shanks went to find Canis. During their foray into the trading district Mordai’s propensity for schemes repeatedly ended in failure, culminating in him robbing a red dragonborn of fifty thousand gold. Surprisingly, the dragonborn was not bothered when Mordai was caught, instead simply stating Mordai was now branded a fugitive of Obstinath and would be dealt with in the future. Bill eventually found himself in the slave markets, and disgusted at what he witnessed, bought the freedom of as many slaves as he could. Two warriors chose to accompany him of his own free will, the dragonborn Ragnar The Black and the half elf rogue Kell Grassong. Kell and Bill became close allies, while Ragnar would eventually find himself bound to Shanks.

While Bill and Mordai caused their commotion in the city center, Jaeger and Shanks tracked Canis down in The Row, a huge tavern tailored towards Pirates. Making their way to the top floor, reserved for Pirate Kings, Jaeger and Shanks met with Canis, who was pleased to see Jaeger alive but less so Shanks. After a tense conversation, he revealed that Sloan was docked on the far north of Crows Nest but would be leaving that night. Thanking Canis, Jaeger left, with the Sea Wolf warning him about Shanks discreetly before the members of Twisted Fate departed. Heading to where Canis said the Obelisk was docked, Jaeger, Shanks, Ratface and Octavius encountered Sloan's son Salazar, which led to a chase through the city streets, with Salazar ultimately escaping. Knowing that Sloan would soon set sail following his son's warning, Jaeger and Shanks returned to Sawtooth and called the rest of their allies together, before setting off in pursuit of Sloan.

Quickly taking to the water, Sawtooth charged after the Obelisk. Despite Sloan’s ship's greater size, Sawtooth’s speed allowed Twisted Fate to make rapid speed and catch up with the Pirate King. After a protracted naval battle that led to Sawtooth being heavily wounded, the entirety of Twisted Fate boarded Sloan's ship. Anticipating a large-scale crew on crew battle, Twisted Fate were shocked to see only Sloan himself aboard the ships deck, the rest of the crew having fled on a smaller frigate with the key. Sloan revealed he wasn’t going to risk losing the key, however he would be more than happy to kill Twisted Fate himself.

A fierce battle broke out, with Sloan tearing through the ranks of Twisted Fate, his great power seemingly too much for the dozen warriors arrayed against him. As the battle progressed, Shanks slipped below decks and attempted to free the slaves below, before The Demoralizer influenced him into slaughtering the one hundred and forty six innocent captives. Above him, Twisted Fate had rallied behind Bill, and despite their grievous wounds managed to drive Sloan off the ship into the water, whereupon he swam below the surface disappearing. Battered, bruised and with little left to give, Bill made the call to return to The Highlands and regroup, to return later with more ships and men. Twisted Fate then sank The Iron Obelisk, but not before Jaeger learned of Shanks’ actions, nearly resulting in bloodshed.

Defeated and without the key they sought, they were intercepted by The Black Mako, the ship of Canis and his crew. The Pirate King was jovial in his demeanor, as he revealed he had robbed Sloans frigate while Twisted Fate battled the slaad. Having claimed Sloan's Treasure of The Sea King, he gifted the Obsidian Key to Bill as payment for services rendered. With all but Jaeger feeling used by the pirate, Twisted Fate made a successful journey home, despite their wounds.

### Death and Devilsarm

Twisted Fate returned to High-Hill exhausted and wounded, tensions high and conflict simmering below the surface. Docking at Riverside, they made the trek overland and approached High-Hill, each warrior looking forward to a chance to rest and heal. Before they could cross the threshold into the city, Mordai felt something was off, only for the group  to be ambushed by a huge force of ghouls. At their head was Edward The Sixth and his undead dragon, as well as Haestan Jnr himself, who revealed to the group that he was in fact Edward The Eighth all along, hiding within Twisted Fate. The ghoul king had been leading his forces by proxy, waiting as Bill collected the keys for him. Now, with Twisted Fate possessing six keys and Edward himself having another two, only one remained in the city of Devilsarm. With this last key located, Edward felt it time to make his move.

Despite having them surrounded, Edward negotiated with Bill to spare his city in exchange for the keys. Bill, with little choice and Edward having the fates of both him and Mordai, was forced to hand them over. Chuckling, Edward fired beams of necrotic death magic towards the group before teleporting from the field of battle. Octavius managed to escape with Bill, Jaeger and Ratface, while Mordai managed to shield himself and Charybyda by submitting himself to Ax Mystia. The rest of Twisted Fate were showered in shrapnel and debris. As the smoke and dust cleared, Vigori lay dead at Mordai’s feet, as did Bill's trusted wolf companion Finnigan. Octavius returned the members he saved to the gates just as the horde of ghouls charged forward.

Unable to fight effectively, Twisted Fate nonetheless readied themselves for battle. As the hordes neared, Jaeger began to pray for the first time in his life, asking Themistrea for aid. Shockingly, the God of Nature answered. In a blinding flash of green light, a divine warrior of Themistrea appeared before the group, a huge Demigod named Ahrimanius, one of the smallpaw Lords of Grace that formed Themistrea's elite guard. Ahrimanius healed Twisted Fate then unleashed a powerful roar that destroyed most of the ghouls and caused Edward The Sixth to flee, taking the bodies of Vigori and Finnigan with him. Now, with their keys lost, their ally betraying them, friends slaughtered and time against them, Twisted Fate prepared to make haste to Devilsarm. As they prepared themselves for the trip, Shanks and his partner Ragnar announced they would not be coming. Shanks, his mind further deranged as a result of the growing parasitic Demoralizer within him, felt he had been cast out from the group and would not help them any longer. Jaeger and Mordai were more than happy to see Shanks go, but Bill offered him a permanent home in High-Hill.

As Twisted Fate once again embarked on a long voyage to Devilsarm, Shanks made his way to the poorest region of High-Hill, a separatist district governed by a halfling gang called the McHalfling's. That night, The Demoralizer violently tore itself from Shanks’ body, and attempted to assert its will over him. However, Shanks’ lust for vengeance proved even greater than the beholder knew and it in turn was subjugated. Shanks and Ragnar then began violently claiming the McHalfling territory while The Demoralizer masked the changes to the district with a magical veil. Claiming the territory ass his own, Shanks named it Shankstown and began to amass wealth and power the likes of which he had never dreamed. Permanently twisted and broken due to his connection to Edwardius, Shanks now more than ever dreamed of claiming all that he felt he was owed.

While Shanks carved a piece of High-Hill out for himself, Twisted Fate were on the waters of the Umbil River, sailing towards Devilsarm and Mordai's former home. The tiefling was having fitful sleeps the closer he came to the City of Truth, which culminated in him being dragged to Ax Maboloth itself and facing down a devil named Marduk. Testing Mordai, and his worthiness to the God of Schemes, Marduk eventually allowed himself to be captured and taken with Mordai, gifting him an amulet that would allow Mordai to make a single boon of Ax Mystia, as well as containing Marduk himself trapped within. Mordai emerged from his journey across the realms just as Sawtooth approached the Horned Gates, the huge river based entrance into the lands of Devilsarm. Knowing they did not have the appropriate papers, Bill had Mordai direct Sawtooth to charge the gates, while the rest of Twisted Fate unleashed their full might on the frigates that guarded it. Their violent assault caused a big enough distraction that Bill, Mordai, Jaeger and Ratface were able to sneak past the gates while Sawtooth sailed away with the rest of Twisted Fate. Before splitting up, Octavius gave Jaeger a firework, much to Jaeger's chagrin.

As the frigates and gate guards pursued Sawtooth, the core members of Twisted Fate pushed on by road to Devilsarm itself. The week-long journey was difficult, the group constantly having to avoid roaming patrols of tiefling warriors or ghoul packs making their way through the land. During a particularly violent storm, Twisted Fate were forced to shelter in a rock outcrop. Encircled by stone, they realized they had unwittingly wandered into a trap and were attacked by ghouls. Slaughtering their attackers, Bill felt uneasy, as if things were too easy. Stepping out into the open, he saw waiting in a field of dead vegetation and necrotic energy the distinct shape of Edward The Sixth and his dragon. With no way to outrun the monstrous beast, Twisted Fate charged forward. As the battle raged, the dragon was proving too much for the warriors, and Bill felt death coming. Before any of them fell, however, the coin he was given by Silverfang began to glow, and from within it a mighty portal exploded. Stepping through was the old man himself, Silverfang revealing the coin was a portable gateway. He then transformed into his true form, that of a silver dragon, and jumped into the battle.

Seemingly evenly matched, Silverfang and the undead monster came together in a massive clash of claws and fangs. Bill managed to separate Edward The Sixth from his mount before falling unconscious, and Mordai engaged the ghoul in a magical duel of wizardry. Jaeger, seeing Silverfang suffer a terrible wound, leaped onto the silver dragon's back and charged forward, crashing his hammer onto the zombies skull and crushing it completely, before Silverfang beheaded the monster with a blast of silver lightning. Simultaneously, Mordai managed to gain the upper hand on the ghoul wizard and bested him, freezing Edward The Sixth and banishing him to Ax Maboloth. Reviving Bill, Silverfang warned the group that in Devilsarm an enchantment had been cast preventing anything untrue from being told. He then told the group that they would once again need Shanks before the end. He then set off to High-Hill, to retrieve Shanks and convince him to aid his former allies.

Following Silverfang’s departure, the group managed to arrive at the city of Jaginakka, the capital of Devilsarm. A fortress city, Jaginakka was subjected to a spell of truth telling, preventing any who walked within its walls from being able to lie. This meant the class based society of tiefling within would never be able to oppose Emperor Malikull Demoroth. As Twisted Fate traveled towards the center of Jaginakka, they were cornered by the Emperor’s forces and forced into his palace.

There, they were greeted by Emperor Malikull himself, as well as Empress Aurillia Demoroth and the pairs son and heir to the throne Tayl Demoroth. After a tense conversation with Mordai, whose father was killed during a failed rebellion against Devilsarm’s rulers, the Emperor revealed that he knew why they were here, seeking one of the last of The Nine Keys. Wanting to stay neutral in the conflict, he agreed to let them attempt to recover it from Hellmouth, the vast dungeon system below Jaginakka, but only if another team backed by The Godfall Pact were also given entry. Seeing no other choice, Twisted Fate agreed. They were then given the rest of the evening to explore, during which time they saw firsthand the trauma and suffering forced upon the city by the Emperor. The group also learned that the Emperor’s son was secretly helping the people and fostering a rebellion, hoping for a better future for his people.

The next day, Twisted Fate entered Hellmouth and began hunting the key, eventually coming into conflict with their rival group, a twisted collection of former friends and foes. The group was comprised of:

* Vigori: Former ally to Mordai, now the undead servant of Edward and a twisted reflection of the Vigori the group once knew. Leader of this cohort.
* Akromos Mordai: Brother of Amon Mordai and a deadly wizard, Akromos had killed Mordai's family to quell their rebellion then fled to The Eldritch Citadel to study necromancy. , deadly wizard, brother to Amon Mordai and slave to Edward The Eighth.
* Ambrosia Dashkovari: Last female of the Dashkovari royal line and a powerful Hemomancer, forced into service by Edward The Eighth.
* Hok-Mog The Bloodspiller, one of The Seven Shards. Incredibly powerful and destructive, Hok-Mog was purchased as a tool from The Northwyld by Akromos and bound to him.
* Finnigan The Shadewolf: Former companion to King Bill, resurrected as an undead spirit monster and now Vigori's ghostly steed.

While this was occurring, Silverfang approached Shanks and pleaded with him to aid his former allies. Eventually agreeing, he was teleported to Hellmouth just as the conflict between both groups began. Jaeger quickly disposed of Ambrosia, destroying her body and sending her mist form back to Barthum. Mordai dueled his brother, who was bitter and broken as a result of Edward’s machinations. Bill attempted to put Finnigan out of his misery, the wolf’s spectral form echoing with pain, while Shanks danced and avoided the attacks of Hok-Mog but largely stayed out of the conflict. Jaeger, after seriously wounding Akromos and crushing him below a stone pillar, was attacked by Vigori. The shade, who flickered in and out of invisibility, continued to berate and brutally carve flesh from Jaeger’s body. Bill, seeing Jaeger’s suffering, made a push for the key, which was suspended above the battlefield, hoping that by retrieving it the battle would end.

Shanks, having been forced to defend himself against Hok-Mog and kill him, looted the Shards body and found an incredibly powerful Wishing Ring. Wishing Rings were artifacts that could grant its wielder any wish, though the words chosen to ask the wish had to be well thought out to avoid unforeseen consequences. Tucking it away for safekeeping, he then went on to watch Jaeger’s brutal suffering at the hands of Vigori, the kenku not stepping to his former friend's aid. Mordai, kneeling beside his crushed brother, held his siblings hand. Akromos smiled, his death freeing him from Edward’s control. He revealed that his mind had been under sway from Edward for decades, in an attempt to undermine the rebellion in Devilsarm and promote suffering. Akromos had been forced to kill his family and act as Edward’s warrior, but Mordai had finally freed him. Akromos’ last words, as he passed on from Terra Aletheia, were to tell his brother how proud he was of him. Mordai, his mind shattered by this revelation, freed his own fate from Edward’s control, his mind and life having undergone such a monumental shift in direction that he was born again. This same act, of losing a beloved brother, triggered an heirloom of Mordai’s family, the Mabolothian Eye. This Relic of Ax Mystia granted the wielder incredible power if the God of Schemes approved of them. Mordai, in shock, simply held the amulet as he thought of all the pain he had wrought due to his own bitterness. By this time Bill had retrieved the key, leading to Finnigan and Vigori departing Hellmouth in defeat. Twisted Fate, having won at great cost, gathered their bearings, until a shout from Jaeger drew their attention. Emperor Malikull, disappointed in the contest's outcome, was collapsing the entrance to Hellmouth. In response, Bill used a teleportation scroll and managed to get the four warriors out of Devilsarm and into a wide open field somewhere in Forestsedge.

### The Anvil

Wounded and disheveled, Twisted Fate looked around them, attempting to find their bearings. Before any plan could be made, Jaeger attacked Shanks, having had enough of his cruel ways and disinterest towards his supposed friends. Before he could deal any significant damage, Shanks activated his Wishing Ring, which had three charges. Using his first wish to render Jaeger unconscious, he used his second to “have Edward appear in front of me dead, with all Nine Keys”. The wish was granted, though Edward’s undead nature meant he was unchanged, and now in possession of all Nine Keys. Shocked at his good fortune, the ghoul used the power of the keys to race towards the anvil.

With the rest of Twisted Fate in disbelief at what Shanks had done, and making a move to kill him, the kenku’s final wish saw him become unquestioned ruler of The Eldritch Citadel and commander of Edward himself. Shanks then fled after summoning a swarm of ghouls. With little options, Bill and Jaeger wanted to quickly return to The Highlands and marshal an army, hoping it wasn’t too late. Mordai, still reeling from all that had happened, used the Mabolothian Eye to broker a deal with Ax Mystia. The God of Schemes would raise Mordai into a Demigod, rebuild Illithien as a city of fire and brimstone, and provide him with an army of fiends to call his own. In return, Mordai’s new nation of Illithien would give Ax Mystia patronage, and the new excitement and commerce it would create would fuel fiendish intrigue for centuries. The God of Schemes, ever one for gambling, readily agreed. From the ashes of old Illithien, a new city of burning stone and flowing lava rose, housing thousands of devils. Mordai then teleported himself, Jaeger and Bill to his new Empire. The three agreed to form armies and call upon their allies, in order to march upon the anvil and fight whatever made its way out.

While this was occurring Shanks and his companions Ragnar and The Demoralizer were launching the full armies of The Eldritch Citadel towards The Anvil. Despite having all Nine Keys, Shanks wanted the contingency of his forces being outside The Anvil, as he did not know how things would play out. Edward The Eighth, magically forced to serve Shanks, was being used as a field general. Knowing he was doing so against his will, Edward rankled against Shanks’ control but could do nothing to stop him. Due to the sheer size of the force being moved, Shanks progress was slow and took weeks, though he suspiciously met little resistance. As his huge army arrived, he was met by the combined martial forces of The Highlands and Kha-Li-Daz, who’s more well equipped armies and logistical chains allowed them to arrive much faster.

With the two huge armies camping within eyesight of one another, both forces knew battle would occur the next day. During the night, Bill, Mordai, Jaeger, Silverfang and Tyrak, as well as their respective counsels, formed a battle plan. Octavius presented Jaeger with a firework, telling him it would keep him alive, before cavorting off to push around a huge wagon of fireworks. After the planning was done, the group dispersed to get rest for the coming conflict. Jaeger, however, made plans of his own. Drinking an invisibility potion, he made his way through the sprawling ghoul encampment, looking for Shanks. Hoping to kill him that night, Jaeger instead found Edward. Thinking the ghoul tyrant was an adequate second choice, he attacked him. Despite the element of surprise, Edward quickly proved the superior combatant, and dealt Jaeger a series of devastating blows and forced him to escape. Edward kept this intrusion from Shanks, hoping it would somehow lead to the kenku's downfall. Edward quietly railed against Shanks’ stubborn delay of entering The Anvil, and prayed for the chance to do so himself.

As the sun rose, Shanks’ army began to march upon The Anvil, the ghoul hordes further bolstered by undead dragons. Under the generalship of Ragnar, the army came face to face with the forces of The Highlands and Kha-Li-Daz, with King Bill himself at their center, seated on a covered structure. Long desiring Bill’s death, Ragnar urged his forces to charge. As they grew closer, they were ambushed by the powerful bear cavalry of Bill’s armies, before being pulverized by the artillery of Kha-Li-Daz. Despite their initial setback, the ghouls continued to charge on and had soon begun to overrun the combined forces of the Bill and Tyrak. Ragnar, hunting for Bill, led the core of his force towards the King, who took that moment to reveal his trap: a huge wagon filled with dangerous and chaotic fireworks. Smiling at Ragnar, Bill unleashed them on the ghoul hordes in a fiery explosion, wiping out a large portion of their forces, breaking their spirit and seemingly destroying Ragnar. Shanks, dismayed, used his expended ring to try and make another wish, which rendered him catatonic and freed Ser Edward from Shanks’ thrall.

Mordai and Jaeger then led the army of Illithien, a huge fighting force of devils and tiefling, to clean up the remaining ghouls and rout them, forcing them back to The Eldritch Citadel. Bill was recovered from the wreckage and healed, after which Jaeger, Mordai, Bill and Ratface rushed to The Anvil, discovering that Edward had taken the Nine Keys and entered the ancient structure himself. Delving deep into the labyrinthian maze-like rooms of The Anvil, which shifted and changed trying to trap the adventurers, Twisted Fate pursued Edward as fast as they could. After battling a number of monsters and warriors trapped within The Anvil, the group finally came upon the key chamber.

Face to face with Edward, the group wasted no time in attacking and challenging the ghoul king. To their dismay, he formed an army of ghouls from nothing, the Keys granting him immense power. He then turned his attention to placing all Nine Keys, a brutal process that took its toll on his body. As things began to look dire for the heroes, Jaeger withdrew the firework that Octavius had given him, and believing entirely in his friend, fired the small rocket. This act of total faith freed Octavius from his mortal coil, returning him to his true state as the God of Heroes and champion of Light. Thanking Jaeger for freeing him and having such faith, Octavius restored the heroes to their full health, and then returned Gesh to Terra Aletheia, if only temporarily, as an angel of light to fight for Octavius as his champion.

The five warriors then charged into the fray, destroying Edwards forces and attacking the king directly. After a brutal battle, Edward managed to escape long enough to turn the ninth key and become the avatar of Edwardius himself. Dismayed at seeing the pale reflection of Edwardius himself, Twisted Fate nonetheless began to attack. Bill, tapping into his bloodline, channeled the power of an ancient Storm God and battled the Avatar of Edwardius while the other members of Twisted Fate removed the keys. As the last Key was removed, Bill’s divine form dealt the finishing blow to the Avatar, returning it to Dorchadasdelve. Edward was dragged back with the Avatar, to suffer for his failure.

Following the battle, Gesh healed his friends, then returned to the Realm of Heroes. There he would dine and live with the greatest heroes of history in eternal bliss. The remainder of Twisted Fate then left the Anvil, taking the eight of the Nine Keys with them in secret from all others, to ensure none would ever again reclaim them. The Ninth was cast into the deep ruins of The Anvil, to be lost forever.

### The Wars End

Following the conclusion to The War of The Keys, the members of Twisted Fate disbanded, each feeling called to a cause of their own. They did, however, form the Guardians. The Guardians were made to be a collection of warriors and heroes, supported by the various nations of Forestsedge, to bring peace and hope to the continent. The Guardian Council was initially composed of King Bill, Emperor Mordai, King Tyrak, Silverfang and Jaeger the Flamefeather. Their respective nations, of The Highlands, Illithien and Kha-Li-Daz were the first Guardian Nations to sign the Writ and become partners, though over time most of Forestsedge would join the collective.

Bill would go on to rebuild both The Highlands and Saschia into economic powerhouses, as well create permanent relationships and trade agreements with many neighboring kingdoms. His sons Wilhelm, Warren and Wulfgrim would also be born and grow into great and mighty leaders themselves. Bill turned his attention to Obstinath and his armies, the halfling King having many confrontations with the Pale Dragon.

Mordai turned Illithien into one of the premier travel destinations for its unique culture and sights, while also cultivating the most powerful military force within Forestsedge. His own son, Ahmose, was his fathers pride and joy. Mordai’s large term goal was to liberate Devilsarm and unite it with Illithien as sister nations, something he would go on to do in The War of The Horns.

Jaeger would become one of the most famed pirates in all of Veiltouria, his friendship with Canis Absalom, as well as his own mighty crew The Flamefeathers, pushing him to great heights. Jaeger turned his attention to The Holy City, intending to destroy his father once and for all.

Shanks would eventually be rescued and restored by Raganr, who survived with the aid of a clone. Shanks would return to The Eldritch Citadel and slowly conquer most of what would become The Badlands, wanting a powerful collection of nations for himself.