Year One

A Return Home

The first year in Ardgan was one of frustration and failure. Damthus returned to the city intent on killing Lucius. An ambush scattered the mercenaries he had hired, leaving him alone and increasingly desperate.

The city itself seemed determined to trap him. Guards at the gates recognised him and repeatedly prevented him from leaving. At one point he considered abandoning his quest and fleeing Ardgan altogether.

However, he persevered and stayed within the city.

Amongst the city's drifters, performers and outcasts he slowly began to build genuine friendships. He found people who valued him for who he was rather than what he could provide.

Ruby Orchard

Whilst Damthus stayed in Ardgan, Rae and Sophia built a life together.

The pair transformed a derelict farm into The Ruby Orchard, a thriving business situated amongst Veridia's humid forests and mountain lakes. Orchards flourished, llamas roamed the fields, and a young griffon with brightly coloured feathers became one of the farm's most unusual residents.

Despite the distance, Rae continued writing to Damthus.

Her most pressing question: "Is he dead yet?" Referring to his hunt of Lucius.

Year Two

The Missing Children

Whilst helping neighbouring settlements, Rae and Sophia uncovered a mystery involving disappearing children. Rumours blamed the Fey, but the culprit was someone local who had been changed by an outside influence.

The investigation left Rae with a prosthetic limb tied to the case and reinforced an important lesson: Veridia's Fey were not the monsters people believed them to be.

Enter Stage Left: Pachakuty

Back in Ardgan, Damthus met Pachakuty.

The Aarakocra had left his mountain home behind in favour of city life. He was a mediocre thief, an excellent singer, and a constant source of entertainment. Before long he became the primary messenger between Rae and Damthus, carrying letters across Veridia and turning their adventures into songs.

Through Pachakuty, the two friends remained connected despite living very different lives.

Rae sends gifts and trinkets; a hat made from the wool of a Llama, alongside some eggs laid by Frederick III (a male).

Year Three

The Birth of Stone Clan

Everything changed when a job went wrong.

After Pachakuty suffered a serious injury and the Copper Clanrefused to help, Damthus stopped working for other people. Instead, he gathered the city's misfits, outcasts and forgotten souls beneath a banner of his own creation.

Stone Clan was born.

Named after Rae and inspired by Ardgan itself, the clan quickly began carving out territory for itself. What started as a loose collection of outcasts became a genuine power within the city.

Sophia's Journey

When messages from Ardgan stopped arriving, Sophia decided to investigate personally.

After weeks travelling through Veridia's vast forests and another month searching Ardgan's streets, she eventually located Pachakuty and Stone Clan at the Feathered Penelope.

The Feathered Penelope

The Feathered Penelope was more than a brothel. It was a refuge.

Owned by Betsy Wingleton, a flamboyant Lamia drag performer with a sharp wit and a kind heart, it became the beating heart of Stone Clan operations.

It was also where Sophia met two of the most important people in Damthus' new life.

Lottie Fandango, a fierce Leonin warrior and flamenco dancer, had become one of Stone Clan's strongest members.

Silu, a thoughtful changeling playwright, brought stability to the group.

Together, they formed an unconventional but happy family.

Year Four

War Comes to Ardgan

Stone Clan's growing success eventually attracted unwanted attention.

Through Segrid Nardorm, the Tongue of Iron Clan, Damthus received information that allowed Stone Clan to strike increasingly damaging blows against their rivals.

Lucius responded by unleashing Galmar Stram.

The old dwarf brought terror wherever he went. Businesses burned. Allies vanished. Entire districts learned to fear the sound of his approach.

The Fall of the Feathered Penelope

The war reached its turning point when Iron Clan attacked Stone Clan's headquarters.

The doors of the Feathered Penelope were smashed apart. Patrons and employees were slaughtered. Betsy was left bloodied and broken.

Standing amidst the chaos, Galmar delivered a simple ultimatum:

"I'm gonna kill you all, unless you swear loyalty to Iron Clan."

Stone Clan refused.

Though they survived, they were driven underground and scattered throughout the city.

Sophia Steps Forward

As the clan struggled to survive, Sophia attempted to bring structure and leadership to the chaos.

For perhaps the first time, someone was trying to turn Stone Clan into something more than a collection of rebels.

Year Five

The Disappearance of Sophia

Following the attack on the Feathered Penelope, Sophia vanished.

Before disappearing, she had been tracking a limping man travelling with a child. The notes she left behind would eventually find their way back to Rae, but the answers she sought remained elusive.

The Rise of Jade-Eye

The destruction of Stone Clan changed Damthus.

Gone was the dreamer who wanted to build something better.

In his place emerged Jade-Eye.

Across Ardgan, stories spread of a mysterious assassin striking at Iron Clan members and their allies. Some believed Jade-Eye to be a Fey spirit from the mountains. Others thought he was merely a myth.

The Assassination of Lord Falinsky

Damthus' most infamous kill came when he assassinated Lord Grindlewald Falinsky, the Hegelian ambassador.

Falinsky had been preparing to grant Iron Clan official authority as a militia force within Ardgan. His death prevented the agreement and dealt a significant blow to Lucius' plans.

It also drew the attention of someone who knew Damthus better than anyone.

A Long Awaited Reunion

Rae followed the trail.

Studying the victims and recognising the pattern behind the attacks, she tracked Jade-Eye to Falinsky's assassination.

There, five years after they had parted ways, Rae and Damthus were reunited.

An emotional embrace was shared in the streets of Ardgan.

Stone Clan Reforged

Despite everything, Stone Clan endured.

Lottie had become one of its most respected leaders. Pachakuty remained a beloved member of the clan. New alliances had formed and old wounds had begun to heal.

Then Lottie revealed she was carrying Damthus' child.

For the first time in years, Damthus found himself thinking about a future beyond revenge.

A Chance for Peace

Stone Clan's latest scheme resulted in the destruction of a major mercenary force employed by Iron Clan. With their rivals weakened and tensions at a breaking point, Damthus finally called for a meeting between the leaders of Ardgan's three great clans.

Officially, it was an attempt at peace.

Unofficially, it was an opportunity.

Lucius Kallin would be there. And Damthus intends to make sure he never left.