Salute the Dark

Organizations and things

The Ancient League - a Moth-Mantis alliance of Dorax, Nethyon and Etheryon

Assembly - the elected ruling body of Collegium, meeting in the Amphiophos

Buoyant Maiden - Jons Allanbridge’s airship

Crystal Standard, Path of Jade, Satin Trail - Solarnese political parties

Esca Volenti - Taki’s orthopter

Great College in Collegium, the cultural heart of the Lowlands

Landsarmy - force of refugees and irregulars led by Salma

Mercers - Dragonfly-kinden order of knights errant

Prowess Forum - duelling venue in Collegium

Rekef - the Wasp Empire’s secret service

Shadow Box - an artefact holding the heart of the Darakyon

Skryres - the magician-leaders of the Moth-kinden

Starnest - great Wasp airship used in the conquest of Solarno

Winged Furies - name for the Wasp Seventh Army

Following his victory over the Sarnesh field army, General Malkan prepares to lead his army towards Sarn itself to destroy the military capability of the Lowlands. The alliance of powers that Stenwold brokered at Sarn is still gathering its strength, so it falls to Salma’s Landsarmy to hinder the Wasp advance while the Lowlanders prepare.

Over the winter the Wasps have added the Spider city of Solarno to their Empire, and also the Moth hold of Tharn. However, careful manipulation by the Moth Skryres and their agent Xaraea has ensured that Tegrec, the new governor of Tharn, is secretly sympathetic to their case, being a magician who has hidden his true nature from his kin.

Meanwhile the maverick artificer Drephos has been ordered to take his secret weapons to the city of Szar, whose Bee-kinden people are in open revolt after the death of their queen, whom the Empire was holding as hostage for their continued servitude. However, amongst Drephos’ cadre is Kaszaat, a former citizen of Szar, and the lover of Stenwold’s former student Totho.

The mission to recover the Shadow Box has failed after Tynisa, under the control of the Mosquito-kinden Uctebri, stabbed Achaeos, leaving him severely wounded. The box, meanwhile, has fallen into Uctebri’s hands, and he has promised the Wasp Emperor that he will use the artefact to make Alvdan immortal. However, at the same time, Uctebri plots with the Emperor’s sister to dethrone her brother and make her into an undying Empress.