For the next three days at the fissure the troupe discovers an enclave and the home of the noldor elves who have left Cignoria to live here. During those three days there are three incursions – waves of razzik and demons emerging from the fissure from the Outside to make a dash past the elven enclave. All are handily slain by the elves who take this as a matter of course.
They are introduced to Captain Vesryn of the Noldor Elves who refers to Ilyana as a general of some kind. The Captain and General explain how all of the reality bounded by the great serpent and the space within is actually a prison for something. They talk about the Great Tally and how there is a fixed number of souls in this place and that razzik are displacing souls. They also point out that since the death of the God of Death at the hands of Az, fewer babies are being born. This indicates that some kind of threshold has been reached.
As a point of clarity: demon have souls and add souls to the Great Tally. Razzik are soulless but displace souls, preventing a soul from a deceased from being reborn.
They listen to the bards (who hold the history of Cignoria) who sing about “reality is wrapped in a blanket and the stars disappeared”.
MK puts together a timeline like this:
- A long time ago the prison is formed and the stars disappear
- The three sisters and four brothers appear
- Az appears
- The Thing-haver of the Death Spark, (a.k.a. the God of Death) is killed by Az
- Az is eventually imprisoned (but his imprisonment isn’t the reason for the existence of the prison)
Ravenna mediates on the Death Spark and she finds a first-person memory though the eyes of Falynn the Stern Teacher:
the Keeper of the Death Spark (immaculate man), the KEeper of the Winter Spark (hard looking man), The Keeper of the Plague Spark (gaunt man) are arguing with Faylinn about utilizing a newly discovered source of energy. Faylinn argues against it. They are in a “very tall tower” (the Spire of Erebo) in a white city on the coast.
Despite her warning, the trio go ahead with tapping into this mysterious energy source, and accidently summon Az though a portal into the void. Az slays Death and grabs the Death Spark, while killing Winter and Plague. Faylinn escapes as the top of the tower collapses, flying away on a set of silvery wings.
March 23, 7762
The next eight days are spent with Ravenna meditating and having the Noldor smiths giving enchanted armor to the troupe. Ravenna, as Faylinn, watches the three gods summon Az.
Ravenna asks Ilyana about the Death Spark, who reveals that Az probably still has it as “a god spark does not remain naked for long”. Ravenna asks how Ilyana knows all of this and she reveals that she is the keeper of the Spark of Fertility and Light.
After this time passes, Ilyana warns the humans not to stay long at this place, else they become addicted to the euphoric feeling of being at the fissure like the elves have become.
She says, “You can do nothing and let the world waste away, or you can get motivated to restore souls to reality and power up the prison.”