Anneli: The voidmaster of the ship the Sidreal Companion. She had crash-landed on Argentum Prime and lost her companions, including her sister Nomi, who had betrayed her.
Salt: Spar's daughter, who was rescued by Anneli and her companions. She is the only one still with Anneli as of right now.
Herminus: The former head of security of Sabina's Castle, who become one of Spar's employees before he had vanished.
The Lady in Red: The one who had given Anneli a little toy sword, which was the only way to find the Island of Eternal Youth. She hasn't been seen since by Anneli.
Pyrite: One of Spar's compatriots in his nog smuggling ring.
As the light began to fade Anneli and Salt began to get ready for the night. Anneli took the first watch. As Salt began to get ready to sleep Anneli asked her what the area was like and what Salt knew about it. Salt said she had lived in Argentum Prime since she was a little girl, and barely remembered the dwarven tunnels and halls. She asked Anneli if she really grew up in the Ring of Tears, and if anyone really did live up there. Anneli looked up at the sky, longingly, and said there was nothing like flying amongst the stars. Salt shuddered, but she surmised she'd not much room to talk: Argentum Prime had become a living hell. Six months ago something that looked like a dragon had flown out of Sabina's Castle and destroyed the city with a dark flame. Salt didn't think it could be a dragon, however. It was a being made of shadows and even dragons had flesh and bone. There were survivors still in the city, but they could talk about that tomorrow. Salt went to sleep.
A few hours later something monstrous walked up to Anneli. Its eyes shone with a fell purple light, with a malice only possible from an Anti-Flame "life-form". The undead was so frightening that Anneli froze. The undead charged the sleeping Salt and bit her throat. Anneli charged with her sword and knocked the undead back into a wall. The undead counter-charged and knocked Anneli over, bruising the back of her head. He politely asked her to let him kill Salt, that nobody else needed to die. Salt hit the undead on the back of the head and Anneli threw him off. The undead withdrew; Salt collapsed, gurgling in her own blood.
Anneli put Salt on her shoulder and, after being told in between gurgles that the other survivors were at the bend of the river, began to run. As she got within sight of the bend the mist thickened, and out came what could have been a shriveled elven woman. She was naked, and awful beyond imagination. Anneli fell over, mortally wounded, from a sudden shock to her nervous system. Whatever had happened upon looking at the elven woman had almost killed her.
She woke up, underground, with a male dwarf (who introduced himself as Pyrite) standing over her. The lady in red, Marian, came over. She explained that it was two years later, and that thanks to her Anneli's sword they had been safe that whole time. Anneli asked what had happened, and Marian told her that she had met a fallen nymph, who had been killed by the dragon coming out of Sabina's Castle. Salt came over and greeted Anneli, happy to see her up and awake again. Marian went around a bend and Anneli overheard her talking to a "Telos" talking about how only their continued efforts and the toy sword held back their enemies. They could keep back Rahbarl, the others, and particularly Herminus from Salt a little while longer...
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