Contents
Chapter 4
Overview
Zevander hunts and kills a wealthy Lunasier jewel-mancer in a cave, using forbidden sablefyre and covert demutomancy to harvest bloodstone and seize vivicantem. He acts outside the king’s orders, revealing his Letalisz-honed lethality, deep resentment of hoarded power, and the mortal risk if his outlawed magic is discovered.
Summary
Zevander, masked and hooded, corners an overindulged Lunasier man who has trapped himself in a cave. The prey begs for mercy and offers his ring, but Zevander’s carved glyphs and scorpion brand stir sablefyre, reflecting his intent to punish the wealthy who flaunt scarce vivicantem while others starve.
Recognizing the man’s moon-born lineage and jewel transmutation talent, Zevander rejects the bribe and reveals he is “worse” than a high mage, letting the man infer a Letalisz connection. He clarifies he is not on the king’s orders; his motive is retribution for hoarded power and systemic inequity.
Zevander unleashes black flame, reducing the man to ash within seconds. From the remains, he extracts a dark red bloodstone—a product of forbidden demutomancy that he secretly wields—and risks death if discovered by the Imperial Guard.
He then retrieves the melted ring’s intact vivicantem stone, stowing it with the bloodstone in his satchel. The kill underscores Zevander’s clandestine mission: to target the privileged and exploit outlawed magic while concealing his true nature from the crown.
Who Appears
- ZevanderMasked hunter wielding sablefyre and forbidden demutomancy; kills a wealthy Lunasier, harvests bloodstone and vivicantem outside the king’s orders.
- Unnamed Lunasier jewel-mancerWealthy target who transmutes rocks into jewels; begs for mercy, offers vivicantem ring, is incinerated and reduced to ash.