Chapter 20

Sancia and Berenice return battered, prompting Orso’s outrage over their audacious foundry break-in. As Sancia recounts overheard details, the group concludes Tomas Ziani is forging imperiat “shells” and failing due to missing elements. Orso and Berenice realize he’s assembling the Occidental alphabet of sigils, likely aided by Tribuno’s deranged work and a hoard of artifacts.

They link Ziani’s ritual and body disposals to these attempts. Gregor reframes the problem: Ziani’s plan hinges on the original imperiat. Since Sancia heard it’s kept in the Candiano Mountain, they decide the only solution is to steal it.

Orso describes the Mountain’s unsettling design: a vast, learning complex that “remembers” residents, tracks them via blood-logged access, and is powered by cradles for multiple lexicons. He suggests Tribuno intended the Mountain as a step toward an artificial mind, echoing legends of hierophants.

Accepting they need more talent and a secure base, Sancia brings them to Scrappers Claudia and Giovanni. After testing their ingenuity, Orso recruits them with payment in high-tier sigil strings and funds. The Scrappers lead the team to a hidden crypt accessed through a storm drain, which they adopt as a covert workshop.

As they settle in, Clef briefly speaks to Sancia, recalling a terrifying presence near a lexicon—perhaps his maker—deepening the hierophant mystery. Orso reflects on failed ideals and power’s consolidation. In private, Claudia warns Sancia that Gregor is the sole survivor of Dantua—the Revenant—casting doubt over his steadiness even as the heist planning begins.