Alright! Apologies for not sticking quite the schedule as promised, but I've got it out so I'm happy with that. 14.5k words and a *massive* revision to one section took a little longer than I'd hoped, but it's come out MUCH better for it.
The return of Junious is important for a myriad of reasons, so I wanted to really zero in on who he *was* before I elaborate on who he has *become*.
We've got a small cast again of folks around him, after he lost basically all of his retinue on the Point. Bess is a character we dug out of the previous ADS - Scarab too. More to come on both of them.
I've tried to emphasize the changes Bess has been through - her encounter with Balkoth being the most pivotal of the moments that have influenced her. She is still, at heart, the same compassionate and beautiful person that she was written as before, she has just been tempered in the crucible of conflict. My next posts on Junious' retinue will explore Kely, his ever present / mysterious friend from Aithol, and Junious' connection with the Eldar being a herald of Morai-Heg. Finally, we'll get under the hood on Amaarti and Scarab.
Three seals, purpose, and heading towards Secret's Hold at a rate of knots!