Chapter 48 - The Centurion

As the council progresses, Waylander flies to the Imperial skyship and absconds with the Princess and the Empress of Aduria. As he is about to fly away from the skyship, he notices several spheres of blue fire shot in the direction of Windrock. He manages to jump-ship seconds before one of this projectile hit the Imperial skyship, and sends her dropping down!

In the horizon, many Imperial skyships can be seen, each of them sporting several floating chunks of black rock hovering at their prow. From this black rock, the blue flame shoots out, hitting the many skyships anchored at Windrock. It seems obvious that the blue flame disrupts the mana flow of the ship, temporarily "dispelling the magic that keeps them floating.

In the council chambers, the walls start to crumble under the magical barrage, and everyone tries to flee. Daedrie is hit by a few falling bricks, but brought to safety.

The city is in chaos. With the skyship fallen, the armies have no air support, and are no match for the hovering barrage. Every man for himself, everyone tries to find a way to flee the town.

Waylander decides to not deliver his prisoners to Ruby nor Tharod, but brings them to safety in a secret place. The others grab a griffon for the city, and fly in different directions. Zakonik gets to the Dwarven Citadel, where the armies are stationed, to arrange for an evacuation. Ruby, Daedrie and Rudd fly toward the Imperial mother ship, to try and stop the attack.

Unfortunately Ruby is hit by the blue flame, and drops stunned. Her griffon dead, she realizes that the blue flame has jarred the mana flow of her equipment, and notices a terrible similarities between the power of this black rock, and the one experienced in Death's Reach against the Blaskstar Host.

Rudd and Deadrie reach the main ship, and find that the leader of the attack is Druss, their former companion, now called by his troops "The Centurion". He and his elite forces all wear armaments made from the same black rock, and charged with blue flames. Druss requires Rudd and Deadrie to abandon his ship, and leave town, since Windrock is doomed. As he speaks, several Imperial ships start to float down, to unload elite Warforged units to secure the location.
Daedrie tries to persuade Druss that the Emperor is having dealings with Orcus himself, proof being the use of the Blackstar stones. Druss seems concerned, but informs them that the Forge Master, the Imperial Artificer, is the one producing this new tools.

And agreement seems impossible, but finally Rudd and Deadrie decide to leave the ship, to bring help to the survivors. Druss promises to stop the magic barrage, but declares that it is his duty to his Emperor to reclaim and secure the city.

In the meanwhile, Zakonic has reached the Dwarven Citadel, who is also falling apart. He joins his barbarians into the tunnels, where they realize they're doomed. The dwarven artificer in charge of mantaining the citadel fails, and the huge fortress comes tumbling down on Windrock. The devastaton is total. Zakonik, crushed by many tons of stone, reappers in a flash of phoenix fire on top of the rubble.

Once the party is reunited, they try to save as many as they can from the debris, and then they proceed to slaughter the Warforged, who also seems powered by the ssame black rock and blue flames. Through a portal, Daedrie allows many to escape, until our heroes are faced with Druss himself, who gives them a last chance to surrender, and plead their case to the Emperor himself.

But Zakonik's fury cannot be contained, and he immediately launches himself to the attack. Druss is killed, togheter with his elite forces. But troubles are not over yet. All the corpses in Windrock are quickly animating as undead horrors, clearly the making of Orcus's power. The warforged legion turns to this new threat, giving our heroes the time to make a hasty escape thorugh a portal, with destination the Great Tree.