When the war broke out the Conde Alfons-Valenti Amaznen Serra i Costa de Sanaüja did not fight. He had never been much of an adventurer himself - blessings of living in a time of peace - and even if he had once been those days would have been behind him. He was old. Not frail, yet, but what vigor he had he had by the grace of God. And God was dead.

His sons and daughters were younger, as they must be, and stronger. Susanna was to be his heir and stayed at home studying rulership, but Josep was a priest and Xènia Àngela a wizard and Ignasi a knight, and they had adventured on the colonial frontiers with a group of faithful retainers. Xènia Àngela and Ignasi led the family guard and the county levee against house Davian, against the Callaecae, against house Servinus and against house Thrune. Damn the Thrunes! Perhaps if Alfons-Valenti had seen them for what they were sooner the war might have gone differently. But he didn't see it, not until his house was weakened and the Servinii were driven out of the country and the Callaecae were mounted on hellforged pikes. Damn the Thrunes, if they hadn't already damned themselves! Josep they cut down before his eyes. Susanna took her own life to avoid capture. Alfons-Valentí died slowly, wishing he'd followed his daughter's example. He did not learn precisely what befell his youngest children until he found them in Heaven.

It took twenty-four more years for the war to end, by the slow grinding extermination of every Chelish soul with a conscience and a will. Even then, there was not peace. The resistance army in Molthune; Scattered rebellions across the kingdom, flaring up year after year; Larger rebellions in the provinces of Galt and Andoran and Rahadoum. The spirit of the true Cheliax cannot be extinguished! And then - four days. The armies of Hell marching forth and - being swept away. The throne restored to Westcrown, as it should be, and a new queen upon it, a descendant of Aspex, as it should be -

And then the Blessed Archmage Naima speaks to him in Heaven and asks him to return to the world, and he accepts, of course, for the country will need good men like him, men uncorrupted by the whispers of devils, men with the wisdom and the righteousness to restore Cheliax to the way it was before.