[[Tarnik]] drifted into an unnatural sleep, his dreams vivid and distorted in ways that felt fundamentally wrong. The landscape around him melted and shifted with prismatic colors, cliffs bending like rubber as darkness consumed what had been daylight. Trees curled toward him with an unsettling life of their own, and rocks constantly changed their patterns. In this dreamscape, a tall orc woman appeared before him—[[Veilra, Mistress of Illusions|Veilra]], daughter of [[Gonosh]] and mistress of illusions. Her pale green skin bore silver undertones, and her midnight black hair moved as if alive, woven through with starlight. She explained that she had been watching [[Tarnik]] and could no longer remain silent, offering him something her father would never give: a choice. [[Veilra, Mistress of Illusions|Veilra]] warned that Orcantigthma, the champion of [[Gonosh]], would arrive the next day to test [[Tarnik]]'s combat prowess and discipline, seeking to forge him into a controlled weapon. But she had come to show him something deeper—the truth about the day his clan died. She gently challenged the story [[Tarnik]] had told himself for fifteen years, asking if he had ever truly investigated what happened or simply created a narrative that made sense of his overwhelming grief. Before he could answer, she began to reveal the events he had never witnessed. The vision showed [[Tarnik]]'s father and the Ironbound clan warriors gathered around maps and sketches, planning a raid on an elven settlement. They intended to capture escaped slaves and eliminate any resistance, following what they believed were the true northern orc traditions. Meanwhile, in a hidden elven village deep in the forest, scouts brought desperate warnings of the orc preparations. The elves, terrified that their children would be dragged into chains as their ancestors had been, made the agonizing decision to strike first. When the battle came, it was chaos and terror on both sides—warriors screaming, bleeding, and dying with no righteousness to be found. [[Tarnik]] witnessed his father fighting valiantly before being overwhelmed, his mother trying to shield his siblings before falling to an arrow, and young orcs and elves alike perishing in the violence. [[Veilra, Mistress of Illusions|Veilra]] then showed [[Tarnik]] his fifteen-year-old self returning from his rite of passage, expecting to be welcomed as a man but instead finding only carnage. The boy fell to his knees screaming in grief before proclaiming an oath of vengeance, deciding that the elves were monsters who had attacked without reason. But he had never found the maps his father made, never discovered the chains prepared for captives, never questioned the story he created from incomplete information. The vision expanded further, revealing three thousand years of orc conquest and elven enslavement, followed by massive uprisings and centuries of northern clans hunting escaped elves. [[Veilra, Mistress of Illusions|Veilra]] explained that neither side was simply right or wrong—both were trapped in cycles of violence born from fear, tradition, and survival. She offered [[Tarnik]] three paths forward: reject what she had shown him as lies, accept the complexity but continue his current path anyway, or allow this knowledge to fundamentally change him. [[Veilra, Mistress of Illusions|Veilra]] warned that her father would be furious if he knew she had interfered, as [[Gonosh]] believed that understanding one's enemies bred weakness rather than wisdom. She urged [[Tarnik]] to be strong in his coming trial but to remember that true strength was the courage to question what he thought he knew. With that, she vanished into wisps and shadows, and [[Tarnik]] began to wake. When morning came, [[Grumthar]] found [[Tarnik]] sobbing in his bedroll, overwhelmed by memories of piling bodies and building a funeral pyre for his entire clan. [[Tarnik]] revealed he had received a divine vision and questioned whether his whole life had been a lie, but insisted they must prepare for a visitor named Orcantigthma. Meanwhile, [[Volza Redhand|Volza]] ran from the wagon screaming and punching a cliff until her fists bled and bones cracked through her skin, shouting repeatedly that she was not weak. [[Grumthar]] joined her in releasing his own rage, pounding the ground beside her before lifting her up and urging her to give everything to her fury. She wailed on him until completely exhausted, and he laid her down, telling her to tune her mind to the gods in her weakest moment to find revelation. As the party prepared breakfast, an unseen observer watched from the shadows. [[Saszotah Sseth'kaar (Sasz)|Sasz]], a [[Serpari]] who had traveled from the south through the treacherous lands, studied the unusual group with their wagon, flaming horse, bear, and displacer beast. Despite his proximity, none of the party members detected his presence as they ate and discussed their plans. Suddenly, storm clouds with an unnatural reddish tint gathered overhead, and thunder rumbled through the ground with divine power. Lightning struck between the party members with tremendous force, and Orcantigthma appeared—a seven-foot-tall orc warrior of pure muscle with deep green skin and intense reddish eyes. A sixty-foot circle of greenish-yellow light marked the dueling grounds as Orcantigthma announced that [[Gonosh]] had heard blasphemy and questioned leadership. He declared that [[Volza Redhand|Volza]] and [[Bordak]] would fight to the death in a separate location to prove their loyalties, and in a flash of lightning, both vanished. Orcantigthma then challenged [[Tarnik]] directly, accusing him of questioning [[Gonosh]] and drawing power from [[Lysara, Lady of Shadows|Lysara]] instead of his sworn god. The champion warned the others not to interfere as he prepared to test [[Tarnik]]'s worthiness. The duel was fierce and brutal, with both warriors exchanging powerful blows. Orcantigthma taunted [[Tarnik]] about his faith, demanding he ask forgiveness and surrender, proclaiming his doubts as blasphemy. [[Tarnik]] defended himself, arguing that [[Gonosh]] had stopped speaking to him directly and only answered through his daughters. The champion countered that [[Gonosh]] worked in many ways and did not need to hand-hold his chosen, testing them through trials instead. Despite taking tremendous damage, [[Tarnik]] fought with skill and determination, landing several significant strikes against the seemingly unstoppable champion. Finally, Orcantigthma ceased the fight and declared that [[Tarnik]] had passed the test. He explained that [[Gonosh]] forges his chosen through obstacles and trials, working through his daughters and sons rather than providing direct guidance. The champion warned that next time he would not be lenient and would bring the full wrath of [[Gonosh]]'s power. With a final strike of lightning, Orcantigthma vanished, leaving [[Tarnik]] victorious but utterly exhausted. The paladin walked back to his companions with pride before collapsing into [[Grumthar]]'s arms, where powerful healing restored him from the brink of death. As the party recovered, a voice spoke from invisibility, commenting on the impressive display of orcish strength. [[Saszotah Sseth'kaar (Sasz)|Sasz]] revealed himself, explaining that he had been observing since breakfast and could have attacked at any time but chose not to. After tense questioning about his abilities and intentions, the [[Serpari]] demonstrated his innate sorcery and shared what he knew of the southern path—a treacherous route filled with lava, devils, and drakes leading to the Heart of the Pits where creatures were gathering. When shown a mysterious broken lantern connected to the land's corruption, [[Saszotah Sseth'kaar (Sasz)|Sasz]] could not definitively identify it but agreed to join the party and guide them through the dangerous terrain. Despite the absence of [[Bordak]] and [[Volza Redhand|Volza]], still engaged in their own trial, [[Tarnik]] insisted they continue south toward their destiny, and the party set forth into the scorching wasteland with their new companion.