Riven Eternally

Preface, Content Warnings and Recap

Introduction

Welcome to Riven Eternally, the fourth and penultimate story in the Records of the Third Sundering! As is always the case with RTS, there will be a list Content Warnings and a Recap at the bottom of the page, but before that, there will also be a little bit of rambling about the structure of the book, and the process of writing it. :)

One of the main new additions to this story is the introduction of Interlude Chapters. :) In all honesty, the name isn't very fitting, and they aren't spaced out in a uniform way, but I did notice that, even with my practice of splitting most chapters above 4000 words into two parts, some of the chapters for RE were very long indeed. So, the Interlude Chapters are generally shorter sections that are typically connected to the preceding one, but often have a POV change. :) 

I typically put the section where I thank people at the end of my stories, but this time, I would also like to do that at the very start. As always, I would like to specially thank PikeOTH, whose stories I would highly, highly recommend, and of course, Pan and Sera. Your encouragement and thoughts and comments on my stories is more motivating than I will ever be able to convey, and I will always be grateful for them. 

For RE, I would also like to thank Sera for letting me feature some of her characters as cameos! I'm honoured that you let me do so, and I hope that, even in the small parts they are mentioned in, I did portray them properly. :)

By the time I start publishing RE, it will be quite close to a year since I finished writing Fading to Ruin, which both feels like it happened much more recently than that, and also a lot longer ago, but my perception of time often feels like that. :) I'm very glad that I did start writing FTR when I did, because as much as I enjoy putting one of the stories I've had in my head for so long, I'm even more glad that it helped me to meet a lot of very kind people, and start reading a lot of very good stories. :)

So, I would just like to say to everyone who does read this, or has read any of my silly little stories, thank you very, very much. I very hope you have enjoyed reading them, and that you'll enjoy reading RE, too. :)

As one last little note before beginning, I would like to briefly mention Tales of Sanctuary, the collection of one-shots in RTS universe as I've been writing between working on the main instalments. Although my intentions when writing ToS stories is that they are not necessary to understand the plot and characters of the full stories, I thought it would be best for me to say that, in this instance, the events of Familiarity and Difference are referenced more directly in Chapter Three of Riven Eternally. 

Although I do think that the most important parts of the one-shot are explained in RE, I also want to flag that it might be a chapter some readers may like to read before reaching Chapter Three, though again, I don't think it's necessary by any means. :)

Content Warnings

War, Violence, Blood, Executions, Religious Persecution, Xenophobia/Discrimination, referenced alcoholism, and referenced child abuse.

Recap

After months of preparation, Godfrey of House Richter, self-proclaimed Emperor of Sanressia, finally made his first moves of note in the civil war engulfing the land. While he, along with the Imperial Court Sorceress, Lady Mallory, and the Commander of the Death Maidens, Lady Erika, struck west at the Usurper, General Theoderic, Lady Marshal Frieda and her companions marched south against the Grand Duke and his Army of Restoration. 

After gaining two victories in quick succession against the Usurper, one of which was followed by the Emperor executing one of his generals for murdering prisoners, and the other of which was followed by the rescue of a Death Maiden by the name of Frederica, Godfrey crossed into the Ashfields, armed with the certainty that Mir already had, that Theoderic was consorting with Demons.

Simultaneously, Frieda's march saw an initial success as well, easily overcoming a small force of the Army of Restoration, which had been taken ahead of their comrades by an overeager commander, who swiftly realised his mistake, before immediately abandoning his army. The Onyx Guard was soon able to besiege the city of Port Remembrance, though it's defenders refused to yield. 

Following a prolonged siege, in which the defenders attempted to sally out, and exchanges of prisoners, Frieda shattered the city walls, and captured it for her Emperor, granting those who fought against her lenient terms, and preparing to fight against the relief force that would arrive to late to help their allies. 

In the Ashfields, Godfrey first passed the ruins of Fort Alexandra, destroyed by Theoderic in an attempt to deny his rival any use of it, before arriving at the gates of Fort Ruprecht, where it swiftly became apparent that the commander, Sir Raphael, was being coerced into the service of the traitor. With the aid of Frederica, the Emperor concocted a plot that saw the fort captured, and the unwilling soldiers of the Usurper liberated, and was swiftly able to march on to his quarry's final redoubt, Fort Friedrich.

When his attempts to negotiate for one final time failed, Theoderic revealed the true extent of his cooperation with the Demons, relying upon the Corruption-induced abilities he had been granted by his patroness, and unleashing hordes of the Ruined, victims of his cruelty, against his enemies. 

As Godfrey maintained the siege against the Usurper, facing the full extent of his power, Dame Frieda defended her newly-captured city from those who sought to liberate it. Although she nearly perished in the endeavour, the arrival of naval reinforcements from Reunion convinced the Army of Restoration to retreat, securing the self-proclaimed Emperor's victory. 

After another brutal battle at Fort Friedrich, Theoderic's last ally of note was killed, along with most of his Demonic forces. Although he escaped to the safety of his lair for a final time, his patroness, bored of her "entertainment," revoked the power she had granted him, leaving him to Godfrey's mercy. 

Easily taking the fort in the following days, the Usurper met his end at the hands of Lady Erika, who ensured that the man suffered a painful, humiliating death, bringing the campaign to an end. 

Godfrey's position, now close to being unassailable, is set to grow even stronger. Again, two of his armies set out to claim more of Sanressia. But there are still those who resists his designs...