Aysha

After successfully summoning the River Demon of Sherezak in a bloody ritual that didn't go as well as planned (in the end Aysha had to appeal directly to her god to bind it), Aysha turned her attentions to trying to induct Serama into her cult. This was complicated by Serama being in a coma, and Marek arriving at the Lurid Eye camp the next day. Subsequently she ended up in a conflict with some of the tribe's riders of Cay (lead by Numiar) who figured out that one of her sacrifices the night before was their leader Moorak. Covered in blood of their dead adversaries, Aysha and Marek consummated their new relationship on the floor of her tent.

That evening Lhan tried to get Serama back from Aysha, and as Aysha gave chase, she was met by not only Lhan, but a phantom woman in black. Drained by Lhan's amulet, Aysha told Marek to flee with Serama and Lhan, leaving her to have her body possessed by the woman in black. The River Demon returned at that point, and Aysha was able to command it to eat her, thus depriving the woman of her body at the cost of her own life.

Elkaru

Having spent the last few days beguiling married women, and running off with their things, Elkaru avoided one more jealous husband, to arrive at the Caravanserai with some loot. He discovered that people are fleeing the city, and he attempted to head back to the Lurid Eye camp. On the way, he ran into four of the Fire Snakes tribesmen who recognized him and chased him into a blind alley. He drew forth the Five Tongued Blade, which he’d stolen from the Fire Snakes (hence why the wanted him dead) and threatened to bring down a doom with it. Circumstances being just right, this caused the Fire Snakes to bow to him. He ordered them to flee and to tell their tribe to fear him.

Elkaru then made his way to the secret hiding place of the worshipers of Inis, not long after Fahja and Rharohi had come there. The priestesses, put off by what Fahja had done, considered making a sacrifice of Elkaru given that he is a member of the Lurid Eye. He managed to use his strange charm to convince them to let him become a porter for them on their flight from the city.

On the way out that night, the bats and demons arrived, and Elkaru accidentally killed a couple of the creatures with the Tongue, which is magically empowered to kill demons. He came into possession of a very important enchanted head, just as the phantasmal woman in black arrived. She intended to kill him for what he’d done, but Regina made her spare Elkaru’s life. Elkaru then bargained from the woman in black a kiss (which almost killed him), before fleeing the city just as Rharohi and Fahja raced past out the gate.

He fled to the Cave of the Stream, the bats being prevented from killing him by Regina’s bargain.

Fahja Z'kir

Attempted somewhat successfully to disrupt the River Demon summoning by leaping at the creature's eye with his sword newly obtained from his goddess (for acts of faith while imprisoned on the moon of Charon where he'd been sent by the sorcerer Porcaru), Fahja caused himself and the sorcerer to fall into the river. Subsequently retrieved by Thomas, Fahja lead Alitia, the woman of his dreams who'd scorned him earlier, back to he Lurid Eye camp.

At the camp, Fahja had words with a Rider of Cay, and cut him down in cold blood - his only excuse being the need to get the tribe to move to the Caves of the Stream, to hide from the oncoming doom.

He then accompanied Rharohi on a jaunt into the city presumably to get Rharohi's mother back (but moreso to because of his hate for her captors, the Green Moon tribe). In the city they stopped at a secret meeting place of the worshippers of Inis, who told them where they could find the Green Moon tribesmen. The priestesses asked Fahja if they could make a sacrifice of Rharohi, but Fahja cowed them brandishing the blade of his goddess, and they made their way from the lair.

That evening Fahja distracted the Green Moon tribe taking them on almost single-handedly, ending many of their lives, while Rharohi entered the palace. In the end, badly wounded he rode with the others back to the Caves pursued by the curse of the bats.

Lhan

Lhan, his zombie creation defeated by Thomas and Regina, fled to the desert once again. There he met the woman in black out on the arid plain, and she related her need for a body to him. He promised her, thinking her his deceased wife, that he would get the body of his daughter for her.

That evening he snuck into the camp and tried to make off with Serama and was pursued by Aysha. Lhan's amulet struck down Aysha just as the woman in black appeared. At this point, Lhan's long bout of insanity faded (momentarily at least) and he had to decide whom to give to this malevolent entity that had come for a body. He forgave his daughter, asking for forgiveness, and offered Aysha to the black woman instead of his daughter.

He then fled, lead by Marek, off into the plain to escape the oncoming curse with his daughter.

Marek

Following the trail of the demon along the river, out of Sherezak, Marek discovered the body of Porcaru the Sorcerer downstream. He slew the sorcerer, and took his crystal of power, and then followed the trail inland. He ended up at Aysha’s tent, the demon’s power still evident on her.

There he accepted her proposal to leave Sherezak together, and made an oath to Aysha. Marek then participated in the slaying of Numiar to protect Aysha.

That night, he followed Aysha from the tent, only to find her drained by Lhan’s amulet. He tried to save Aysha, and argued to leave the others to the woman in black. But Aysha insisted that he follow his oath to her, and to take Serama to safety. Marek carried Serama and lead Lhan into the desert night.

Regina

Regina cared for Suna, Famrah’s daughter after the young one saw the dead zombie in the street. She reassured Suna that Thomas would take care of them, and promised that he could do it. She then took to the air to patrol the city, waiting to report the nature of the doom to Thomas if she saw it approaching.

She noted the bats and demons flying and tried to return to Thomas. But she became engaged with three Gogur demons, one carrying a yellow glowing head. Regina managed to down one, and the others follow. Fighting them off, one of the Gogur noted that Regina still wears Marek’s amulet from her episode with him where she took it as collateral for him to observer her dreams. The Gogur screamed, summoning the woman in black (who’d just been through her episode with Aysha, and was “freed” from Aysha’s body by the River Demon).

To prevent Regina from fleeing with the amulet, the phantasmal woman bargained with her. Regina recently having gained some substantial insights about the bargaining process, used her newfound ability to manage to not only keep the amulet of Marek, but to convince the woman to spare her and anyone she named (giving the woman, instead, the water amulet she had obtained long, long ago fighting with Thomas).

Regina went out of her way to mention that she’d like Aysha not to be spared, and in fact to get special treatment, only to learn of Aysha’s demise. She then asked for Rharohi, Thomas, Thomas’ retinue, and Famrah’s family to be spared. (Of note, she did not ask for Marek, the Water Shaman, the merchant prince Soltah, or any other merchant acquaintances to be spared, nor any of the Lurid Eye for whom she had worked).

She then fled back to Thomas, and convinced him that it was futile to save all of the poor of Sherezak – leading him and the other she had bargained for from the city as people died all around them.

Rharohi

Rharohi, after discovering the nature of the doom, and bringing the news back to the camp, argued with the elders about the best plan for facing it. He convinced them that he should perform his duty as a scout, and go looking for the source of the curse.

Looking for Numiar, Rharohi saw Fahja slay the rider of Cay, and took part in helping organize the evacuation as he looked for Numiar. While engaged so, Kalek Sandrunner told him of his mother’s location with the Green Moon tribe somewhere inside the city. He rode to the city with Fahja and Kalek.

While getting information from the priestess of Inis about where the Green Moon tribe is, and what they’re up to, she threatened to make a sacrifice of Rharohi, but they managed to get out, Fahja leading the way.

They went to the palace of Soltah, where Rharohi had been two nights before with Regina and Marek. While Fahja created a distraction, Rharohi leapt to a balcony and passed inside. There he used his way with horses to create another distraction in the courtyard, and then lassoed the sacred “breathing” stone around which the Green Moon are having their ceremony.

One of the Chieftains of the Green Moon (who Rharohi remembers seeing at the palace when he was there previously) came out holding a knife to his mother’s throat. Rharohi sacrificed the stone, throwing it at the man in order to save his mother. Taking advantage of the situation he managed to heroically charge the chieftain, and putting him off balance, retrieved the stone as well.

Heading back to the street, Rharohi confronted the practitioner who was running the ceremony, and managed to defeat him by befriending the man’s powerful spirit (it headed off to the desert to meet Rharohi again some day). Rharohi then rescued Fahja and Kalek, and they ride off to the cave, with the Green Moon pursuing. They made it to the Cave of Streams just as the Green Moon were consumed by the plague of bats and demons.

Thomas

Thomas, after sending Fahja back to the Lurid Eye camp with his beloved, Alitia, headed back to help the poor of Sherezak weather the doom (they having harbored him when he needed to hide from Aysha and other Rhiani elements). He then fended off Lhan and his zombie, and continues with his preparations. They managed to set up some magical defenses, but when the bats arrive, it becomes obvious that it’s far too little to stop such a force.

When Regina arrives he concedes to his retainers wishes to leave the city, depressed as those he sought to protect die about him.