The fifth installment of the Lorwyn Eclipsed story picks up with Kirol being marched through the woods by the elves.
At Morcant’s command, Kirol is made to head into the patches of the Gilt-Leaf that had been claimed by Shadowmoor to gather a flower known as dawnglove, which she planned to use as a poison against Isilu. It doesn’t take long for the vampire to locate the first patch of flowers, but their harvesting is interrupted when they turn to see “dark outlines, humanoid shapes crackling with barely contained heat, like banked charcoals…” rushing toward them.
Luckily, Kirol is faster than their pursuers, and makes it back to the safety of the sunlight, only to be told by Morcant that they hadn’t gathered enough flowers and to go back for more. Despite protests from both Kirol and Lluwen, its clear the high perfect won’t be swayed, and she demands Kirol go back or face death. Fortunately, their conversation is cut short when Ajani bursts through the brush. Clearly in no position to oppose a massive leonin warrior, Morcant can only watch as he recovers Kirol and heads off into the brush with Lluwen close behind.
Switching perspectives, Maralen, Tam, and Sanar make their way out of the the palace grounds, coming upon the bank of the Wanderwine river, and after searching a nearby downed tree, Maralen produces a small boat that she had been hiding for such an occasion. Once piled in, Maralen brandishes a pole from the bottom of the boat and the group shoves off downstream, aiming to meet up with a comrade who resides in one of Lorwyn’s swamp regions.
Hours pass on the river before the trio finally arrives at a boggart settlement known as the Stinkdrinker Warren, and after arriving, meet up with Maralen’s friend, Ashling – a being made of black glass and fire.
After coming ashore, Ashling leads the group into the settlement where Maralen explains their situation and that they need a larger boat in order to continue through to Goldmeadow. Hearing the details of their plan, Ashling reveals that the elves are plotting to kill Isilu, an action which Maralen cannot condone. With their next location and goals set, Ashling states her intent to accompany the trio, and moves out into the town to locate a new boat.
“Lorwyn isn’t meant to exist unchallenged. We need the balance Shadowmoor provides—the true, transforming night. Isilu and Eirdu are balanced forces, equal in all things, and we’ve seen what happens when we have one without the other. I don’t want to die. If I were to agree to ending the night forever, I would deserve the death Rhys promised me. Eternal day is Oona’s way, not my own.”
A short time later, Ashling returns to the group, announcing that she had procured not only a larger boat, but a crew of boggarts willing to sail to Goldmeadow. The first leg of the journey proves uneventful, so Maralen takes the opportunity to tell Tam and Sanar her backstory, but before long, a ruckus breaks out among the crew on the top deck, and the foursome emerge to find the river ahead already transformed by the dark.
Unable to continue forward by boat, the group opts to travel the rest of the way to Goldmeadow on foot, since none of them are affected by Shadowmoor’s influence. Finally reaching the outskirts of the city, the group is stopped by the Shadowmoor versions of Brigid and the other Kithkin townsfolk.
“The kithkin surrounded them, herding them deeper into Shadowmoor, past the city, which loomed and lurked at the same time, bristling with defenses, dangerous in stillness. The ground was a pool of inky dark, spattered with glowing fungus and flowers, like the night sky above and below at once. They walked on and were still walking when Tam paused and shivered.”
Moments later, time seems to slow as the group turns to see Isilu striding majestically toward them, leaving the townsfolk frozen in awe. Seeing an opportunity to make a break for it, Tam tells the others to run while the kithkin are distracted, but turning to flee, they see a line of elven torches approaching from the forest’s edge.
Read Lorwyn Eclipsed Episode 5 in full from Wizards of the Coast.
