[Narrator] The Living Swords left the Red Dragon Inn at dawn. Sixteen mercenaries marched beneath iron skies. And somewhere behind them… someone had already betrayed them. The mountain roads narrowed into cliffs and ruined towers. Then the webs appeared. Thick as ropes. Stretched between dead trees and broken stone. Entire wagons cocooned beside the trail. Bones hanging above the road. [Lira] Movement. High cliffs. [Narrator] Then the sky exploded. Giant Reaver spiders descended from the cliffs. Massive black horrors with glowing crimson eyes. And riding atop them… Githyanki warriors in silver armor. [Githyanki Lord] VALORN WILL FALL TO THE VOID. [Double kick drums] [Kess] SHIELDS UP!! PROTECT THE REAR!! [Narrator] Chaos consumed the pass. Webs slammed across mercenaries like siege nets. Spider legs crashed through shattered wagons. Dom the Fat roared like an avalanche. [Dom] GET OFF MY ROAD!! [Narrator] His hammer crushed spider limbs into black pulp. Aelric leapt atop a broken cart while lute strings screamed across the battlefield. [Aelric] ♪ HOLD THE LINE YOU DRUNKEN DOGS!! ♪ [Mercenary Crowd] HEY!! [Aelric] ♪ IF WE DIE WE DIE AS LEGENDS!! ♪ [Narrator] Even terrified mercenaries rallied behind him. Then more spiders descended. And behind them… their leader arrived atop a monstrous Reaver larger than a war wagon. Silver armor. Burning eyes. Psionic blades glowing violet. [Githyanki Lord] Kneel…and your deaths will be swift. [Brakka] No. [Narrator] Brakka charged first. Hammer against silver blade. The impact shook the mountain pass. Spider venom sprayed across stone as Dom ripped another creature from the cliff wall. Ziddelgzt raised her hands. Infernal fire erupted across the battlefield. [Mercenaries terrified] WHAT IS SHE?! [Ziddelgzt] Busy. [Narrator] Black flames consumed Githyanki riders instantly. Even Kess stared briefly in shock. [Kess quietly] Remind me never to insult her. [Brakka smiling] Too late. [Narrator] Jaska lifted dead mercenaries from the battlefield itself. Corpses rose screaming beneath his magic. Spider riders were dragged from saddles by undead hands. [Hagan] I HATE THAT THIS IS HELPING!! [Narrator] Then everything went wrong. Fen Hollow screamed as webbing wrapped around his legs. [Fen] HELP ME!! [Narrator] A giant spider dragged him beneath the cliffs. The screaming stopped. [Kess horrified] …gods… [Narrator] The Company hesitated. And the Githyanki attacked instantly. Silver lances crashed through the front line. Dren Marr shoved Kess aside— —and took the lance through the chest. [Dren coughing blood] …still standing… [Narrator] Even impaled… he kept fighting. His axe buried itself into a spider rider before he finally collapsed. [Brakka roaring] DREEEEEN!! [Narrator] The Living Swords became monsters. Brakka shattered spider skulls like pottery. Kess cut through riders with radiant fury. Dom tackled a Reaver directly off the cliffside. Aelric’s battle songs echoed like war hymns. [Aelric] ♪ WE DO NOT BREAK!! ♪ [Mercenary Crowd] WE DO NOT BREAK!! [CHORUS] RIDE THROUGH THE FIRE RIDE THROUGH THE STORM THE LIVING SWORDS ARE BATTLE BORN WHEN SHADOWS FALL WE STAND AGAIN STEEL AND BLOOD UNTIL THE END FROM HELL BELOW TO VOID ABOVE WE FIGHT FOR THOSE WE SWEAR TO LOVE LET TYRANTS COME LET KINGDOMS SHAKE THE LIVING SWORDS WILL NEVER BREAK [Narrator] Then Brakka fell beneath the Githyanki Lord’s psychic strike. The silver blade rose for the killing blow— —and Ziddelgzt stepped between them. Infernal magic collided with psionic fire. The explosion shattered stone towers across the pass. [Ziddelgzt furious] HE IS MINE TO PROTECT. [Narrator] For one impossible moment… even the Githyanki Lord hesitated. Then the enemy retreated. Spider riders vanished back into the mountains. The Githyanki Lord pointed his blade toward Kess. [Githyanki Lord] Tell Valorn… the Void King comes. [FINAL CHORUS] RIDE THROUGH THE FIRE RIDE THROUGH THE PAIN WE RISE THROUGH LOSS AGAIN AND AGAIN THE DARK MAY HUNT THE NIGHT MAY CALL BUT LIVING SWORDS OUTLIVE THEM ALL WITH STEEL IN HAND AND HEARTS OF STONE WE STAND TOGETHER OR DIE ALONE WHEN KINGDOMS FALL AND HEROES FADE REMEMBER HOW THE SWORDS WERE MADE [Narrator] The Living Swords marched toward Granite Respite… bloodied… forged by war… while somewhere behind them… the traitor still smiled.
