Far away, in Ashlock Canyon.
The Bone-gnawer arch lord, Balarun, stood on a high peak, his gaze fixed on the distant territory where Orion had made his camp. The conqueror's call to arms had reached his ears as well.
"So, their destination truly isn't here," Balarun sighed, as if he had expected this all along. He, too, yearned for the higher planes of the Abyss, but he knew the Bone-gnawer race lacked the deep-rooted power to support such ambition.
Here, on the third level, they were titans. With him at their head, they were uncontested, free to build their strength. If they ascended, the resources they might gain could very well be less than what they already controlled. And besides, he had no other arch lords to command. That was the crippling weakness.
"Third son," Balarun said without turning. Behind him stood Bidalun, his youngest, who was always on standby. "Would you like to see what the higher planes of the Abyss are like?"
