"Some names are written in blood. Others in ash. The ones that matter are the ones we keep alive."
—Ashra, survivor of the Crownless War
The morning after the fall of the Thronewalker, Stormwatch stood silent.
Not in grief.
But in awe.
There was no birdsong—none had returned. The air still smelled of cinder and steel. Yet the wind carried something new now: the promise of breath without fire.
Jag—now recorded only as The Nameless Bastion—walked through the aftermath.
Ashra sat on the inner wall, both legs wrapped in bandages, watching him approach.
"I still remember your name," she whispered.
He nodded. "The Eye let you."
Branwyn limped out from the infirmary, a fresh burn across her cheek. "So… do we call you Bastion now?"
Jag replied simply, "You call me what you need to. The rest doesn't matter."
[System Notification: Crownless Siege Repelled]
Status: STORMWATCH RESTORED
Tier: Fortress Rank B+
Reputation: Legendary (Local), Known (Continental)
Available Actions: Rebuild | Expand | Scout | Chronicle
Council Meeting: Rebirth Directive
Rialt, Branwyn, Garron, and Ashra met in the rebuilt war chamber.
A single new banner hung: A Bastion With No Name. Black cloth. Silver edge. One tower carved from ashstone.
Jag stood at the head.
"We need to prepare," he said. "This wasn't the end. Only a warning."
Garron folded his arms. "We've repelled a siege from a forgotten god. What else could they throw?"
Ashra answered, "Another god."
[New Main Questline Unlocked: The Ash-Split Prophecy]
Clues hidden across ruined bastions and ancient vaults
Goal: Discover the truth of the Forsaken Crown and the next anomaly
Location Lead: Frostbane Ruins (North) / Sandshroud Archive (South)
Party Size: Max 4 Heroes
Optional Allies: Incoming\n\nSubquests Unlocked:
• "Stone for Fire" – Rebuild the East Wall
• "The Eye That Watched Too Long" – Learn the origin of the Forsaken Eye
• "Recruit the Ash-Sworn" – Unique unit from Crownless deserters
System Message – Inter-Bastion Link Restored
Message received from: Frostbane Stronghold
Content:
"We saw your light. We live still. Barely. If you hold… we will march."
—Marshal Teren, Frostbane
Branwyn leaned forward. "Allies. Finally."
Ashra said, "Or targets, if the next god walks sooner than we think."
Jag said nothing. He watched the Throne Sigil Fragment on the table—the only remnant of the being that nearly destroyed them.
Rialt placed a blueprint beside it.
New Construct Available: Sigil Forge (Tier A)
Uses: Refines Crownless artifacts into weapons or wards
Cost: 300 Gold, 1 Mage Core, 1 Throne Fragment
"We build this," Rialt said. "It gives us answers—or weapons."
Nightfall
That evening, Stormwatch's walls flickered with lantern light and mourning torches.
A silent vigil was held for the 47 lost.
Ashra, limping beside Jag, whispered, "You died in the eyes of the world."
He answered, "Good."
She looked at him.
He didn't elaborate.
Atop the central tower, they raised a new bell. One melted down from scraps of weapons, a symbol of survival—not victory.
When it rang for the first time, it echoed beyond Stormwatch's borders.
And in the wild places of the world… ears twitched.
Eyes opened.
Something stirred.
[System Update: The World Has Taken Notice]
New Factions Unlocked:
• Crownless Remnants (Hostile / Curious)
• Emberbound Exiles (Neutral / Recruitable)
• Order of the Hollow Sun (???)
Stormwatch Gains Regional Title: Last Wall Standing
Influence radius expanded
Ashra gains new title: "Ash-Blooded"
Branwyn gains new title: "Breaker of the Gate"
Jag (Nameless) gains: "Oathbound Warden" – Effect: Cannot be dominated by any Crown-bound skill
Final Scene: The Eye's Whisper
That night, the Forsaken Eye hovered beside the war table.
It shimmered violet, then blinked once—something it had never done.
Jag approached it alone.
It projected a new glyph:
"Phase Two: Heralds of the Depth"
Countdown: 72 Days
Jag's eyes narrowed.
"So soon?"
The Eye pulsed once. Slowly.
A heartbeat. Not of fear.
Of warning.