"Upon arrival, Sir Otto found that the battlefield was almost completely cleared. For the victors had immediately pressed the remaining forces of the Merchant's guild into the grim labor of burying the dead and clearing the field. Atop a far hill, Sir Otto saw the standards of several Knights, with the Golden Serpent among them. He then rode swiftly to that hilltop to learn the fate of his brothers and sisters-in-arms. Upon arrival, Sir Otto dismounted and entered the tent. Inside, five of his fellow Knights looked up from a map. Surprised to see Sir Otto, a bear of a man, Sir Bolor, said, "Otto, good to see you! I thought you had gone hence to marry your Princess!" At that, the other Knights chuckled at the stereotype, but not maliciously. Sir Otto said, "My brothers, and sister, (for Lady Sandwind was there), we must talk." Grandfather then looked up to the boy, to see his reaction, and the boy, uncharacteristically quiet, was still listening intently, all the while holding onto the raven-stone.
Grandfather continues, "After telling his fellow Knights the tale of the Temple slaughter, Sir Otto and his comrades agree that something must be done about the Shadow-Spinner. Sir Atlan Olvis, a most astute Knight, and a trained cleric, began the process of asking his deity about their situation straight away, praying to Heironeous for justice and insight. "Gran-pa, I thought that Heironeous has followers with a Lightning Bolt in their hand! Not a Golden Serpent..." the boy interjects. "You are right, my boy, very astute of you to notice such a thing. Of course, there is a difference with some Knights between the symbol of their Order, a political standard, usually related to a Kingdom, and their fealty to their God or Goddess in the form of a holy symbol. Sir Altan Olvis probably had a holy symbol of Heironeous somewhere on his person." grandfather explains, smiling again about the nature of a lesson inside a bedtime story. Continuing, grandfather says, "All of the others are slain." Sir Altan Olvis declared, after finishing his meditation. "I spoke with Heironeous, and he stated that we are the last of our kind. We are being hunted by a Shadow-Spinner, who is working alone, without gain!" This last bit of information sent the other Knights in the tent rocking back on their heels! For never, under any circumstances, had they ever heard of a Shadow-Spinner working alone, without the protection of a benefactor or guild, and certainly never for free! Immediately, each of the Knights went to one knee, and begged Heironeous to bless them through Sir Altan Olvis, each of them praying for guidance and repenting their shortcomings. Outside, a chill wind blew across the arid desert highlands, and a sole figure watched the battlefield as the blanket of night covered the land..."