From the anger of her father Seraphina stumbled into the arms of the leader of a street gang, who saw her usefulness in healing his members after fights and keeping his bed warm at night. However, one day the leader was so badly wounded that Seraphina couldn't save him and the gang blamed her for his death. They punished her and left her close to death in front of a Blakeraz temple to sacrifice to the demongod of vengeance. There Seraphina was found by Blakarion, a priest of the temple, who saved her life and showed her how praying to Blakaraz lets her heal others with just her hands. He became her mentor, for whom she would do anything.
One day Blakarion had to leave Yol-Ghulmark to attend the opening of castle Uhdenwacht of house Kohlenbrander in Tobrien that bordered the Shadowlands. He took Seraphina and Wulfherd, a skilled scout and hunter, with him.
Upon arrival Blakarion said to call him Alrik from Tobrien and send Seraphina in his stead to the welcoming meal given by Count Kohlenbrander, where all important people were invited. He told her to keep eyes and ears open and especially watch the high inquisitor of the church of Praios, the God of Justice and antagonist of Blakeraz.
The inquisitor sat of course right next to Count Kohlenbrander with a delegation of three novices and two sun soldiers surrounding him, but he seemed very sick and frail. Seraphina overheard that a shrine for Praios should be set up and quickly went to the
With her first mead Seraphina met Rumdarion, an merchant from way down South in Brabak, who mainly traded in leather, rum and other liquids since the jungle offers many poisons. He said he even traded with lizard men and wouldn't judge what the person believes in as long as there is a good trade. So he was very interested when Seraphina asked him if he would like some objects from the Shadowlands.
When Seraphina went outside to get some air a group of magicians and priests of the true 12 Gods stood around the entrance to the dungeons that a dwarf and his Igor were about to clear. A ghost had appeared and warned of the elimination of the church of light. Then the castle guards reported a big eyeball flying above the walls and Seraphina went with the group of magicians to have a look.
It was a spy-eye-demon that Seraphina had often seen in Yol-Ghulmark.
The magicians were very scared of it (even though it cannot do much more than look), but then one touched and asked it what it had seen which was a demon army that was about to march upon castle Uhdenwacht.
Everyone was scared, but Seraphina was tired since it had been a really long day and the army would not arrive before tomorrow night so she went to bed after telling Blakarion all that had happened.
The next morning at breakfast Seraphina sat with Blakarion and Wulfherd at a table with the dwarf who had cleared the tunnel. He was wearing a red cap to signal that he was on strike, because Kohlenbrander owed him the last days pay. So Blakarion offered five golden reasons to be the first to see what is behind that last wall. The dwarf gladly agreed to take his time to find Count Kohlenbrander when the tunnel was open.
Down there was a Brajan temple, an ancient form of Praios, but not only for justice and light, but also for magic. Since they had not much time before Count Kohlenbrander would come down they stole a ring and a box with magic powder from the altar that Blakarion desecrated with blood.
Even though a crowd hat come together in front of the entrance they could sneak out, but a druid who knew Blakarion and of his services for the dark side had seen it and went to the inquisitor. Blakarion was arrested and put into a dungeon, while Wulfherd decided to flee. Seraphina, however, couldn't leave Blakarion alone, so she went on with the cooking contest that he had ordered her to do as a favor to Count Kohlenbrander feverishly thinking about ways to get Blakarion out.
Just when her contest entry was finished (a pan with bacon, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, apples, leek, lots of garlic and pepper, eggs and mead) did the inquisition lead Blakarion to the yard where he should duel for his life. The sun soldier had nearly killed Blakarion when he called upon Blakeraz to take him home – suddenly he was gone and Seraphina was alone.
She stared at the spot where he had just vanished and then ran to a quiet corner to let out her grief. Rumdarion had seen her distress and followed her. Under tears did she tell him everything. Fearing the inquisition and their fondness for fire Rumdarion gave Seraphina a gold doubloon to take a room at the next tavern in the village, where he would pick her up in two days when this castle business was over and take her on his travels. So she left. She found refuge in a little tavern and locked herself in her room just like Rumdarion had told her. There she cried for Blakarion and thought about calling upon Blakaratz to take her home, too, but in the end she was scared, what the demon god would demand as a prize for such a favor. So she just wallowed in her misery and waited for Rumdarion to pick her up, which he did a couple of days later. He took her to Festum, a big traders port on the east coast. Seraphina was amazed at this gigantic and bustling city, but also scared and intimidated by this world that was so alien to her. Also she was not accustomed to the kind words Rumdarion used to address her and he was always gentle touching her and not once did he beat her – even when she seemed to annoy her with numerous questions about this strange new world.
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