THE ICHOR RAIN

CHAPTER 1: The Shore
Willoh is reprimanded by the Four Sparks, who find their research paltry and no help in discovering the source of the rains. They resolve that Willoh's punishment will be a forceful shunting into field work, receiving only rudimentary training; they expect no success from Willoh. Willoh speaks with a few of their allies about the rains, and receives no meaningful information. They visit the shore, and gaze out into it as a black storm roils overhead, cast by a pillar of darkness on the horizon.

CHAPTER 2: The Town
Willoh makes their way out to a small town where the rain is expected to make landfall, and helps them take cover. However, a strange man, pursued by five allies, arrives in town. As night falls and the rain makes landfall, a sudden incursion of demons drives everyone out of cover in terror, being subsumed by the rains and forming interstitials, including Willoh, who miraculously survives their transformation and escapes the others who do not pay them any mind.

In an interlude, on their way out of town, they meet Vashau, who gives them a brooch one of the six lost and discusses the rains.

CHAPTER 3: The Plague
Willoh hunts the strange man, suspecting him the cause of the demon incursion. They come across a small caravan that seems to have been torn apart. Several dead guards litter the area, and a vault cart has been ripped through, most of the riches left behind. As they start to leave, they feel a brutal chill wrack them, and they nearly fall unconscious as the color drains somewhat from the forest. Further down the road, they stop in another settlement, meeting a Lantern-Bearer who they were once friends with in training but was split off into another chapter, Khara. The two Lantern-Bearers stay the night together, and wake up to find the town has been swept overnight by a plague, and that all but they have perished or left town in a rush. They resolve to determine the cause together.

CHAPTER 4: The Coven
Willoh and Khara track magical signatures deep into the woods, where they come across a small coven of witches. Willoh seeks their help, to which Khara reacts with disdain, believing them nothing but savages. The two have an argument, and Khara waits outside while Willoh speaks to the witches. They show distrust towards a Lantern-Bearer, but realizing the grim nature of what the two are hunting, report the location of the Obelisk nearby. The witches talk with Willoh for some time, showing them a few nature magic tricks and equipping them with some alchemical assistance.

As they leave the group, Khara apologizes for being obstinate and the two encounter a strange sight: a travelling band of unique demons, appearing as warriors with swords, spears and shields rather than the normal animalistic appearance of most demons. The demons take notice of them, and chase them into the wilderness, where they become lost and take shelter in an abandoned cabin.

CHAPTER 5: The Fire
The two wake up in the morning, and have a conversation about what's going on; the increase in rains, the strange man, the possible destruction of a seal and sudden appearances of organized demon activity. As one of them looks out the window, a heavy haze has settled over the area; a wildfire has begun, of bright, searing white flame. The two dodge patrols of Vaskhul, following one to the same group of witches they'd spoken to last. Willoh and Khara aid the witches, and wipe out the patrol, and the witches in turn lead the two to safety, revealing their leader to be in poor health as they try to transport him.

As the group arrives in a small outpost set up by Humanity's Reprise to block the Vaskhul crusaders, the witches explain that their leader was too proud to accept the help of a Lantern-Bearer, even though the healing magic most Lantern-Bearers carry could help purge him of a serious injury he suffered. Willoh negotiates with the leader and heals him, and the two bond over their hatred of the Vaskhul before the two Lantern-Bearers depart.

CHAPTER 6: The Obelisk
Willoh and Khara seek out the shattered Obelisk. In the deep woods, they find a small space frozen in time, and an altar surrounding an obelisk that has been clearly damaged, littered with untouched riches offered to it in hopes for blessings and protection. Willoh tries to scry through the Obelisk and see who damaged it, and although they succeed, the Obelisk burns with the Architect's light so brightly that it sears Willoh through their clothes, revealing them as an interstitial to Khara.

Khara and Willoh argue, until Khara tries to shoot Willoh, who barely survives with a shattered mask. In turn, Willoh shoots Khara through the heart, and kills her. Willoh takes her lantern flame with them, as they set off to hunt the strange man the rest of the way.