it. And only the best can store it within themselves to draw upon later. (Evidently, shadowflux does not like to obey and chooses to embrace only the most powerful Shades.) But Tam was able to feel the darkness that lingered in Fitz’s and Sophie’s wounds and command it—which was enough to convince Lady Zillah (his Shade Mentor) that he should be training with shadowflux—and after some debate, Tam agreed to the lessons. Lady Zillah can’t actually command shadowflux, but she knew enough to guide Tam through special exercises at Foxfire—often at night. And the progress Tam made during those lessons proved vital in the showdown he and his friends had with the Neverseen at Everglen. Not only was Tam able to break through the Neverseen’s force fields and leave them defenseless against the newborn trolls, but one of Tam’s attacks also seemed to damage the ability of the Neverseen’s Psionipath, forcing them to flee. Unfortunately, that display of power also showed Lady Gisela that Tam could command shadowflux—and since the Neverseen’s Shade was killed in that battle, Lady Gisela set her sights on Tam.
HOSTAGE:
Lady Gisela lured Tam, Sophie, and Keefe to the hive where the alicorn babies were finishing the final stages of their development and threatened to harm the babies—and Tam’s sister—if Tam didn’t agree to leave with her and serve the Neverseen. Sophie and Keefe begged Tam not to agree, but Tam apparently didn’t see any alternative. He left with Lady Gisela and found himself bound to obey her commands by strange bonds made of light, which had been sealed around his wrists by the Neverseen’s Flasher (who calls herself Glimmer). And he soon discovered that Lady Gisela went to all that effort because she needed him to play a key role in what she was planning for her son’s legacy. Tam tried to warn Keefe away, but Keefe still showed up in Loamnore exactly the way his mother had arranged, and Tam was forced to dissolve the dwarven King’s magsidian throne and send the shadowflux into Keefe’s system. It seems Lady Gisela was hoping the sixth element would trigger some sort of transformation in her son, but it’s too early to tell if that’s what will happen. As of this writing, Keefe remains unconscious from the incident. And Lady Gisela escaped without explaining further.
FINAL NOTE:
The investigation into the events in Loamnore is still ongoing, but for now, it appears the Council won’t be holding a Tribunal for Tam or issuing any punishment. Whether that will change once they learn more about what Tam did during his time with the Neverseen—or what may happen to Keefe—remains unclear.
REGISTRY FILE FOR Linh Hai Song
KNOWN ABILITIES: Hydrokinetic
RESIDENCE: Unclear. Possibly Solreef. Family home is Choralmere.
IMMEDIATE FAMILY: Quan Song (father), Mai Song (mother), Tam Song (twin brother)
MATCH STATUS: Unregistered
EDUCATION: Current Foxfire prodigy
NEXUS: No longer required
PATHFINDER: Not assigned. Restricted to Leapmasters and home crystals.
SPYBALL APPROVAL: None
MEMBER OF THE NOBILITY: No
TITLE: None
NOBLE ASSIGNMENT: None
SIGNIFICANT CONNECTIONS: Fealty-sworn member of the Black Swan; former Exillium Wayward
ASSIGNED BODYGUARD(S): Urre (dwarf) and Timur (dwarf)
THE GIRL OF MANY FLOODS:
Elemental abilities are known for being overwhelming—and for Linh, the combination of manifesting so young, becoming a Hydrokinetic, and living in a house near the ocean proved to be an impossible combination. The water constantly called to her, and its draw became so strong that Linh was unable to resist, often with destructive consequences. Her first few floods were smaller, like [LOCATION REDACTED FOR PRIVACY] and [LOCATION REDACTED FOR PRIVACY]. But the problem escalated in [LOCATION REDACTED FOR SECURITY]. Then her parents made the unfortunate mistake of bringing her to Atlantis. Linh’s flood nearly destroyed the underwater city, and the Councillors felt they had to intervene. After a rushed Tribunal, a unanimous Council voted to banish Linh in order to “preserve the safety of the Lost Cities.” And despite Linh’s young age, Linh’s parents (Quan and Mai Song) chose not to fight the decision—much to the fury of Linh’s twin brother (Tam), who was convinced the Council would’ve given a different ruling if his parents had sworn to make changes (like moving Linh somewhere with less water exposure and hiring her a full-time ability tutor) to keep Linh’s hydrokinesis under better control.
A BOND UNLIKE ANY OTHER:
Linh was banished alone, and given her age and skill set at the time, it seems unlikely that she would’ve been able to survive for long. Fortunately for Linh, her twin brother (Tam) chose to go with her—despite her adamant protests that he shouldn’t give up his