House of Potimus: Book 6 of The Redemption

In an attempt to minimize the influence of the red kailum on the people, the gwenakso, led by her commanders Delgart and Marilee, with the aid of their fellow chosen, infiltrate the red kailu fortress of Luflina, killing the red kailu masters and using their fall to convince the Red Guards to surrender and switch their allegiance. As the red kailu Magsamel lay dying, he hints at the fact that this fortress is not the home of their order, that the red kailu order is everywhere. In the process of taking the fortress, Klaybear is lost, taken by agents of Xythrax and imprisoned by the false Fereghen, Lord Krell, in the dungeons beneath the seklesi citadel at Holvar. Thalamar, Telvor, Rokwolf, and Blakstar, follow a red kailu initiate deep into the Wolpoti Swamp, hoping to find both the home of the red kailu order and the place where Klaybear is imprisoned. They reach and enter a hill called Nekrokolu, where Blakstar is tricked into entering a small recess inside Nekrokolu to rescue what he believes is a damsel in distress; instead, he triggers a trap that transports him to the citadel of Karble, captured by his son Whitesun. The three remaining chosen face and defeat the fabled black aperu, guarding the entrance to Xythrax’ lair, where the battle against the black aperu results in the accidental destruction of all Xythrax’s purgle minions, their spirits hidden in objects stored within the black aperu’s cave. In the fight with Xythrax, Rokwolf saves Thal’s life, Gwoneru explodes, and a shard destroys the object within which Xythrax has placed his spirit, destroying him. The destruction of the sword kills Rokwolf.

Meanwhile, Klare returns to the Healer’s Cottage to help a supplicant, and is captured by the black maghi, Melufa, who takes her to the hilltop just outside of Shigmar, where she kills both Klare and her unborn child, taking the Healer’s Staff and fleeing back to Eklor. The deaths of both twin-brother and wife hurls Klaybear into madness, allowing him to break free of his prison and destroying the seklesi fortress in Holvar. Before Klaybear escapes, Delgart, newly crowned Fereghen, goes with Marilee, Thal, and Tevvy to the throne hall of Holvar, revealing Lord Krell and his consort to be Gar and Rupansa. As the citadel begins to fall, Delgart sends the others to the hill north of Shigmar, where Elanor weeps over Klare’s dead body. Delgart goes to an isolated farmstead and retrieves Blakstar’s childhood friend, the real Marta, and takes her to testify to the kortexem that their Wesento, Sir Whitesun, has lied to them. Blakstar fights Whitesun, a battle of titanic proportions, finally defeating and killing the false Wesento; the kortexem go mad, killing each other, the fight and madness spreading throughout Karble, until only the false Marta, Demansa, remains alive.

Rokwolf and Sutugno are dead, leaving behind a newborn daughter; Klare is dead; Holvar and the seklesi order destroyed; Karble and the kortexi order destroyed; the chosen mourning over the loss of Klare and Rokwolf, sit disconsolate on the only living ground anywhere near Shigmar, the hilltop on which Klaybear enacted breath-givers most terrible power. Thus, House of Potimus begins. . . .