When Paladin Charity and his six friends arrived at the Free Orc Cities, they were actually free now. The Shamans of the five cities could hold virtual spiritual councils together to communicate and agree on matters, and so they had. The Free Orc Cities decided to represent the five Orc clans, the City closest to The Theocratic Protectorate was deemed the Life Orc City. They focused on horse breeding and training and new Orc Paladin training, which the Paladins, primarily Paladrin Purity, consulted on and various improvements to the training regimen were suggested. However, the Paladins were surprised to be asked and amazed this was possible; the Second City, Fire Orc City, although this was a population of most mixed population, as there was not a majority of Fire Orcs in the City. Still, Fire Orcs from elsewhere moved here; they focused on farming, markets, and trade. The Third City was the Fey Orc City, which focused on a temple and priest training. The Fourth, the Sea Orc City, prioritised building a Longship to trade with the Kingdom of Fecundity and with the hope of shipbuilding two further if they had resources in the new year and they wanted to focus on trade or conquest abroad and the fifth, the Great Orc City, trained warriors and martial prowess.

The Free Orc Cities offered a trade and mutual defence agreement with the Protectorate, Charity was shocked and surprised at the change Theria had wrought, and so Charity and Diligence Paladins raced to the High Marshal to alert him with the other five given field promotions to diplomats as follows Paladin Purity was assigned to the Life Orc City and helped them develop their Orc Paladin training, which he confirmed they had the call for, the first trainee cohort would be ready in the new year, but very green; Paladin Kindness was assigned to the Fire Orc City; Paladin Patience was assigned to the Fey Orc City; Paladin Temperance was assigned to the Sea Orc City and with Paladin Humility being assigned to the Great Orc City. This was a seismic change politically as the Theocratic Protectorate and the Free Orc Cities had been in a state of hot and cold war for as long as they could remember, which had weakened both, and now the Orcs were more vigorous, more focused and more growth-orientated. With better diplomatic relations, both the Protectorate and the Free Orc Cities would thrive and, with another border safe, allowed both to deal with other things.

Who or what was Iladzimir, the impartial illusionist? Thought Theria, and what was the illusion? And what was the reality? And how impartial are they? Theria wondered if the other two Wizards seemed to be somewhat distasteful but known quantities, and Theria might, by confronting the other two be about to give this illusionist room to grow without being checked. Theria wanted to make sure her intervention was correctly targeted, so jumping over or weaving around groups of chaos spawn and strange abominations and skeletons and zombies and slower-moving dark wraithlike forms that lay on her route, all got a few force of nature storm surge green lightning strikes in passing, the DireBear thundered at speed across the Disputed Vale and led Theria to Iladzimir's domain, but Theria made sure that her own Domain proceeded as Theria incursion into the illusionist territory towards his high round Wizard's Tower in the late afternoon. Theria arrived from across the Disputed Vale to the Eastern Wizard Tower and found the spectral image of Iladzimir awaiting his arrival. An impressive sparkling blue haze that looks like a tall human in robes who looks jolly, benevolent and likeable.

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Theria asked, "What is your agenda?" Iladzimir gave a relaxed, friendly smile and replied, "I am a neutral party; my interests are pure research, although long ago I vowed to help train magic users in case another Dark Lord arises, and I will keep my word, though I seek no such fight myself". Theria then asked, "What should be done about the Chaosmage?" Iladzimir looked vulnerable and thoughtful and conflicted and replied, "Do what you will; I will stay neutral; perhaps you can reason with them?".Theria tried again to get a position from the wizard, "What should be done about the Necromancer?" Iladzimir frowned, then sighed and replied, "Do what you will; I will remain neutral; perhaps they may be reasoned with?".So Theria asked a tangent question, "Will you teach me magic use?" Iladzimir looked downwards, shaking his head and sadly replied, "Alas, I have an apprentice already but thank you for offering".

Theria found Iladzimir very convincing of what she could see and feel, but throughout it all, she was surrounded by her domain, including her ring, and it did not once stop being red in his presence; she did not doubt he was hiding his agenda, and he wanted her to focus on either the Chaosmage or the Necromancer or indeed both and that whatever his agenda he was a hidden enemy. She didn't want to aid an enemy. She wondered to herself about how best to handle this.

Then Theria turned as if to depart, but instead, she sprung at speed upon the apparent illusion setting off a force of nature storm surge and green lightning fired around her and at the illusionist. She transformed into her WereDireBear form and found herself pressing down on a seemingly real flesh-and-blood figure of the illusionist. Still, the visage and the image of the illusionist shifted with each lightning strike, and the illusionist railed against her, and the being did bellow, but she did not let go wrestling to hold on. After a few minutes, the illusion dissipated, unveiling the enemy's illusion for what it was and revealing its true form. When this was finally achieved, Theria was face to face, fighting a demonic eldritch Nameless Terror!