Lord of Stormweather, by Dave Gross, is the seventh and final book of the Sembia: Gateway to the Realms series.
Summary[]
Thamalon Uskeveren II wakes up in a prison cell, remembering a night of heavy drinking with his retainers Escevar and Vox that ended with an attack. Unaware of Tamlin’s abduction, Thamalon Uskeveren meets with Talbot, who returns gold lent for the resurrection of Chaney Foxmantle, as the resurrection was a failure. They have a conversation, in which Thamalon realizes Talbot has become a werewolf. Thamalon also asks about Feena, Talbot’s lover, but Talbot explains that she left the city to take her mother’s place defending their village. After Talbot leaves, Thamalon looks into a painting by Pietro Malveen, a gift from Tamlin, that magically transports him elsewhere.
On the streets of Selgaunt, Radu Malveen is operating as an assassin. After his confrontation with Talbot, he was left injured and magically changed, so that the souls of those he kills end up bound to him, including Chaney Foxmantle’s soul. He was also severely weakened by the encounter, forced to kill often in order to gain strength. He is approached by a drow named Drakkar, who seeks to hire him for an irreversible killing.
In Stormweather Towers, both Thamalon and Shamur have gone missing. Erevis Cale investigates, only to get drawn into the painting as well. Tamlin is visited in captivity by a mage who tells him his parents are dead. After being drawn into the painting, Thamalon finds himself in an unfamiliar landscape, and helps a caravan of dwarves defend themselves from attack. The dwarves tell him they are on the way to Castle Stormweather.
Radu trails Drakkar and spies on a meeting between him and Andeth Ilchammar, the Hulorn. The two discuss the placement of the painting and Tamlin’s abduction, both parts of a plan. Meanwhile, Erevis Cale arrives in the same unfamiliar landscape as Thamalon. He meets up with Shamur and a group of elves.
Back in Selgaunt, Thazienne Uskeveren, Larajin Uskeveren, Talbot, Vox, and Escevar rescue Tamlin. During the rescue, Tamlin briefly seems to display some magical ability. Tazi catches him up on recent developments, telling him that Larajin is their half-sister, Talbot is a werewolf, and their parents have gone missing. Tamlin has been experiencing dreams, dreams of flying and power, but also of a version of himself showing intense cruelty.
Thamalon arrives at Castle Stormweather, a place ruled by the mysterious Sorcerer and his Vermilion Guard. He discovers that the Sorcerer is identical to Tamlin. Back in Selgaunt, Radu Malveen witnesses a meeting of his brothers, Pietro and Laskar. He reveals himself to Pietro and orders him to stop painting, fearing that he is being used. Pietro protests that his paintings come from visions sent by Stannis Malveen, but Radu tells him that Stannis is dead. Tamlin officially takes his place as head of the household. Thamalon encounters a forbidden section of Stormweather Castle, the Ineffable Vault. He also finds Malaika, an elven prisoner of the Sorcerer, who tells him the vault is the only way to return home.
Radu kills a noble, Stella Toemalar, for Drakkar. Drakkar arrives and takes some letters from her, claiming they implicate nine noble families of treason. In Stormweather Towers, Tamlin is trying to solve the mystery of his parents’ disappearance, attempting to decode some secret letters he discovered and employing Magdon, a mage. Magdon discovers the three teleportations, but also detects another translocation from deep under the house, where the foundations of the original Stormweather Towers are buried. When Tamlin’s letter goes missing, and Magdon confesses that Escevar told her to fake a magical test to convince Tamlin he has no magical ability, Tamlin realizes Escevar is the traitor responsible for the placement of the painting.
While excavating the foundations of the house, Tamlin discovers a magic gateway, and is able to speak with Thamalon. Thamalon reveals that he and a group of nobles had been planning to replace the Hulorn. However, the Sorcerer interrupts the conversation. Elsewhere, Shamur and Erevis depart from the elves, Cale having secretly promised them he would assassinate the Sorcerer.
The Hulorn sends Radu and Escavar to kill Tamlin. Radu assaults Stormweather Towers, killing many of the guards. He kills Escavar when a guard tries to use the man as a shield and confronts Tamlin, driving him into the excavated magic gateway and delivering a fatal wound. Erevis and Shamur rescue Thamalon and wound the Sorcerer, but he leaves when he senses Tamlin's arrival. Tamlin appears with Chaney in a place between planes, and watches the spirits of Radu’s other victims pass on. The Sorcerer arrives and confronts him. Tamlin realizes the Sorcerer is his grandfather Aldimar, sealed inside the magical Vault of Stormweather Towers upon his death. Aldimar latched onto Tamlin's dreams after he spent a night sleeping near the altar and used them to construct a corrupted dream world with himself as tyrant.
Tamlin kills Aldimar, but realizes the only way to return to the Prime Material Plane is to reclaim his body from the dream world, since his other body is dead. He rescues his parents and Erevis, but Thamalon has been badly wounded. Guided by Malaika, who turns out to be the spirit of Stormweather, they arrive in the nexus between planes, but Thamalon is too badly wounded to return. Shamur stays with him when Tamlin, Chaney, and Erevis return to Stormweather Towers and confront Radu. Tamlin, his sorcery having fully awakened in his confrontation with Aldimar, captures Radu.
The Uskeverens confront Andeth and Drakkar in front of the Old Chauncel and expose their crimes. In the ensuing battle, Larajin helps Erevis kill Drakkar and Radu, having made a deal with Tamlin so that Pietro and Laskar will be fostered by the Uskeverens, kills Andeth.
However, Thamalon is too badly injured to return to the Prime Material Plane. He bids goodbye to his family and passes on. After his death, Tazi vanishes, Radu leaves Selgaunt to fulfill his deal, Shamur accepts Larajin into the family, and Tamlin takes his place as head of the family, while spending some time in the dream realm attempting to undo the evils of the Sorcerer.
Appendix[]
External Links[]
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Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Dave Gross (February 2003). Lord of Stormweather. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 1, p. 1. ISBN 0-7869-2932-4.