Tome of the Pyromancer: Darkflame’s Grace Part 2

05 Aug, 2026

Let’s start Aquilia’s journey in Quelann. After acquiring the Dark Taper from her dead master, the young dreg sets off to the Embered Catacombs after the Darkflame Spine, a relic related to the Somber Darkflame.

The site is somewhere in Lithuria, our current domain.

Day 1

The immense ribs of a long-gone creature arched toward the sky like the ruins of a forgotten cathedral. Aquilia admired the remains. Even in death, they inspired awe.

A pale shadow hovered between the colossal bones. It was a Darkflame wisp, pain and loss from the Time of Woe given for. Its wavering form seemed to search for something.

Aquilia approached the creature born from sorrow and extended a hand. The wisp drifted closer, watching her. She felt its emotions, its doubts.

Words alone could not explain the Somber Darkflame. Monza had taught her that some truths could only be witnessed.

Aquilia drew her longsword and whispered the familiar incantation, the only one she knew. Black fire flowed along the blade, beautiful and cold.

The wisp circled the blade without fear, pulsing to show its fascination. Through the dancing flames, Aquilia felt echoes of its feelings. Confusion, grief, restlessness. Beneath them, a yearning for peace.

She lowered the sword and showed the wisp it didn’t have to wander alone. The cataclysm bred distrust and animosity in the new world, but it didn’t always have to be like that. Even in destruction, there was creation.

Aquilia knew that change first came from inside before it was demanded from others.

And she would demand it. But first, herself.

The Darkflame wisp approached, flickering with quiet contentment, and settled beside her shoulder. Its previous restless flame now burned steady.

Aquilia smiled. More than preserve and pass on the teachings of the Darkflame, she would live by them.

Together, the fledgling pyromancer and the wandering spirit continued into the ashen ruins of Lithuria.

Night settled over Lithuria. Aquilia found shelter beneath the ribcage of the great sea beast. She rested her longsword within reach and closed her eyes, until she heard footsteps.

Across the fire stood a cloaked traveler, his robes stained with ash. “A bonfire,” he said with an aged voice. “A beacon for weary souls. Am I welcome?”

Aquilia thought for a moment, then gestured for the man to sit and share the fire. She introduced herself and offered him a ration.

“Well met, Aquilia. I’m Balthazar.” He sat down and waved the food away. “Oh, no, none for me. The bonfire is quite enough. I appreciate the generosity.”

As he leaned toward the fire, his hood slipped just enough to reveal the glimpse of a milky white eye, empty of iris. Then he moved, and the shadows covered his face again.

Flames crackled, and the two talked. Balthazar hinted at being a practitioner of the dark arts as well, but didn’t go into it. “I was once a soldier in one of Quelann’s forgotten wars. Now, I’m not so sure. Soldiers forge their identities in war, and when it’s over, it’s easy to get lost. These days, I suppose I’m simply a traveler. There’s a cult within the Ash Sea that I’m intent on investigating.”

Aquilia listened in silence, but made a mental note of the cult. It could be related to the Darkflame.

The necromancer chuckled. “Your quiet demeanor reminds me of the old pyromancers of Thennborg, where Pyromancy itself was first kindled. They say it was the powerful women of the swamp who discovered the Eternal Flame. They were the sort people feared, quiet and wise. Pyromancers, indeed, but they were also called witches.”

The Darkflame wisp hovered uneasily, circling between them.

“Yes, you are made of the same cloth, aren’t you? It is not an insult, young one, but a compliment.” He scratched the shadows of his chin. “Silent Witch Aquilia.”

Aquilia’s wide hazel eyes betrayed a hint of delight.

The old necromancer burst into a deep laugh. The Darkflame wisp flared, darting around his head before retreating to Aquilia’s shoulder.

“Relax, little spirit. I’m simply enchanted by your master’s earnestness.” He tilted his head. “Oh, not a master, a companion? Well, forgive me.” He turned to Aquilia. “You are very endearing, young one. Your kindness is unusual in our age. I hope you don’t lose it. Guard it well.” The mysterious man stood up. “Until we meet again, Silent Witch Aquilia.”

Balthazar disappeared into the gloom, and his footsteps slowly faded away.

Aquilia slept with a grin on her face, thinking of her new title. She dreamed of Monza.

Her master smiled.

Day 2

Daytime

Aquilia reached an archway carved from aged cherrywood with expert craftsmanship. Countless ebony arrows protruded from its surface, so deep they remained even after ages.

Beyond the archway drifted a curious creature. It resembled a translucent fish, except it hung suspended in the air, its fins waving to carry it around. Dozens of tiny eyes opened and closed across its transparent body.

It wandered in slow circles, aimlessly. Aquilia watched for a while before stepping beneath the arch and stopping before the strange fish. It turned several of its eyes to her, but she sensed no fear or aggression from the creature, just exhaustion.

Aquilia questioned it, using her connection to the Eternal Flame to make herself understood. The bubblefish answered with fragments. It had been cursed with this immortal form. Now, it sought the Thousand-Eye Elder God, believing the ancient cult could free it. Meanwhile, it drifted.

Aquilia rested a hand upon the Dark Taper and placed it over her heart, then gestured to the road ahead of them. A simple gesture of invitation. The Darkflame wisp imitated her.

The bubblefish’s eyes stared for a moment, weighing its options. A lifetime of wandering alone, or maybe some company, and help. She had been the first to offer it anything. Its multitude of eyes watered, then they all closed, except one. The bubblefish glided forward.

Another lost soul had chosen to share the path with her.

Nighttime

Aquilia kindled a small bonfire with her companions. The Darkflame wisp hovered lazily above the flames, while the Bubblefish drifted in slow circles, its countless eyes reflecting the firelight.

A sudden rustle broke the silence as a skinny hound burst from the darkness.

One ear was torn, and a myriad of old wounds marked its body pocked with the ravages of age and decay.

The undead beast rushed toward Aquilia, then halted, dropped onto its side, and rolled over to show its belly.

Aquilia blinked at it. She knelt by the hound to pat the exposed belly and scratch the scarred head. It whimpered and its tail thumped enthusiastically against the ground. Poor thing, denied the beauty of death. Good boy.

She smiled, but duty called. Aquilia told the hound of her burden, and the beast leaped up and bounded ahead before stopping to look back. He barked, then raised a paw, waiting for her.

Aquilia followed. By dawn, she could see the distant silhouette of the Embered Catacombs.

She offered the hound a piece of dried meat in thanks. He sniffed the ration but turned it away. The hound flopped onto its back once more, stating what it really wanted.

Aquilia laughed as she rubbed its scarred belly. The hound closed its eyes in bliss.

When she rose to leave, it rose with her, tilting his head.

Aquilia nodded to him. She tapped her thigh and walked away. The undead dog quickly caught up, matching her stride.

She looked down at him. Shadow. He barked, delighted.

For reasons neither of them understood, he followed her closely, without any intention of leaving.

End of session

I’m calling it here. +1 XP to Aquilia, which brings her to Level 1. I think she’s a little squishy, so I’m increasing Vigour by d6. Hoping for a good roll:

d6: 6!

Perfect! Now, should NPCs also level up? I believe that’s up to the player. I think it should be fun, so I’m doing it. However, at this time, only the wisp gained XP, so it’s now Level 1 as well. I’m also increasing its Vigour, as it desperately needs some.

d6: 5

Awesome! I was saving my Eternal Flames reroll, but it wasn’t needed.

And that’s it for today.

Notes

Fun fact: I had rolled for the hound’s name on the Absolutely Awesome tables and got Ash. So much on theme that it could even be confusing, so I changed it to Shadow.

I thought it was really cool how only creatures decided to follow Aquilia, and the human we met went ‘nah, pass.’

Rolling night encounters every time is quite unlucky, but it made for great moments. I love how characters and stories develop and evolve through play. Getting to know Aquilia and the kind of tale she’s in as I go is very fun.

Also, this game completely changed my mind on spark tables. I used to think that a book that didn’t have oracles with 100 words shouldn’t even bother, as it would be better to just use Mythic’s various tables.

However, the sparks here are so focused that every roll brings something pertinent to the story and are easy to interpret. Getting Interpret + Darkflame during the wisp interaction made it very clear for me what the scene was about. Kerova obviously refined the words for that very reason, I assume.

I still love Mythic’s tables, of course. They give us a wide range of possibilities, but I think focused oracles make it easier to create something coherent.

I overdid it with the writing a bit here. Those were only 2 hexes, and it ran long, but it was just so much fun. I’ll try to cut down a little to make it snappier.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and until next time.

Tome of the Pyromancer is available on Itch.

#actual play #dark fantasy #rpg #soulslike #tome of the pyromancer