Interlude 1: Indecisions of State

ince returning to Perdition things had not gone as smoothly as Pyreforge might have hoped. The Thanes were deeply divided on how to best deal with the rising power of the Unlife. Some, led by Malebrand (Thane of Perdition and High Lord Marshall of the Blood March), wanted to side with the Unlife to conquer the other Planes. Others, without a strong leader to rally them, wanted to oppose the Unlife. The rest of the Thanes were undecided, but the sheer personal power of Malebrand was beginning to turn the tide.
 
Pyreforge knew that to embrace the Unlife would spell the eventual doom of Perdition. The Unlife would not be content to conquer other planes, eventually they would turn on their supposed allies and consume them. But Pyreforge had been away too long, ignominiously trapped by Vrama-Ver on one of the Inner Planes. His influence amongst the Thanes was far less than once it had been. On his side Pyreforge could count Bile (Thane of Perdition and Prince Regent of Lemures), and Froth (Thane of Perdition and Magistrate of the Second Circle of Fire). Malebrand had convinced at least four of the Thanes to support him, though only the loyalty of Dominatrieze (Thane of Perdition and Sherriff of the Putrid Grove) was unquestionable. Four more Thanes remained undecided, preventing a majority to either faction. Charnebolgia, the High Lord Thane, had not revealed his opinion on the matter of the Unlife.
 
After weeks of maneuvering, the twelve Thanes agreed to meet to decide the issue. The prevailing faction would present their case to the High Lord Thane Charnebolgia.
 

Pyreforge:	I took the liberty of arranging a toast. I brought it with me from the Inner Planes. It is the finest ammonia I have ever tasted. A human government called the Coalition can refine it to exceptional purity. (sub-demons pour from a carafe into glasses. Each Thane takes one at random).
other Thanes:	(waiting for Pyreforge to drink first)
Pyreforge:	To Perdition! (downs the glass) BURRP!
other Thanes:	(follow suit)
Bile:	Quite good. Quite good.
Later that evening...
Dominatrieze:	The Power of the Unlife is vast! They are unbeatable!
Pyreforge:	Nothing is unbeatable. We must-
Malebrand:	ENOUGH! You, who spent 500 years enslaved by a mere human, can make no claims of the strength of anything.
Pyreforge:	The daughter of Kadaena is hardly a mere human.
Malebrand:	SILENCE! I will not allow your cowardice to deny Perdition its true destiny! I offer you a choice. You will agree to an alliance with the Unlife, or be destroyed here and now.
Pyreforge:	Hardly a choice. The Unlife will destroy us all unless we stop them.
Malebrand:	Bad choice. (stands to his full 15 foot height, spreading his huge wings)
Pyreforge:	(stands to his full 4 foot height, spreading his tiny wings)
Malebrand:	I'll rend you limb from limb and feast on your liver!
Pyreforge:	I think not. (draws a small pistol from behind his back, firing shots in quick succession into each of Malebrand's three stomachs)
Malebrand:	Bah! That tickles. You've been away too long, puny one, if you thought silver weapons would do me any real harm. (advances on Pyreforge, long blades extending from his arms)
Pyreforge:	Not silver. Silver nitrate.
Malebrand:	BURRP! (stops and wraps his arms around two of his stomachs, seemingly in pain)
Pyreforge:	It reacts with ammonia to form azide, which is ...
Malebrand:	(BBBOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!! Explosions messily perforate Malebrand's body from the inside out.)
Pyreforge:	... highly unstable.
Malebrand:	(chunks of the Thane formerly known as Malebrand fly in all directions, coating the other Thanes in gore)
other Thanes:	(shocked, having just witnessed one of the most powerful amongst them be easily defeated)
Pyreforge:	Nothing is unbeatable. Not Malebrand. Not the Unlife.
other Thanes:	(looking nervously from the empty glasses on the table to the pistol in Pyreforge's hand)
Much later, in the lair of Pyreforge. The Thanes had decided to stand against the Unlife.
Froth:	Amazing how quickly Thanes can change their mind. All of Malebrand's faction save Dominatrieze suddenly had a change of heart.
Bile:	Quite so. Quite so.
Froth:	Malebrand will be out of it for a long, long time. He'll be unconscious for at least two years, and it may be centuries before his strength returns.
Pyreforge:	Yes, I know.
Froth:	Excellent strategy back there. How did you develop the explosive magics?
Pyreforge:	It wasn't magic. I learned of it during my time in the Inner Planes. From a goblin, of all creatures.
Bile:	An uncommonly useful trick. Uncommonly useful.
Pyreforge:	He is an uncommonly useful goblin.
Froth:	You'll have to deal with Dominatrieze some day, you know. The same trick won't work on him, I'm sure he's developed a new rune of protection by now. I know I have.
Bile:	One problem at a time, Froth. One problem at a time.

 
The legions of Perdition began to organize and train with the extensive arsenal of Coalition weaponry Pyreforge had procured. The Thanes, at first reluctant, began to anticipate the glorious war to come.
 
Ammonia rapidly fell out of favor as a delicacy in Perdition.