As soon as Duke Melfir's forces penetrated the walls of Seldermoor, Duchess Veris began to move. As the Duchess suspected, one Melfir had his hand in the cookie jar he couldn't let go, and his rear guard was fully routed before he realized the gravity of his error. Caught between the embattled Elina Parnth holding fast and the implacable Veris advancing relentlessly, the Thalian duke was forced to depend on his draconic forces, fleet resources and manifests to evacuate the still significant remainder of his forces. Fully humiliated, Melfir withdraws to Dimmersdel to await for Veris' inevitable arrival.
Duchess Parnth's manifests took full advantage of her adversary's conflict to reinforce Seldermoor's walls, plugging the gaps. Now fully engaged, Veris and Parnth are locked a fierce magical battle, with manifests lighting up the night on both sides of the battlefield. Duchess Parnth, refusing to yield in the face of superior forces serves to delay Duchess Veris at a time when Sanria must act decisively against Melfir. As the days drag on, Veris becomes increasingly angry as Melfir regroups…