The Story So Far
6 people from Earth (henceforth called the Pantheon) (apparently all the same one) were drawn through a strange passage and invested with divine gifts in a concrete form.
They emerged into a temple (note, possibly called Unamaj) that is being looted, and liberate a trapped grigori Daeva, Zyph, who had been forcibly taking from his realm by a a warlock who wielded a Blacksword that Zyph says is a Sacred Beast; the warlock used the sword to bind Zyph in helping to pursue the Asuras/Daevas who had restarted the myth cycle and were responsible for the ascension of the Pantheon.
(Not, a dead body of one of those Asuras was also in the temple, and it was probably the being who shifted Conrad to the previous fantasy realm he was the champion of)
After the Pantheon drove off the warlock (who retreated by phasing into the floor) and his minions, Zyph divulges information on the world. The world was contested by the Asura-Daeva Union and the Holy Host, as represented by an army of opportunistic warlocks and the nominal support of the Crimson Maiden, Avatar of That Which Consumes (a cradle of creation); the Crimson’s Maiden’s Sacred Beast was the Scarlet Unicorn. The Asuras and Daevas “retired” the previous gods, and also decided the Avatars shouldn’t be running things either. Now, it was a world at war, with devastated and besieged cities.
Then, forces working for the Scarlet Unicorn, as shown by the mark of a black hoofprint, moved to occupy the temple. Alexandra Glory, who had powers over fertility, performed a miracle on a few bushes, that led to massive growth of vegetation all over the mountain, producing fruits and grains, and allowing the Pantheon to climb down the mountain without notice.
As they go, they see spread-out military encampments, some flying red banners (and seeming to be fighting amongst themselves), and others bearing design motifs involve strange animals and weapons within wheels. Conrad finds some of the monstrous creatures in the designs oddly familiar.
As they reach the bottom of the mountain, they encountered a group of underfed people who had been geased into the service of the Scarlet Unicorn, and were able to get directions to a city under siege, Llygwi; after travelling for the rest of the day, they encounter the military encampment around the city, and Conrad goes scouting to find a place to rest up for the night.
Having found a ruined and deserted village, Jerry conjures up horses for the entire Pantheon, they ride there, and Conrad casts a spell to cleanse the place. The place is suspiciously deserted, and there are intact cellars with bare earth floors that are even more suspicous. Vampires?
Pantheon sets up camp and, as night falls, there’s a low sound like talking in a distant room that starts up. The cadence suggests communication but nothing distinct can be plucked from it.
