The guests/captives are taken to the underground welven city of Nippur. Governess Inanna, having heard about the power of the guns that the Earthlings brought with them, decides she must obtain the secrets to the weapons.

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During this time, Abu is rescued from death by a young slave girl, Masako, and later he helps her escape the welven city and slavery. It turns out that Masako is a double princess, the kidnapped granddaughter of the Shogun of Yuhi and the King of Alexandria. While in Nippur, Duffadar Nahal begins an affair with Ki, the half-welven twin of  Lil. Lil, for her part, repeatedly tries to seduce Ben, raising Louisa's ire and forcing her to stake her claim to Ben.

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Believing that the Earthlings cannot make more ammunition and are thus useless, Inanna decides to use the Earthlings as bait to help wipe out some of her political opponents. She sends her twin daughters, Lil and Ki, along with their companion, the samurai Viking dwarf, Thoresten, with Ben and Louisa’s group to the Tomb of Mortals.

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After surviving an ambush, the combined group reaches the Tomb of Mortals and begins to explore. They discovered that the facility was a school for Ancients and retrieved several devices. One that can teach them the Ancients’ language, and the other a device that they can query using mental images and the Ancients’ tongue. This device gives them visual answers, leading them to understand that a power source might be buried underneath Tefnut Falls, part of Kerma City.

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Attacked by Remulans on their way out of the Tomb of Mortals, the group is forced to flee in the opposite direction and seek refuge in the stirithy tree city of Grrommerrk, which is protected by the welves. Ben bargains with the city leaders, exchanging guns for help to reach Kerma City.

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During their stay, Abu meets the welf Ningal, the daughter of the welven ambassador to Grrommerrk from the welven nation of Kutha, and the elf Zanna, the daughter of the sub-ambassador to Grrommerrk from the elven nation of Ur. Abu is attracted to both girls but ultimately falls for Zanna. The Remulans tried to kidnap Abu and almost killed Zanna. The young couple understands their love cannot be since immortal/mortal love is doomed.

 

Louisa takes Masako under her wing and teaches her some of her skills, including climbing, and the young girl becomes more and more part of the unlikely but not quite yet family that includes Ben, Abu, and Louisa. Ben, with the help of Ssherrrss, starts manufacturing ammunition and guns.

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Ssekhrri Rrummblinss, a soldier in Grrommerrkss small army, leads them downriver toward Kerma City which is under siege by the Remulans. Ben, the twins, Esther, and the stirithy soldiers break the Remulan blockade of the river and make it to the city.

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Upon meeting the city leaders, they secure Queen Nabra's help, but they must help her create guns and train a regiment of riflemen to help her defend the city from the Remulans who are at the gate. In exchange, Prince Tambal leads the Earthlings to Tefnut Falls. They met Masako’s great uncle, the ambassador to Kerma from Alexandria, during the meeting.

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Louisa is the only one able to get into the facility and discovers how to recharge the Seba, but she does not tell anyone else because she does not want to go home.  She also finds two tools of the Ancients. The energy tool is used for cutting star steel, and the other tool is made out of star steel, which can morph into different shapes.

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General Kinya, the half-brother of Prince Tambal and leader of the Kerman forces, betrays the Queen. He tries to sneak Remulans into the palace complex through a hidden tunnel. Louisa slows down the coup attempt using the morphing tool and is injured. Ben the Lancers stop the attack, but General Kinya escapes and joins the Remulans.

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Masako goes to live with her great uncle who plans on sneaking her out of the city and back to the capital of Alexandria as part of the ambassador of Yuhi’s group. The ambassador from Yuhi intends to double-cross the Alexandrians and take Masako to the Shogun. Instead, the Remulans intercept the caravan and make Masako a prisoner of the emperor.

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Ben and the lancers, with the help of the stirithy make more guns and ammunition while also training the 1st Kerman Rifles regiment. They make plans to defend the city from the Remulans. Shortly before the attack, Ki dumps Jeevan, and he spirals but is unexpectedly comforted by Thoresten, another one of Ki’s rejected lovers.

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The Remulans attack the city, and Ben is about to die, but Louisa enters the battlefield and saves him using the cutting tool to kill the Star Knight, an almost invulnerable dwarf covered in star steel plate armor. Concussed, Ben admits his love to Louisa, and she says it in her mind but not out loud. They kiss, and then General Kinya comes under a flag of truce and announces that the Lamentations have begun.