Night of the Black Knives

Seeking the origin of the world’s current plights, Rogier studies the Night of the Black Knives. The event which ended the peace and prosperity of Radagon’s reign occurred under a cold fog, a Bandai Namco Entertainment article claiming that it was actually the middle of winter. Rather amusing, since the mastermind behind this grand conspiracy to assassinate Godwyn is strongly associated with wintry chills. Indeed, when confronted, Ranni freely admits to orchestrating the plot. Even in the cinematic story trailer she narrates, the witch emphasizes her memory of what happened — she was personally involved, after all. This causes some fans confusion, since one of the Black Knife assassins, Alecto, is locked in the Ringleader’s Evergaol. However, the name is more accurately referring to a “Knife leader” (刃の長) rather than chief architect of the whole conspiracy, just as she is described in the text for her daughter Tiche’s ashes. Alecto was in charge of organizing the Black Knives, but Ranni brought them together for this assassination plot. These two parties were the core to the conspiracy.

The grotesque corpse that was in Stormveil’s underground?… That is a relic. Of the night of assassin knives called the Black Knives Conspiracy.

… It’s an old story. Oh, do I remember… It was a cold and foggy night.

The plan was to kill not just Godwyn but a whole slew of demigods. The wandering mausoleums encountered in the various Lands Between house the bodies of soulless demigods. A spirit seated in front of the Church of Pilgrimage, facing one such mausoleum, reaffirms that the occupant is a child of Marika, albeit reviled as her unsightly “spawn” specifically in light of the body’s soulless state. Godwyn is similarly described as ugly after becoming soulless in his wet nurse’s Japanese dialogue, drawing comparisons. How else could all these demigods have ended up soulless like Godwyn unless they died to the same cause: a Black Knife assassin’s blade, which harbors the fragment of the Rune of Death stolen from Maliketh? This lines up with the Bandai Namco Entertainment article claiming that the assassins coordinated a simultaneous strike across the Lands Between against many of her scattered kin. The Black Knives weren’t focused on just one target. Godwyn may have been the first, but he wasn’t the last slain as part of the conspiracy.

… The mausoleum wanders. Harboring a soulless demigod. Ohh, Eternal Queen Marika. Harboring your unsightly spawn.

Ugh, Ugggh…… Lord Godwyn. Isn’t it so unsightly? The young master should have died. As the first dead of the demigods. He should have been martyred to Destined Death. So why is he exposing unsightly behavior? A golden scion living in death, they say.

Dagger of the assassins who once killed Godwyn the Golden on the night of the Black Knives conspiracy.

Its strangely twisted blade harbors the power of the stolen Rune of Death via a rite.

We can infer where the assassinations took place from the location of each demigod resting in those walking tombs. The demigod entombed in the Weeping Peninsula may have been the lord of nearby Castle Morne or finishing his pilgrimage for Golden Order Fundamentalism. The three laid to rest in Liurnia are liable to have been attending the Academy of Raya Lucaria, potentially even investigating the Uld Palace Ruins. The one on the Mountaintops of the Giants outside Castle Sol was doubtless its lord, with another in the Consecrated Snowfield probably staying at Ordina; perhaps as an overseer. Down below, the demigod in the Deeproot Depths looks to have similarly visited the Eternal City under Leyndell. (Elden Ring: Nightreign suggests that one more had chosen to explore Noklateo) If the goal was to cull a large part of Marika’s clan, then the conspirators chose a bevy of far-ranging, and often isolated, targets.

At the same time, the assassins also targeted Godwyn, who was hardly an easy mark. Putting aside his personal guard, the demigod appears to have been assassinated in his home at Leyndell. Later under King Morgott, the Tree Sentinels were armed with special torches revealing the invisible form of the veiled assassins, expressly to prevent another Night of the Black Knives from reoccurring according to the weapon’s description. This insinuates that the assassins struck at the base of the Erdtree before, and Godwyn is the only known demigod unaccounted for. Considering that he is also buried in the Deeproot Depths underneath, there is no doubt that the man was living in the royal capital the night he was assassinated. This means that the assassins went to the trouble of infiltrating what is arguably the most highly secured city in the Lands Between. Maybe the assassins did select demigods who weren’t as well protected as targets, but it clearly wasn’t the sole criteria. At least when it came to Godwyn, there was some consideration for the individual beyond demigod status.

Torch given to those who protect the Golden Tree. A special prayer has been applied to that flame and discovers the form of veil-hidden assassins.

The Golden Tree and the Grace King have prepared. So that the night of the conspiracy never arrives again.

With that established, an obvious question is why this plot came to be. Disregarding the Carian princess’ motives for betraying her stepmother, where did Ranni find assassins willing to slay divinity? Rogier comments how the women are Eternal City descendants, with descriptions of the Black Knife set acknowledging a theory that they were Numen. This suggests that they at least possess a Nox background, and most likely, they originate from Sellia. The frontier town descends from an Eternal City and is known for raising assassins thanks to its specialization in invisibility sorcery. While Sellian sorcerers normally hunt their own kind, there is no better place to train the Black Knives in obscurity. Ranni could likewise recruit assassins for her plot easily given Caria and Raya Lucaria’s deep ties with the town; no one would raise an eyebrow at the witch’s visit. Both Alecto and her daughter Tiche also take their names from ancient Greek goddesses, which is consistent with the Greek names associated with the academy. Everything points to their origin in the town, which is itself revealing.

I told you before, about the Night of the Black Knives conspiracy… The perpetrators are said to be assassins who are descendants of the Eternal Capital. It goes that they were a group of solely women, shrouded in silver armor wrapped in form-hiding cloth. And the power of the Rune of Death dwelt in the women’s weapons, the Black Knives, via a rite.

Chest armor of the Black Knife assassins. Scale armor that doesn’t make a noise.

Power slightly remains in the body-hiding veil, so suppresses footsteps.

It is said that the assassins, who are the perpetrators of the night of the conspiracy, are all women, and according to one theory, were Numen close to Marika.

Sellia has always enjoyed its independence over Caelid, even as Liurnian politics began creeping into the culture. But with the rise of Marika, the town has become a pawn of imperialistic powers with the looming threat of violence if they ever step out of line. This is an insult to Sellian pride, doubly so when considering that Nox descendants were currently being ruled by a Numen who had embraced the Greater Will — nothing could be more humiliating to their forefathers. Everything about Sellia made it a breeding ground for hidden resentment. Marika understood this to some extent, hence the giant propaganda left towering for all to see there. But the peace and prosperity under Radagon left her empire complacent. Never could the Erdtree worshipers imagine that the tribe whose history was high treason would reembrace tradition. Alecto is one of the three Furies in Greek mythos, a goddess of vengeance. Without a doubt, she was the one Sellian who most sought retribution against the Eternal Queen for oppressing them. And then, she came across Ranni, offering a pathway to revenge.

Whatever the exact circumstances which led to their meeting, the moon princess made contact with the future Black Knife leader and together concocted a plot to undermine Marika. For her part, Alecto gathered likeminded women to train as assassins. True to their Nox heritage, the group armored themselves in silver and overlayed it with a lustrous dark veil enchanted to hide their bodies and silence their every movement — the best Sellian sorcery could offer. Even if the target somehow detected them, the incorporation of scale armor made them especially robust against hemorrhaging slashes and the freezing cold. So long as the assassins escaped, no one could even identify them. Even now that most veils lack the power to hide their complete forms, it has had a lasting effect, with cuts through the armor spraying black shadow instead of red blood. This must come from the veil’s power based on the story trailer, where it is depicted as a thick, opaque cloak billowing similar dark smoke at the ends. Black Knives leave no sign of who or what they are, the perfect infiltrators.

Talisman integrating a lustrous dark cloth.

Completely erases the wearer’s form in crouching status if distant from enemies.

Part of the veil which the Black Knife assassins once had hide their forms on the night of the conspiracy.

Ranni, on the other hand, agreed to prepare the weapons. Rogier confirms himself that the witch’s signature is inscribed into the magic imprint left as part of the rite infusing Destined Death within the Black Knives’ daggers. Similar to Maliketh’s greatsword, the knives’ blade turns black from the power, with a long crack through the entire center. This gave the assassins a holy edge which they could even unleash as a wave at distant targets. It requires faith from the wielder, but if there was anything that these assassins had conviction in, it was seeing the gods dead. It was probably this promise of the power which even demigods feared that convinced Alecto that Ranni’s plan was even viable. Along with their unique twisted daggers branching into multiple edges, the assassins crafted imitation blades to use as talismans, covered in red or blue stains giving the holder life or focus for dealing fatal blows. The group was well equipped to backstab unsuspecting foes per assassins and underhanded thieves’ preference. Now, they just needed the proper material for the final twist of the knife.

My investigation is over. I will return this seal… Moreover, I have a sense of the rite’s owner, in other words, the key culprit of the Night of the Conspiracy. The Moon Witch Ranni. One of the children of King Consort Radagon and his first wife Rennala. A Demigod who is sibling to General Radahn and Praetor Rykard. Her name was hidden in the seal.

On the night of the conspiracy, someone stole part of the rune of Death from Maliketh the Black Blade and harbored its power in the assassins’ knives.

This is the seal of that rite, and it is said to hide the truth of the conspiracy.

Twisted assassin’s knife stained a crimson color.

Recovers HP via fatal blows.

It looks like the black knife which was once swung on the night of the conspiracy and brought the first death to the demigods.

For that, the conspirators stole the Rune of Death from Maliketh. As a shadow-vassal, the beast couldn’t be properly assassinated. Although that always left capture, the fact that he feels secure sealing the sword within his body, never to use it again, following the theft implies that they never tried, or failed, to disable him. The Black Blade never feared being overpowered or incapacitated. Rather, Maliketh’s mistake was exposing his sword at all. Giving the “husk” (抜け殻) of the giant blade even a casual glance, we can see chips and missing pieces from what would otherwise be a smooth edge. Therefore, the plan was probably to briefly restrain or distract the beast with their numbers, long enough to break chunks off the sword — a few assassins then just collect the splintered portions before the whole group retreated. This was the safest way to claim the power of Destined Death without risking any losses against its wielder. Putting Maliketh out of commission was secondary to securing the Rune.

The only problem was figuring out how to catch Marika’s shadow off-guard. At minimum, the Black Blade had gargoyles with their own share of the Rune’s power protecting him. Either the beast didn’t bring his Kindred where he was attacked, or the assassins had already accounted for his personal guard’s presence. In either case, the shadow beast must have been isolated from the Erdtree forces. But where could Maliketh have been located besides Leyndell? That was where his god resided, as well as most of the gods he was tasked with intimidating. Unless on a special mission from Marika, there was no reason to leave the safety of the capital ramparts. At the same time, it is absurd to think that the assassins revealed themselves to the royal court before the actual assassination, infiltrating the same city twice. The beast must have been separate from all this, too occupied to immediately report the theft to Leyndell. What would be the reason? Where would he go without full protection? And how would the conspiracy receive the foreknowledge so they could arrange an ambush? Once again, Ranni supplied the solution.

After the fragments were stolen, a portion of Death was infused in a piece of white rock and gifted to Rykard. According to the description, this was a reward from his sister, which begs the question of what the demigod did to merit it. The tool is named Blasphemous Claw, though a cut iteration of the description recognizes the stone’s shape to also resemble a shield. That is perfect for how the amulet with a familiar crack can be used to parry Maliketh’s sword whenever the beast draws upon the power of Destined Death to attack, much to his disorientation. The partial power was weaponized into a kind of white barrier that repels its same energy, perfect for the time Rykard executes his blasphemy against Marika and the gods. Ranni awarding this trump card for that express end betrays how she was previously aware of her brother’s future intentions. In turn, it implies that Rykard is himself aware of his sister’s treasonous intentions against their stepmother. The only reason to be rewarded then is because they are working together for each other’s benefit.

Rock fragment engraved with a portion of the Rune of Death.

Can divert the power of the Black Sword.

On the night of the conspiracy, Praetor Rykard received a portion as a reward from Ranni. As the trump card to challenge Maliketh the Black Sword, the black beast who is Destined Death, when blasphemy someday comes.

Put simply, Rykard was roped into the conspiracy. After discovering his plans for rebellion, Ranni shared her own plot to kill demigods and offered him a portion of Destined Death in exchange for his support. Specifically, this support came in the form of setting up Maliketh for ambush. After all, the witch’s brother is the lord of Volcano Manor, where Maliketh once helped suppress the previous blasphemous rebellion against the god-queen. Ignoring any other factor, it is reasonable for the vassal beast to periodically check in on Marika’s behalf, confirm that she need not worry about another uprising from those who survive the great serpent. As the gracious host during the beast’s stay, Rykard would be in the position to alert Ranni of this visit in advance. Then, she could mobilize Alecto’s crew by the time the Black Blade made his return, intercepting him mid-route. Maliketh would appear to have been jumped by mysterious highwaymen, with no risk of Caria’s involvement being discovered — that was the role Rykard could play in this scheme.

After the Carian prince earned his reward, the assassins handed the pieces of Maliketh’s sword to his sister so she could perform the rite to infuse each dagger with a fragment of the latent power, creating a black knife. She then need only deliver the Blasphemous Claw to Rykard while the new Black Knife assassins went on their way to murder their respective targets. A few probably stayed behind, since Ranni needed someone for another rite. After all, the witch’s support apparently came with a single request: to be the first one killed alongside Godwyn. Alecto and the others were instructed to carve the Cursemark of Death into both demigods’ backs at the same time, splitting the complete wheel in half between them. The effect of this was to likewise split the effects of Destined Death, causing Godwyn’s soul to perish while only Ranni’s body did the same. As the princess explains, she wished to abandon her Empyrean flesh in order to free herself of the Two Fingers’ control. Killing them both via this method was her open rejection of her destiny. That was what she wanted from the assassins in exchange.

… I see, you investigated thoroughly. Indeed, I am the witch Ranni. Stealing a piece of the Rune of Death and turning it into the god-slaying black knives via rite, I did it all… But the curse mark you desire isn’t here. I killed and abandoned my body by birth. The curse mark ought to be engraved there with it.

Cursemark engraved into the abandoned flesh of the moon princess Ranni. Also called the half-wheel of a centipede wound.

The curse mark should have been engraved in the first death of the demigods and form a circular wheel.

But, the first dead of the demigods is two, so the curse mark became two half-wheels.

Ranni is the first dead only in flesh, thus the Death Prince is the first dead only in soul.

… And I rejected the Two Fingers. Even if it meant stealing the Rune of Death, slaying my own, Empyrean, body, and casting it aside, I didn’t want to be manipulated by that thing…

All of this was performed from the privacy of Liurnia’s Divine Tower. It is there where we find Ranni’s body abandoned along with the Cursemark. The story trailer likewise shows a group of Black Knives riding across the land from seemingly the tower’s direction. Although there are discrepancies in the depiction of their veils, the assassins are still discreetly moving through a forest in the middle of the night, the Erdtree in the background. From the framing, they appear to be heading to the base of the tree where they would assassinate Godwyn in the very next scene. And based on the golden tree’s orientation, the surrounding greenery, and the presence of large conifers, this should be part of the woods in northeastern Liurnia, between the Divine Tower and the Grand Lift of Dectus. That only makes sense if they set out somewhere around the tower area, heading up from the south. Above all, the tower was the liable staging ground for all the rituals, a meeting point for the plotters.

With all that foundation laid, there comes one final question of the logistics. Various dialogue and item descriptions affirm that stealing the Rune of Death, creating the black knives, and the assassination all took place on the same night. Even with the most generous interpretation of “night” as the roughly twelve hours between sundown to sunrise, the idea that the conspirators traveled back and forth across the Lands Between to accomplish all this beggars belief. While we can certainly travel from one end to the other on Torrent in less than an hour, the map we explore is much smaller than the world the game represents. The very existence of public overnight rest stops along the highways implies that crossing regions takes several days at minimum, even on horseback. Planning alone cannot overcome distance — how then was it possible for the assassins to make these trips in a single night? Assuming that it isn’t an oversight, the best explanation is that their mode of transport allowed for faster travel than would otherwise be possible. And looking at the story trailer, we do see the assassins riding unconventional mounts.

Shrouded in a thick black cloak like their masters in the trailer, the text for the Night’s Cavalry set describes these horses as funeral steeds. Their bony yet hairy legs bring to mind Torrent, and they may well be a kind of spirit steed. Much like our mount, funeral horses demonstrate a degree of immortality; if slain, the rider is able to summon them back, steed rising out of the magic circle at their feet good as new. The game files likewise reference them as Nazgul, wraiths of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings who are obscured beneath similar black cloaks and straddled atop similar black steeds. If they are spirits brought there with magic, then it is possible to be an art devised in Caelid. And if they are creatures from the spirit realm, then it is possible that they, like Torrent, can traverse special pathways that would dramatically shorten journeys across the Lands Between. However the conspiracy came to acquire them, they are the limiting factor on coordinating the entire plot within a tight time frame.

The time limit was also essential. If words that pieces of Destined Death lay in mysterious enemy hands had spread, then all the demigods would have been on the lookout, making the assassinations that much more difficult to pull off. But after Maliketh’s attackers escaped, the beast was liable to report the incident to local forces patrolling the territory, who would report the matter to their lord. If that lord was Rykard, then he would naturally take charge of the investigation and thereby detain Maliketh for questioning about his robbers. This gave the assassins a small window to execute the murders, long enough for Rykard to “figure out” what was going on before they sent word back to Leyndell. The conspiracy couldn’t trust such interference to distract for more than the night, hence their need to act quickly. This demanded the assassins coordinate the time to accomplish the journeys in advance, preparing themselves to execute everything within that many hours.

With the equipment, the transport, and the plan all sorted, the only thing left was the execution on the actual day. By all indications, stealing the Rune and moving into position with the black knives went off without a hitch. We only spy four of the women heading to Altus in the story trailer, but the introductory cutscene reveals as many as eight involved in the assassination of Godwyn, so the assassins were, if anything, overprepared in terms of numbers. After dismounting their horses and infiltrating their respective locations, the individual squads made their way to their targets and waited for the right time to strike. However the women kept track of the time, this simultaneous strike started after the two main squads had safely slain Godwyn and Ranni at the predetermined moment. Handling the witch was easy enough, so everything depended on the assassination of the Golden.

Why Godwyn specifically was chosen to be the first demigod slain is easy to imagine. After Godfrey and Radagon, he was the Erdtree’s greatest hero. His life bridged the old Age of Plenty and new Age of Fundamentalism, despite not being a fundamentalist himself. His contributions to Leyndell’s military made him a champion of gold in all of its forms. The prince was truly Marika’s golden boy, and the Bandai Namco Entertainment article states that losing him hit her the hardest. That could hardly be coincidence. Whatever the reasoning behind the other targets, the conspiracy definitely intended to send a message with his death. The greatest symbol of the Golden Order, slain in the heart of the kingdom — nothing better shattered the illusion of Marika’s supremacy or the royal family’s divine protection, especially when combined with all those killed outside of her reach. If they wanted to shake the Eternal Queen and her subjects to their core, Godwyn was mandatory, and the hero’s almost impossibly perfect status was sure to attract the conspirators’ contempt and fury regardless.

Indeed, Alecto was assuredly leading this particular mission, as the description to Tiche’s ashes confirm that the latter participated in the Golden’s assassination and ended up dying protecting her mother. Considering the importance to Ranni and the conspiracy, it is only natural that the chief assassin handle it herself — perhaps even being the one to plunge the dagger in Godwyn’s back. Alecto without a doubt relished the chance to personally send the message, and entrusting this task to a lead coconspirator was Ranni’s safest option for ensuring no mistakes. It was thus in everyone’s interest to move forward with that arrangement. Tiche was presumably brought along because Alecto preferred to have her daughter assist, or at least have herself be available as a helping hand for the child’s mission; mother knows best, as they say. Whichever the particular motive, they were a logical pair for the Godwyn death squad. And in the end, events went according to plan.

One of the “legendary ashen remains”. Summons spirit of Tyche, Black Knife.

Tyche, one of the assassins who on the night of the conspiracy harbored the Rune of Death in black knives and killed Godwyn the Golden, is the daughter of the Black Knife leader Alecto and lost her life protecting her mother.

As the introductory cutscene portrays, two Black Knives restrained the target’s arms on the floor while a third engraved the Cursemark. From how one assassin holds up her own torch for the group, Godwyn was doubtless already sleeping in his home when the women slunk in. If his royal guard were nearby, it wasn’t close enough to notice the anomalous illumination, and they certainly never heard a single disturbance from their charge’s chambers. The Black Knives’ grab attack proves how fluidly they can swoop around manhandling a target before landing the decisive blow. With all the preplanning, it is possible that Godwyn was dragged out of his bed, held in place, and stabbed through the back before he could so much as gasp. By the time he had the awareness to resist, his soul was already being destroyed by the curse of Death. And with the strength to break free of his captors failing him, the Golden went quietly into that dark night, a truly pathetic and undignified end for a hero.

Meanwhile, Ranni’s body was similarly annihilated by the Cursemark being carved into her, her corpse becoming a crumbling mound of stone when we later find it. As for her soul, the demigod transferred it into the body of a marionette she had evidently prepared. Ironic as that is when she is trying not to be puppeteered, it did free her of her Empyrean flesh without actually costing her much. Even if she returned to society in her current form, she could easily claim to be another innocent victim of the assassins, but through quick-thinking and a little ingenuity, just narrowly escaped by entering that wooden doll — she is a witch. Ranni’s peculiar situation provided the perfect alibi for her involvement in the conspiracy, and Godwyn was still dead. After the deed was done, the bleeding body was left to collapse on the ground before the assassins just walked away with their torchlight, per the story trailer. The rest were surely following through with their own missions by this point, and they could all go home satisfied by a job well done.

Only, something went wrong, at least for the Leyndell party. The manner of Tiche’s death suggests that they were unexpectedly discovered, with the daughter taking a blow meant for her mother before the latter could react herself. In other words, the Black Knives’ leader survived by pure chance — “Tyche” (ティシー) is the name of the Greek goddess of fortune. Alecto or someone else might have dispatched the attacker afterward, but it was too late for the daughter. With no time to mourn, the best Alecto could do was take her precious little girl’s remains, which she carries to the present day as ashes, and escape. For this to come about was perhaps happenstance. After all, the shadows in the story trailer indicate that the assassins were visible even as they left Godwyn’s body; it may be that they crossed paths with a guard before thinking to return to stealth. But after all that planning, this seems too egregious a blunder at the very end. Alternatively, something occurred which wasn’t part of the plan: a double-cross.

Certainly, now that the Carian siblings got what they wanted out of this conspiracy, the Black Knives were disposable. The two demigods may have thus themselves conspired without the assassins’ knowledge. The scheme was easy enough to execute. After receiving his reward from Ranni, Rykard could do something as simple as kill the messenger and claim to have been attacked. As infamous as the Night of the Black Knives is, Rogier shouldn’t know the details about the assassins’ background and equipment unless authorities closely examined a specimen. Dead women tell no tales, so the only risk of Rykard supplying a corpse as proof was the magic print left on the knife. However, Rogier implies that he can only decipher the rite’s signature because his body is afflicted by the curse of Death at that point. Barring another skilled sorcerer with his specific circumstance, no one could have untangled the truth of the conspiracy from a magic partially fueled by Destined Death. It was safe to show others the knife.

… Please. Would you be willing to entrust it to me for a time? I want to take my time and investigate it. Albeit a fragment, a pertinent ritual is required in order to harbor the Rune of Death’s power. And the ritual’s seal always leaves traces of its owner somewhere… Not to mention, I am half-afflicted by Death. I am certain I will be able to find it.

In short, it is possible that the conspiracy presented a body that same night, betraying the plot as it was being enacted. Maliketh of all people should have recognized the power of his sword in the assassin’s dagger. Either way, he might be alerted of the danger to the gods — especially Marika — and rush home to her. By the time the vassal beast arrived, Godwyn and the others would be dead, but he could still inform his deity of the threat and sound the alarm. Godwyn’s personal guard would then quickly discover his body, and suddenly, the entire city would be on high alert looking for the assailants. Under those conditions, it is feasible for Alecto to be ambushed while figuring out how to navigate these new complications to their escape. She and her cohorts would get killed trying to flee the soldiers, and Caria would wash their hands of the whole matter.

The exact scenario aside, it is obvious that Ranni has abandoned the Black Knives to their fate. The Divine Tower was the ideal meeting point for the assassins returning from every corner of the continent, yet the witch has blocked access through the Carian Study Hall to hide her curse-marked flesh. We also see squads of assassins assail two of the witch’s most loyal retainers, Iji and Blaidd. At this juncture, they understand how their coconspirators have left them out to dry, whether or not the disaster in Leyndell was actually her doing. Whatever the plans were for the aftermath of that fateful night, they were surely disregarded. This backbiting also highlights how any plans to get the group killed didn’t pan out. In the chaos, the Leyndell party probably split up to divide their pursuers and increase the chances of members like Alecto escaping. With no signs of their horses, the Black Knives must have fled in random directions, disappearing into the wilderness just to evade tracking. Giving up on a clean flight on horseback, the runaway Numen women have probably been the kingdom’s most wanted ever since.

Due to this disastrous pullout and the plans’ overall ruination, the assassins are still scattered. Seemingly none returned home to Caelid, probably because of how it would have affected friends and family if they were found harboring the god-slayers at the time. Individual members have instead taken to hiding behind locked doors or illusory walls in catacombs or caves. Some regrouped at Ordina where they might expect to find sympathy from fellow Numen. (Nightreign reveals how a few even took shelter in Noklateo) Others, as already mentioned, appear hellbent on revenge for Ranni’s betrayal. But despite this floundering, all likely still hold the spirit of that fateful Night in their hearts. One Black Knife has gone to the trouble of infiltrating Leyndell again just to assassinate Marika, having collapsed after finding the queen’s bedchamber empty for all that effort — clearly, she hasn’t kept up with current events, on the run. In Greek myth, Alecto’s punishment for crimes of passion was madness. And true to Ranni’s words in the story trailer, the conspiracy’s legacy is driving Marika over the edge.