In the next forty pages of The Lodge of the Lynx (miserably slow, but...), a good bit has happened.

It is discovered that the Lodge has carried out a ritual sacrifice; in the middle of the night and forest, around a stone slab, they gather. They kneel an old man on the slab, drugged and tied. Slitting his throat with a scalpel, they allow the blood to fall onto the torc. All this is seen by the gamekeeper of the land through his rifle's scope. McArdel goes to load his gun, but it jams, making a sound like a cannon in the silence. He runs.

A few hours later, Sinclair gets a call from McLeod, who has been recuited on the case. The three (including Peregrine) are led to the grim scene by McArdel. There, Sinclair and McLeod receive a terrible surprise; the murdered man was Randall, owner of a bookshop, friend, and fellow Initiate. As they wonder why he was chosen (Sinclair had heard from Randall the day before, and realizes that he had been led into a trap), Peregrine sketches the events.

The sketches resulting are indisputable proof that the Lodge is at large again. The group that the three belong to (I don't know of a name) must be notified.

Past that...I don't care; I've Shadowheart to read now. My decision on the plot is to provide short summaries for each character, then provide more information as needed.

Princess Briony- princess-regent of the kingdom of Southmarch, in exile due to the coup by the Tollys, currently in Syan with Prince Eneas (who is "interested" in her), friends with the group of players called Makewell's Men, relations currently strained due to the death of there leader at the hand of one of the guards of said prince due to a misunderstanding (which I'll explain later), twin of Brince Barrick

Prince Barrick- prince-regent of Southmarch, lost during the battle to push back the invading Qar (hold with me, here), currently in the Shadowlands (I think that's the name), has inherited the Fireflower, which is the collective memory of the kings and queens of the Qar, descended from the union between (to be edited) and (to be edited) the princess of the Qar; this results in his red hair and fits of insanity, twin of Princess Briony

Chaven-practitioner of (to be edited; mirror magic*), physician of the royal family, in exile in Funderling (like dwarves, except better) Town, underneath Southmarch Castle, friend of Chert Blue-Quartz

Chert Blue-Quartz- a Funderling working to protect Southmarch from the invading Qar, friend of Chaven and Ferras Vansen, caretaker of Flint (whom he and his wife found as a child)

Ferras Vansen- captain of the Southmarch army, former farmer, friend of Chert, currently in Funderling Town, working to protect Southmarch, formerly accompanied Barrick into the Shadowlands, but was lost in battle against Jikuyin, a demi-god when cast into a door to the underworld; ended up in Funderling Town after a journey through it, romantic interest for Briony

Flint- discovered as a child by Chert near the border with the Shadowlands, former holder of a mirror that was part of the castle (to be edited), later passed to Barrick in a failed attempt to save the Qar queen, Saqri, and halt the invasion (the queen was saved by the death of the king [her brother], the blind Ynnir, and aformentioned passing of the Fireflower to Barrick), strange connection to the gods

Autarch Sulepis am-Xis III- god-king of the empire of Xis, on the south continent, currently on his way to Southmarch to destroy it and sacrifice its king, Olin, in order to reawaken the gods (who are quite vengeful, unbeknownst to him), gob-smacking insane

Olin Eddon- king of Southmarch, inheritor of the curse of his blood (see Barrick); this gets stronger the nearer he is to Southmarch, currently prisoner of Sulepis

Scotarch Prusus- retarded man chosen by Sulepis to be his successor; if Prusus should die, Sulepis would be dethroned; reasoning - unknown

Qinnitan- former acolyte in Xis, chosen to be one of Sulepis's wives, later escaped, then recaptured, then escaped near Southmarch, unknown relation to the royal family of Southmarch (lock of bright-red hair, magical communication with Barrick)

Tinwright- former royal poet (made so out of pity by Briony), loves Elan M'Cory, however, she wishes to be killed, as she is an unwilling lover to Hendon Tolly; cruel ruler of Southmarch, currently trapped in Southmarch Castle, recently discovered by Hendon

Avin Brone- intelligence master of the royal family, now a figure-head

Kendrick Eddon- former prince of Southmarch, older brother to Briony and Barrick, murdered in first book by a woman-turned-demon

Yasammez (aka Lady Porcupine)- war-leader of the Qar at Southmarch

(to be edited)- relation of the royal family, involved with war, friend to the Rooftoppers (like gnomes, except more elven; about the size of your finger), currently a prisoner of Yasammez

(to be edited)- friend and nurse to (to be edited), involved with war through her, prisoner of Yasammez

Queen Upsteeplebat- queen of the Rooftoppers

Now you understand why I can't do a summary; Tad Williams's books are enormously complex, and I'm not sure where alot of this is going, myself.

Note: the Qar, northern kingdoms, and Xis all revere the same gods (in Xis's case, their opposing pantheon), but have hugely different views of them. The Qar, who fear the inevitable (and soon to be occuring) awakening of Perin, the sky god, Erivor, the god of water, and Kernios, the lord of the underworld, (revered as the Trigon in Southmarch) from a sleep placed on them by the god Crooked, one of few survivors of the opposing pantheon after gods' war, seem to be closest to the truth.

I'm sure I'll think of something else later (oh; Southmarch was formerly a Qar castle; they are really angry about a war that occured generations ago to men and began their inevitable descent to extinction; this war is an attempt to take Man with them; I think), but that's all I have for now.

I can't wait to read this book! Of the three series (two quadrologies and one trilogy) that I have read by Tad Williams, this one is likely my least favorite (behind Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn and Otherland [which are both heartily recommended]), but it's still great.

Boy, that's alot of editing to do.

*(to be edited) seems to have some very dark connotations in this world; Chaven began in a partnership with a god; he is now dependent on it. This god may or may not be the Lord of the Peak revered by the Rooftoppers; both are owls.