During the gathering, Baron Varrick insists on taking Seraphina into a side room. Grand Duke Alistair Ravenscroft refuses to shield her, prompting Seraphina to guide the baron inside alone. Once cornered, Seraphina negotiates using an unrecorded Aethercryst vein in the Winterspine Mountains. Varrick agrees to her conditions, and both parties cast a binding spell. Outside, Alistair witnesses the arcane glow and breaks his goblet in anger.
Baron Varrick asks for Seraphina Sangreal to enter a private chamber to conclude negotiations over northern mine routes. Grand Duke Alistair Ravenscroft announces he will not intervene. Seraphina consents to the request and leads the baron out of the hall.
00:38: A Secret Mine Offer
Inside the library, Varrick moves aggressively toward Seraphina, but she blocks him. She proposes an unexpected bargain instead. In exchange for Alistair's passage and her personal protection, she offers the location of an unmapped fourth Aethercryst vein in the Winterspine Mountains.
02:01: Sealing the Arcane Pact
Varrick is amused by her plan and agrees to her terms. He and Seraphina sign a magical contract together. Arcane power bursts across the room during the binding, and the force knocks books straight off the library shelves.
02:17: Rage in the Corridor
Outside the chamber doors, Alistair hears the disturbance within the room. A flash of blue arcane radiance spills into the hall. Filled with jealousy, the grand duke squeezes his golden goblet until the metal buckles in his grip.
Key Lines from Episode 3
“If she wishes to accompany you tonight, Baron Varrick, I will not stop her.”
“If you want the Aethercryst brought out whole, Baron Varrick, then you will keep me whole as well.”
“Clever little scribe. His Grace kept a viper at his side and never noticed the fangs.”
“Damn it! What the hell are they doing in there?”
How Episode 3 Ends
Alistair waits outside the closed library door, listening to the noise and watching magical energy flare through the cracks. In a fit of jealousy and rage, he crushes his golden goblet until his hand bleeds. Will Alistair confront Seraphina when she steps out, or will Varrick's new pact change Ironhold's balance of power?