The Gallows fortress is thoroughly sacked and despoiled. The diminished templar force seeks to put out fires and sort bodies, dead mages and templars alike prepared for the pyre. Demon remains are destroyed where they lie. The archives are a good choice, removed from the bulk of the recent fighting and only smelling faintly of smoke. Ruvena grunts assent, seemingly no more pleased with being saddled with a foreign mage. In time she removes her helmet, revealing herself as a woman rather than a man, difficult to tell in plate, with chin cropped blonde hair and flinty blue eyes. She performs her duties perfunctorily but isn't cruel.

There are less than a dozen mages left to them when all is said and done, only two full fledged spirit healers with their work cut out for them for the rest of the night. Several Tranquil remain, willing to lend aid as they see themselves most capable and useful. Their flat inflections and brands give them away.

Conditions in the city are horrific. At some point in the night, Aveline returns and meets up with Cullen. Between demon slaying, rooting out a few stubborn pockets of blood mages, and trying to dig through rubble to screaming and crying survivors, there's no chance for anyone to catch their breaths or rest.

It's not until close to sundown of the next day that Cullen and a smaller group than they one he set out with return to the Gallows, streaked so thoroughly with red, black, and gray they're barely recognizable. He orders them to take a four hour sleep and shuffles to the archives to see how those left behind have fared and what can be done to start a more permanent duty rotation.

He's pleased to see them organized and that Ruvena and the mage haven't killed one another. One good judgment call, at least. He looks for the man, finally in a position where he can thank him and take a moment to speak.