Troy has lost his mind? The vortex of trepidation denizens have cracked the Warmark enough to apparently kill his own Bloodguard? I realize that these beasties were quite potent since they had taken all all night to create & summon - everyone was diminished from them, but c'mon.... kill your Bloodguard? You know, I really didn't have a problem with Troy up until this point. I'd like to think that the Creator re-blinded him. All Hail Lord Mhoram for bailing out Troy and saving everyone!Ruel shouted, "Warmark! Corruption attacks!" At the word Corruption, a complete lucidity came over Troy. Fear filled all his thoughts with crystalline incisiveness. At once, he perceived that the Bloodguard was trying to undo him; Ruel's impenetrable fidelity was a deliberate assault upon his fitness for command. The understanding made him reel, but he reacted lucidly, adroitly. He took one last look around him, saw one or two figures still surging back and forth through the livid anguish of the dust. Ruel was moving to capture him. Overhead, the dark birds dropped toward the ruins. Troy picked up a rock and climbed to his feet. When Ruel touched him, he suddenly gestured away behind the Bloodguard. Ruel turned to look. Troy hit him on the back of the skull with the rock.
Side note - interesting to see the similarity in the method of creating Fleshharrower's weapon used to summon the vortex and the creation of Vain/ Staff of Law.