So, i've been meaning to push this forward for some time... But i've been having problems with my word processor. The damned thing doesn't want to work, and whenever i try to install another, trial or freeware, the damn thing just won't start. But then i remembered that, since i switched to Chrome, i have a built in spellcheck. Huzzah!... Anywho, onward and upward, as they say.
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"The Eldar of Loritain are well known for their loose ethics!" was the first Terical heard from this so called diplomatic assemblage. It was not the most encouraging of signs, and the young Scion of House Lorth gave a sigh.
Seated along the tiered, ovoid chambers walls, the representatives of many of the major Eldar nations seemed more a mustered council of war than a meeting of intellectuals and diplomats. Seers wore not their formal robes, but wraithbone armour, clutching spears and staves in gauntlet clad hands. Most had come with one of their Craftworld's Autarchs as well, the proud warriors standing, bedecked as if for battle.
As he stepped through the threshold, all eyes turned on him, and he could instantly feel the cold scrutiny of those he had hoped to count amongst his friends.
"And here we finally see our illustrious host," a voice carried through the hall, though with so many faces concealed behind expressionless masks, Terical could not discern the speaker, though the sarcasm and venom was evident to all.
"Now, friends," Terical started politely, his voice carrying easily through the cavernous structure, "There is no need for unpleasantness, it was not my intent to leave you waiting without attendance."
"Oh, no need to concern yourself about that, Terical," this voice carried with a sense of arrogance and spite, and Terical was not at all surprised to see Asunubrae Methovael lounging to one side of the great hall. House Methovael had long been the chief rival of Lorith, though since Terical's inclusion of the other, lesser races in their grand designs, Asunubrae and his kin had been an increasingly vocal thorn in the young Prince's side. "I have been quite sure to keep our guests occupied." Asunubrae smiled broadly as he sipped from a silvered goblet.
"And taken your opportunity to incite rebellion and disharmony," A feminine retort came, and Terical was relieved to find that Asunubrae had not been left alone with the delegations. Annise Roxthan, the reigning head house Roxthan'Il, sneered from across the wide audience floor, her wizened expression holding the arrogant noble of Methovael in its icy bonds. "You would have the entirety of our race spent on petty gains, knowing full well the threat that lurks between stars."
"And you," This time it was one of the delegation of Biel-tan who spoke up, the Autarch beside him bristling visibly, "Would have us work beside the vermin who now infest our rightful domains."
"Infest, is it?" Annise retorted, not backing down from the warlike Biel-tan. "Would it not be us who infest the domains of the Old Ones? Or the Necrontyr? Empires rise and fall, and new ones rise to take their place. I would think a Seer understood the way of the universe, or have your senses been too dulled by Khaine's bloodlust?"
The Biel'Tan Autarch flinched, a hand inching across his waist towards the hilt of the chainsword at his hip. Beside Annise, a pair of her House Guard stepped forward, hands on their own weapons, and even Asunubrae seemed concerned that the hot tempered Beil-tan would strike at his own kin.
"Enough!" Adune's voice boomed through the chamber, that Loritain Autarch stepping forward even as the Biel-tan was seemingly knocked back onto the bench. "Have we become so divided that we would even consider raising arms against one another? Over what, a petty insult?" Annise seemed to take no slight at Adune's words, and simply crossed her arms.
To one side, the black robbed leader of the Ulthwe representative stood, tucking his arms into the sleeves of his flowing vestments. "The War-Priest of Vaul is correct," He said calmly, making clear reference to Adune's contradictory duty to Loritain. "We were asked here by the son of House Lorith, to partake in discourse regarding some plan of his." The seer nodded towards Terical, who could see in the action the tel-tale glimmer of slowly crystallizing skin. "Though i feel if this is regarding the supposed value of Humans, it will be a short discourse indeed."
"No, honoured Seer," Terical bowed, showing the ancient Farseer the respect which, on Loritain, such a status demanded. "I feel the discussion of the other races is best suited for another time, when we can be sure of more even tempers." Again, the Biel-tan Autarch bristled, but remained seated.
Terical strode to a raised platform at the center of the sweeping hall, where he could be seen plainly and his voice would echo evenly about the wide tiers. He looked at the delegates each in turn, and was somewhat concerned that none sat together, seeming to prefer as much space between them as possible. Notably, at the highest row of benches, the fuchsia and black representatives of Altansar seemed to separate themselves more than any other.
"As i am sure you have divined, some revolutions ago we, along with assistance from our human allies, recovered from the Imperial world of Malianna an artefact of the Old Empire. This was none other than one of the Arks of Vaul," there was a hushed gasp from some of the assembled guests, though the Ulthwe seemed as if this was old news. "The recovery of such repositories, containing secrets that our ancestors thought best hidden, should indicate how dire i believe our situation to be. We, as a people, are beset on all sides, from foes both new and old, and we will need every tool left by our ancestors to survive the coming night. For this reason, i seek to recover the remaining Arcs, and from them to unlock the secrets our forebears left in case the Ygnir should return, for return they have."
"You seek to learn the the art of constructing the Talismains of Vaul!?" The Saim-hann Autarch veritably cried. Every one of the gathered Eldar knew of the ancient fortress weapons, created in the mythic past, and of their terrible potential. In the wrong hands they had destroyed stars, and to subject the galaxy to more of their number was an admittedly terrifying prospect.
"Yes, i do," Terical answered honestly. The contemplative silence heartened him, and he pushed onward, hoping to persuade his peers of the need before they resolved otherwise. "The Ygnir stir from their tombs, and a great swarm plies the depths of the void to consume us. The technology of our ancients is all that stands between our annihilation, and the same fate for all life in this galaxy."
"All that stands as safeguard against such a dire fate?" The Ulthwe seer grinned knowingly, though Terical ignored the obvious incitement.
"So you wish to recreate the most terrible weapons divized by god or man?" The Saim Hann looked at him skeptically.
"Recreate or utilize the superior technology used in their creation, it matters not. If we do not recover the Arks, some other power will. Would you have the Imperium gain access to our secrets? Or the Tau? Morei Heg knows what the Ygnir could achieve with technological mastery of the warp." Terical's doom-driven prediction silenced the Wildrider Farseer, allowing the young Prince to continue.
"The hunt has been long, and it is with some embarrassment that, despite extensive divination, i have been unable to locate any other vaults which may contain remaining Arks. Even were i to convince the remaining Seers of Loritain to assist in my search, even if the Seers of each of your Craftworlds were to join in the hunt, it could take hundreds, even thousands of revolutions to locate what Arks have survived.
"But there is another option. On the home worlds, there was once a map..." The silent contemplation of the Craftworld representatives was suddenly broken, everyone seeming to shout at once.
"You want to enter the Eye to retreive a map!?" the Miel Carn representative exclaimed.
"Which may not have even survived the Fall?" Joined Il'Kaithe.
"I have reliable information which indicates the map exists, and that we may find safe passage to the world in question," Terical started, though this time it was Alaitoc which interjected.
"Information from where?" The Stern faced seer stood, hands on hips, eyes boring into Terical's heart.
"Through divination," Terical half-lied.
"You mean your dabbling in Daemons, don't you?" the blue-robbed Farseer sneered.
"I don't know what you have heard, Farseer, but..." Terical was once again cut off as the Biel'Tan seer supported his fellow.
"We have heard that you take insight from the followers of the Dark Gods, that you go so far as to summon Daemons, freely and within the Craftworld."
"We interrogate and cull," Terical started.
"You toy with powers far beyond yourself," The Aliatoci accused.
"I cut back the wild growth that YOUR ancestors left to run rampant through the garden of the warp!" Terical roared. He would not be convicted in his own hall, least of all for crimes of which his accusers were the ones truly guilty of. "The Warp was a place of beauty, tamed in the earliest days following the Enslavers by -US-. We gave birth to the Gods, and we created for them a paradise from which they could guide and advise our journey through the physical." He turned, his gaze burrowing into the Biel-tan delegates. "When my ancestors left this galaxy to drive back the last borders of our people, we left with the warp calm and peaceful. The few unruly beasts which lurked in its depths were hunted for sport by Kurnous, and the wild growth which now dominates all avenues of the other-world was carefully trimmed and manicured under Isha's guidance. You," he turned back to the Alaitoc, pointing accusingly, "Your ancestors left the garden to grow wild. You stopped listening to the gods, starving them of the worship which sustained them. And now you hide behind your masks, asking your people to deny the very truth of their being, rather than working to cut out the cancer you have created."
Terical fumed, his face becoming flushed as the rage boiled up inside him. It was not just rage born of the accusations against him, but against the plight of his people, and the seeming unwillingness of the Eldar to seek a true solution. "And when i, one born of ancestors who had the forethought to see the return of our greatest enemy, ancestors who trusted their kin to hold to their ancient duty, take the first steps to cutting back the raging jungle that has overtaken our glorious gardens, -YOU- dare accuse me of consorting with powers beyond myself?"
The entire chamber was silent, not an Eldar even daring to draw breath. Then, slowly, the Alaitocii stepped forward, drawing his robes tightly around him. "We are done here. You will find no aid from Alaitoc." With that, the Seer turned, striding defiantly towards the great doors, his retinue close behind.
"Perhaps your pets will help you," The Biel-tan's Autarch mocked, following the Alaitocii out. One by one, the other Seers and Autarchs stood and filed from the room, first Saim-Hann, then An-lolsus, Telennar. With a wide grin, Asunubrae rose from where he had been lounging, sauntering confidently past the quickly deflating Terical. Finally, only Ulthwe, Iybraesil and Altansar remained.
"And so we see whom is truly interested in what you have to say," The Ulthwe Seer remained calmly seated, "Perhaps now we can move on to the business at hand."
Terical was devastated, he barely even registered that he had been addressed. Whatever illusions he held regarding the unity of the Eldar died long before Asunubrae had departed, and a well of regret had started to overtake him. After a moment, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see a sympathetic Adune. With a nod, the warrior priest directed attention towards those that remained, and Terical realized he still had a chance.
"There was once a map made, one which contained the locations of all the sacred and hidden sites throughout the Galaxy, dating back to the days of the War in Heaven its self." He began.
"Such a map would have little purpose, due to the damage sustained by the webway. The pathways could be blocked, or changed," One of the Iybraesil delegates spoke up.
"This map did not record the locations within the Webway, but within the physical universe. As such, the locations are subject to far stricter laws, and can be easily ascertained if we have access to the references of the map. We have determined the location of the map, and that it survived the destruction of our home worlds, but Loritain lacks the individual resources and experience to launch the expedition to recover it."
"So you desire forces and guidance, to assault a world within the Eye of Terror its self?" The Ulthwe Farseer stood now. "In this, i am afraid that we can offer no assistance. The human renegades remain an active threat, and the forces of Ulthwe are overstretched as the situation is now. There is simply nothing we can offer."
"One host." The Altansar representative spoke for the first time, drawing the gaze of all who remained. Impassively, the fully armoured Seer continued. "Your unorthodox philosophy regarding the Warp and its predators has... Inspired me. Autarch Ravallan will lead the detachment," The armoured warrior next to him bowed.
"Iybraesil will also offer what assistance we can spare. We are every interested in the secrets of the home worlds. At the very least, we will supply Steersmen to guide your ships."
The Ulthwe seer smiled, nodding. "It seems you have had some luck with this venture after all. We can only hope that the true expedition meets with similar success."
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Not exactly where i wanted to leave off, but getting tired, so going to deal with more later.
