• Closed • The Twin Howls of the Dusk and Dawn

[Nir'wei]

Ymiden 25th

"He deserves to know," Squeak said with a huff of disapproval. The runt might have struggled to even look up at the tallest members of the pack, yet his innocence and naivety was beginning to put him at odds with more senior packmates - speaking as a voice of noble reason, but often falling short of appreciated value.

Cold turned his head and fixed the smaller wolf with a reproachful gaze. "Whether he knows or not, makes no difference to what he'll need to do," the Beta replied, referring to Tylar - Nir'wei's second-in-command of the Council Office. "He'll handle himself."

"Besides, he knows how to ask for help," Myrth added, in a more soothing tone than the sharp cut of the pale wolf she sat beside, "and he's surrounded by friends and allies."

They'd picked this spot specifically because it held enough room for all of them at once, and enough privacy to confirm that they would not be disturbed by whatever came next. If anything happened at all. The Office of Natural Affairs had been cleared of its receptionist, its members, and even its clutter for once. The front desk pushed against a far wall and a large gap in the middle of the room swept clean of books, papers and other miscellaneous small furniture to make space for Nir'wei to sit cross-legged, surrounded by all seven of his wolves. Vabina guarded the door, sitting just outside with her head in her paws. Traveller guarded the entrance to the building itself, piercing yellow eyes watching anyone that cared to walk near. Anyone still able to sneak past all of them and peer inside might have thought they were undergoing a ritual, with each wolf sitting equidistant from each-other and Nir'wei in a small circle and facing inwards.

"Is that the same reason you're not telling Kura, either?" Squeak was clearly looking for a reaction, but Kin took the bait and snorted softly.

Castile nudged him with a soft rebuke, but that only spurred the quiet one into more direct, if hushed action. "You think Kura won't find out?" Kin's laughter was soft but genuine. "There's a time and a place, and both will come." Perhaps it would be better if Kura learned from Karem directly, whenever they next spoke. He didn't know how to speak about things like this, he often spoke without thinking and had no time for lies, small and white or otherwise. It was why he'd always wondered if he'd ever make a good politician - and why he always compensated for it with his actions instead, and let his hands do the talking. Now, like all the other times that had come before, he'd work with what he knew first and let everything else sort itself out later.

"And Faith?"

The entire room seemed to turn towards the runt, and he shrunk back at the sharp gaze levelled by six sets of predatory eyes, but Greyhide alone answered with a voice that carried more than even his own weight alone. "Yes. When we have the answers we need." None of them would distract her until the time was ready. She had a tendency to move much, much faster than he could keep up these days. He intended to involve her only when he knew everything he could do to ready himself was already finished. When the bowstring was drawn and the arrow nocked.

"That's enough," Nir'wei said, and at once they all grew silent. The exercise was an unnecessary one, in truth - he already knew the thoughts and opinions of each wolf, and they too knew the rationale of every other within the circle as well as those wolves knew it themselves, yet speaking together like this helped remind them all that they were still themselves at heart. As real and whole as ever, only more so since the join. Plus, their questions and doubts reflected those of his own head, and hearing them spoken out and scrutinised helped cement his mindset all the more. "Greyhide, if you could?" The largest wolf of his pack towered over Nir'wei, his ears brushing against the ceiling when he sat on his haunches and loomed, rivalled only by Sovar.

"It's time. Call for Karem, and tell her I'd like to speak with her, and Raskalarn, about the day Valtharn took over." He rose from his seat on the floor and each wolf rose with him in turn, one after another. "We'd like answers about what happened. Details on Valtharn, what they know about her and where she might go. The Immortals they took, what else is known about the Ascension Throne," he said with a finger running around the black stone ring he now wore constantly around his left hand's fourth finger, "and... add that we have something important. A secret weapon, I think." His left hand dipped into his pocket, where it still sat, hot to his familiar touch. The Key to the Eternal Flame. Crafted and granted by Qylios with the purpose of assassinating Faldrun.

Greyhide's head tipped back until his nose brushed the ceiling, and he howled a long, low note that rattled the windows in their panes.

[Basilisk]

There was a long, silent pause after Greyhide howled, and it first it seemed like Karem might not answer. However, after a few bits, there was a shift around Nir'wei and his wolves before they all found themselves in a grove in Karem's Domain, The Spectral Forest, surrounded by dozens of Karem's own wolves. In front of them lay a wolf so truly massive that it even dwarfed Greyhide, and in front of that sat Karem herself. The Immortal of Hunt looked different than she usually did, more ragged and tired, as if she hadn't been sleeping very well for a few seasons.Nevertheless, she smiled at them when the arrived and waited until they adjusted to the new surroundings before speaking.

"My apologies for the abrupt transportation. There are things that I should not wish overheard, if someone is spying on you." she said, her tone calm. Before Nir'wei could speak, however, she raised one hand. "Wait a moment, we're about to have company." she said, her tone calm. Then an Emean portal appeared and Raskalarn walked out of it, looking rather out of place in the forest. There was also no hint of the air of ever-present authority that usually surrounded the Immortal Empress, though if Nir'wei were paying attention to such things, he would note that such an aura was present, but coming from Karem rather than Raskalarn. Raskalarn didn't seem uncomfrtable though, and even reached up to scratch at the big wolfs chin before she turned to face Nir'wei.

"Karem told me what you had Greyhide call to her about. I know more about the situation, but you're her Champion, so we're both here." Raskalarn said, her voice carrying the same commanding tone it usually did. "To answer your first question, Valtharn didn't take over much of anything. No one's seen or heard form her since Ruin's Dawn, and it's unclear if she's even learned to properly utilize the power she stole. Certainly we haven't yet seen any of her Blessed. Where she might be hiding is another matter altogether. She used to have a powerbase in Athart, so she may have sought shelter there, or she could be holed up in Emea trying to figure out if she even has her own Domain." she said, her tone calm.

"As to your other questions, you'll need to be rather more specific than what you had Greyhide tell Karem." she said, her tone calm. Karem, for her part, had merely nodded along with what Raskalarn said, though she did speak up at the end. "On a final note, I would recommend being outdoors when you try to reach me in the future. My Domains are of the wild, and even your office is civilized enough that it was harder to call you here than it should have been." she said, her tone calm.

[Nir'wei]

The moment of silence after Greyhide's howl stretched just long enough to make Nir'wei uncomfortable, for once. It wasn't often that he asked for her presence - in fact he didn't think he'd used it for more than an arc at this point, so surely she must have understood this was a matter of quite a bit of importance, even if it wasn't time-constrained. Yet, this wasn't something he could simply drop, either. Before he could consider asking Greyhide to howl a second time, though, the stale scent of old books and dust cleared in an instant, and he knew where he'd been taken before he could even open his eyes. The air of the Spectral Forest was one he might never grow tired of... and the sight of her many wolves, vast in numbers and most definitely in size, were a big plus too.

Before he could thank her, or even admit that he might have requested an audience in her Domain for the exact same reason, their second guest arrived. She was everything she'd been the first time they'd met, though his shoulders visibly relaxed when she took time from their rather serious conversation to pet a wolf, of all things. Well, there was always time for it.

Valtharn. She really hadn't done anything since the Ascension? He didn't really bother trying to hide the surprise that flashed across his face, before storing that important piece away for later. If she was in Athart or Emea, he didn't know if he could find her, though he could at least hope for the latter, where he might have some tricks to play. It'd be foolish to assume she might not have partial control of her power, potentially even full. He didn't even know what that meant, though. Even at the moment of her Ascension, she'd torn through everything without a moment to breathe.

"Sorry. It's just... seven Immortals died that day. Kata, Mastes, Aelig, Audrae, Belaera, Faldrun, Syroa. During the fight... what little we could see through the chaos, at least... Kata never used powers like them. Nor did Valtharn. It just seemed to empower the abilities that they already had to something even higher. Would the same be true of Valtharn, or does she possess all the powers of all seven, and her own as well?" He grit his teeth in frustration, realising just how many questions he wanted to ask, too many to even speak aloud without sounding foolish. "Did she-- wait. She could be in Emea, you said. Trying to find out if she has her own Domain. What about the Domains of the seven that died, didn't she absorb them as well? Has anyone managed to get inside?" He remembered seeing the Immortal Domains from the outside, once. Great, dark spheres too big across to even estimate, hanging in the outer fringes of the the known space beyond Idalos. He could never have found a way inside, if such was even possible, but he could hazard a guess at one way inside, if that was indeed a place to find.

Then, he fumbled with his black stone ring and pulled it free with a firm tug. "The Ascension Throne. It gave power to one by drawing it out of another. You were able to empower it, to make it draw more and absorb it... and Valtharn was able to use it as well, drawing on... something, we all saw it, fuelling it with death somehow to grant her strength." He'd agonised over it for some time - what the significance of it was, if there was any to be taken from it at all, but he thought he might understand it now. "It was Belaera, wasn't it? They... facilitated it, the sacrifice of life to gain power from those that died, and Valtharn did the same." He raised the ring up to Raskalarn, and at the same time, pulled the Bow of the Eternal Hunt from its place at his back. "When the Ascension was over, I felt new power. A bit of Belaera, his Sacrifice, in me now, though I still don't quite understand the power it's granted me. This bow you gave me Karem, that draws life from others and grants it to me, this ring you gave me Raskalarn, and then Belaera's strength." An unholy trinity indeed. "If these three things are combined, can I hunt down and execute Valtharn, and take away her power before she has a chance to turn it on the world, and take her power so that nobody else can steal it for their own wealth again?"

It was an outlandish idea, and he knew it. He expected laughter, or worse; but there was a deathly calm in him now that he'd not felt since arcs and arcs ago, staring down Faldrun's apparition in Rharne's square and announcing to the world that he'd die with both of his hands around his neck.

[Basilisk]

Raskalarn shrugged slightly when Nir'wei mentioned that he hadn't seen either Kata or Valtharn wield their stolen powers during the fight against them. "Neither of us were present for the fight against Kata, so I can't say whether or not she truly did. I can say for certain that Valtharn did not, likely because using powers your unfamiliar with in a fight is extremely dangerous. As to what powers she now possesses, I spoke to Faldrun's Champion and to Cassion afterwards, and I can with absolute certainty that Valtharn possesses none of the powers of Syroa, Audrae, or Faldrun. The three of them were never tied into the Ascention. Judging by what happened with Emea and the boost the five of you received, I don't believe that she has Aelig's Chaos Domain, or Belaera's Duality or Sacrifice Domains." she said, her tone calm.

"As to the Domains of the seven dead Immortals, they all remain, in various states. Faldrun, Syroa, and Audrae's Domains appear to be largely intact for the moment. Aelig and Mastes's Domains are rather wrecked, I believe the five of you have access to what's lest of Belaera's, and while it appears that Valtharn did get access to Kata's Domain, she gave it away." she said, her tone calm. Following that, she listened quietly as Nir'wei had an idea about how to assassinate Valtharn and strip her of her powers, both stolen and born. At the end of it, however, Raskalarn shook her head. "A clever idea, if that was how the Ascension Throne worked. Belaera's Domains had nothing to do with it, however. You'll recall that I initially sent you into that labyrinth in Rynmere looking for a relic. There were six of those relics in total, all filled with Draconic energy, the only thing with enough raw energy to power the Ascension Throne." she said, her tone calm.

"The Ascension Throne was built by my father, Anox, to steal power from the other Originals. He built after we defeated the Dragons however, and so he was never able to get a strong enough power source to make it run. He tried Immortal energy, but that was too weak, and while Original energy would have worked, the rest of the Originals hated and mistrusted Anox, and so refused to even consider working with him. After he died, I believed the Ascension Throne to be completely unusable, as the only known surviving Dragons were up on Iulure." she said, before shaking her head. "That turned out to be wrong, and after Kata found them, she was able to power the throne. Since it was designed to steal power from Originals, not Immortals, it didn't take all the power that Kata gathered to complete her theft. Presumably, what was left over was to be used for Syroa and Audrae's ends. Instead, Valtharn was able to reactivate the throne to steal from Kata by reactivating the throne and it's connection to Kata with her own powers." she said, her tone calm.

Karem spoke up after that. "Karesh's bow does not quite work that way either. It feeds off life energy and right now, it and the rings don't work in conjunction. You are also at a disadvantage when fighting Valtharn. She was an Imperial Marshal before she turned traitor, and she commanded Imperial wolf-walkers. She knows the strengths and weaknesses of the standard Velduris powers inside and out, and she knows the limits of the wolves very well. That is why she knew how to dispatch your pack so quickly when you fought her. She knows how they work very well." she said, a mixture of sadness and anger in her tone. She was very clearly not happy that Valtharn knew so much about her Blessing and her wolves.

Raskalarn nodded at Karem, then turned back to Nir'wei. "That doesn't have to remain the case, however. She knows Velduris, but she doesn't know you or your allies. If you want to beat Valtharn, you'll have to be able to use the powers you have in ways she won't be able to predict. Just throwing wolves at her, however, won't be particularly effective, especially against Malorite plate armor." she said, her tone calm. "Of course, you have some time to practice, given the lack of information as to her location." she said, her tone calm.

[Nir'wei]

Raskalarn's answer wasn't quite what he'd hoped, and he didn't bother to hide it. In fact, as she continued to unravel the tangle he'd tugged and turned countless times, something in particular made Nir'wei curse - and then, curse again, with more intensity. Faldrun's domain, intact and yet untouched by Valtharn, meant that there was very little chance that he could use the Key to his advantage. The only softening of such a harsh blow was knowing just how little Valtharn had apparently taken during the fight, even if quite a few domains and powers could be called 'little' by themselves.

The revelation of the Ascension Throne itself was another blow, though like many answers, it seemed only to raise more questions than it answered, in truth. Immortal energy was too weak, yet Original and Draconic Energy was enough... so Draconic energy, whatever that meant, was stronger than Original? The dragons, the ones he'd heard aligned with those left behind while they fought Kata and Syroa and Audrae, could they be a new key?

"Imperial Marshal." It certainly sounded like a title of considerable renown and strength. "Throwing wolves is somewhat of a speciality. Let's just say, after that show, I've learned my lesson on underestimating my opponent's intelligence and prior training, though." She'd humiliated him in that moment, dismantling his offensive in a way that even Syroa nor Audrae could. "I should assume she knows the ins and outs of your powers as well," he added with a nod to Raskalarn, "during her time away, she'll gain powers and abilities from Kata, from Mastes, if not Chaos then Illusions and Mimicry from Aelig, and Belaera's Imprisonment." He revised his opinion once he'd spelled it all out. There was still a lot to pick apart from this, not even including her own powers and how they might factor into it. "She's an experienced battle commander and close-quarters combatant. Her natural skills are going to be exemplary; the powers she's gained will only enhance them. But... what does she want, do you think?" It was an honest question, one that briefly lifted him from the intense tone of a scrambling mind at work. "She killed Faldrun, she stole the power from Kata at the moment of her death, but she's disappeared and not spoken a word or sent a single message to anyone you know of. Did she ever have a dream, a passion?" He looked for something, anything he could grab onto for a lead to follow.

Unfortunately, it seemed he'd hit much of a dead-end, piecing together a plan beyond beginning a hunt to search her out. "I came believing that Faldrun's death had been added to the Ascension Throne when she'd powered it. That his domain would hold a connection to her that could be used to seek her out, or at least a fragment of her strength. However, even if it doesn't, there's something else to be done. I'm sorry I didn't bring this forwards sooner, Karem, but I had always intended to tell you before I used it, and I've held myself to that." He reached into his pocket and removed the key, still hot and almost glowing as he held it in his palm before the two Immortals. "The Key to the Eternal Flame. One of three, made by Qylios using his bond to an unwilling servant - with the express purpose of being used to assassinate him, creating a portal to wherever he might be in the world. I'm assuming that now, it'll lead to his Domain." He clenched his teeth. "If it's still intact, what happened to Faldrun cannot be allowed to happen to Daia. Syroa and Audrae will have their times as well, but I won't let him be reborn again, I'm sorry."

It felt strange, saying this to those that could be considered his cousins. No matter if they loved or hated him. "But like with Valtharn, killing him won't be enough. Even his pieces will be tools in the wrong hands, wouldn't they." The real reason that he wanted to steal those powers, every last drop. "Power cannot be destroyed once created, only taken."

"Right now, it and the rings don't work in conjunction, but even if they were to do so, it would require more than just the death of one Immortal to power it, even if it was just Valtharn's, I presume. Even then, just a fragment wouldn't be enough, not even every fragment left behind." The Ascension Throne was destroyed, and perhaps that was for the better, but it didn't do much good when Valtharn had been the last to use it. "The six Draconic relics. From six Dragons? And more on the Iulure Isles... though, I'm going to presume there's a reason nobody thought to just go there first, if they're the ones everyone seems to know about?" He'd personally never heard of them, though now he was morbidly curious, if either Raskalarn or Karem still had the patience to answer the bombardment of questions he'd asked during this meeting. "If there's anything of significantly more power than the Immortals, I think I'd like to meet one, before I face one again."

He did intend to face one, didn't he? In fact, he'd now quite strongly suggested his intentions to face down two, arguably the two most challenging of the world. "I do intend to take them down. Valtharn shouldn't have that power, nobody should. Faldrun's brought nothing but misery and pain to me and so many others. So, cards on the table." He drew in a breath. "I trust you with my soul," he told Karem directly. "You say I shouldn't hunt them down, that I don't stand a chance, then I won't. But I want to use what I have now to make this world a better place to live in, and it's a damn sight better without either of them. You've given me... most of everything good in my life, and I expect nothing more, but if you agree with my fight, and you have anything else I should know about as your Champion, then please, tell me now." He leaned an inch closer and lowered his voice to a near-whisper. "Starting with what Malorite plate is, please. I feel embarrassed asking Raskalarn, she's gonna laugh at me."

Except, then he straightened again and looked to Raskalarn as well. "Thank you for coming, by the way. I know Valtharn was your soldier, but I know you sent us out to find those artefacts and stop Kata, and I know Valtharn stabbed Faldrun in the back while he was defenceless and... I hate to presume, but since she's not contacted you, I'm presuming you're not on speaking terms. If you want her dead, and you trust me to do the job - I'd like your help. I'd like to know who I'm fighting against, exactly. What she knows, through what you know. Any information on the Imperial tactics that you don't tell the tourists visiting Korlasir for a three-day tan. Any tools like that Throne that might come in handy, even if they're currently unusable." Like the Throne hadn't been, apparently.

Then, he raised a hand, and Sage appeared in his palm. The Emean Being from beyond the Immortal Domains. "And if either of you know of a way to re-enter the Beyond. This little guy was bound to me during my time away, and... while I've never managed to bridge the gap between his mind and mine, I think it's time that I put a little more effort it. If Valtharn is hiding in the distant corners of Emea, they might be another way of finding her that nobody, especially not her, will anticipate."

[Basilisk]

Raskalarn nodded when Nir'wei asked if Valtharn knew her powers well. "Better than anyone but me, most likely." she said, before they both listened to him work through his thought process. When he asked what she wanted, though, the two Immortals looked at each other for a brief moment, then shook their heads. "Not particularly, no. She's hasn't shown herself to have any overarching goals or plans since her exile. Frankly, she's not the type for world domination under her own auspices. Even as an Imperial Marshal, administration was never something she enjoyed, and her personal pride was in her skills as a soldier and commander, not as a civil leader." she said, shaking her head. "It's going to be part of what makes her difficult to find and deal with, frankly." she said, her tone reserved.

Then Nir'wei showed them the key to Faldrun's Domain and explained what it meant and what he wanted to do, and the Immortals shared another look before turning back to Nir'wei. "Destroying Faldrun's Domain, should, in theory, prevent his revival. We don't know what else might happen, however. Something else to beware of, however, is that none of those three Domains are unoccupied." she said, her tone calm. Karem took over from there, the Immortal of Wolves leaning forward. "Our Domains are more than just the source of our power. When an Immortal Marks someone, we have a say in the final fate of their soul during their Judgement. Instead of simply passing on, we can bring those we have marked, Cursed or Blessed, into our Domains if we so choose. In the religious terminology of Idalos, our Domains also serve as both our heavens and our hells. While Syroa, Faldrun, and Audrae all died, their Domains were not destroyed, and it would be wise to assume that they are still inhabited by Blessed and Cursed alike, most notably, former Champions." she said, her tone calm. "Barring a very few special cases, all of the Blessed are not only likely to still be loyal to their Immortal, they're liable to still be in possession of as much of the Blessing as they had when they were alive." she said, her tone calm.

When Nir'wei spoke of stealing Faldrun's power, Raskalarn shrugged. "I don't know what will happen if a Domain is destroyed without the powers being stolen first. It's never happened, and could well mean the end of all of Faldrun's powers, which would...be unfortunate, honestly. We may well have need of his Domains." she said, some annoyance to her tone there. When Nir'wei started talking to Karem, Raskalarn turned and started petting the oversized wolf sitting next to Karem. She wasn't Nir'wei's patron and so she had no part of the discussion. Karem leaned forward when he spoke however, then nodded when he asked if there was anything else he should know. "There are things you should know, but I am not a position to tell some of them. I was created well after the defeat of the Dragons, and so I never had firsthand experience with them. Nor am I the expert on Valtharn." she said, before thinking for a moment.

"However, as to the three whose Domains remain, I can give some more information. Faldrun never trusted Mortals, and so he never had that many Champions at once. He also didn't take particularly good care of his Champions, and he had a tendency to go through them quicker than is widely considered wise. The result is that while he doesn't have that many Champions here in Idalos, there will be more than you might expect in his Domain." she said, before frowning in thought. "If, of course, he bothered to pick any of them up in their Judgement. Faldrun had little love for Mortals, and I could well see him not caring enough to take any of his Marked into his Domain following their deaths, if not outright refusing because he would see that as polluting his Domain. It could well be that Faldrun's Domain is barren now, though even then, I doubt its defenseless." she said, her tone thoughtful.

"As to the other two, Audrae guarded her secrets jealously, and she was never one for friends. Barring perhaps Sintra or maybe her Vice Queens in Augiery, I doubt if there's anyone who knows the true contents of her Domain." she said, before shaking her head. "Much of the same is true of Syroa. That one only had three regular allies, and Aelig is deader than she is. However, she was much closer to her other ally, Lisirra. Lisirra does still live, though no one knows where she's been hiding since Sintra's attack on Rhakros. If you find her, she might be able to give you some information that Syroa's Domain." she said, her tone calm. Then she leaned closer to Nir'wei and lowered her voice. "Malorite is one of the three rarest metals in Idalos, and the only one of the three that can be acquired without Immortal aid. It's sometimes thought to come from meteors and makes for some of the strongest armors ever forged. That armor of hers probably cost enough to fund a moderately sized country for a few years." she said, her tone calm and her voice low.

When Nir'wei spoke to Raskalarn again, about Valtharn, the Immortal Empress let out a quiet, sad sigh. "Valtharn wasn't just my soldier. She was one of my Champions, and she is my daughter. She doesn't just know Imperial tactics, she used to help devise them, to the point where she was just about our leading expert on fighting in the snow and ice. Our primary tactics aren't exactly a secret, since it's hard to keep the movement of the largest organized armies in the world a secret." she said, her tone calm, but subdued. "We don't exactly keep a traditional log of secret tactics. Those are all more situational. Knowing our tactics won't help against her much, however. She knows them too well to make them viable in use against her, and she doesn't have the numbers to use them herself." she said, before pausing a moment. "But as to your question of what I want...I don't want her dead. I never have. But I she's not left us much choice." she said, her sorrow for what happened to her daughter showing in her voice.

"As to the remainder of Anox's artifacts, I'm already working on that. I've had all of Anox's old artifacts and places of power that I can find watched for centuries. Following the activation of the Ascension, I've been making sure that they really are as useless as I thought the Ascension was. Usually by outright breaking them." she said, her tone calm. When he showed them Sage, the two Immortals gave the Emean a curious look, and then Raskalarn shook her head. "Emea has been a mess since the Ascension was activated. I'm not sure anything beyond the Immortal Domains and the Dreamscapes can be accessed now, but I can see what I can find." she said, her tone calm.

[Nir'wei]

How was it possible that every question he asked had perhaps the worst possible answer?

"So there's no motive. Or at least, not one that... anyone can think of, really. For what she's already done, nor what she might do next," he summed up quickly, staring into the space between them both with an intense concentration. Could someone be pulling at the strings in the background, and what could they hope to gain from such actions, considering how unintended the opening had been in their absence? "In some ways, it makes it easier. Smaller acts of crime, minor conflicts. If she's searching for personal gain and no higher goals, it might be easier to track her potential activity and contain her before it gets out of hand." They were all still very lucky that she hadn't decided to pull her full weight to bear, if this was the power and knowledge she commanded even before her ascension.

Even more dire was the news of Faldrun's Domain. "I didn't expect it to be easy," he admitted with a shrug, "but... well, I'm glad to know about this now before deciding to run inside." There was no telling just what the Champions of Faldrun could hold in store for them, especially if they were all still at their peak of strength. Not just them, but all the higher-ranked Marked of his Domain, all united in force against the intruders and likely intent on sacrificing themselves if it meant their patron could live... since the Domain was their afterlife, and its destruction would mean their certain end regardless. "I agree, though. Faldrun's Domains... everything they have, everything they are. Against Valtharn, especially, they'll be invaluable. If the Ascension Throne pieces aren't enough, though, then there's no telling what would be necessary to take it." There was one thing absolutely certain, though, and he pulled a face of disgust just thinking of it. "No matter what happens, though, we're running out of time. What happened to Daia could happen to them, and they all have considerable more followers than she did with a very large investment in returning them all. Waiting too long while searching for a way to take his strength during his greatest period of weakness gives them a chance to attempt it without contest. If there's a time where a decision must be made between killing him or risking his return, he must die. The damage done by his death would pale to what he does to us all over the next few hundred arcs. Same goes for Syroa or Audrae."

Finally, more bad news on the Valtharn front... and this time, he really didn't try to hide a sigh. "So she didn't just copy from your playbook... she mostly wrote the damn thing." He still wanted to learn, admittedly - even if there was nothing particularly secret about these things, he still stood before Raskalarn, a being with countless years of military experience and training under her belt. Powers and strength barely restrained under her surface that made him shudder to think about... but if Valtharn was as battle-hardened as suggested, there was nothing to say she wouldn't turn even the insides of her own strategies in new and unexpected ways to thwart his perceptions. "In that case... I'll have to write my own." Another impossible task to add to an ever-expanding list that towered over him like an obelisk. "She knows about the Imperial Wolf-Walkers, she knows Imperial warfare. I'll make something new. A different way to fight, one that'll put me on an even footing." He'd have to rebuild himself. Unlearn that which he'd worked with for so long and start fresh, but he could do it, with time, and determination.

Raskalarn's moment of true emotion was a stalling point - a moment of light shining in a dark and sterile environment. "I'm sorry." He hadn't known Valtharn was her daughter, but he should have guessed, really. "There's rarely any pleasure to take from it. It's not personal. It's not... for the thrill." Just what had to be done, what her actions had turned into an appropriate response, knowingly or otherwise.

"That's everything I had to ask, I suppose." He nodded to them both, quite unsure what to do with himself now. "I suppose, while you continue," he nodded to Raskalarn, "I will begin hunting for... well, dragons. Wherever they are now, or directly to Iulure. Emea might be a mess, but if there's anything that can navigate it... it's this one," he said with another little bounce of the Emean sitting in his palm, several purple glowing eyes peering and swivelling between the two beings. "I will prepare for Faldrun's Domain. Faith Augustin holds the other two keys, and will hopefully end up joining me, once I've asked nicely... whatever powers he holds, whatever can be scavenged or drawn from that place might hold more keys to progress. Valtharn, her traces, her touch needs to be found, and I will try, but if she's found, I don't think I can face her, not as I am now." The only thing to do would be to delay and distract. Hunt and seek. A long game of wolf and lion.

"Thank you for what you've told me today." He had to stop himself short of saying that he was in their debt, especially when looking to Raskalarn again, since she'd been under no obligation to arrive nor provide any of the details she had. He was acting in her best interests too, he had to remind himself. "I intend to put it all to good use. For all of our sakes. I also wonder - I hope - that if our interests are aligned and you agree with the cause, you would be willing to... give us aid, should we request it, when the time comes." The part he hated most - putting it all down on the table, and asking nicely, when he turned to Raskalarn directly and did his best to break through the formality, the order, the finery. "I don't give a shit what all of Scalvoris seems to say, you've been nothing but a good person to me. It would be my pleasure to stand for you, or with you. Even if Valtharn knows all your powers and trained all the Imperial Legion herself, it's better than nothing." It was a big ask, and he knew it, though - asking her to turn on her own daughter, even if she'd been the one to turn first. "If not her, then the other Immortals. To snuff them out forever. If you're the one to find another way through first, I'm at your call, too." Something vaguely like an alliance, if not in those words.

His eyes turned back to Karem, afterwards, his voice dropping low again, though not so low that Raskalarn probably wouldn't hear anyway. "And you - when were you planning on telling me about Imperial Wolf-Walkers, huh?!" Okay, there was no hiding a little bit of excitement. They sounded like his kind of people. "And this Malorite. If it's the only one that doesn't need Immortal aid then the other two do, right? Because I've got to be honest, this job I've got pays well but it isn't enough to get a set myself, and certainly not enough to make a weapon that can cut it. If a weapon like that could ever be made at all." He winced at himself. Foolish, to be talking about silly things like money issues with an Immortal in the first place. "I know I'm asking for a favour, and a big one - but like when I requested you be here today, you know I wouldn't ask at all unless it was necessary, and you know that it is, and what it's going to be used for. If I end up going against Champions... could you create a weapon that could match them?" Whether or not he could wield it, of course, would be down to him. "And what can I do to make it up to you?"

[Basilisk]

Raskalarn and Karem watched quietly as Nir'wei processed what they had told him. That Valtharn had no over-arching motive seemed to concern them rather less than it did him, however. "Valtharn's nature makes her unpredictable, true. But as she proved during the battle after the Ascension, she's actually comparatively easy to stop. If the effort outstrips the reward she'd receive from it, she'll just up and leave. She's rather less than likely to fall prey to sunk cost fallacies, which is what made, for instance, Ellasin Dathlande such a drawn out threat during the war against her. She just wouldn't back off once it was clear that her forces weren't going to be winning that war." Raskalarn said, her tone calm. "On top of this, Valtharn has never liked drawing attention to herself, both before and after going rogue. Big, nation and world threatening actions aren't going to be something she does. Frankly, out of the current major threats, she's one of the least dangerous of them on anything other than a personal level." the Empress said, her tone calm.

When Nir'wei brought up using Faldrun's Domains against Valtharn, it was Karem who shook her head. "The Domains once wielded by Faldrun are not likely to be much use against Valtharn. Turmoil is like to strengthen the effects of her new Domains, whereas Fire and The Sun are things that she likely has defenses against already. It is highly unlikely that Faldrun and Valtharn ever truly trusted each other, and were thus likely anticipating betrayal. Faldrun was merely arrogant enough to assume his powers would protect him, and if hadn't been for the Ascension, they might well have done so." she said, her tone calm. When she spoke of his concerns about the dead Immortals reviving, however, she shook her head again. "The revival of Daia was the combination of several unique circumstances, not the least of which was several other Immortals aiding in her revival. Daia was, and is, beloved by many Immortals. The same is not true of Faldrun, Audrae, and Syroa. Far fewer are going to be willing to give of themselves to see their return. Moreover, while the three of them had strong worshipper bases, Faldrun in particular is unlikely to have shared Immortal secrets with his followers, while at least one of the Champions of Audrae has since revealed herself to have been a life-long traitor and sided with the Dragon Kuvarakh." she said, her tone showing some amusement at that last bit.

Raskalarn snorted when Nir'wei said that Valtharn mostly wrote the Imperial Playbook. "Hardly. She was the expert at winter combat, yes, but many others wrote the rest of our strategies, far from the least of that number being myself and Karem." she said, more openly dismissive of that comment. She did, however, nod approvingly when Nir'wei said he'd have to come up with his own strategies. She nodded again when Nir'wei offered his condolences and said that stopping Valtharn was nothing personal. "Thank you. And I know." she said, her tone calm. It did not appear, despite the moment of emotion, that she was prepared to open up her emotions any further. Both Immortals nodded when Nir'wei explained his plans for the future, as well. "We'll give what aid we can. Neither of us can destroy or kill an Immortal, any more than another Immortal could do the same to us." the Empress said, her tone calm.

Raskalarn gave another nod at Nir'wei's next words to her. "Thank you, Champion of Karem." she said, genuine gratitude in her voice. While Nir'wei spoke to Karem again, she again turned her attention to Karem's animals, this time towards Karem's golden deer. Meanwhile, Karem gave Nir'wei a slightly amused smile when he asked about Imperial Wolf-Walkers. "You have met my daughter. Did you never ask her where more of my Blessed might be found? I assure you, she knows where my hunters are wont to gather quite well." she said, her tone still amused. When the talk turned to weapons and armor, Karem nodded. "In truth, Malorite may no longer be sufficient regardless. Valtharn is an Immortal now, so she will be able to acquire the other metals on her own, and Malorite was not the material used when the war against Dragons was waged." she said, her tone thoughtful. When Nir'wei asked her to make him the weapon he would need, she shook her head. "I cannot. I am no smith, capable of making weapons to match the mightiest foes. You will instead need to speak my sister, Aeva. Or rather, I will have to arrange your appointment at her Forge. Aeva forged the greatest weapons and armor that Immortalkind ever wielded, and if anyone can make you a weapon equal to your tasks, it is her." she said, her tone calm.

[Nir'wei]

It was really quite difficult to tell if Raskalarn or Karem were genuinely concerned that Valtharn held such immense power at all. Though their assessment did nothing but strengthen his belief that she was cold, calculating and a clear potential threat to longstanding peace, it was quite clear that she'd been relegated to little more than another nuisance to be mitigated. "That's not stopping her, respectfully... that's just discouraging her. If Ellasin hadn't bought into that sunk cost, then she would still be at large, doing who knows what if she couldn't be drawn back out of the shadows again." It made her slightly more predictable, but realistically, it was another hurdle to overcome - and its insight into her character just proved she was entirely out for herself and her own interests, whether those involved grand schemes or nation-ending action. Not particularly inspiring. Just a little comforting, he supposed, to know that there was little chance of the world ending in the near future.

The same could be said of their assessment of the dead Immortals. Their powers having little use, well, that at least made sense. Faldrun had lived for a very long time before his demise and made a lot of enemies, so of course they'd all have countermeasures in place, whether they'd ever had time to really use them or not. He held one himself, in Cyshe... why should it be any surprise that others wouldn't consider the same thing? However, he didn't bother to hide his scepticism as they spoke of Daia. "I understand, though forgive me for being... over-cautious. A lot of impossible things seem to be happening lately." The fact that Faldrun, among many others, had died at all was such an improbable act that he felt wary leaving anything else to chance when it came to him. "I'll rest easy when everything that remains of whatever he used to be is scattered like ash." Still. Another thing to scratch from the list of immediate concerns, he supposed, with a slight twist of the mouth at the mention of Audrae. The Immortal of Secrets must have missed a big one to not see that coming.

The rest was just nods, with information quietly stored away and the occasional little smile. The Imperial Playbook was frankly something he still needed to catch up on to begin with, if he was going to intentionally divert from it and make a new script of his own. There must be a new Marshal, to replace the space vacated by Valtharn... perhaps there were many older specimens, books, journal entries, or something else he could pillage for tips. Maybe he'd have to pay some more visits to the Empire himself to ask those that knew, since there was no better teacher than a live field and a living, breathing opponent. The Empress didn't seem the kind that would entertain him with such things personally, but who knew, maybe she'd know a few people who would. Well, actually. Karem seemed to have an answer he'd never quite considered on that front. "Her current station made it seem... less likely. I've heard whispers that I'm an Imperial spy, and I've never even visited the Empire." He levelled his gaze at her slightly. "Besides, I did ask about Imperial Wolf-Walkers, not just your average Blessed. But, I'll be sure to ask her next time I see her, as a starting point." That seemed to be the end of that.

The last point, though... he paused, cocking his head in clear thought. "I hadn't thought about it that way." But it made sense, of course. Valtharn now had access to all the same things other Immortals did - possibly more, considering her sheer level of raw power. Not even weapons or armour granted by the Immortals themselves would work, though he'd of course heard from Tio about Cassion and the strange sword that had "killed" him. "But you're right. Aeva's weapons would only be the greatest Immortalkind could wield, or offer. Valtharn has the strength, the combined power of more Immortals than any one has ever had before, right. She's just still new to them." He half-turned away, eyes darting as he stared into nothing. "It's just like with the Playbook. It's not enough to play by the rules, because she'll know them, inside and out. Going to the strongest Immortal with a weapon crafted by Immortals? The same weapons she knows and sees, perhaps she's even held a few herself, or she's out there making some? No." There was something else, but it made him shudder slightly just thinking about it. "It all goes back to the Beyond. When I was out there, I saw things. Fought things that I won against, but you know, I had no right to. And Sage... I don't know what he is, not a damn clue, but I know that if he exists, there are things like him. There might be more to... all of it - and somewhere, all the Immortals of Idalos willing, that holds the answer."

The answer to Sage? To Valtharn? To the Beyond itself, and its Gate? He didn't really know, but he'd settle for any.

"Thank you. Both of you, again, for agreeing to see me. If it's alright with you, Karem, I'd still like to take you up on that offer. Aeva... well, she'd still know more about this than me. Apart from that, I think I've found all the answers that I need." Except when that 'something' was big and fluffy. Then he'd make an exception.

[Basilisk]

Raskalarn inclined her head towards Nir'wei when he pointed out that driving Valtharn off didn't qualify as stopping her. "You would be wise to adjust your definitions when it comes to facing Immortals. Something like what happened at Anox's Folly is a rarity beyond comprehension, and now that several of us are dead and the Dragons have returned, many of us will be be far more on guard than we have been these past seven centuries." she said, her tone calm. "Denying a monster its goal can be just as vital as slaying it, and driving someone like Valtharn away, even if she survives, will mean innocent lives saved from death and torment. Do not get so focused on a singular goal that you lose sight of other accomplishments. They may well be more valuable." she said, her tone gentle, as if she were a teacher.

She did, however, nod when Nir'wei pointed out that much that was impossible had been happening in the past few arcs. "They have indeed. That which was once beyond all measure is now becoming reality. But the impossible cannot be planned for, no matter how much we try. Even that which can be partially predicted can't be planned around. The shield around Iulure or the Barriers, for instance. Even if we expect them to fall, we cannot plan for it because we have no way of knowing what will happen if they do. If you let that worry consume you, it will make you a danger to even your allies." she said, her voice still in that gentle teacher tone. She turned her attention back to Karem's giant wolf while Nir'wei spoke to his patron, however.

Karem rolled her eyes when Nir'wei brought up the rumors that he was an Imperial spy. "We will try not to be offended by that insult. If we sent an Imperial Agent to Scalvoris, they would not be easily identified. Nor would it likely be one of my Champions." Karem said, her voice showing her amusement. When he mentioned that he had specifically asked about Imperial Wolf-Walkers, however, her mouth twitched slightly in something that was almost an amused smile. "I have been part of The Eternal Empire since it was founded. I would assume it follows naturally that I have a sizeable portion of my Blessed in the Empire." she said, her tone sounding like she was trying not to laugh.

When he talked about not taking Aeva's gear because it was the standard option, however, Karem shook her head. "Now you are being a bit silly. Valtharn would not have any sort of vast familiarity with Aeva's weapons or armor. My sister doesn't give her mastercrafts out to anyone. Most Champions never receive the benefit of her work. Moreover, even if she does have Corvantite or Euvomine, she would not have access to anyone capable of crafting it to Aeva's level. Even my nephew Ethelm, who is the Mortalborn of Smithing, cannot match my sister in the art. There is none who can match her for experience, knowledge, or skill at the forge." Karem said, her tone firm.

Raskalarn turned back to the two when Karem finished speaking. "Valtharn has not used one of Aeva's weapons. Even the blades she wielded as my Champion and Marshal were not of Aeva's make. Even I only have a very few and I do not wield them often. For any fight, against Immortal, Mortalborn, or Dragon, there are no weapons or armor that will serve you better than that which comes from her forge." she said, her tone calm. When he spoke of the Beyond, however, Karem shook her head slightly. "I would advise against you returning to Emea on such a journey. The Dream World is not the same as when you traversed it previously. The outer realms are no longer accessible, and I can no longer be sure that I could recover you if something went wrong, even with Saoire's help." she said, her tone showing her concern.

When he said he was ready to go, Karem stood and put a hand on his shoulder. "You are my Champion, and I always make time as best I can when they need me. But one last word of advice. Do not let yourself get so overfocused on one or two enemies that you miss greater threats. Such a thing invariably leads to tragedy." she said, and Nir'wei would be able to tell that Karem spoke from experience on that matter. Not to something she had experienced personally, but something she had borne witness to. "If there is nothing else, I will return you to your office." she said, her tone calm.