Eldar Epiloguees

[IncubiLord]

As the campaign comes to an end, we'd like to encourage everybody involved to write the ending for their own army.

Eldar players, this is your last word on the story of Tiorl 7 - for now...

[kyrolon]

The Messenger of Triumph drifted slowly toward the bay in which it would rest until its next mission. Vialia stared out of the crystal screen before her at the immense fleet hold of Alaitoc. Countless ships moved about on silent wings within the large open cavern grown into the surface of the ancient craftworld. Tiny frigates and destroyers swam through the zero gee environment like schools of fish in the long lost oceans of the home worlds while larger vessels like the Messenger prowled among them as sleek predators. In the bay next to the one the Messenger was destined for a pair of gigantic Void Stalker class battleships slumbered, awaiting the next day they would be called to war in the name of Khaine. A lone figure stood on the reception platform in minute testimony to the size of the gargantuan ships. The Messenger's helmsman carefully guided the ship to a soft touch of the docking platform. As the ship's motion ceased a smooth ramp extended itself from the wraithbone platform to couple with the access port on the side of the Messenger. Within seconds the gravity and atmosphere fields of the docking platform were also extended around the ship as it settled into its mooring cradle. With a sigh the Farseer nodded her appreciation to the bridge crew and headed for the door to the bridge, leaving them to see to the last details of settling the Messenger into place.

Vialia returned to her home with mixed feelings. The Tiorl campaign had had mixed outcomes for Alaitoc. She remained sure that the dark crystal ship of the Old Ones was the object of her visions. The thing that remained unsettled in her mind was whether or not they had actually done the thing she envisioned. She had meditated on that very subject during the entire month long trip back from Tiorl to Alaitoc, and had come to no conclusion yet. Clearly, they had succeeded in saving the ship from destruction, but to leave it effectively in the hands of the Dark Kin did not sit well with her. The matter demanded further reflection.

Her thoughts carried her to the edge of the docking platform where the figure she had seen from the bridge awaited her. She immediately recognized Galtharion, a seer apprentice to Farseer Leiannara, the most senior member of Alaitoc's ruling council, and the mentor to her teacher Nivellian. Galtharion was attempting to keep his emotions in check, but he was clearly nervous about something to Vialia's practiced eye. She put that thought aside for a moment and paused to take in the sense of the Craftworld.

The time away had been difficult. To her seer's senses the Tiorl system had seemed remote, desolate. Here once again within the secure confines of her home she could feel the connection to all those who went before more strongly. She felt the sense of life from the craftworld flowing through her once again and sensed the brilliant lights of the entirety of her kin contained within its walls. All of her senses were telling her that she was once again home.

Her momentary pause was noted by Galtharion as he gently brushed her mind with his to gain her attention.

"Yes, Galtharion, I see you there. I was just lost in my moment of homecoming."

"You are summoned to attend the council of Elders, Farseer."

"Very well, I shall be there as soon as possible."

"No, My Lady, I was instructed to bring you there immediately."

"Then lead on."

Vialia suddenly felt a little less welcome to be home.

Galtharion led as they entered one of the portals that led from the fleet bay to the central hub of Alaitoc. From there they mounted a transport skimmer which carried them quickly across the domes of the planet sized starship to the Spire of Deliberation, where the council of Elders awaited. Galtharion stopped at the entrance to stand beside the guards there. One exarch of each aspect type stood in ranks outside the room where the council met. The door irised open at Vialia's approach.

She had only been in this chamber once before. That had been what seemed a short time ago, but was really almost a decade, when she had been elevated to the rank of Farseer. Now she looked up at the great dais where the twelve most ancient of Alaitoc's rulers sat in council before her. Unlike their sister worlds of Ulthwe and Biel Tan the ruling council of Alaitoc did not come solely from a single caste. Instead there were members taken from the most ancient of all those who had risen to be the ultimate example of their castes. There were representatives of the seers in the form of Farseer Leiannara, as well as the Autarch Vellarion representing the warriors of Alaitoc. The other ten members came from those who cared for the craftworld's daily management in the form of traders, bonesingers, and explorers. In this way, no single group dominated the future of the craftworld. Since she had been summoned as a Farseer, today Leiannara sat in the central chair as the foremost among them. She felt the ancient's welcome in her mind and returned the greeting politely.

"Welcome, Vialia. It is good you have returned to us."

"It is good to be home again, Farseer."

"We have examined the reports of your time in Tiorl. How would you evaluate your performance?"

Vialia was caught off guard by the question. She hesitated for a moment before speaking which was apparent to all those in the room.

"I had a difficult time. Our plans did not unfold as I had anticipated at first. There were more threats in the Tiorl system than I had prepared for, and it cost us early setbacks. They were overcome though before the end, and my vision of retrieving the Old One ship from the hulk was fulfilled."

"So you say, Farseer, but can even you say that this is the case with clarity," asked the autarch.

"No, I cannot," she admitted reluctantly.

"Is it not true that even you doubt the success of your endeavors?" added the representative of the Bonesingers.

"Yes, it is."

Farseer Leiannara spoke next.

"Vialia, we raised you to the station of Farseer at a very young age. It is clear that you will not be leaving the path that you are on, but you are nevertheless very inexperienced for your rank. Your abilities as a seer are not in doubt. By every account in those duties you performed well. In your judgment, however, we have reservations. In particular it is troubling that you would make alliances with the humans and the Dark Kin."

"The alliances were necessary, Farseer."

"So you tell us, but surely you are aware of the state of conflict that exists between the craftworld and the Empire of Men."

"I am."

"And yet you made this alliance anyway. You put yourself in their debt, and caused great loss of life in sending Farseer Nivellian to attack the surface installations of the Krork."

"I did."

"Why did you do this? There was no gain to Alaitoc in this. It was already apparent the Old One ship would escape."

"I made an agreement."

Autarch Vallarion scoffed at the comment, "Foolish girl. Your word means nothing when dealing with animals."

"I felt it best to uphold the bargain."

The ancient autarch was about to say more, but Leiannara held up a hand silencing him.

"Why, Vialia?"

"Honor, My Lady. The humans had fought with honor to that point. Without them we would not have succeeded as far as we did. I wished to change their perception of us."

Vialia could see the incredulity on the faces of many of the council members. She knew they would not agree with her, but the looks some of them gave her almost caused her to recoil from them. Regardless, she pressed on.

"We are known as fickle, My Lords and Ladies. We are called liars and worse. My hope is that one day there will come a time when we need to call on the humans and they will remember this deed, and instead of calling us liars and fickle they will aid us in return."

Leiannara shook her head.

"Naive child, by the time such a favor is required the ones who would remember it will be long dead. You lost lives that we can ill afford, among them Autarchs Earan and Gaerin. You must always put the craftworld first. The humans are little more than animals. Feel no sense of pity or obligation for them. Worry instead for your own people. This is something you must learn, and until you do, we cannot trust you to work in the furtherance of Alaitoc's aims. I am truly sorry, Vialia, but we have no option but to send you away until such time as you divorce yourself from such romantic notions about the humans. Remove your robes."

Vialia stood stunned before them as the door to the council chamber opened behind her and the guard of Exarchs, along with Galtharion entered. Farseer Leiannara stood and descended from the dais. She approached Vialia as Galtharion took her robes as she shrugged them from her shoulders. Leiannara placed one hand on either side of Vialia's head.

"Viathaluramarapeneloralia, I hereby declare you Outcast."

A stinging sensation covered her from the crown of her head down to her toes. She felt Leiannara's mental powers wash through her and she didn't even try to resist. Suddenly the sense of homecoming she had earlier was gone. She no longer felt the familiar echoes running through her. Above all, she felt...empty. She felt compelled to leave as soon as possible.

"I am sorry it had to be this way child. Go now. With learning you will be allowed to return someday. You will know when the time comes."

Vialia couldn't speak as Leiannara took a wrapped bundle from her apprentice. She opened it to reveal the plain green and brown robes of an outcast, along with the traditional cameleoline cloak that would hide their shame. She immediately donned the robes as the cloak was wrapped around her shoulders by Autarch Vallarion. The exarchs from the Howling Banshees and the Dire Avengers, the two paths she had walked before becoming a seer, took up positions flanking her. With a nod from Farseer Leiannara they escorted her from the Spire of Deliberation.

As Vialia left Vallarion turned to Leiannara.

"That was ill done, Farsreer. Her failures were not enough to warrant this punishment."

"You are correct, Autarch, but I have foreseen a destiny for Vialia if she survives. Alaitoc will need her experience in the future, and like any good weapon she must be forged properly in Vaul's furnace. Being cast out into the galaxy to succeed or fail on her own will forge her into the weapon we need. I trust you have seen to it that she is not without aid?"

The autarch smiled, "I have, and it was not too much work either. Many of those who fought with her on Tiorl have gone into exile with her, including the fallen Exarchs."

"Even Gaerin?"

"Especially, Gaerin. He has made himself her protector."

"Then her chances of success have increased."

As the skimmer returned to the fleet hold Vialia's senses began to clear. The Messenger of Triumph awaited, but the ship had changed since she left it. No longer was it the mottled blue and yellow of Alaitoc. Instead the bonesingers had caused its wraithbone hull to change to a flat shade of grey, the colors of an independent raider. Likewise, she noted, several of the escorts that had been in Tiorl, including the Anthellion were of the same color. The platform beside the Messenger was also no longer empty. It was filled with troops including a large number of Rangers and Pathfinders as well as small numbers of Aspect Warriors. At the fore stood three very familiar figures, Reghild, Danar, and Gaerin in his huge wraithlord body.

Her escort left her at the entrance to the bay. She stepped forward to her three friends.

"No."

Do not presume to dictate to us, Exile, came the voice of the dead autarch in her mind.

She looked at Reghild.

"I am already cast out. That makes me free to travel where I wish."

She glanced at Danar, who had also donned the green and brown robes of an outcast.

"I wish to continue to learn from you, Vialia. And...until I learn to accept this," his hand rose to the scar on his face, " I cannot feel at home here."

She looked at them all again and straightened to her full height.

"Then let us depart. We will go forth and see what we can do to further the cause of Alaitoc, whether it acknowledges us or not."