Your talk with Odin was something you'd desperately needed, something that for just a moment allowed you to forget about the threats scratching at the walls. You gave him a big hug (as per usual) before eventually relenting as his neutral expression shifted to one of slight annoyance.
"Father. You need not do that *every* time."
"Of course I do, it's mandatory! Cause I mandated it!"
"That's not how th-... nevermind. It is indeed good to see you, without your constant distractions I was getting too productive."
You rolled your eyes, before pausing and actually looking at something that had been nagging at your senses. "Kiddo did you...you made a DIVINE REALM!?"
"Yes, upon noticing the increasing amount of 'Khorne' followers, along with their inherent attachment to bloodshed, I decided to be productive and make a countermeasure."
He gestured towards a seemingly endless series of feasting halls and battle-pits, the smallest hint of pride in his eyes as he did so. "Those who worship us and thirst for battle have their souls go here, a recreation of the mortal concept of 'Valhalla'. This robe the Hound of souls and power, as no longer will he gain strength from *all* who do war."
You were flabbergasted, taking a moment to process it before patting Odin on the shoulder. "This is...it's amazing, I'm proud of you son...more then you can possibly imagine."
Odins blank expression shifted, as his mouth twitched upwards into a grin until he swiftly brought himself back into neutrality. "Thank you father, it is all in service to you."
You chuckled. "How about you do me some service by shaving that beard then? You'll never meet a nice girl by looking like you crawled out of a bush!"
"Father please."
"Apollo at least keeps his styled, you meanwhile have a badger nesting on your chin!"
"I hate you so much right now."
Odin has constructed his own small afterlife of sorts, where warriors souls go in waiting in order to weaken the Hound. Yet he has another suggestion in mind, to merge Valhalla with your realm in order to make an 'Army of souls'.
You are uncertain how such a thing would work, while being certain it would definitely attract all kinds of attention. It would also put a strain on future developments of the afterlife, seeing as this army would be most likely high in maintenance. Still, the idea seems tempting...
Eventually you elected to-
[ ] Merge the realms- the army of Souls will be made, for when the time comes.
[ ] Leave well enough alone- The forming of such a thing would be laborious, while also poking some bears...
The following years were harrowing, as Europe burned and the world at large found itself in an upheaval. It would take years to be rid of all the cultists, years in which thousands upon thousands of men from Africa, Asia, and the middle east would perish in order to reclaim each inch of ground.
Innovations were made, ways to fight and purge the taint, along with more mundane advancements in war. Eventually peace would come, yet the reward was the greatest amount of deaths in all recorded history by far. An entire continent nearly emptied out of life, it's remaining people's permanently scarred and traumatized by what needed to be done in order to survive.
The lands loyal to the Caretaker found themselves in a period of mourning, while in the America's knowledge of the 'Old world' and a war that nearly consumed all brings about terror along with numerous societal changes.
It will take *hundreds* of years to rebuild, but...that they have that chance at all is enough to be thankful for. You weep at the state of your children, but these tears are felt by them as a comforting rain that washes away their suffering at last.
Your *true* children meanwhile, whisper and plot among themselves as they think on ways to safeguard humanity, thinking on how to prevent this from ever happening again. Such thoughts do not have much time to develop however, as you feel a *lurch* in your very being.
Dread creeps in, as you know this feeling.
Another great sleep is soon to come.
They, understandably, did *not* take the news well. Odin stewed behind the others as he descended into analytics, Apollo was angry at the universe, while Isis...
"How bad will it be?"
"I will essentially fall into a coma, for how long I'm uncertain...could be thousands of years."
She let out a deep breath, her expression falling with every word that came from your mouth. "I don't know if we can keep any of this going without you..."
"You already have kiddo, if it weren't for you three humanity as we know it would be gone. It doesn't matter how well we lead our armies, if the people we fight for die of sickness and taint. You made a difference, remember that."
She chuckled as tears gathered in her eyes. "I'm...I'm going to miss you."
"I won't be dead princess, just...asleep. I'll even have some moments of awareness once in a blue moon, and I WILL be back eventually."
She merely nodded, hugging you before continuing to talk through her tears. "I know we're not a normal family, but I love you dad, even when your not here. I love your empathy, I love your stupid jokes, and I love your trust."
"Two out of three there kiddo, the jokes are awesome and you know it."
"I know you'll never stop until I agree, so sure."
"I'll take it."
With that, you let out a sigh of relief. Gesturing for the others to come over, you began to talk not as a war council, but as a family. The kids were growing up fast, already so different and showing interests beyond your own. You found yourself at a crossroads on that part, eventually deciding to-
[ ] Encourage them- Push them to work on their own goals and desires, results will...vary, but they all have good intentions.
[ ] Reign them in- Have them focus only on maintaining the course, something that will be especially necessary in the times to come.
You finally had some alone time, until of course, reality burst your bubble again. This time it was that presence from earlier, the Aeldari divinity knocking upon your mind like one would a door. You took time to note that also much like a door, this presence could have just broken down your mind and rooted through it with some effort.
The fact it didn't gave whatever it was *some* points, that along with you not having much time meant you decided to go ahead and speak with them. Immediately your presence shifted, moved into a new space of the immaterium far beyond what you'd explored. It was a garden of such beauty you struggled to describe it even when looking right at it's graceful form, alien flora and fauna in such a verdant state you could hardly take your eyes off of it.
You did eventually, as you were roused from your admiration by another.
"I'm glad to see you can recognize the beauty of nature, it shows a certain kind of mentality I find many lack."
You turned, your gaze falling onto the lady that had apparently summoned you. She was tall and lithe, to a degree that seemed unnatural to you. Her skin was light as a blooming lily, while her long curling hair was a shade of red that brought to mind a field of roses. Eventually it clicked, and you understood that before you was Isha, the mother goddess of the Aeldari.
"I see that you recognize me as well, at the very least you have the mind needed to be curious." Her voice was graceful above all else, carrying along to one's ears like a spring breeze through a grove.
You looked down at yourself for a bit, looking at your own form and admittedly feeling a tad self conscious. Hers was like a great work of art, while you seemed like the work of a hobbyist. Still, you found yourself enjoying the 'plain' image, it meant you could appeal to many more then you could otherwise. The color of your skin, hair, or eyes was irrelevant, especially in comparison to what you sought to represent.
Such thinking was brought to a halt as you remembered that you were meeting with an incredibly powerful alien goddess, with you finally speaking up in a neutral tone. "Curiosity is one of the defining traits of my children, one of my favorites."
Upon hearing your words Isha smiled, a flash of...understanding...passing across her eyes. "My children were in many ways just as curious during their beginning, so eager to learn and discover." She seemed wistful and nostalgic, for an era that preceded your birth by thousands of years.
It reminded you of the events leading up to this. "I must ask, why have you brought me here? I have nothing to offer you." Some would consider it foolish to say such a thing in a conversation, but he would rather be honest then struck down for false promises.
Isha merely smiled again, this one much more faint and laced with some form of bitterness.* "Oh but I'm afraid you do, you are a survivor. No other race besides ours in all my years of knowledge has ever overcome a true chaotic incursion, especially by multiple of the 3."
She moved to sit on nothing, but before you could even open your mouth in alarm a tree spontaneously grew in the perfect form of a natural chair beneath her. "It's a special kind of thing, the will to push on. It lays inherently in all life, yet in some it is much more apparent." Her gaze fell upon you know, heavy with emotions you could not fully decipher. "There is a storm approaching, far in the distance for now."
You had no idea what she spoke off, until you could remember the odd draining of faith you'd sensed earlier in your investigations of the Aeldari. "You believe chaos will grow in strength?"
"It is *always* growing in strength."
"Why tell me this then? Why not plan with your pantheon instead of a stranger?"
She pursed her lips, staring at a nearby field of flowers in a bid to seemingly ease her mind. "I have...strained my relationship with the others, my desire to stay connected with my children goes against many of their view's. Much frustration and anger brews among them, they cannot agree on hardly anything now let alone strategize."
You could tell there was more there, but made the choice to refrain from pushing. "What about me then? What makes *me* any different?"
She paused, stewing in thought before speaking firmly. "You have the empathy and respect for life necessary for me to believe pitching this bargain is possible in the first place, along with the record showing you can do what I'd ask of you."
"...That being?"
She sighed, sadness entering her expression for the first time. "My children grow distant, their worship focused on *other* things. They throw themselves into debauchery, then renounce me when I do not abide by it." The ultimate frustration, something you could empathize with. "I believe in time there will come a reckoning that will bring great ruin to the galaxy, and even in this state I REFUSE to abandon my children. Some of them, a small minority, hold fast to their true selves."
Her hand trembled for but a second, as she quickly centered herself in a desire to show no weakness. "Of this minority only a fraction will likely make it, beyond unacceptable for obvious reasons. I...need you to shield them, to be there when I no longer can."
You were taken aback, unable to reply for what felt like the longest time. "How...why...what do you think I could possibly do that you couldn't?"
"The 3 would never expect it, you can use that surprise to blindside them. You are also, unfortunately...the only one I believe who would even ponder this bargain."
She was right with that one at least, your brother would certainly have some words about this... "Say I did accept, what would I gain from this?"
Isha became calm again, the act of negotiation being something she could use to mask her emotions. "By protecting this small enclave, you would naturally learn from them over time our peoples secrets." She shuddered at this but kept going. "It would be an obvious boon to your people, in exchange you would have to devote attention into keeping them alive."
No easy task, especially as you were now. Could you really afford to pull something like this? Not to mention the reaction your brother would have when he found out...well, *if* he found out.
"I'm assuming this would have to be a secret for the both of us?"
"The others would hand me back over to Khaine for certain if they found out, but if my worries prove true...you will not have to worry about them."
A chill went up your spine, and ominous sensation that left you filled with dread. "I'll...I'll think on it."
With that, you quickly moved back to your own domain, sinking into a deep pit of worry. What the fuck was going to happen that got one of the *AELDARI* scared to this extent? If the scale was as big as they said, it would most likely affect mankind as well...
You just wished you had more time, but as exhaustion set in you knew there was none remaining. A choice had to be made, before the Sleep took you once more.
[ ] Attempt to save some Aeldari from 'the end'- A large investment, an even larger gamble, but to think of the rewards...
[ ] leave them to their fate- You couldn't afford to expand what would likely be a large chunk of energy on a different species, especially now of all times...
Either way, you found your eyes drooping as your awareness dimmed. All that could be done now, was to hope the choices made would be ones you wouldn't have to mourn when you woke.
AN: Wrote this all up at 2 in the morning, cause my muse is a real ass sometimes. In brighter news, you can finally vote again in this quest, a format that's centered around the concept of voting!
We're finally reaching the big shit lads, strap in your seatbelts and be wary.
