ASURMEN: THE DARKER ROAD (2017)

Written by Gav Thorpe
Performed by Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Steve Conlin, Toby Longworth, Penelope Rawlins, Genevieve Swallow
Scripted by Reverend 



List of characters:
* Asurmen the Hand of Asuryan ? Eldar Phoenix Lord; 
* Dolkhiriath - Dire Avenger Exarch;  
* Shar-telion  - Farseer; 
* Eldrad Ulthran - Farseer;
* Oracle. 





CHAPTER 01
(low droning noise) 
Bathed in the spectral glow of the webway Stormlance speared into reality. Steed of legendary Asurmen, the ship resembled the dual-pointed dagger. Opening up like a fin1 the solar sail at the rear gleamed with energy as the starship slipped into the bathing energies of the local star. 
Ahead of the Phoenix Lord the destination hung in the freezing void. The craftworld of Ulthw?. From a distance it looked like the spiraling shell of an ammonite, made from silver and white. Its surface blistered2 by shining domes that housed entire landscapes of cloud-swathed3 mountains, green fields and forests, icy tundra and desert wastes. Towers pierced the vacuum between these domes linked by slender arching transit ways and transportation corridors like the tracery4 of a web. A cloud of starships followed the craftworld in a glittering trail moving back and forth between the docking spires and the webway gate. Stormlance extended a secondary pair of solar sails from the flanks of its dark green hull catching every particle of the solar wind that it could. The ship wove5 a twisting course, paying no heed6 to docking protocol or the niceties7 of berth8 allocation. 
The craftworld seemed stationary against the backdrop of stars but was in fact moving ever so slowly, drifting from one edge of the system to the other. Amongst the stars beyond was the bruise against the void, a hungry red and purple eye that looked out into the galaxy desiring to devour everything. A warp storm of such immense proportions it had swallowed the old Eldar empire. 
Asurmen, first of the Asurya, the creator of the path, regarded the storm coldly. 
Asurmen: “The heart of a god given semi-physical form. She Who Thirsts. The Heart of Death. The Great Enemy. The Womb of Destruction”.
His armor was a deep blue, his scarlet helm crested9 from front to back. He’d leaned forwards in the inertia cradle that held him, seeing Ulthw? through inputs that owed nothing to biological senses. Stormlance was simply an extension of his immortal will, it’s suite of detectors more acute than even the hearing and sight of an Eldar. 
The ship was impressed.
Stormlance: “It has grown much since last we visited”.
Asurmen: “The womb of destruction or the craftworld?”
Stormlance: “Both”.
Asurmen: “It excites you does it not? To come this close to all that was destroyed”
Stormlance: “I am drawn to destruction fated to bear you into war and strife. There is no greater monument to annihilation than the glaring eye of a god that devoured us. Ulthw? exists upon the brink of our ruin. If the threads of destiny have brought us back here, the future holds conflict”.
Asurmen said no more as Stormlance skimmed10 around the domes of Ulthw? towards the cluster of structures at its center. The original trade ship at the craftworld’s heart was a strange mix of crystalline shards and facets11 alongside biological swarms and bulges12, like a plant that had grown around icicles. A few million Eldar had tried to escape the terror of the Fall aboard that interstellar trader. Only a few thousand had survived when She Who Thirsts had burst into being with a psychic scream of galactic destruction. Now Ulthw? had become a refuge for millions again absorbing smaller craftworlds, taking on the waves and strays of an empire consumed by an insatiable deity. Half a lifetime of an Eldar had passed and even now starships still arrived from the webway outnumbering those that departed by some margin. Asurmen could imagine that the bonesingers and other artificers13 were working at full stretch to create new domes and habitats for the continuing influx14. 
(Stormlance flying across the domes)
Stormlance arrowed unerringly15 towards the small dock which had housed them on their last visit. An inconspicuous16 thrust of white stone-like material hidden in the shadows of much taller spears. The ship stopped swiftly, folded its sails and dropped down into the aperture17 at the top of the docking’s berth. Inside Stormlance came to rest on a smooth shelf about halfway down. Other berths throughout the harbor stud18 were empty.  
Stormlance: “Our arrival has been anticipated”.
Asurmen: “I expected such might happen. The scheme vibrates with our movements, touching upon the thoughts of those whose path we will cross. It is not the first time our arrival has been looked for”.
Stormlance: “True, yet it is already common that we are met with foreboding19 rather than welcome. Such is not the case here”.
Asurmen could feel it too. Anticipation, almost excitement. He would have dismissed it as Stormlance’s eagerness for war, had the ship not drawn attention to it. The Phoenix Lord quickly released himself from the inertia cradle and headed towards the boarding bridge which ‘Stormlance’ had already extended down to the docking shelf. A solitary Eldar waited on the key side. He was dressed in armor not dissimilar to Asurmen’s, though far less ornate. Asurmen recognized the thoughts of his pupil the moment their minds touched. 
Asurmen: “Dolkhiriath, you wait alone, child of my blade”.
Dolkhiriath: “The shrine of the Asur blade trembles with anticipation at your return”.
Asurmen could feel the tension in Dolkhiriath’s voice, something barely suppressed. Attuned to the thoughts of his disciples as they were subconsciously aware of him the Phoenix Lord was disturbed by what he detected. It took a moment to work out what was wrong. 
Asurmen: “You wear your war mask. We are not upon the eve of battle”.
Dolkhiriath: “I wear it for a battle already lost, father of my blade. I followed your lessons, but Khaine will not relinquish20 his bloody grip upon my heart. I am his creature for eternity”.
They turned together and strode from the docking berth. Asurmen felt Stormlance fall dormant as they departed, left alone to dream its bloody dreams. He did not look at Dolkhiriath as he spoke. 
Asurmen: “That is unfortunate. Yet do not think yourself unique, I am saddened that the rage we sought to slake21 has become your master. But you are not the first that has succumbed to the lure22 of war. Khaine does not easily relinquish his old alasmates”. 
Dolkhiriath: “Others have come since you departed half an arch ago. I have taught them”  
They came to a grav-shaft and stepped into the beam of light at its center. With a thought they descended swiftly towards the foundations of Ulthw?, slowing only when they neared the level of the warrior shrines founded by the Asuryan. Without thought Asurmen retraced his steps towards the hall now known as the shrine of the Asur blade. 
Asurmen: “It seems that it is to be a future of the warrior’s path. Some must stay upon it to guide others along its winding course. Beacon fires of deaths and destruction to light the way to peace”.
Dolkhiriath: “Others of the shrine feel shamefully what I cannot share. I am pitiless now, consumed by the fire and care not for the pity of others either”. 
Asurmen: “Such is the risk when we confront our bloodthirsty image. I no longer call you ‘child of my blade’ for it is my lesson to control your violent urges, not to indulge them. Your mastery in the deadly arts and dedication to the shrine, I’ll gifts now. You are an Exarch, child of the bloody hand. There will be others and they will found their own shrines. Through your sacrifice the path shall continue”.
They came to the golden archway of the shrine of the Asur blade and found a robed Eldar waiting for them there. He bore a staff hung with several runes and was dressed in black robes embroidered with more sigils. Immediately Asurmen could feel the psychic power kept at bay by the warding symbols, latent energy rare since the Fall. He was one of the Farseers, the order of psykers who dedicated themselves to steering23 the craftworlds through the turbulent waters of the future. This one Asurmen knew well. He had met him just after his coming of age, and a totem of the path and the nature of the universe. The Seer turned revealing middle-aged features. His almond eyes were a deep amber, a scar across the bottom lip evidence that the survival of Ulthw? had not been without physical confrontation. 
Asurmen: “I offer greetings, Eldrad Seer of Ulthw?. It seems I have much anticipated this cycle”. 
The Farseer smiled, his age seeming to halve24 in the expression of humor. 
Eldrad Ulthran: “Few there are that would welcome such visitation, but I am one of them. I have seen this moment for some time and it has filled me with excitement more than trepidation25. Let me extend such welcome as Ulthw? can offer to the Hand of Asuryan”.
Dolkhiriath bowed further first to Eldrad, and then to Asurmen. 
Dolkhiriath: “I shall prepare the shrine for your coming”. 
(Dolkhiriath leaving the two Eldar)
The Exarch departed leaving Asurmen to study the Farseer. 
Asurmen: “The scheme lies heavily upon you, Eldrad”.
Eldrad Ulthran: “There are many threats to forestall26, many divinations27 to be made. I hope that what you see with those immortal eyes of yours bodes28 well”. 
Asurmen: “I take neither comfort nor grief from what I see. Your spirit is clothed in equal parts a halo of night and a cloak of shadow”. 
Eldrad laughed and shrugged. 
Eldrad Ulthran (laughing): “Better odds than I expected. Come, my mistress Shar-telion and the rest of the council awaits your attendance.  

CHAPTER 02
(low droning noise) 
As he followed Eldrad into the halls of the Farseers, Asurmen could feel the craftworld’s infinity circuit alive with power, feeding not only from the living Eldar, but resonating slightly with the energy that poured from the womb of destruction. The Seers of Ulthw? had started upon the dangerous path using the power of the great enemy to fuel their psychic forecasts, allowing them to venture further and further across the scheme. But such power came with risks and to loiter29 close to the destroyer of the Eldar invited ruin. In a very real sense living upon the edge of the storm of ends was a physical metaphor to the spiritual peril30. The threat at the door missed by the gaze that lingers31 on the horizon.
The chamber of the council was not large, a hemispherical dome that was protected by a shimmering field through which the stars danced and the towers of Ulthw? stood bright against the void. There were four other Seers awaiting them, stood around the circular table at the center of the hall. Each had an ornately jeweled helm set upon table and carried staves32 or wands inscribed with runes of power. 
Eldrad waved his staff toward the eldest of the group, a female dressed in bright blue robes, a small system of wraithbone runes slowly orbiting the crescent33 moon that tipped the rod34 in her left hand.    
Eldrad Ulthran (introducing the Seer): “Shar-telion, head of the Seer council”. 
The Seers turned as one and Shar-telion inclined35 her head in respect. Her eyes lingered on Asurmen, intrigue in their depths. 
Shar-telion: “Timely is the arrival of the Hand of Asuryan, proof that the course of action we seek to undertake has merit. Is it not true, that the Phoenix Lords arrive upon the eve of great moments?”
Asurmen: “My arrival does not herald success, I must warn you. Equally have I simply escorted the survivors of disaster to safety. Do not yet take any comfort from my appearance. I am a cloud on the horizon that might bring refreshing rain or devastating storm. Of what endeavor you speak?”
Shar-telion: “An expedition into the womb of destruction to recover an artifact that would seal the safety of our people”.
Asurmen: “To venture into the Crone worlds is no simple matter. Damnation is more likely than salvation by such action”.
Shar-telion: “The prize is worth the risk. We have seen the resting place of the Hiron-athela oracle”. 
Asurmen: “An oracle? You hope to impower in greater foresight?”
Shar-telion: “Not just any, the most powerful in legend. From Hiron-athela, the first Exodites left, gifted by the warning of their oracle. With its abilities there could be no future hidden from the eyes of Ulthw?. No fleet would find us, no foe could infiltrate us, no army conquer us. In the darkness of these times it would be a bright lamp dissipating the shadows and lighting the way to survival”. 
Asurmen: “Take care for prizes easily won are rarely worth the small effort”.  
Shar-telion: “Then you will not come with us? You will not add your warriors, your Dire Avengers, to our force?”
Asurmen: “I will join your expedition. It is clear that your venture is the reason the tides of fate have brought me to Ulthw? this moment. As to the Dire Avengers they do not belong to me any more than any other creature in the universe. They must abide by their own counsel as does every warrior shrine on every craftworld. It is not my power to command them. I am no tyrant king of old”.
Shar-telion: “You will not lead our army?”
Asurmen: “I will lead if called upon”.
Shar-telion seemed contented by this and the assembled Farseers nodded their agreement. Eldrad’s smile had gone replaced by a calculating look. He lingered when the others left.  
Eldrad Ulthran (whispering): “You claimed to be no more than an agent of faith. Yet the decision to remain was yours, not destiny’s. Do not pretend to be buoyed36 upon tides outside your control”.
Asurmen: “The scheme brings me to a place and I must acknowledge that. However you are not wrong. I could choose to leave and let your venture succeed or fail without intervention”. 
Eldrad Ulthran: “So you choose to help us recover the oracle”.
Asurmen: “I choose to accompany you. My purpose is not yet known to me, but it will make itself clear before all is done”.

CHAPTER 03
(strong wind blowing)
The world of Hiron-athela was situated on the fringe of the cosmic storm. Caught in the heart of death between reality and the warp. the Crone world was neither physical, nor incorporeal37, but occupied a dual state of both. The warp overlap carried risks to the Eldar not least demonic attack, but the structure of the real universe allowed the Ulthw? warships to follow the webway into orbit and along smaller webway conduits they disgorged38 their cargo of warriors, tanks and giant war engines down to the world’s surface without insight. 
Foremost amongst the fighting host were Khaine’s chosen from the warrior shrines. In blue and black armed with long shuriken catapults advanced the Dire Avengers of Dolkhiriath and the shrine of the Asur Blade. There were others too. The green of Striking Scorpions, who followed the creed of Karandras. Asurmen’s first pupil Jain Zar had taught the way of the Howling Banshee and several dozen warriors clad in bone colored armor protected the black clad soldiers of Ulthw?’s militia. The children of the blade of other Asuryata maneuvered according to their doctrines and tactical role, so that Baharroth’s Swooping Hawks took to the skies with resplendent39 winged flight-packs and Maugan Ra’s grim Dark Reapers ascended to bridges and balconies to cover the advance with their missile launchers and shuriken cannons. 
The war host of Ulthw? numbered several hundred more, most of them veterans of the Fall who were touched by Khaine, but had not undergone the teaching of the warrior path. Gravtanks prowled behind the skirmish line of infantry and whisper engine jet bikes ascended to scout the route ahead, black pennant40 snapping from their saddle-poles.
Asurmen accompanied the Seers. They had emerged in an abandoned city of tall spires and broad avenues. There seemed to be no sign of the passage of time, no decay or erosion. To the horror of the Eldar the dead still lay where they had fallen, twisted with terror and agony in their death rows. Asurmen had traveled the Crone worlds and seen such sights before but there was much lamenting and weeping from the warriors of Ulthw? when they laid eyes upon the thousands of dead. Only the Aspect warriors, their care and compassion suppressed by the war masks, did not voice their grief. 
Eldrad accompanied Asurmen as liaison41 to Shar-telion and the commanders of the Ulthw? strike force. 
Eldrad Ulthran: “Rangers report that other creatures had occupied Hiron-athela in our absence. Crude creatures with little culture or society. Slow and clumsy, psychically dull, physically inapt42”.
He nearly spat.
Eldrad Ulthran: “Mon-keigh”. 
Asurmen: “They call themselves humans. Our peoples once shared the galaxy and relative peace until the storms sundered43 their empire. The webway held our civilization intact, theirs splintered. But they will prosper from our falling. The birth of the great enemy has dissipated the storms that divided them”.
Eldrad Ulthran: “I am told that they are easily swayed44 by subtle means. Could they be prone to lures and manipulations of the dark powers?”
Asurmen: “Indeed and their numbers are great, almost as widespread as the orks”. 
Eldrad Ulthran: “They have no place on Hiron-athela. It is our world. We will exterminate them”.
Asurmen: “Our world? Look around and tell me that our people still lay claim to this place”.
Asurmen gestured upwards. The sky was a pale pink, but the star above was a golden disk. Literally it was a perfect circle that seemed tempered from precious metal. Its surface gleaming as though reflecting light from another source. In the skies could be seen translucent shapes, a winding labyrinth of pathways and tunnels, that were Hiron-athela’s old webway conduits. Caught between dimensions the warp-engineered transport system was now visible to the naked eye, not quite manifest but no longer hidden. 
Shar-telion joined them, her face like Eldrad’s was hidden behind her ornate ghost helm. A precaution against the warp energy that suffused45 the Crone world. 
Shar-telion: “The portal to the oracle realm lies not far away, but the humans have detected our arrival. It seems they have shunned46 our cities”.
Asurmen: “The ghosts of our dead linger here still”. 
Shar-telion: “Indeed, but the humans have built their settlements not far away. We must move swiftly before they can bring numbers in force against us”. 
Asurmen: “Send your forces to delay them. Nothing more. Spend the lives of your warriors sparingly. Remember that it is the other call that brought you here, not liberation of Hiron-athela. War serves no purpose of vanity except to keep the mourners busy. Return later if you must reclaim this world, but do not be distracted from our purpose of the moment”.  
Eldrad shook his head. 
Eldrad Ulthran: “We should not relinquish our strength so easily, Hand of Asuryan. We cannot march naked into the realm of the oracle’s keepers”. 
Asurmen: “I will accompany you and my sword children will follow where I go”. 
Shar-telion: “The hidden world of Hiron-athela is no place for an army. The oracle is not  a prize to be claimed by force, but by wits and courage. We would be false to ignore your council. Eldrad and I will lead the expedition into the heart of Hiron-athela. The others will coordinate counter-attacks against the humans to keep them from entering our city and discovering our purpose. They believe it is a place of death and we shall prove to them the truth of this belief”.

CHAPTER 04
A step took Asurmen through the portal. He found himself standing on white stone on a semi-circular platform with Eldrad and Shar-telion. He moved away from the gate as the Dire Avengers and Dolkhiriath followed him through. The platform was large enough for several dozen more Eldar, even once all of the warriors form the shrine of the Asur blade had assembled. Around them were stars, above and below, with swirls of nebulae47 and gas clouds and trails of comets. It brought a moment of vertigo48 to feel the drift in the void and Asurmen could not imagine that the folk of Hiron-athela had designed the portal in this fashion. 
Shar-telion sensed the Phoenix Lord’s confusion. 
Shar-telion: “The leaking of reality and unreality has twisted the webway of this world. It seems that what we thought myth, was perhaps truer to fact than I had credited”.
She waved a hand to where a slender arch of stone rose up from the platform. It’s under side reflected starlight in dappled49 rainbows. The bridge itself arched out of sight but in the distance could be seen something green and golden.   
Shar-telion: “We must pass through several areas to reach the inner chambers of the oracle. Each is meant to be a test of worthiness”.
Many of the Dire Avengers were looking around in amazement. Dolkhiriath drew his powered blade without a flash of cerulean50 energy.
(Dolkhiriath unsheathing the blade with a metallic clang) 
Dolkhiriath: “Whatever challenges await, we stand ready to face them”.
Eldrad was already heading towards the span51, but stopped and called back.
Eldrad Ulthran: “It is narrow. We shall cross in single file. I suggest we keep the fighters at the front and rear”. 
Dolkhiriath nodded and signaled for some of his warriors to join the Farseer. Asurmen stayed close to Shar-telion while the rest of the shrine fighters fell in behind with their Exarch. The platform had no rail at its edge, nor did the bridge which was less than a pace wide. Asurmen took a few steps up the gentle slope and cast his gaze over the edge back towards the platform. From here it looked as insubstantial as a cloud. Beneath stretched the cosmos slowly turning in its eons-long cycle. As he continued, the climb grew steeper as the bridge soared52 over the chasm53 of the infinite. From this vantage point54 it seemed as though one might see from one end of the universe to the other. 
(surface crumbling under foot, debris falling down)
Female Dire Avenger: “Beware!”
A warning shout from ahead snapped Asurmen into action. His dire sword was in his hand in an instant, the soul stone in its pommel55 glowing blue. The vambraces on his arms gave short hisses as the shuriken catapults engineered within came to life. Clouds of magenta and purple and bloody red boiled up from the impossible depths, like a storm front descending upon a peaceful shore. Soon Asurmen was consumed by the mists, multicolored and swirling, obscuring the bridge beneath his feet. Cries of alarm from the Dire Avengers proved that he was not alone in the sensation of being adrift56 in the cloud. For a moment he wondered if it really was bearing him57 away from the span. That was when the voices began, whispered at first, growing in vehemence58. 
Distant voice (whispering, barely heard): “Your quest will fail”. 
At this insistent urging Asurmen glanced back. Behind him he could see Dolkhiriath and half of the Dire Avengers and beyond them the sloping path of the bridge back to the distant glint of the portal. Looking ahead he saw nothing but a glittering miasma59. Rapid footsteps warned him of someone approaching through the gloom. 
(Dire Avenger running nearby)
A Dire Avenger burst out of the cloud. Instinct threw out his hand to stop the warrior, his open palm thrusting against the Dire Avenger’s chest. Seeing Asurmen too late the warrior tried to stop and slipped. With a shriek of panic he teetered60 for a moment on the edge of the bridge and then fell, Asurmen’s hand grasping at empty space. 
(Dire Avenger falling into the abyss and crying in horror)
The Dire Avenger’s cry of terrors seemed to linger for a long time. There were further shouts of dread as others lost their footing and with each cry of terror Asurmen felt the loss of each of his children of the blade. Another appeared in front of him retreating with less haste than the first, but there was no room to pass. He could feel the discipline of a war mask peeling back like rotten wood revealing the panic beneath. 
Female Dire Avenger: “We have to go back. There is no way forward”.
Asurmen: “Find your courage”.
At Asurmen’s words the warrior visibly relaxed. The dim shape of others behind her penetrated the fog demanding to be let past, muttering in their nervousness. Dolkhiriath called out from behind. 
Dolkhiriath: “Close your eyes. The bridge and cloud are but illusions of fear. See with your war mask and not your naked gaze”.
Looking back Asurmen saw the Exarch advancing purposefully up the bridge, a dozen warriors behind him. Half that number again were dwindling figures heading back towards the portal unwilling to follow the example of their shrine leader. Asurmen allowed his essence to touch his surroundings and sensed that there was solidity under foot. The bottomless gulf of space below was nothing but a mirage. He was surprised that he had succumbed to a visual illusion but concluded that in the heart of death all senses were physical and psychic at the same time. He stepped around the Dire Avenger in front seemingly into thin air.
Sudden voice: “Watch out!”
The chorus of warnings and threats dwindled61 around him.
Asurmen: “After me. Do not give in to despair”.
The Dire Avenger watched his progress and shook her head. 
Female Dire Avenger: “What of those that fell?”
Asurmen: “Betrayed by their own fear, consumed by it. There is no threat but that which lies within”. 
Ahead a glimmer in the fog resolved into the tip of Eldrad’s staff. The Dire Avengers gathered around Asurmen in the dull light of this beacon, many of them with their gazes fixed firmly on the Phoenix Lord refusing to look down. Their fear dissipated. The Eldar shared a moment of peace with each other until Shar-telion thrust forward her wand and the clouds roiled back from its touch parting to reveal a shimmering golden shore. 
Shar-telion: “We continue”.

CHAPTER 05
(waves coming ashore)
The shore upon the edge of the cosmic sea was made of tiny granules of gold that shifted under foot. The glittering beach stre tched to the horizon in both directions but three hundred paces ahead it ended at a line of immense trees with silver bulk and blue green leaves. The land of Hiron-athela heaped up into a multitude of wooded hills. The crest of each hill was bare, revealing identical slender towers of pale yellow stone pointing to the sky like fingers. A white flame burned at the summit62 of each tower. There were hundreds of towers in every direction as far as the eye could see. 
Eldrad took a few steps, his head turning left to right.
Eldrad Ulthran: “Which tower holds the oracle?”
Shar-telion gestured to each of them in turn. 
Shar-telion: “Perhaps, they all do. They might even be the same tower reflected over and over. Nothing is as it seems in this place. We are in the land of past futures. Each tower might be a time, not a place”.
Eldrad Ulthran: “How will we know?”
Shar-telion: “We must visit one”.
Asurmen fixed his thoughts on what appeared to be the closest tower ahead and little to the right. He pointed his sword to his goal and set off.
Asurmen: “If we follow the slope63 we should reach the towers soon enough”.
There seemed to be no other creatures close at hand, but they advanced warily64, the Dire Avengers  splitting into squads of half a dozen warriors each to scout the edge of the forest. Coming under the eaves65 of the enormous trees Asurmen found that there was no path, no animal trails. The ground was ridged66 with overlapping roots and the branches overhead mingled67 with each other forming a solid canopy68. Not a single shaft of light penetrated, but the gloom was held back by the silvery sheen of the trees themselves. Stepping beneath the leaves was like striding into a world of twilight. He could feel the hill rising after just twenty strides and angle to the right as his inner senses led him towards the closest tower. He had advanced another forty paces when Eldrad called out, his voice strangely muted by the close trunks of the trees and the arboreal69 canopy. 
Eldrad Ulthran: “There is no way back, look!”
True enough. When Asurmen turned he saw trees everywhere. Eldrad moved from side to side trying to see past the cluster of trunks behind them. 
Eldrad Ulthran: “A shore has gone”.
Shar-telion hurried past Asurmen. 
Shar-telion (angrily): “First we are implored70 to retreat, now we cannot go back. I will not allow Hiron-athela to keep its secrets from me”.
They matched the Farseer’s brisk71 pace, Asurmen’s long legs easily able to keep up. The ground was perceptibly rising and ahead the trees thinned. The wind started to stir72 the leaves and amongst the rustling73 Asurmen heard words. 
Voices (whispering): “This way… This way… This way…”
He looked around but could see nothing. Others were doing the same, staring up into the canopy. One of the Dire Avengers called out. 
Female Dire Avenger: “Look, there! In the distance!”
For an instant Asurmen saw a face in the silver twilight staring at him from behind one of the trees or he thought he saw a face. It was gone so quickly, he was not sure. Several of the Dire Avengers moved in the same direction, obviously searching for something. Asurmen stared, every sense attuned to detect the hidden watcher. But he felt no presence except the other Eldar. 
Voices (whispering): “This way… This way… This way…”
The voices returned calling to him. And in their direction he glimpsed another shadow of movement. The Dire Avengers split up, their blue armor seeming to mingle with the twilight gleam. He lost track of several of them as they moved behind the trees. A sudden concern spurred74 him to action. 
Asurmen: “Wait!”
Blade at the ready he dashed after the disappearing warriors ignoring the voices that called out to him from above beckoning him one way and then another or urging him ahead. The last of the Dire Avengers disappeared from view. As Asurmen was about to press on after the missing warriors he was halted by a shout from Shar-telion. 
Shar-telion: “Phoenix Lord, step no further! You are almost lost in the depths. Look for the staff of Eldrad”.
Asurmen turned to see that he was alone surrounded by silver balls75 and blue green leaves and nothing else. The Dire Avengers were gone and so too the Farseers. Checking left and right he realized he was no longer sure from which direction he had arrived. 
Voices (whispering): “To your left… To your left… Go to your left…”  
A faint76 golden smudge77, just visible to his right, caught his eye and Asurmen set out for it as though heading for the sun at dusk. It brought him back into sight of the others lit by the glow of Eldrad’s staff no more than a dozen paces away. Asurmen looked at his companions and then glanced back at the silvery depths where six more warriors had been lost. 
Asurmen: “Eldrad, lead the way. We keep together. Nobody moves off sight of another or the Farseer’s beacon”.

CHAPTER 06
It was not long before they broke out onto the top of the hill leaving trails through knee-high jade grass. The tower reared up ahead, silhouetted against its own beacon flame, larger that it had seemed from the beach. Small arched windows wound78 up in a spiral about it. Their smoky grey glass reflected the bright sun, but Asurmen thought he saw glimmers of movement in them. Ascending a flight of shallow steps to the doorless arch of the tower he entered first. Within the tower was empty, the ceiling far above closing off the roof. Shafts of light from the windows dappled79 the interior wall and floor with an elongated checkered80 effect. He felt someone at his shoulder a moment before Eldrad spoke. 
Eldrad Ulthran: “There is nothing here, Hand of Asuryan. No doors, no stairs. A dead end”. 
Asurmen: “Perhaps it is the wrong tower”.
Eldrad Ulthran: “And how are we supposed to find the correct tower?”
A soft tread behind caused both of them to turn. Shar-telion stepped across the threshold, her gaze moving up and down and around the empty space. It settled on the Phoenix Lord. 
Shar-telion: “These are tests, nothing more. The bridge, the forest and now this. Only the worthy may find the oracle”.
Asurmen: “You sound as though we have stepped into legend. We have not. This is the interior wraithway of Hiron-athela. The fantasy of the warp leaks in, nothing more. Where there lie perceptual anomalies, you see tests. These mists are simply constructs of our senses to define the leaking essence that pollutes the world weaved around us. There is no intent, only rifts and slips in the reality of our surroundings. Breaks to be negotiated about model or meaning”.
Shar-telion: “What makes legend or myth except for perception? Regardless if test or not there is nothing in this tower. We need to keep searching”.
(Shar-telion going down the stairs and leaving the tower)
Asurmen watched the Farseer go and then turned his attention to Eldrad. 
Asurmen: “Your leader seems emotionally invested in this endeavor. More than I would expect from one of her rank and experience”.
Eldrad Ulthran: “Shar-telion first saw the threads of fate that have drawn us to this place. She has spent ten passes seeking clues to the whereabouts of the oracle and its nature. Let us not forget, the future of Ulthw? might rest on our success or failure”.
(Eldrad leaving slowly) 
Eldrad followed his compatriot leaving Asurmen to his thoughts. After a few moments the Phoenix Lord left remembering his own advice to keep a companion within sight. 
 
CHAPTER 07
Six more towers they searched, each the same as the first. No matter which hill they ascended they came upon the same unchanging scene. The journey through the forest was fraught81 each time. The whispers of the leaves and the threat of losing one’s way ever present. Despite the discipline of their war masks several of the Dire Avengers had voiced their discontent. Two had deliberately abandoned the group vowing to seek the way back to the beach. That left only eleven warriors as well as Asurmen and Dolkhiriath. 
Eldrad stood in the center of the latest tower, staff resting on the flagged floor staring up at the distant ceiling. He might just as well have tried to wheel himself up to the stars. Shar-telion was outside conducting a search of the tower’s exterior for some hint of the solution to their predicament82. Such searches had proved fruitless at the first five towers. Eldrad pointed with his staff at the upper windows. 
Eldrad Ulthran: “The sun is always in the same position. No matter how we forge83 across the forest, the direction of light never changes. Always from the right as we enter casting exactly the same shadows”.
Asurmen: “Perhaps, Shar-telion was close to the truth when she said that they are all the same tower. The forest gives the illusion of travelling, but we simply search the same edifice84 again and again”.
Eldrad Ulthran: “You said it yourself this is no test. There must be some way forward. It is impossible to enter a loop and not find the way back out”. 
Asurmen: “Unless the wraithway is broken. A temporal fault so that not only is space contorted, but also time”.
Dolkhiriath interrupted their conversation striding into the tower. For the first time since their meeting he seemed amused.
Dolkhiriath: “If what you say is true, fire of my blade, then we are all trapped. Literally”.
Eldrad started to pace in a circle, gaze turned again to the distant height. 
Eldrad Ulthran: “I cannot accept that there is no way out”.
He took several turns around the tower until he was walking within touching distance of the wall. 
(Eldrad Ulthran laughing)
He stopped suddenly and laughed looking back over his shoulder and then hurriedly crossing the floor to where the lowest window sat, almost opposite the entrance. He laughed again and beckoned to Asurmen and Dolkhiriath.
Eldrad Ulthran (laughing): “Ahahah! Ahahahahahah! Come, go see!”
The two warriors followed his invitation joining him at the far side of the tower. Looking back towards the door Asurmen did not see at first why the Seer was so excited and then as though a piece had slid into place his view of the tower shifted slightly and all became clear. The sunlight streaming through the windows formed a spiraling pattern that from this particular angle looked like steep stairs winding up the side of the tower. Each beam of light a step in the opposite wall. By the time they completed one circuit the steps were higher than the entrance and continued up to the ceiling. Eldrad was most amused by the discovery. 
Eldrad Ulthran: “How it is to walk upon light, Hand of Asuryan? It makes as much sense as everything else we have encountered so far”
Asurmen ignored the Farseer and spoke to Dolkhiriath. 
Asurmen: “This realm is treacherous and nothing is as it seems. That which is peaceful hides violence. Keep your wits and warriors prepared”.
(Dolkiriath unsheathing his blade with a metal clang)
The Exarch flourished his blade and pistol. 
Dolkhiriath: “No foes will take us unawares. Our destiny lies nothing peaceful times, lord of the Asuryan and there will be blood spilt before this venture is done”.
Asurmen: “Such would not surprise me, but accepting strife85 and seeking it are not the same”.
Dolkhiriath: “A warning made repeatedly as you trained me, but ultimately unheeded86. Perhaps we are not trapped here, but I am trapped on my path and will never be more or less than I am”.
Asurmen: “A loss to you, but a gain for our people”.
Dolkhiriath: “I fear”.
Asurmen: “Many will follow you into the endless loops of the path and we shall be grateful for it even as we loathe those that are lost”.
Dolkhiriath: “It is fortunate then, that I no longer care for the affection of others or their opinions”.
Asurmen: “I have no doubt of that”.
The Exarch moved away to fetch his warriors and Shar-telion while Asurmen returned to Eldrad. The younger Farseer stepped up to the first shaft of light as though alighting a stare. For a moment Asurmen expected him to fall, but after a hesitant start he continued to ascend thin air. 

CHAPTER 08
Following the steps brought Asurmen through a gap in the ceiling, but rather than stepping out onto the roof of the tower he found himself faced with a long hallway of black marble struck through with grey threads. Eldrad was a little way off to the right standing before a golden gate barring the passageway. Five times his height, its slender metal twisted and coiled into runic shapes. The Farseer had his staff in both hands and shook his head. 
Eldrad Ulthran (confused): “The writing is… a little archaic even for me”.
Shar-telion coalesced87 from empty air beside Asurmen as the Phoenix Lord took a few steps forwards. 
Asurmen: “Within lies the oracle of Hiron-athela. Leave in peace and good fortune”.
He could see nothing beyond the gate except the dark corridor. 
(Dire Avengers emerging from downstairs in a rush) 
He heard the clatter of boots as Dolkhiriath and the other warriors emerged into the passage. Eldrad laid a hand upon the gates and they split down the middle to swing silently away. 
(gates opening) 
A nervous glance back delayed the Farseer for only a moment before he continued on into the corridor beyond. Moving quickly to catch up Asurmen discovered that there were windows to either side, narrow and high. He stopped at one, amazed by the view. Outside were stars and against them a green and golden world half-lit by the nearby sun. 
Asurmen: “Hiron-athela, the wraithway has brought us to an orbital city”.
Eldrad Ulthran: “Remarkable”.
Dolkhiriath: “We are cut off once more”.
They looked back to see Dolkhiriath gesturing towards the solid wall behind them. Two of the Dire Avengers were exploring the wall with gauntleted hands, shaking their heads. Shar-telion advanced to the fore of the group and did not look back. 
Shar-telion: “Onwards, the oracle is close, so close”.
The corridor branched out and widened becoming part of a labyrinthine void platform. But Shar-telion forged straight ahead along the main passage. Her instinct proved correct when they came out into a wide plaza. Star-shaped stones paved the floor with an intricate design of red, gold and black. Above them the vacuum of the void was held back by a barely visible sheet of energy. The stars cast with an ochre88 sheen. A shadowed gateway flanked by broad pillars opposite bore the runes of the oracle and to this Shar-telion hurried. 
She had made it halfway across the plaza when something moved in the gloom. 
(some beast growling in the shadows)
It lumbered out of the darkness, snarling and drooling89. Three-headed, fangs as long as witch-blades. Its midnight blue hide90 was scaled91, but a great mane92 of black hair adorned its muscled back and shoulders. Asurmen opened fire with his vambraces, scores of monomolecular-edged shurikens slashed into the beast. Scales split and scattered93 in sprays of carmine blood as the Dire Avengers added their weight to the fire. Shar-telion retreated swiftly as the guard creature lunged after her, its claws ripping furrows94 into the ornate flagstones95. Green mist billowed96 from its mouths as it roared its rage. 
(beast roaring)
Asurmen glanced at Dolkhiriath who was circling to the left with a squad of his shrine companions, his pistol spitting shurikens. 
Asurmen: “Protect the Farseer! Bring it to you!”
The Exarch responded by leading his warriors closer, trying to distract the monster. One of them strayed closer, firing his shuriken catapult into a scaled wolf-like face. The monster lunged, the nearest head snapping out, jaws closing around the Dire Avenger’s arm. 
(Dire Avenger screaming)
The scream was cut short as the beast ripped the limb free. The other two heads seized upon another pair of warriors while the tail like a barbed mace crushed the chest of the fourth. Asurmen sprinted towards the beast from the other side, sword at the ready, but Dolkhiriath reacted the swifter, his blade slicing the closest head from the creature. 
(beast moaning from pain)
The guard beast reared back, blood spraying from the wound. Gifted a moment the remaining Dire Avengers retreated with Shar-telion in their midst. The Phoenix Lord’s blade met another neck as the creature swung towards him, tossing the remains of a Dire Avenger across the plaza. Asurmen saw that the stump97 of the severed neck was bubbling, new flesh and bone growing from the wound. The edge of his blade bit through another neck in one clean stroke. Asurmen ducked beneath the beast’s counterattack and struck again taking off the head that was regrowing. As he dodged the slashing claw as long as his arm, his gaze fell upon something more disturbing than the regeneration he had already seen. From the decapitated head a new body was growing with two more heads. Every killing blow spawned a new horror. Dolkhiriath having escorted the Seers back to the corridor rejoined the attack with his Dire Avengers. 
Dolkhiriath: “Kill them before they grow to full size”.
The command was easier given than carried out. The shurikens of the warriors made a bloody mess of the regenerating beast’s hide but could not penetrate deep. Claws, tails and fangs took a heavy toll as the four monsters threw themselves at the Eldar. 
Eldrad called out from behind those who remained standing.
Eldrad Ulthran: “We must pull back and find another way”.
Asurmen turned to his pupils. 
Asurmen: “Retreat! This is not a battle to be won yet”.
Firing last volleys the Dire Avengers ran back to the Seers. They turned as they reached the passageway, but there was no pursuit. The beasts were content to move back towards the far gatehouse and slipped into the shadows beneath its broad arch. 

CHAPTER 09 
Shar-telion was becoming impatient. They had spent some time exploring the surrounds of the plaza, but there was no way into the oracle’s sanctum except through the gate of the beasts. Asurmen, the two Farseers, Dolkhiriath and the surviving Dire Avengers viewed the white cloister98 from the shadow of the archway opposite. 
Shar-telion: “What did the inscription say?”
Eldrad Ulthran: “Within lies the oracle of Hiron-athela. Leave in peace and good fortune. Why?”
Shar-telion: “All that we have seen has been deception so far. Each test to stem down numbers of the unworthy, those that lack the faith to press on. Those who were distracted from their purpose. It does not fit that we simply must overcome this guardian with brute force”.
Asurmen: “What else do you propose? I admit that it seems we cannot fight our way past at the moment”.
Shar-telion: “Leave in peace and good fortune… Perhaps, we have already been told the answer. What if those that left the oracle wanted to ensure it would not fall into the wrong hands? They desired to keep it safe from those that meant harm to our people”.
The Farseer straightened and turned towards the plaza, but Asurmen’s hand on her arm halted her before she could take a step. 
Asurmen: “I still do not understand. To confront the beasts is death”.
Shar-telion: “Maybe not. What if the beast is only defending itself?”
Dolkhiriath shook his head. 
Dolkhiriath: “It slew ten of us. That was no illusion”.
Shar-telion: “Killed by their own aggression. We brought war here. The oracle sees us as a threat and protects itself”.
Asurmen pulled the Farseer back.
Asurmen: “I will test your theory. If the beast attacks I have the best chance of defending myself”.
The Phoenix Lord strode out into the plaza. He sheathed his dire sword and approached the gate to the oracle’s halls. Roaring and shrieking the four guard beasts came forth, their fetid99 breath a vapor in the cool air. Asurmen held his ground, arms crossed as the monsters lumbered closer baring their fangs, their claws striking sparks from the ground. As their dripping mouths loomed over him the Phoenix Lord fought the urge to sweep out his blade. This was the purpose of the path to confront and then control the wildest instincts that had laid low his people. At the last moment the descending jaws swerved100 aside leaving the Phoenix Lord unscathed101. The beasts retreated a short distance placing themselves between Asurmen and his goal, but making no other threat. 
He looked over his shoulder.
Asurmen: “It would seem that your theory is correct, Farseer Ulthran. Let us hope that you are equally right about the oracle itself”.
The others set out across the plaza and the beasts launched into their ferocious display again, splitting into pairs to snarl and hiss at the approaching Seers and warriors. Eldrad and Shar-telion hurried past casting glances at the creature as they headed into the dark of the far gateway. The two Dire Avengers approached cautiously. Their shuriken catapults slung. Their empty hands held out as proof of their peaceful intent. When they had gone only Dolkhiriath was left. The Exarch stood at the threshold of the courtyard102, his bared blade held in a trembling hand. Asurmen called out to him. 
Asurmen: “What delays you?”
Dolkhiriath: “There is no peace in me. I feel Khaine’s wrath boiling inside demanding that this challenge be answered with blood”.
Asurmen: “Sheathe you sword and come to me. There is no reason to fear”.
Dolkhiriath: “Fear is irrelevant. Rage is all. I am the bloody-handed, the chosen of Khaine. War calls to me and I must answer it. If I come closer I will not let myself be defenseless”.
A note of desperation entered the Exarch’s voice. The last vestige103 of his concern for others surfaced. 
Dolkhiriath: “It will kill you all if I bring battle. I cannot come closer”.
Asurmen: “There is no way back from this place”.
Dolkhiriath (laughing): “Ahahahahah”.
Dolkhiriath’s laugh was bitter and echoed sharply from the pillars of the courtyard. 
Dolkhiriath: “I have had no way back for some time, father of my blade. This place knows us very well. It does not want my tainted spirit. Find the oracle. Bring hope to Ulthw?, to our people”.
He turned and walked away moving out of view in a few heartbeats. Asurmen lingered for a moment and then turned and joined the others at the gate, a black wooded portal bound with silver and gold. He stared at Shar-telion for some time and then pushed past to thrust it open.
(doors opening)
Asurmen: “More lives are being lost from the world below. Let us take the oracle and leave this cursed place”.

CHAPTER 10 
The oracle chamber was dark, lit only by pale blue flames from braziers set on rows of slender columns. Steps let down from the doorway to the long procession of pillars. Rectangular pools of black liquid reflected the light casting strange long shadows. Asurmen led the way. He passed between the columns, his gaze roving from left to right as he advanced with sword and vambraces ready. The Dire Avengers and Seers followed close behind in silence. 
At the end of the chamber was a raised dais104 which the floor sloped up to meet at the middle. To either side of the ramp were mirror-like pools that reflected the reliefs of stars and moons and comets carved into the ceiling. On the dais sat a female figure on a plain wooden stool. She was dressed in a simple gown105 of lavender, her golden hair tied in a tress106 that hung over the shoulder. Her face was exquisitely beautiful and when she turned her gaze upon Asurmen, her eyes were like sapphires. Shar-telion bustled107 past the Phoenix Lord and bowed her head, sweeping her wand out to one side. 
Shar-telion: “You are the oracle?”
The figure smiled and nodded. 
Oracle: “That is what many have called me. You have reached the heart of the land of past futures. I sense that there has been woe in reaching me, for which I apologize. My gifts are not for those of faint heart or devious108 purpose”.
Shar-telion: “We hail from Ulthw?, a craftworld, a giant starship that fled the destruction”. 
Oracle: “I know from once you came, Shar-telion of Ulthw?. Am I not an oracle?”
Shar-telion (smiling): “Ahaha”.
The Seer laughed as the oracle stood up. The enigmatic female gestured for them to approach.
Oracle: “Please let us not speak like ruler and ruled, but as equals”.
Shar-telion hurried up the ramp while the others followed more cautiously.
Shar-telion: “I have questions, many, many questions. We need your guidance, oracle. Now more than ever”.
Oracle: “Be at peace, Shar-telion. Ask what you must ask. I cannot say that all of my answers will be a joy to learn. There will be strife and death. Winding is the course you must chart. But if you follow my wisdom, there need be no more pain for your people.  Ulthw? will grow strong and survive when others fall”.
Shar-telion: “Blessed are we for such a gift”.
The oracle held out her slender hand, the fingernails dark and glistening109 like the pools of the hall. 
Oracle: “I am the lamp to follow into dark places. Come with me and we shall see the future unfold before us”.
Asurmen stepped between the oracle and Shar-telion before the Seer could grasp the proffered hand. 
Asurmen: “You know our names, but we do not know yours. Tell us your name, oracle of Hiron-athela”.
The oracle narrowed her eyes with displeasure.
Oracle: “I am simply the oracle”.
Asurmen: “But you must have had a name. Names are important to our people. We came expecting a device, some technology of the old empire. Here we find a maiden, obviously immortal. Who were you before you became the oracle or are you something other than you appear? What are you?”
Oracle: “I have always been the oracle”.
She turned to Shar-telion, her expression disdainful110. 
Oracle: “Are these really the questions you seek answers for? I will not bandy111 petty112 words with the unworthy”.
Shar-telion asserted herself again holding up a placating113 hand. 
Shar-telion: “My profuse114 apologies, oracle. My companion is a warrior and that makes him crass115”.
She shook her head in admonishment116 of the Phoenix Lord. 
Shar-telion: “We have given lives to come to this place and now you threaten all that we have sought”.
Asurmen: “And such sweet words can welcome us. How can we be sure this is what we seek and not another of your tests?”
The oracle intervened, her smile returning. 
Oracle: “Your concerns are unnecessary. The last of the trials is over and you proved your peaceful intent. Come, Shar-telion. Let us learn of what fate plans for you”.
The Farseer continued to stare at Asurmen. 
Shar-telion: “If this was a trap why would our journey here have been so difficult, so dangerous? Surely, whoever set the trap, would won as many victims as possible to fall foul”.
Asurmen had no reply for this but Eldrad spoke up. He looked at the oracle with his head cocked to one side.
Eldrad Ulthran: “Obstacles, yes, diversions. But from the moment we crossed the bridge, from the time we committed ourselves we have been given no chance to turn back. Our choices were to press on and succeed or to fall by the way. Never an opportunity to withdraw, to abandon the quest”.
The oracle’s demeanor117 changed again. 
Oracle: “Your doubts demean118 you”.
She stepped to one side and waved a hand. A vision shimmered into being behind her showing the city from which they had come. Eldar warriors fought through the streets against a ragtag119 army of humans. The thuggish interlopers120 on the ancient domains of Asurmen’s people were cadavers, stunted121 things dressed in heavy coats and wearing ungainly breather masks. The wielded an array of primitive solid shock weapons that made lots of noise to little effect. The conjuration122 settled on the ground, its edges glowing and hardening as it became a portal. 
Oracle: “If you wish to rejoin your kin without learning the truth, you are free to go”.
Shar-telion grasped the hand of the oracle imploringly123. 
Shar-telion: “We will go nowhere. Tell us what we must know. What destiny awaits me and my craftworld? Tell me what we must do?”
The oracle laid a caressing124 hand on the Seer’s arm, running fingers over the smooth cloth. Her smile was beautiful, but Asurmen also felt a wave of satisfaction from her. More than that he sensed triumph. 
Asurmen (crying): “No!” 
Taking a stride the Phoenix Lord speared the tip of his dire sword into the oracle’s chest. The oracle staggered back, but rather than blood the wound in her breast burst with pale yellow light. She fell to one knee, head bowed. The figure started to transform, her skin turning darker from white to purple. Her limbs and body stretched, taut125 muscles forming under the unnatural skin. Another pair of arms sprouted from rippling126 shoulders as hands turned into slender crab-like claws. 
She looked up, her eyes becoming literal jewels. Asurmen and Shar-telion reflected in their many facets. The oracle’s jaw elongated127 as she stood, her face taking on a bovine128 appearance. The lavender robe crystallizing became a cuirass129 and kilt of shimmering130 scale armor. From her arms extruded a pair of scimitars and two spears made of black metal that reflected no light. Her true form revealed. The oracle threw back her head and let out a chilling laugh. 
Keeper of Secrets (laughing): “Ahahahah!”
No Eldar, but a greater demon of She Who Thirsts, a Keeper of Secrets. 
A spear tip lanced out smashing through the ghost helm of Shar-telion, the dark blade erupting from the back of the Seer’s head in a spray of shards and blood. 
Keeper of Secrets (hissing): “Such a pretty bobble of a stormy to hand before your desperate gaze and grasping hands. Always you come, more will follow lured by promise, slaying in despair. Such hope and desires turned to such bitter tears at the end. I will slay your mortal bodies and feast upon your immortal spirits. The nectar that tastes the sweetest is that which is most bitter for you. Hahahahah!”
Asurmen ducked beneath the shrieking scimitar blade and raised his sword to block another as it descended toward Eldrad. The Dire Avengers sprang forward, their shuriken catapults spitting a hail of fire across the face and chest of the greater demon. A clawed foot lashed out eviscerating131 one of the shrine warriors, pieces of armor and innards splashing into one of the pools beside the ramp. The other was swept into the air with a spear through the throat, limbs twitching like a mad puppet. 
Keeper of Secrets (laughing): “Ahahahah!” 
Asurmen’s vambraces fired constantly as he dodged and wove around the slicing blades and thrusting spears of his foe. He rolled to avoid the downward cutting sword almost falling off the edge of the dais. Unbalanced he could only bring up his own blade in a hasty parry of the spear thrust that followed. Eldrad was at his side in the next moment, the Seer’s witch-blade coruscating132 with purple energy as he thrust it into the gut of the demon. 
(demon roaring from pain)
Psychic power exploded along the weapon as a white lightning and the enchanted crystalline blade exploded hurling Farseer and demon apart. Smoke trailed from the bladeless hilt133 as Eldrad tumbled back down the ramp. Asurmen wasted not a moment as he leapt to the attack, taking up his sword in both hands to swing it at the neck of the demon. The blade cut deep slashing into semi-corporeal flesh. Yanking134 the sword free he spun on his heel and delivered a backhand blow to the other side of the creature’s neck, severing its head with a second blow. 
The Keeper of Secrets’ corpse collapsed into multicolored shards of crystal which scythed into Asurmen like daggers. His armor withstood the impact, its surface cut and pierced but not broken. He hurried to Eldrad and was relieved to find the Seer still lived. He offered a hand and helped him to feet. 
Eldrad Ulthran (breathing hard): “What made you suspect that all was not as it seemed?”
Asurmen (breathing hard): “Nothing in this place… is… all but illusion to entrance135 and entrap136. There are no easy answers, no means to avoid fate’s cruel attentions… Any solution that claims otherwise… cannot be trusted”.
Eldrad Ulthran (breathing hard): “So where does that leave our people? If the oracle is not the lamplight we must follow, where will we go?”
Asurmen laid a hand on the Seer’s shoulder. His thoughts turned to the Exarch Dolkhiriath wandering alone in the halls of the orbital palace, to the lives ended and the Eldar race diminished137 a little more with each of them that passed. There would be many more lost spirits in the journeys and battles ahead.
Asurmen: “Hope comes from within not without. There is no light to show the way but that which some of us carry within us. Be a lantern, not a shadow, Eldrad. Those of us that can must walk the darker path so that others may follow”.