Early 36th Millennium, immediately after the Reign of Blood
Unnamed Cluster within the Deep Reach
Craftworld Rubha Àird Driseig
Dome of the Crystal Seers

The Dome of Crystal Seers was a dark, but comfortingly quiet locale within Rubha Àird Driseig. The dome was filled with trees, some black with red leaves and white flowers blooming throughout them while others had bark of red and scattered white leaves with black flowers. Periodically, one could see tiny spiders crawling overtop the leaves and flowers, or even merging with them, for the trees and spiders were not made of plant or animal matter, they were composed of Wraithbone, psychic energy which had been solidified and wrought into a living shape by the skilled Aeldari artisans known as Bonesingers. And the Dome was the core of the Wraithbone skeleton of the Craftworld, the core of its Infinity Circuit where the souls of deceased Aeldari who belonged to Rubha Àird Driseig were lain to rest after their deaths.

But the Dome was more than that.

Scattered amongst the trees were a number of humanoid forms, crystalline shapes which bore a remarkable resemblance to Aeldari sitting in quiet contemplation. The resemblance was strong, for once they had been Aeldari, Farseers of Craftworld Rubha Àird Driseig, Farseers who had grown old and weary and finally metamorphosized into something more, merging with the Infinity Circuit of the Craftworld. They became the Crystal Seers for which the Dome was named.

And it was in front of one such figure that four others gathered.

"I wish that Aibreann was still present with the living to offer us her guidance," said one of the four. He was tall and slender, with long limbs, like all the Aeldari. His long golden blonde hair was pulled back into a pony tail, revealing an angular face with emerald eyes. The hilt of a Witchblade rose over his shoulders, and beneath his head and neck, he was dressed in a silver tunic covered in numerous black runes, the most prominent of which consisted of a lower semi-circle with a solid line entering it at a forty-five degree angle from above and to the left and topped by a triangle. The rune was "The Rekindler" and it was the World Rune of Rubha Àird Driseig. He reached out to the crystalline figure that was sitting cross-legged on the black Wraithbone floor and cupped its chin for a moment.

"She had grown weary of life, Oisín," said a second of the four figures. She was tall and slender like he was, except that her body was less angular and slightly curved. Where his hair was golden blonde, the black hair atop her head was unbound and flowed down her back. Where his tunic was silver with black runes, hers was black with red runes, but displayed most prominently the World Rune of their home like his did. A golden spear carved with runes was in her right hand, a Singing Spear. "We should all be allowed to rest when the time comes."

"But we cannot, Dubheasa," answered a third voice. "Cannot while She Who Thirsts can still claim our souls. Cannot rest while the Infinity Circuit of Rubha Àird Driseig merely holds our souls, waiting for the God of the Dead to form and awaken. Holds our souls while She Who Thirsts searches out our home so that she can devour us all, even those who have passed on." The voice belonged to an unusually slender Aeldari, one with long white hair pulled up into a tight knot on top its head. An Aeldari with lavender eyes dressed in a red tunic with an array of silver Runes, and a similar Singing Spear in its hands too. "I am close to finding the location of the Condenser and I am close to finding Scholomance. Then, we can rekindle our Salvation."

"At what cost, Druthact?" answered the fourth figure, who was dressed in grey but with no Runes upon her tunic. She too had a Witchblade on her back and the long golden blonde hair flowing down her back matched the colour of Oisín's hair and her emerald green eyes matched his too. It was Siân Aanwen, the Aeldari who had combined her might with Basil to banish Caorthannach. "I have returned from beyond the walls of Rubha Àird Driseig with grave tidings. It is not just She Who Thirsts that we must face. All four of the Ruinous Powers are gathering, working in concert, I have seen glimpses of what they plan although their ways are shrouded in Darkness. I fear we are to see a bloodbath of immense proportions on the near side of the pass through the Warp storm which separates us from the Galaxy at large. A bloodbath that will be too far to trouble us but will consume the Exodite worlds in the vicinity. I have seen it. Their souls will be consumed. If not by She Who Thirsts, then by another. We must act, and soon."

"But are they not a price worth paying?" Dubheasa answered. "Druthact has returned from years of searching and is the greatest of the Far Seers that Rubha Àird Driseig has produced. If he finds the Condenser and moves it to Scholomance, the greatest of Vaul's Talismans, the shrine where Asuryan's power has been stored and is awaiting us, we will have found the answer to our prayers. With the Condenser, we can gather the psychic power of that bloodbath. Use that power to shatter the bonds that hold Asuryan's power and resurrect him. The Phoenix will rise again! We can free our race from She Who Thirsts. Free all of us. Is any price paid not worth that?"

"I would kill any number of humans for that," Siân snapped back. "But I am not talking about them merely being killed when I speak of a bloodbath. I am speaking of their souls being devoured by the Four, along with those of the Exodites as well as the World Spirits of their worlds."

Dubheasa's face darkened at the mention of the World Spirits being devoured, but before she could speak, another voice spoke first. "And was not one of their World Spirits destroyed not four years ago?" Druthact interjected with venom. "Destroyed by forces of the God Emperor, destroyed by the Imperium of Man?" He did not stop. "Did we not make peace with humans long ago? Did we not give the Interex gifts and teach them of the dangers of Kaos? And what happened? The forces of the Imperium, forces on the Great Crusade of their God Emperor, destroyed those we befriended. Burned them to nothing while marching inexorably to their own damnation at the hands of Kaos. Now, six millennia of butchery later, just four years after they destroyed the World Spirit of Múireann, condemning those contained within to be devoured by She Who Thirsts, you pity their souls." Druthact's lavender eyes flashed and he turned to Oisín. "Your sister no longer holds a vote here. She left long ago and has not returned to take her place here. Think carefully, your decision will be needed soon."

This is so wrong, Siân's soul screamed in frustration. Even that boy four years ago could see how wrong it was to condemn another to damnation at a daemon's hands. Her eyes pleadingly turned to her golden-haired brother. Please? Are we no better than our Drukhari kin?