Shartan and the war council stood around the war table, across the table was laid out everything they had on the elder one's movements. Shartan also laid out his map marking each of the old temples of the elves and what they were for, Corypheus was digging around the temples but none of them had any idea what he was looking for.
"Another foci perhaps?" Josephine suggested, Shartan shook his head.
"Cant be, Solas's was found in a temple in the marches and that is where the rest are hidden. Besides the fool would have no idea how to open the others, each are sealed in a different fashion." Shartan explained, before anyone could say anything a loud scream of a raven filled the air.
A raven easily twice the size of any of Leliana's landed on the table and started nipping at Shartan's hand, a large scroll harness on its back bearing a crest that only two in the room knew. Shartan frowned as he plucked the scroll out of the harness and let the bird land on his shoulder, as he read his expression only grew darker and more murderous.
"Whose raven is that?" Leliana asked, and Solas answered as Shartan kept reading.
"That is a raven that belongs to the order of Mythal, one of both Shartan and I's allies in the old empire, her death along with the Seeker's old self's death were what caused the down fall of the empire." Solas answered, Shartan set the scroll down and looked at the inner circle with a grim expression.
"I know what Corypheus is after, the well of sorrows." Everyone but Solas looked confused, Solas looked down right scared.
"I see, so that is what he seeks." Solas muttered, Morrigan broke in for everyone. "For those of who are not older than most of history, what is the well of sorrows?"
"Morrigan time you knew the truth about your mother, she is the vessel for the remaining fragments of Mythal's soul. Now as to why that matters, Mythal is the maker of the well and it is one of the great treasures of the elven gods." The room fell silent, Morrigan looked thoughtful.
"So what is so great about this treasures? Some elven tit's favorite babbles?" Sera joked weakly, only to have the joke fall flat.
"Each treasure is different, but the well is a way to preserve knowledge. Mythal's high priests passed the well from one to the next and their soul echoes and memories would be preserved in the well for the preist that came after them to use. If Corypheus gets a servant to drink from it and they learn to resist the geise of the well, Corypheus will have all he needs to figure out a way back into the fade and seize the power of the a god." Cullen oddly was the first to snap out of their shock.
"All right, then what is the plan. How long can this order hold out for? What is our time table to get our forces together?" Cullen demanded, Shartan thought for a moment.
"My daughter's forces should be able to hold the line until we can gather out allies and march, to be on the safe side Solas and I will take the fighters of the inner circle through the elven crossroads and get there ahead of the army. From there we will help choice the next high priest and pass the well on to them and move them to a temple in the marches where they will be safe." Cassandra's head snapped up and glared at him.
"Daughter?!" "Yes, did I never mention her?"
Varric pulled out his notebook as Cassandra started in on Shartan. "You have a daughter! When was she born, why have you never mentioned her, where is her mother?" Everyone was taking a step back from the pair.
"Yes I have a daughter, her name is Nehra. She was born… Sometime before June's carnival and Andriel's racing competition. I am not used to talking about her, she was given to Mythal to raise as a priest and handmaid as Ghilan'nain and I had many enemies and the time and it was too risky to raise her ourselves. As for her mother, your right here." Everyone minus Solas, who had been present for the birth and hand off, jaw's dropped.
"My daughter is older than I am by so much, how many others have met her?" Cassandra asked in a small voice. "None she has been asleep since her mother died the first time."
The meeting broke up after that as Cassandra and Shartan left, or more Cassandra dragged him off to learn more about her daughter before she met the woman.