4
William sat content and alone in the grand vestibule of the Tyrian Vanguard guild hall. Bored, his mind drifted off of easier times. Times he would run around in Kryta with other kids, dashing around in his adolescence getting into mischief, and in his later teen years chasing after women. Now, however, his virtuous training had him running around Tyria for the Vanguard's issues and concerns.
William took a deep breath and looked around, noticing the things he hadn't before.
The grand entrance hall stood twenty five feet high with the ceiling arched in a vaulted manner. Two rows of columns, separated about ten feet from each other, adorned the center of the vestibule in rows. In the direct center of the floor was etched an old crest of the Tyria Vanguard, laid with proper flooring tools to preserve the detail with people walking over it. Gold and black shown as the dominant colors of the guild hall with tan, white and dark blue coated the other areas giving a nice unique feel to entirety of the Tyrian Vanguard domain. At the end of the hallway from the main doors were many rooms lead from a circular arch, leading off to guest quarters, the library, and other areas of interest.
William sat looking around admiring it all until the great hall doors began to open.
"So, what's the verdict?" William asked the charr comrade walking in. He leaned back in the chair comfortably, glad something had finally interrupted his bored gawking.
"Verdict? The verdict is we still have no clue what either the shadow things were or the Sylvari troll-things are." Skarr replied waltzing through from the guild hall doors.
"Our Vigil doesn't know either, eh?" William asked with a leisure hand in question towards Skarr.
"Not a clue. Some of the crusaders talked of confronting shadowmancers in the past, but nothing like what we encountered," Skarr huffed wishing there was more information.
"Well it is close to the wastes and no one goes out to the wastes, so probably some new unknown creatures. Kind of feel privileged myself," William boasted with a smile while still slouching in the chair.
"I'm glad we can say we can handle them," Skarr noted with a half grin.
William sighed and leaned his head back over the chair starring up at the vaulted hall ceilings. Seeing cracks randomly and realizing just how old the guild hall was, he wondered when it would cave in on them. "Side note here, but when are we going to repair the hall some? Been the same guild hall for what, seventy-seven leaders now?" William hadn't moved his head at all while asking, still staring upward at the antiqued vaulting.
Skarr glanced up. "Looks fine to me. Besides, we have other things to worry about William."
"By the Infinite Alchemy!" resounded throughout the main hall from Grebb's quarters.
"Oh Six, here we go…" William tilted his head upright at the proclamation.
"Heh, let's make a bet," Skarr said peering over at William feeling the betting urge come on.
"On?" William asked as he heard some crashing and miscellaneous noises coming from Grebb's quarters still.
"On what he is clamoring on about in there. I say it's some new golem mechanic or a golem itself," Skarr said raising his chest upward. He pulled out a sack of silver and hefted it lightly to tempt the human.
William grinned. Free money in his eyes. "Ok. Let's bet five gold coins."
"Five gold?! That's steep. I have twenty silver in here for the bet. Last I knew you were noble, not a thief."
"What? Noble? I just think I'm right," William grinned. He knew the remark would stir up Skarr.
"Ha! I doubt it. I've known Grebb a bit longer than you, William. I know him and his geo contraptions. Five gold it is, now pay up, I already know I'm right!" Skarr put out a palm, though he didn't expect anything.
"I bet it has to do with that sample he found in that damned jungle," William said snobbishly with a half grin and eyelids half closed. He knew Skarr's face showed a frown and a sense of lost profits without even looking. "The gold would be nice. Need a few new pieces of gear."
Skarr's notion of winning fell into doubt. His dignified stature turned to a slumping, failing one, "Hmm… you might be right. I figured with Grebb's golem addiction, it'd have to do with that."
Clattering of Asuran feet came running out into the hall. Grebb was barefoot.
"Guys!" he shouted coming from his room.
"What?" William and Skarr asked simultaneously. They looked at eachother and returned to the Asura.
"I- Wait. Where is everyone else?" Grebb asked wanting eagerly to discuss his find.
"Probably in their quarters, Lion's Arch, or somewhere else in Tyria. Why?" Skarr asked crossing his fingers hoping to not lose the gold.
"Damn. Well, I've gone through some of my Inquest data and was cross referencing the sample with what they were working on at their crucible. I have correlations, which might prove ill for us."
"Inquest data?" Skarr asked wondering why Grebb had Inquest anything. The bet was instantly forgotten.
"Ill?" William chimed.
"Yes. I was recruited by the Inquest long ago, but got kicked out for blowing up one of their labs off the coast of the fen." Grebb mentioned it like it was common knowledge and it was just an explosion.
"Grebb… how are you alive?" William asked now sitting up straight now wondering of his comrade's past. He would badger Skarr for the gold after the Asura left.
"You were Inquest?" Skarr asked now weary of his long-time friendship with the Asura.
"I was Skarr. And William, I was in a golem suit outside the compound when it happened. They weren't too happy, but anyways, this is all moot. I have great news!"
"And what is this news?" Skarr asked.
"These elemental Sylvari troll things share the same make-up as some of the magics the Inquest used in Zone Green."
"The what green?" William asked looking to Skarr with a raised eyebrow. A grin wanted to appear across his face due to the bet, but he stopped it. Grebb could still make a claim at making a new type of golem with the sample.
"Zone." Grebb stared at the two as if they should know. They just stared blankly back at him. "Ok, the Inquest draws power from the six Elder Dragons. They have a chamber dedicated to each dragon where they test and utilize the magic of each. The compound make-up from this sample is exactly the same as the kind within the Mordremoth chamber known as Zone Green."
"Mordre-what?" William asked wondering what the name was.
"Mordremoth. Elder Dragon." Grebb said plainly.
"Grebb, there is no elder dragon named Mordremoth," Skarr said chuckling, "And there's only five elder dragons."
"Wrong," Aerion said coming from his quarters, "There are six. Priory can confirm it."
"Six? Really?" William said now standing. "Guess we have a lot of work ahead of us."
"Yes, six." Grebb said.
"These things come in sixes, don't you know?" Aerion asked smiling. "Six gods, six main forms of magic, well technically not, but that explanation is for another time, but six elder dragons. Makes sense, does it not?"
Skarr and William looked at each other and then back to the elementalists.
"What's all the commotion now?" Aerion asked.
"The sample I took was derived or directly from Mordremoth," Grebb said looking at Aerion.
"I don't know the name Grebb, but sounds bad," Aerion offered with interest.
"Mordremoth, one of the six elder dragons." Grebb said plainly again.
"You are completely sure Grebb?" Nivrin asked from behind Skarr and William. Calla, Amerial and Dalvyr was with him.
"Really?" Calla said from behind Nivrin.
"Yes." Grebb said with a half smile.
"Are you for certain Grebb?" Nivrin asked again coming forward in front of all the rest.
"I am." Grebb said sighing, realizing what he found is dire news.
"It would make sense why the wastes are empty and why nothing has been heard from that area in over two hundred years." Nivrin looked to the floor in thought.
"So the troll creatures are from this Mordremoth?" Amerial put together
"It is a good possibility," Grebb answered looking to the side and then back to the group, "The shadow things, I still have no clue what they were."
"Nor do we," Dalvyr said with a book in hand.
"Yeah, we have spent the better half of the day in the sepulcher looking through the belongings of past leaders and rummaging through books in the library," Calla noted plopping down into a chair. Aerion noticed how she wasn't in her plate, but in regular, town-like clothes.
"Calla, I've never seen you so," Aerion had trouble figuring out the words to say, "Armor-less."
"You think I stay in my armor at all times?" Calla asked wondering how Aerion had not seen her without plate on before.
"No, just odd seeing you with as much armor as me," Aerion played hinting at the clothes he adorns.
"Enough," Nivrin said as he sat at a chair beside William. The rest before him gathered.
"Yes master?" Aerion granted humorously.
"Has anyone anything on the shadow creatures we encountered?" Nivrin was more than curious.
"Negative from the Vigil," Skarr said while leaning against one of the many columns in the hall.
"Priory has no intelligence of them, but we have descriptions of attacks that happened outside Lion's Arch, Ascalon and many near Brisbane. Our records details what they look like and they are similar, however in the dark, we are all alike and show the same shadow, so could be anything." Aerion tilted his head with the knowledge he bestowed, but he knew it was barely anything to add to the investigation
"Yeah, Whispers has nothing about such creatures. I checked yesterday with them. They have some of the same reports of some attacks from shadowy beings throughout Tyria, but not nearly enough details on each attack. Just silhouettes attacking for no apparent reason."
"So we should put the shadow things on hold and concentrate on Mogra guy?" William asked wondering.
"Mordremoth," Grebb corrected.
"Yes, that. We looking into him?"
"We are," Nivrin said with a sigh. He realized they needed to act. "Call the rest here to the guild hall." Nivrin stared into the table.
"The rest?" Skarr asked wondering what he meant exactly.
"Yes. Everyone who rallies or is able to represent us must know," Nivrin looked to each Tyrian Vanguard looking at him.
"What's the plan?" Aerion asked wondering about Nivrin's real scheme.
Nivrin looked sternly to Aerion. "Plan is we go back. We venture back. Back to the wastes and find out where this dragon lies and why he is dormant."
"Or if he's waiting to attack…" Skarr mentioned, truthful in his words.
"True…" Grebb said with a sigh.
"We must accept this as a possibility. Many waited when Zhaitan attacked, not realizing how bad his ideals were for Tyria, but Traherne acted swiftly and collected the Pact with his commanders. They hailed under one banner and fought against Zhaitan and won. We must seek out this threat and see its plausibility. If it's true, there will need to be a new fort erected somewhere at the edge of the wastes."
"Does the Pact not know about this?" Aerion asked.
"No. No one does," Nivrin chuckled and shook his head, "Ambassadors, notify the Vigil and Priory, I'll get Sworn to notify the chantry for me. Amerial and Dalvyr, go to Fort Trinity and talk to Trahearne of this possible threat. I need to visit each of the cities and Lion's Arch, posting signs recalling us all here."
Nivrin watched the rest among him get ready to head out, however there was an uneasy silence between them all. Just as it set in, Nivrin felt the need to speak, as if to only amplify the reality of it. He couldn't, however, before Arrik interrupted from the right staircase.
"That serious, huh? Another Dragon?" Arrik said shirtless with some of his lower body armor on.
"Yes Arrik. It is. Ready yourself, we'll head out in two days time, with hopefully the Pact and the other orders sending in investigating teams behind us in three or four days time," Nivrin looked the right sharply in thought, "I have to collect some debts and allies as well now that I think of it."
Arrik shook his looking downward, agreeing, yet he didn't move. He looked back up to Nivrin after a few silent moments. "What of the shadows? Are they not a threat?"
"They are Arrik, but right now," Nivrin stopped himself now realizing just what the words he was about to speak meant. He took a breath and began, "We face yet another Elder Dragon and his name is Mordremoth."