Eldrad Ulthran paced back and forth beneath the pale light of a great indigo gas giant, his steps clattering against the smooth, obsidian floor. The ruined temple he had been summoned to once laid at the heart of a mighty Aeldari metropolis, back before the fall of their empire outside of the Webway. Even in ruins it was a sight to behold, the volcanic rock hewn so gracefully that it resembled Wraithbone. Everything around it was reduced to naught but dust and ash that covered the solemn moon in its entirety, save for a few mountain peaks and the very building he was standing in.
He had been summoned by his ally Yvraine to this desolate place in secret, no doubt to address the frightening and terrible visions he and many other Farseers had begun to experience as of late. The opening of the Dathedian had already wrought havoc and disorientation upon the psychic senses of the Aeldari that still remained tied to the Immaterium, but recently it had become even worse. Attempting to read the tides of the Immaterium was like trying to keep one's bearings on a rickety ship in the midst of a hurricane, even for the most seasoned of seers such as himself. A terrible, constant noise, ringing in the backs of their skulls like something was scratching, clawing, biting at the edges of their perception, echoing all throughout the Sha'eil. It was strongest on the darker side of the galaxy, though it came from all directions. No Farseer could make heads nor tails of it, the innumerable screeches and scratches that seemed to be coming from outside of reality and sent some Aeldari to the edges of madness. There was nothing they could compare it to, not the Enslaver plagues, not the Ruinous Tetrarchy, nor even the immeasurably vast Tyranid hive-mind that stalked the void beyond the galaxy. That was not all, however. The Mon-keigh's God-Emperor had become increasingly active since the opening of the Rift, drinking deep of the immense outpouring of psychic energy. But there was something different, something changing within the blazing gestalt soul of the Imperium. Neither Eldrad nor any of the other Farseers could say what it was, but to him it seemed disturbingly familiar. It reminded him of the faint, psychic heartbeat of the nascent god Ynnead that he had felt upon the crystal moon of Coheria.
It was becoming more and more difficult for Aeldari seers to read the threads of fate, their predictions increasingly uncertain as time went on. There were murmurs that the Rhana Dandra was nigh, the final climactic battle between the forces of Chaos and whatever remained to stop them. Others whispered that the weaves of destiny were becoming unwound. Some had tried to trace these disturbances back to a single source or event, hoping to find what was causing them, though more often than not they found themselves blinded in the process - by who or what, none could say. Regardless of what was truly happening, it was a dire omen for things to come and the seer councils of many Craftworlds were becoming restless.
Eldrad sensed the presence of Yvraine upon the world soon after she entered its atmosphere, like a cold touch upon the back of his neck. The psychic footprint of those linked to the sleeping god Ynnead was like the depths of a cold, dark sea, vast and chilling in equal measure. However, to an Aeldari whose only knowledge of the Immaterium was the chaotic, churning fires of the Sha'eil, such a cold placidity was often more of a comfort than a perturbation. He saw her sleek Dawnsail transport slipping through the starry sky, gliding silently in the void. She and her Ynnari forces disembarked, meeting Eldrad's detachment of warriors from Ulthwé at the entrance to the ruined temple who ushered in the death god's herald to meet their Farseer. When she ascended to meet the famed Farseer, she found him staring out into the vastness of space with a clearly troubled disposition.
"Greetings, Ulthran." Yvraine said.
"Greetings, Yvraine. I apologize if I seem… out of sorts." Eldrad said.
The herald of Ynnead wore her signature form-fitting black attire and Wraithbone corset, perhaps as a reminder of her days in the gladiator pits of Commorragh. Behind her flowed an ornate dress cut just to ankle-length, her hair tied up into a voluminous ponytail atop a feathered crown. At her side, the herald's familiar - a brightly colored Gyrinx - silently paced on its large paws, emitting a low purr.
Eldrad had removed his helmet, simply wearing his flowing black Farseer robes and resting on his Force Staff. Aeldari were widely known for maturing so gracefully that even members of their own species had difficulty determining their true age. Even so, Eldrad showed signs of his many millennia spent guiding and shaping the fate of the galaxy. Small wrinkles next to his dark, alien eyes, creasing on the sides of his slightly pursed lips, and a general weathering to the skin of his face that called to mind the scarred face of an ancient moon. Yet, as an Aeldari, he still retained an almost supernatural handsomeness, though he himself would have never taken the time to consider such vain and superficial matters.
"I understand why you would feel… less than composed. Even as one not so in tune with the realm of fate as a Farseer, I can sense the growing discord in the strands of fate. Ynnead whispers restlessly in his nascent slumber, as if attempting to warn us of some coming event. So far, we have been unable to interpret them." Yvraine said.
"Has there been any word from the Mon-keigh?" Eldrad said.
"...No. My human contacts have been silent as of late. I haven't had much interaction at all with anyone in their Imperium since I aided them in resurrecting their demigod regent. The Mon-keigh can be quite… unappreciative." Yvraine said.
Eldrad furrowed his brow.
"So, you have no insight into the nature of these disturbances?" Eldrad said. "Pardon me for asking… but why did you summon me here, then?"
"...summon you?" Yvraine said. "I was under the impression it was you who summoned me."
"Then who-"
Eldrad felt a sudden shock shoot up his spine as he realized what had happened, Yvraine simultaneously coming to the same conclusion. Before they could react to having possibly walked into a trap, a disgustingly familiar voice rang out from the shadows.
"I did." the voice said, dripping like poisoned honey.
The two Aeldari turned to see a figure seated in the darkness, hiding in plain sight. Somehow it had evaded the notice of both them and all of their guards, even though Eldrad had made them search the entire structure top to bottom when he arrived. The dark figure was lounging in an obsidian chair, balancing a dagger upon his fingertip. He wore a dark cloak adorned with spikes, horns, and bones, appearing almost like a human chaos worshiper… though the Aeldari knew he represented a far more cruel and perverse threat than that. His towering black crown framed his pale, mask-like face, twisted into an expression of sadistic glee. Yvraine immediately drew her Cronesword as her familiar hissed and growled, while Eldrad raised his Force Staff and readied his Witchblade.
"Vect." Yvraine growled, a look of pure contempt painted across her face.
"Oh, put the toys away, would you?" Vect said.
The Drukhari Archon rose from his seat, flipping the serrated knife in his hand a few times before sheathing it in a playful manner. Yvraine and Eldrad didn't budge, still poised in a fighting stance.
"How many times have you tried to kill me and failed?" Yvraine said.
"Oh relax, darling. If I wanted you dead right now, I wouldn't be here. Also, you would be dead." Vect said, circling around the two like a shark.
"I doubt the Overlord of Commorragh would ever expose himself like this. The risk is too great." Eldrad said.
"Indeed. It's likely a double or some kind of illusion." Yvraine said.
"Perhaps I'm a fake, perhaps I'm an illusion, or maybe I'm three Gretchin in a spike-covered trench coat. What matters is that I brought you here for a reason. Say, Yvraine, how is that golden-haired Mon-keigh boytoy of yours?" Vect said.
"Get to the point Vect, before I cut you down - illusion or not." Yvraine said.
"It doesn't take a Farseer to tell that something is happening." Vect said, his jesterly demeanor dropping. "The Mon-keigh are making moves so subtle and veiled that even I'm having trouble keeping track of them. Something's happening in the deepest parts of the Imperium's gilded halls, something big…" Vect turned to them, his face turned deathly serious. "...and I haven't the slightest idea of what it is."
Yvraine and Eldrad were both shocked. For even the Overlord of Commorragh to not have any idea what the humans were doing was rather unbelievable, let alone for him to outright admit it.
"I have agents everywhere in the Mon-keigh's Imperium." Vect said. "I see and hear practically everything. This blindness on my part indicates that an extremely small number of individuals are orchestrating these movements. Individuals within the Imperium that I cannot surveil - a group that happens to be incredibly few in number."
"It is true that the Mon-keigh's Emperor has been more active as of late…" Eldrad said. "...and we have noticed Imperial movements that go against our predictions, indicating that their Emperor is masking them somehow. However, that hardly explains the greater issue here-"
"Yes, that wrinkle in the skein of fate or whatever. Don't you think it curious that the moment your predictions started to go awry, the Mon-keigh Emperor started to stir?" Vect said.
"That… is true, but our Farseers have determined that the source of the anomaly is not on Terra, and it seems to be moving." Eldrad said.
"What if they're looking for it?" Yvraine said.
"...and the Mon-keigh Emperor doesn't want anyone else to find it." Eldrad said, the realization dawning upon him.
"See? I knew this meeting was a good idea. It was my idea, after all." Vect said.
"But… why are you telling us this?" Eldrad said. "Why involve us at all?"
"He wants us to investigate it." Yvraine said.
"It seems you did learn a thing or two in Commorragh, Yvraine." Vect said, his face bearing a wry smile.
"Why would we ever share our knowledge with you?" Eldrad said.
"Oh, you won't have to. Trust me, I'll know." Vect said.
"How do we know that you're telling the truth?" Eldrad said. "That everything you've told us isn't a lie to lead us into a trap?"
"You mean another trap?" Vect said with a smug grin. "Listen, is it really that hard to accept that - as rare an occasion as it is - telling the truth actually coincides with my naked self-interest for once? I want information. You're going to get that information, at no risk to me. It's a win-win. For me, that is. Is this really that hard to understand, or am I just not being clear enough?"
"To be perfectly honest…" Yvraine said. "I wouldn't be surprised if lying came so naturally to you that it overpowered any other concern in your depraved mind."
"Oh, you wound me." Vect said. "Well, now that I've finally gotten my point through your thick, prudish skulls, I really must be going. I have to murder someone in…" Vect stopped to check the time. "...5 or so minutes. I look forward to seeing what you find out there. As for you, Yvraine, why don't you pay golden boy a visit? I hear that running the Mon-keigh's Empire can be oh so stressful… perhaps you could help him unwind? Oh, and if we ever meet again… well, you'll both probably be dead. So long!"
Vect turned and walked back into the shadows, disappearing entirely. After a few moments of cautious pause, the two Eldar searched the room to ensure they were truly alone. Of course, the fact that Vect had managed to evade their security once meant he could likely do it again. For now, they would simply have to remain on alert as they completed their business.
"As loath as I am to admit it, Vect was right about Guilliman." Yvraine said.
"He… he was?" Eldrad said.
"Guilliman is the closest contact we have to the Mon-keigh Emperor himself. It would be prudent to try and glean some idea of what the Imperium is up to from its very own regent, even if he is unlikely to be forthcoming. We are still allies on some level, after all… and I am responsible for saving his life. I could arrange a meeting to discuss the continued status of our alliance." Yvraine said.
"Ah… I, uh, see what you mean." Eldrad said.
"...What did you think I meant?" Yvraine said, her eyebrow raised.
"Hm? Oh, nothing." Eldrad said. "Anyway, while you speak to the Primarch of Ultramar, I will continue to keep in touch with our Asuryani brethren across the dark side of the Dathedian. I will also attempt to contact Yriel, perhaps his corsairs have more insight into the Mon-keigh's activities than we do."
"Very well." Yvraine said. "I wish you luck in the times to come. If I were more superstitious, I may even say that the Rhana Dandra was upon us."
"We may be lucky if that were so. I fear the times to come may have us wishing that the Rhana Dandra was nigh." Eldrad said.