10. The Rot Beneath
The Rot Beneath
Location: Axis Hall, Jade Lattices
Attendance: Full quorum present. Sovereign Flame also present (no utterance recorded).
Recorded and Observed by the Sokar
—Auryn’s note: Over two decades of sneaking into this dusty hidden passage, listening to these bloated old fools speaking about matters they don’t understand, and all I have to show for it are these ratty journals nobody will read.
But soon—soon I will go through those doors and show them that you cannot rule those you cannot see.
And now, of course, it is even more crucial that I don’t miss a beat of these discussions. Now that Kailorien is so determined to protect me, I worry he will overlook one of their schemes or pay too high a price to shield me from something I can endure without his sacrifice.
Opening Topic: Ward Degradation and Shield Integrity (Presented by Councilor Draevan)
Councilor Draevan (Master of Strategic Mana Flow):
“Preliminary measurements from the Veinposts indicate a minor Shield contraction. Fluctuations in Mirror Shaft reflection have caused a quarter-width shift by the upper Flowe markers. Containment remains stable.”
—Auryn’s note: Draevan delivers this like he’s reading a weather scroll: mild fog, potential for citywide death. It’s frustrating how the others don’t seem to grasp the severity of his reports. Shield contraction is not to be taken lightly.
Councilor Mirava (Untitled and Unqualified):
“You’re referring to the Shaft flickers? That’s common with the approach of the Cycle of Fire. The Flowe junctions always swell under prolonged exposure.”
—Auryn’s note: Everything swells in Fire. Including egos. Mirava speaks as though he’s qualified to weigh in on this topic.
Councilor Draevan (Master of Strategic Mana Flow):
“Yes. However, this is the third such contraction recorded in as many Cycles. My office has compiled a model based on cumulative Veinpost drift across the last 900 spans. Should this trend continue unmitigated, the city will lose an equivalent of half a District to Shield erosion within sixty years.”
[Pause recorded. Several Councilors exchange glances. One (unidentified) audibly cleared throat.]
Councilor Mirava:
“Let’s not leap to alarmism. Your data is predictive, not guaranteed.”
—Auryn’s note: Translation, ‘How dare you notice the world is dying and report on it?’ Mirava is already aging. He likely feels this will not be something he must deal with after his soul returns to the Nine Rivers.
Councilor Torven Rax (Commander of Civil Defense):
“If we address every forecast like a prophecy, we’ll be diverting resources from real-time crises. Our Resh’Agar is strong. Estar and our Companions are strong. The Shields will hold.”
—Auryn’s note: The only crisis worth Torven’s attention is the lack of female Attendants in his dwelling. Certainly, his failed petition to personally select this Cycle’s Lifegivers has nothing to do with his foul mood this day.
Resh’Agar Iridias Savarax:
“Shield contractions are not imaginary. You ignore them now, you lose Districts later. Draevan, comment on the Conduits. How is synchronization with the Mirror Shafts? Have there been anomalies associated with rift activity during the Dark?”
—Auryn’s note: Morvane looks especially polished today. Is that why he came to bed much later than usual last night? The way he’s holding his hands together speaks of tension. Am I imagining it or does he seem to be in a bad mood? I suppose it’s because Shu’Khan is in attendance.
Councilor Draevan (Master of Strategic Mana Flow):
“The Conduits are at peak. We have not studied their interface with the Shafts in some time. Motioning to allocate additional resources to this inquiry as the source of it is logically sound.”
—Auryn’s note: Draevan admitting he overlooked something Kailorien thought of in a heartbeat is somehow satisfying. I quite enjoy seeing him put these men in their place. It makes my hand tremble and my heart race.
Result: Motion Voted Forward
New Topic Proposed: Rune Instability in the Reskala Cohort
Councilor Vezair (Military Oversight):
“The Reskala are reporting inconsistencies in rune mapping across training groups in the Varrow District. Three initiates collapsed during rotation drills due to mismatched glyph synchrony. One bloodward ruptured—two fatalities, both junior initiates from the Reskala training cohort.”
—Auryn’s note: Unfortunate, but that is the fate of a Reskala.
Burn bright and serve. Obey until the body no longer moves.
Their eyes glow but are always empty. Devoid of choice or life.
Not like the Kelvasari on the Moores. Being away from the Flaeme grants them some autonomy, at least. Even if life on the Surface is short and brutal.
Councilor Lamari (Civic Regulation):
“Fire Cycles strain precision. Heat in the air disrupts glyph stability—we’ve known this since the reclamation of Varrow Heights.”
— Auryn’s note: So long as Lamari gets to say, ‘since the reclamation of Varrow Heights,’ he’ll accept any death toll.
It’s his favorite phrase. He uses it like seasoning.
At times, I believe he may actually have a soul.
Then he opens his mouth. Then again, no one seems to think of the Reskala as ‘people’, just as bodies. Much like the Attendants.
Resh’Agar Iridias Savarax:
“If glyph decay is occurring during non-combat drills, the bindings are flawed. Pull every cohort rune and recalibrate them against the oldest matrix. When I oversaw its creation, failsafes were implemented to allow this. Now, centuries later, Breeders and Inscriptors forget proper protocol and risk the safety of our Reskala.”
— Auryn’s note: My heart races when he speaks of passing centuries so casually. I’ve attempted to discern how long he’s actually been alive, but records are varied on this topic. He won’t tell me no matter how much I ask, though it is always breathtaking to see him smile at the question.
Councilor Vezair (Military Oversight):
“Recalibration will slow recruitment. Our barracks are already short two units due to Solutus unrest near the Riverbound lattice. And with your recent motion to grant the Sokar a full flanking of elite guards—”
Resh’Agar Iridias Savarax:
“Six elites is hardly a strain on your resources. Your pointless deflections won’t change the stakes. Either you recalibrate and follow proper protocol, or I’ll have your hide for risking damage to our military force.”
— Auryn’s note: He asked for guards for me? Why didn’t he mention it? I’m glad he is defending them. The process of inscribing runesgrams already frays their bodies. Doing it improperly just to cut corners is nothing short of cruelty.
Result: Motion Voted Forward
New Topic Proposed: Contagion—Origin Unknown
Councilor Ervanya (Health & Sanctum Liaison):
“Temple caretakers report a surge in patients displaying what we’ve designated as Cycle-Induced Delirium. Symptoms include fever, fragmented Doctrine recitation, violent disassociation, and repeated self-harm. In one case, a patient attempted to swallow a wardstone.”
— Auryn’s note: Temple bath houses are beginning to smell like charred skin and melted incense.
Concerning that they are not treating this as more of a threat.
The temples won’t be able to handle a larger breakout.
Then again, I suppose they will Repurpose those they deem nuisances and feel they are doing the Destroyer’s work.
Councilor Lamari (Civic Regulation):
“How many confirmed cases?”
Councilor Ervanya (Health & Sanctum Liaison):
“Fifty-four at last count. Mostly from the outer Han lattice, but we’ve begun receiving transfers from Rising. None from the Jade Lattices—yet.”
— Auryn’s note: He means none from here. Where the Council breathes clean air and the walls are polished nightly by Attendants whose voices are magically sealed since birth.
Councilor Vezair (Military Oversight):
“Could be mana poisoning. Too much proximity to damaged Wards from the previous Solutus event. I recommend we remove the afflicted from temple housing and relocate them to a holding station beneath Varrow.”
— Auryn’s note: Yes. Bury the problem. Earlier suspicions proven.
They plan to Repurpose. And calling that explosion an “event” curdles my blood.
The explosive nearly leveled all of Han, and no proper investigation was ever carried out to understand the after-effects of that weapon.
People are limping along in that district while these fools on the Council discuss them like dust beneath their feet.
Resh’Agar Iridias Savarax:
“You don’t cage the dying and expect them not to rot.
Keep them in temples. That is their right as citizens of this city.
They give their lives to the Flaeme, and in return they are guaranteed protection and care.
I will be tasking those at my command to ensure this directive is being fulfilled.
For now, track mana bleed patterns. Have the high priests submit written reports. Daily.”
— Auryn’s note: At least there’s someone fighting for these poor people. I want to fight, too. But what can an ornament do to protest its place on a torn lapel?
[Brief pause recorded. Some murmuring.]
Resh’Agar Iridias Savarax:
“I’ll notify the Selen sanctum and begin compiling a response list. We’ll have to requisition more medical wards—perhaps from Iliri’s excess.”
Councilor Draevan (Master of Strategic Mana Flow):
“If the infection spreads to the Mirror Cores, we’ll be fighting blind in a month.”
Councilor Mirava:
“If it spreads, we won’t be worrying about mirrors. We’ll be worrying about fire spreading through bodies.”
— Auryn’s note: So dramatic. I quite like it. If this place burns, I want Mirava to narrate. At least our deaths will be lyrical.
Result: The Resh’Agar’s Directive Voted Forward
New Topic Proposed: Solutus Activity and External Uprisings
Councilor Draevan (Master of Strategic Mana Flow):