:Well, I guess they installed some extra junk, that's gross of them, I have my issues with how Urtho and the hertasi guy went about inventing species but they didn't do that:

Dara is giving her a VERY odd look. 

:Er, right. Anyway, the thing that happened after that is Van and Dara went off on a fact-finding mission, to try to learn more about Leareth's background. And found some recorded-history tapestries with the Shin'a'in, who used to be Kaled'a'in and have a pact with the Star-Eyed to guard the Dhorisha Plains. And then it turns out that some of Urtho's Tower survived being blown up when he Final Striked it, and they got in and explored it. Which is when they found the journals: 

:And also a really disturbing number of possibly-world-destroying weapons he invented for some reason! They were all still there in the basement!: 

:Well, I guess if this place gets too fucked up I can gate there, then! And then immediately leave!:

:I have no idea what he was thinking!: Sigh. :Anyway, they had some difficulties - Urtho left a different dangerous artifact lying around and Vanyel got hurt - but they made it back, and then Vanyel unblocked the Foresight dream and kept talking to Leareth, and they were negotiating. While Valdemar was sort of slowly preparing in case we had a war, but Leareth knew about that, he agreed it was pretty reasonable of us - it shouldn't've startled him into attacking us or anything. But Van hasn't had the dream in months, and then last week the fish-Changecreature attack happened, and k'Treva Vale must've gotten blown up at almost exactly the same time. Vanyel said it'd've had to be done by an insider, who could access their Heartstone: 

:Urtho should REALLY cut it out with leaving dangerous artifacts around, geez...:

:I figured maybe it wasn't his fault if it was his own secure basement and he didn't know he was going to die in a war, but if he left the time travel one in his office where students visited him, that seems pretty inexcusable!: 

:Anyway, um, do you have questions?: 

:Not... especially? I mean I'm bewildered of course but I don't feel like I'm on the verge of special Ma'ar-derived insights that would be helpful here or anything:

:I guess that's fair: 

:I'm a bit less worried about Van having gone north. But I guess we don't know how much what you remember about Ma'ar is evidence one way or another for what Leareth is like now...: 

:Did Ma'ar seem like someone who would come up with 'build a better god' as a solution to problems?: 

:Leaving aside the blood magic part? Yeah. I mean, it seems like a fine idea up until the point where you start plotting murder, the existing gods are not good at all the things you might want one for:

:Van told me once that Leareth said he hoped he could bring all the people back, after. Once he had a helpful god. We know some things about what happens to people's spirits when they die, doesn't seem impossible he could do that: 

:Does not seem like the sort of thing you wanna ideally gamble millions of lives on but I suppose it's better than, uh, not planning to give that a shot:

:Think I'm with you on that on: Dara shakes her head. :He told Van he wants to make everyone immortal, if he can. Can't say he's not ambitious: 

There's a polite knock on the meeting-room door. 

Dara hops up. "Treven!" She lets him in.

:Treven, this is Azabel. Azabel, this is Herald Treven, heir to the throne: 

Treven is tall and blond and handsome, dressed in the same white uniform as Dara. He looks tired and stressed as well, but smiles warmly at Azabel. :It's a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to Haven; I'm sorry about the circumstances, this must not be how you were hoping to spend today at all: 

:Arguably I had no plans for 'today' at all, since when I was last making plans it was two thousand years ago:

Jisa snickers slightly under her breath. 

Treven gives her a look, then turns back to Azabel. :It sounds like Dara's already caught you up on the basics, here. Is there anything you need right now?: 

:Change of clothes, maybe?:

:Right, of course, we can get you that. And a guest room here in the Palace: