Lore question concerning the final moments of Ilservian (hopeslayer)

[Over_B_Urden]

I've been presented with a question that I can seem to find an good answer to. Any help would be most appreciated! The question is:

Which of the Council of Five died last.

I've been searching through lore for 2 days now, and everything i've read thus far suggests that Lord Uweden died first, and the remaining 4 died instantly (together) in the explosion that created the Obsidian Plains.

I've found references to Maila and Adja doing a falticot ritual to save Asheron (and extend his life beyond what is natural), but I *think* this happens just prior to the explosion.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance :)

[Uzi-El]

If you don't want to get too technical, you could say that Asheron was the last Council member to die, since he doesn't buy it until (apparently) AC2.

Then again, since he wasn't an official member of the council (more like an aide or apprentice, and besides, it's hard to have a Council of Five with six members), so the answer is more likely "Adja, Kerenth, and Rajael died last": Uweden's skull was crushed by BZ, and Maila presumably died as the result of the Falatacot ritual, after finishing her part of the crystal prison but before the entire prison was complete. The other three died in the actual explosion.

[Cerulia]

Hm, the question might mean Asheron... He wasn't one of the five, but he seems to have been an honorary member at least, I found this quote:

"The energy released by the planar rupture that trapped the Servant also destroyed the Council (save Asheron Realaidain of Knorr, whose means of survival remain unknown to us)"

So the undead seem to consider him a member ^_~ That's probably not what the question means though, since it says the last to die, and Asheron still hasn't died...

If it has to be one of the five though I'm not really sure... Probably Maila or Adja since they cast their protective spell on him at the end... In which case it would be Adja, since Maila gave her life to save Asheron's. So if it's one of the five I would say Adja, if only because the other two candidates are folks no one's ever heard of ^_~

I suppose, if you were poetic about it, it could be Maila though, giving her life force to her son and living on in Asheron...

Tricky question! I'm sure someone more knowledgable will be able to tell you though, it was probably mentioned somewhere in the lore ^_^


Edit: Posted while I was typing Uzi... I hadn't thought it might be more than one person, if so then I'd agree with you, although I thought that all 4 remaining council members cast the spell, and then Maila sacrificed herself.

It's a hard question because the only ones who know exactly what happened at the end are Asheron (The only survivor), and the devs, and neither's talking much about it ^_~

[Over_B_Urden]

Thanks for your input guys, it's much appreciated!

You guys seem to come to the same conclusions as me. If I had to make my guess now, I would probably go with Adja. As you said, Maila presumably died during the ritual Adja was performing. However, i'm still under the impression that the ritual occurred before the explosion, which would leave Rajael & Kerenth alive as well. KABOOM... the remaining 3 die together.

I'm just hoping someone comes along with a definite piece of helpful lore (that we've missed) so that my answer ISN'T an educated guess...

[Uzi-El]

The most detailed account we have of the final moments of the Council is the story Communion, here:
http://ac.warcry.com/lore/texts/index.php?action=display&id=214 But even that account is a bit vague.

If I had to pick one Council member that survived longest, I'd go with Adja. In Communion, we read the thoughts of someone (presumably her) as the prison actually explodes, so there's evidence of at least her living until that final moment.

And I wouldn't call Lady Rajael someone we've never heard of. After all, there was that whole protector of Marae (http://ac.warcry.com/lore/texts/index.php?action=display&id=208) thing she had going on. :p

[Over_B_Urden]

Agreed. In fact, she was the answer to my second question. The exact wording of my riddle was (including answers I've found):

1. Who comprised the council of five?
Lord Kerenth of Nesortania
Lady Adja of Ithaenc
Lady Rajael Fellarien
Lord Uweden, Viceroy of Gelid
Lady Maila of Knorr

2. Which of them was imprisoned?
Lady Rajael Fellarien

3. Which was the last to die?
??????????????????????????


The way the question is worded, it seems like they want a single person answer. As it stands now, Adja seems like the best possible answer.

[Cerulia]

lol, I admit, I had forgotten she was the protector of Marae... Still a minor celebrity though, as far as it goes ^_~

In Communion (Which I hadn't found just now, good account!), I think it's all from Asheron's perspective in a dream, remembering the end, so it still could be any of the three or all three... It does sound like Rajael and Kerenth were the closest to the crystal, although it might just be that Adja was closest to Asheron...

Over, when you find out the answer to this please do tell us, and ask the quizzer where he found out! I'm really curious now ^_^

[Over_B_Urden]

I will certainly do that. My answer is due on friday, but I'll be out of town until sunday. I'll post the answer then :)

[Heideggar]

From my understanding of the blood ritual with Maila she put her "life years" into Asheron. Maila didn't die because of it, she just didn't live as long because of the ritual. It was designed to give Asheron life after he would be "killed" by the explosion. Lady Maila saw her husband die to the shadows and could not bear the thought of her only son being taken by the shadows as well. She knew he was one of the few that could perform the incapsulation of Bael'zharon. She wanted to sacrifice her own future to ensure his.


hmmm, grrr, now you guys are making me go read back through all that lore I read like 3 years ago lol

[Over_B_Urden]

Thank you, Heideggar. Hopefully you'll find something that the rest of us missed ;)

[Cerulia]

Well, according to Communion, which Uzi posted a link to earlier...


"“I love you, my child,” Maila whispered, diamonds spilling from her eyes in impossible numbers. Turning to the middle of the room, her eyes flashed a final time.
[...]
Her hands slid away. He pawed numbly at them, trying to keep them from going, as he’d tried to pull them away heartbeats before.
[...]
He looked up. When had he knelt before her corpse, placed her head in his lap?"

All the Falatacot life extending rituals seem to need a sacrifice... Whether that sacrifice is willing or not makes the difference in how it turns out. I'm pretty sure Maila sacrificed her own life to save Asheron from dying in the explosion from the crystal core, and his extended life span was a side effect of that, not the main intention...

I could well be wrong though! I can't remember where I saw that, and it's been a while since I read all this stuff... Maybe you'll find something while you're re-reading it, good luck! ^_^

[Admon Faye]

All the Falatacot life extending rituals seem to need a sacrifice... Whether that sacrifice is willing or not makes the difference in how it turns out. I'm pretty sure Maila sacrificed her own life to save Asheron from dying in the explosion from the crystal core, and his extended life span was a side effect of that, not the main intention...

That was answered by a Dev in another post on these boards. When and where I cannot say, as I don't know.

However, Cerulia is correct. The purpose of the spell was simply to protect Asheron from the Crystal Array's Magic, extending his life was a side-effect

[Gryfudd]

That's also explained in the Tear Stained Parchment from Adja's chest at Ithneac. There's a companion reply from Adja to this, but I can not find it immediately.

Maila's letter follows:


"Dearest Adja,

...

You have spoken, reluctantly, I know, of the arts your mother and hers taught you as a child: those forbidden ways to extend life that corrupted old Dericost. But you also said there were ways taught and practiced under stars less bleak - ways which do not greedily seek to stall the hunting eye of time across the length of its domain. The blood that courses through your line could protect and prolong for many circles of the world without casting aside the pangs and joys of mortality. You told me once your grandmother, when a girl herself, fled the captivity of the Ice Throne. Later she told blessed Alaidain of the secret ways through the deeps of Vasmora under Gelid.

I am conscious of the price these arts demand. To preserve a life, a life must always be taken in forfeit. If it is given freely, you said, the result is not tainted by the ones whose names cannot be spoken. The life I would sacrifice shall be mine own. I agreed to lay it down to bring an end to Palacost's endless rage. I shall. But should there be a way, I would have my last breath of this world mean still more. What mother could stand by and watch her child die without seeking as I do?

Adja, I beg you, who have called me sister for ten score years, to aid me. I will lay down my life to save my boy. I have ALWAYS been willing to do so. Asheron is all I hold dear, and all I have left of Atlan. Will you help me?

Maila

[Over_B_Urden]

Thanks for all your input guys. My answer is due tonight...

After reading the Communion text again, I think the answer she is expecting is Lady Adja. That's what i'm going to answer anyway.

I'll be sure to post tonight or tomorrow what the answer was :)

[Gryfudd]

Found it.

It is the brief letter which is translated from the Damp Scroll

Adja's reply:

"Gentle sister, my decisions have never been what I would, but what must be.

I have touched the silvered shades of what lies yet unseen in search of guidance. I have found that your child has a great destiny he must yet fulfill. It will not wear easily on him. Nor, I fear, shall it pass lightly on our long-suffering world, or for a generation of children born far beyond the fields we know. All shall be broken before it is accomplished. Yet this is what must be. Light moves in fashions we cannot fathom. We can simply trust.

I shall do as you ask. Expect me in your chambers after our first dinner at the Lyceum.

Blessed be, Adja."

[Over_B_Urden]

Adja was correct :)