Yrliet"Before we leave this place..." Yrliet's voice trembles. "Allow me to search the bodies of the fallen, elantach. I wish to collect their spirit stones — the vessels that protect us from Sai'lanthresh's maw after our physical death. Muaran's foresight led these warriors against us — foresight that can be corrupted by ill intentions they were unaware of. Their souls are locked within these stones — don't let them perish here."
YOU"No one forced your kin to go against me and die. Their stones are my trophies now. I earned them."
Yrliet"Your soul is full of wasted rage — and hunger for others' suffering. Perhaps Sai'lanthresh has already laid her touch upon you too."
end of branch
YOU"It seems these stones are extremely valuable... I think I'll keep them."
Yrliet"How can a mon-keigh know the value of another's soul? Foul, savage species..."
end of branch
YOU"You may take the stones — I have no use for them."
Yrliet"Thank you, elantach. I will take care of my kin."
end of branch
Yrliet(sequence)
Pasqal"I have come across references to xeno-artefacts of this type in archives. If Your Lord/Ladyship allows, I will examine these... trophies." A velvety, curious voice pours from the vox-synth, not interrupted by a single hiss of static.
end of branch
Entry point 2 of 4
Yrliet"Sai'lanthresh" and "She Who Thirsts" are the names the Aeldari give to the Chaos God Slaanesh, their ultimate enemy. Slaanesh is the god of passion, excess, and forbidden pleasures, and is known for his fickle and treacherous nature.
Yrliet(sequence)
Yrliet"Disfigurements — it seems you call these 'mutations' — are the surest sign of this threat. By mutilating living forms, this malevolent power subjugates them and bends them to its will. You have seen the deformities in the faces of those who are closer to the Lilaethan's body than others — the rebels who hide under the canopy of these forests."
end of branch
Yrliet"The mon-keigh are weak in spirit — they are susceptible to the propositions of She Who Thirsts, and in their drive to attain her poisoned gifts, they perform perverse rituals in her name... rituals that require sacrifices. Like the mon-keigh who were brought to the palace and never seen again."
end of branch
Yrliet"The Lilaethan's World Spirit senses the threat — and resists as much as it is able. The living things that inhabit this world are becoming its weapons — weapons turned against the mon-keigh. Poisonous plants, rabid beasts — these are all like a blade in the Lilaethan's hand as she fights the coming of Sai'lanthresh."
end of branch
Yrliet"The signs that have been revealed to me — they all indicate the presence of corruption on this world. Tendrils of corruption may be threading through the World Spirit, poisoning it even as we speak. But for corruption to take hold of the planet so quickly requires effort — effort directed by the will of another." Yrliet pauses. "I believe Vistenza Vyatt is in thrall to the will of Sai'lanthresh."
YOU"If Vistenza is to blame, then why haven't you gone to the palace and killed her already?"
Yrliet"There is only one crime graver than serving Sai'lanthresh — it is betraying the Children of Asuryan for her benefit. Muaran saw the paths, he beheld the future... how could he not see the dark stain on its face? How could he fail to do everything in his power to rid the Lilaethan of this canker?" Yrliet's voice grows angrier, more piercing. "Before I rip this poisoned seed from the Lilaethan's body, I will make Muaran answer me!"
YOU"If Vistenza is to blame, then why haven't you gone to the palace and killed her already?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Make another accusation against a servant of the Imperium and I will have you stuffed and put on display in my stateroom."
Yrliet"Some evil transcends loyalty to one's own kind. What will become of the Lilaethan if you allow the enemy of all creation to live among your subjects? How long with this mutilated world remain loyal to your Imperium before she becomes a chasm bringing forth servants of Sai'lanthresh?"
Yrliet"Sai'lanthresh is deceitful and cunning... She subtly penetrates the soul, offering false perfection, luring victims into her web with promises of a wicked ideal. The ruler of the mon-keigh perhaps does not even know that her soul has been corrupted."
YOU"You came to Janus along with the rest of the Aeldari?"
Yrliet"No. My path brought me to the Lilaethan later..." Yrliet hesitates. "...by another route."
Yrliet"It was Muaran who welcomed me here — he was one of the surviving Farseers of Crudarach. He was with a handful of Asuryani who had escaped death and found the path here, to the destroyed cradle of our kind. They were outraged when they saw how the mon-keigh had ravaged our flourishing garden!"
YOU"You came to Janus along with the rest of the Aeldari?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"How are your kin connected to the uprising on the planet?"
Yrliet"The Asuryani do not enter battles they cannot win. However, it is in our power to direct the currents so that the elements themselves wash obstacles and enemies from our path. And so it was in this case — Muaran, the Farseer from Crudarach, saw a future without the mon-keigh, and we followed his lead. We simply used the mon-keigh's passions against them. Their love of freedom and anarchy. Their love of domination and violence. Stoking enmity between servants and rulers is easier when your targets are governed by emotion rather than reason."
Yrliet"My kin became military advisors to the mon-keigh who rose up against the ruler of this world. I had a different mission: to become Vistenza's handler, since the rebels would be unable to get to her until both sides were sufficiently weakened. The ruler of the humans had never seen a Child of Asuryan before, and so she accepted the lie about a degenerate branch of mon-keigh dwelling far from their own kind."
YOU"You came to Janus along with the rest of the Aeldari?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"How are your kin connected to the uprising on the planet?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why did your own kind attack you?"
Yrliet"I know not the answer to that question." Yrliet lowers her head. "Many cycles have passed since I departed these forests and my kin. They cannot... they cannot have forgotten me, can they?"
YOU"You came to Janus along with the rest of the Aeldari?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"How are your kin connected to the uprising on the planet?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why did your own kind attack you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why would a handful of xenos go to war against a whole planet? You can't kill everyone!"
Yrliet"You struggle to understand the Children of Asuryan, and I do not blame you for that — we are too different." Yrliet says nothing for a few moments, choosing her words. "Mon-keigh walk blindly into the future. We choose the path, guided by our Farseers. Crudarach was the birthplace of the powerful watchers of things to come — our leaders were selected from among their ranks, and their word was set in stone, unshakeable like the universe itself."
Yrliet"Muaran, our leader here, is one of that group. The Children of Asuryan are subject to his will, and he is subject to the will of his visions. Muaran saw the Lilaethan in a vision, suffering and crying out to be cleansed, and we did everything we could to rid the Maiden World of the mon-keigh. Our lives, our desires — all that is dust compared to the light of the path Muaran has chosen for us. At least, that is what my kin believe. I used to believe it too... until recently."
YOU"You came to Janus along with the rest of the Aeldari?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"How are your kin connected to the uprising on the planet?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why did your own kind attack you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why would a handful of xenos go to war against a whole planet? You can't kill everyone!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why are you telling me all this? What's brought on this candour?"
Yrliet"Elantach, your arrival has thrown my paths into disarray — and lifted the veil on the truth that had been hidden from me. While I was shadowing the humans' ruler, I failed to see the signs — signs that there was another threat looming over the Lilaethan besides the mon-keigh's deeds. The threat should be familiar to you, as it is to other intelligent species in the galaxy. We call it Sai'lanthresh. She Who Thirsts. Goddess of Chaos."
YOU"If we want to meet with the leaders of the uprising, we better keep moving."
end of branch
YOU"Why are you telling me all this? What's brought on this candour?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"If we want to meet with the leaders of the uprising, we better keep moving."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why would a handful of xenos go to war against a whole planet? You can't kill everyone!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why are you telling me all this? What's brought on this candour?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"If we want to meet with the leaders of the uprising, we better keep moving."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why did your own kind attack you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why would a handful of xenos go to war against a whole planet? You can't kill everyone!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why are you telling me all this? What's brought on this candour?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"If we want to meet with the leaders of the uprising, we better keep moving."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"How are your kin connected to the uprising on the planet?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why did your own kind attack you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why would a handful of xenos go to war against a whole planet? You can't kill everyone!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why are you telling me all this? What's brought on this candour?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"If we want to meet with the leaders of the uprising, we better keep moving."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I don't believe that Vistenza is guilty. You may not like mon-keigh, but we do not serve the Archenemy."
Yrliet"Who gave you the authority to vouch for every soul of your kind? There are those among you who are weak or perverted by passion — it is those mon-keigh Sai'lanthresh chooses to serve her."
Yrliet"Sai'lanthresh is deceitful and cunning... She subtly penetrates the soul, offering false perfection, luring victims into her web with promises of a wicked ideal. The ruler of the mon-keigh perhaps does not even know that her soul has been corrupted."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Maybe Vistenza is tainted from consorting with the Archenemy. We will have to find out for ourselves."
Yrliet"Perhaps the signs I uncovered have failed to convince you. I pray to the gods that other proof — something more comprehensible to you — will emerge to sway your opinion."
Yrliet"Sai'lanthresh is deceitful and cunning... She subtly penetrates the soul, offering false perfection, luring victims into her web with promises of a wicked ideal. The ruler of the mon-keigh perhaps does not even know that her soul has been corrupted."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I trust your judgement, Yrliet. Vistenza will be punished for her betrayal."
Yrliet"The only punishment for such a crime is death, elantach. The one who steps onto the path of Sai'lanthresh forfeits the light forever."
Yrliet"Sai'lanthresh is deceitful and cunning... She subtly penetrates the soul, offering false perfection, luring victims into her web with promises of a wicked ideal. The ruler of the mon-keigh perhaps does not even know that her soul has been corrupted."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Make another accusation against a servant of the Imperium and I will have you stuffed and put on display in my stateroom."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I don't believe that Vistenza is guilty. You may not like mon-keigh, but we do not serve the Archenemy."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Maybe Vistenza is tainted from consorting with the Archenemy. We will have to find out for ourselves."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I trust your judgement, Yrliet. Vistenza will be punished for her betrayal."continues where this line first appears above
Yrliet(sequence)
Abelard"What? Vistenza Vyatt? The governor who has duly served the dynasty and the Imperium for decades? [Name], I hope you will not stand for such scurrilous slander aimed at one of your finest servants!"
end of branch
Cassia"As lamentable as it may be, the Imperium's history knows many cases where even the most steadfast followers of the Creed would turn away from His light. Governor Vyatt had to tap into many founts of knowledge to turn Janus into a prosperous agri-world. Perhaps... one of those founts became her undoing."
end of branch
Jae"Ah, xenos... Such wonderful creatures, shereen! Just before we came, Pointy Ears spent her days serving the governor, but the moment the wind changed, she started regaling us with tragic tales about her people's dismal fate and the world's plights... and we humans are to blame for everything, naturally!" Jae clicks her tongue and glances at Yrliet with suspicion. "Although there is a grain of sense to her words, I will give her that."
end of branch
Solomorne"Give just about any planetary governor a hard-enough shake, and a whole slew of heresies will come pouring out, so we are not as shocked as you might think, xenos. Regardless, if Vyatt is guilty of anything, she will not be judged based on your word."
end of branch
Entry point 3 of 4
YrlietYou have never heard of this entity before. It must be another Aeldari term for one of the beings from the pantheon of the Ruinous Powers known to Humanity.
Yrliet(sequence)continues where this line first appears above
Yrliet"The signs that have been revealed to me — they all indicate the presence of corruption on this world. Tendrils of corruption may be threading through the World Spirit, poisoning it even as we speak. But for corruption to take hold of the planet so quickly requires effort — effort directed by the will of another." Yrliet pauses. "I believe Vistenza Vyatt is in thrall to the will of Sai'lanthresh."continues where this line first appears above
Entry point 4 of 4
YrlietYrliet's usually dispassionate face is contorted in a grimace of pain and rage. Your Elucidator activates when she begins speaking in her own language. "I swear on Khaine's riven heart, Muaran, you will pay for your treachery! May Morai-Heg sunder your fate and cast it away, may the blood of Eldanesh flood your throat—"
YOU"Well, well, who knew a tempest was raging beneath that unruffled surface!"
YrlietYrliet closes her eyes, sucks in a breath through her teeth, and quickly murmurs something. When she opens her eyes, her face is once again a mask of cool serenity. She looks at you and begins to speak, this time in Low Gothic.
Yrliet"Please excuse me, elantach — I allowed the turmoil in my soul to win out over my reason. A slip like that could cost me more than you can even imagine — my very soul. I must be more careful... even in the face of treachery."
YOU"Isn't it time you told me what's going on here?"
Yrliet"I see no other path. You deserve the truth."
Yrliet"We call ourselves the Children of Asuryan. Aeldari is another name of ours. We are the echoes of the great empire that once ruled the galaxy and created new worlds. The planet that you call Janus is one such Maiden World, the Lilaethan. A haven that our ancestors made for their kin. For many millennia, only the shadows of our predecessors lived among the ruins... until you humans came here."
Yrliet"We are the heirs, and we are entirely within our rights to call the Maiden World our own. However, our arrival is a tragedy, not a homecoming." Sorrow seeps into Yrliet's voice. "We belong... belonged to Craftworld Crudarach, which fell on the border of this star region. Only the providence of the merciful gods allowed us to escape the fate that befell those whose souls perished amidst the stardust along with our abode."
Yrliet(sequence)
Abelard"Destroying an Aeldari craftworld is a serious achievement. I'd like to shake the hand of whoever did it."
end of branch
Jae"A destroyed craftw—" Jae breaks off, and then hurriedly whispers to you, "Hey, [Name]... If we get a chance, we should check this place out. Even if the craftworld was blasted to bits, anyone who finds a piece of it will make a fortune."
PasqalAn angry vox crackle interrupts Jae. However, Pasqal confines himself to this threatening gesture, obviously not wanting to bicker in front of the Aeldari about who has the right to plunder the world of her kin.
end of branch
PasqalHis green visor flashing with interest, Pasqal carefully clarifies: "Which border exactly?"
Yrliet"You don't need to know that, iron mon-keigh. I am aware of your looting practices."
end of branch
Yrliet"After the calamity, the Lilaethan offered my kin a sanctuary — a place of respite in the ruins of our ancestors, under the canopy of the forests created by the wisdom of our Worldsingers... living alongside your kind, who reap the fruits of our labour with such vulgarity."
YOU"You came to Janus along with the rest of the Aeldari?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"How are your kin connected to the uprising on the planet?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why did your own kind attack you?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why would a handful of xenos go to war against a whole planet? You can't kill everyone!"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Why are you telling me all this? What's brought on this candour?"continues where this line first appears above
YOU"If we want to meet with the leaders of the uprising, we better keep moving."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Who is Muaran? What treachery are you talking about?"
Yrliet"Muaran is the one responsible for the rebellions against the ruler of Janus... but allow me to tell you everything from the beginning."
Yrliet"We call ourselves the Children of Asuryan. Aeldari is another name of ours. We are the echoes of the great empire that once ruled the galaxy and created new worlds. The planet that you call Janus is one such Maiden World, the Lilaethan. A haven that our ancestors made for their kin. For many millennia, only the shadows of our predecessors lived among the ruins... until you humans came here."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Enough talking — just lead me to wherever you were going."
YrlietYrliet hesitates for a moment, as though preparing to say something, before finally turning away.
end of branch
YOU"Calm down. It's already over."
Yrliet"Over? Oh no, mon-keigh, this path is far from its end!" Yrliet is almost shouting, her voice ringing with fury. "But when we get to Muaran, I will make him reveal the full extent of his duplicity and tell me where the truth ends and the lies begin!"
Yrliet"Please excuse me, elantach — I allowed the turmoil in my soul to win out over my reason. A slip like that could cost me more than you can even imagine — my very soul. I must be more careful... even in the face of treachery."continues where this line first appears above
YOU"I don't know who you're talking about, but I promise I'll gladly help you pour the 'cup of suffering' down their throat."
YrlietYrliet closes her eyes, sucks in a breath through her teeth, and quickly murmurs something. When she opens her eyes, her face is once again a mask of cool serenity. She looks at you and begins to speak, this time in Low Gothic.continues where this line first appears above
YOU"Get a grip. I doubt that will be the last battle we see today, and I need allies with all their wits about them."
YrlietYrliet closes her eyes, sucks in a breath through her teeth, and quickly murmurs something. When she opens her eyes, her face is once again a mask of cool serenity. She looks at you and begins to speak, this time in Low Gothic.continues where this line first appears above