Waru & Mack

The Peregrine Museum is nearly deserted at these ungodly hours. His measured steps echo within the gigantic halls, usually bustling with people. He has always been one of the most prominent patrons and donors of the gallery. Allocating himself privileged access, regardless of the hour or day, is thus a mere formality for him. Hands clasped behind his back, he greets the chief curator with his most cordial smile. The latter responds with a simple nod, slightly embarrassed, knowing full well that he dislikes being disturbed during his morning walks. Then, without interrupting his stride, Waru enters the section reserved for relics of ancient times.

Two political science students vied for honors upon leaving Arkaster University. If Waru was pragmatic and procedural, Avkan ruun-Heshkari was idealistic with a certain gift for speech and diatribe. They were friends and yet rivals, both hailing from prestigious noble families. However, they agreed on one thing: an ardent ambition that drove them to aim for the highest echelons of Asgarthan power. They knew that competition would always be fierce between them. But despite their disagreements and diametrically opposed views, they often gathered in the evenings at a tavern in the Ruzzante, to confront their ideas like swordsmen exchanging blows.

Even back then, Mack stood on his shoulders. It was a gift from his father when he enrolled in his political curriculum, and he aptly named the Chimera "Machiavelli," in honor of a distinguished diplomat and pre-Confluence thinker. The ermine, with its white fur tinged with Tumult, was devilishly intelligent, as discreet as it was mischievous. Over time, he came to accompany him everywhere, hiding in his robes during lectures or dozing on his table when he needed to study. But come evening, Mack would start to rummage around, often returning with one or two Florets in his mouth. Enough to pay for the next rounds for the grateful and merry students.

They were so young at the time, filled with appetite and pride. They had their whole lives ahead of them and were determined to seize it with both hands. When they set aside their verbal jousting, they enjoyed talking about poetry, literature, philosophy... Waru had a passion for history, Avkan an interest in the tales of great explorers. Surrounded by friends and fellow students, they frequented taverns and pubs, their spirits merry and intoxicated, sometimes until the merciless early light of dawn. But when it was time to sit in the lecture halls, they became fierce opponents again, determined to gain the upper hand over each other.

For several years, certain indicators had hinted at future troubles: a growing population, limited resources, declining mines, rising animosities between the Factions... All these factors laid the groundwork for a new crisis for all of human civilization. Avkan was convinced that to remedy this and ensure the longevity of Asgarthan society, one needed to look beyond the Peninsula's borders. On the other hand, Waru was intimately persuaded that solutions to these challenges and issues existed right here, without needing to expose oneself to perils whose consequences could not be measured. Leaving was always for him a retreat, an admission of failure.

But this exile would not last forever. Emissaries — messengers of political figures with interests aligned with his — came to him. They, too, did not wish to see Avkan ascend to the highest office of the Asterion. They, too, viewed with suspicion the enterprise he was setting in motion. A cabal had formed to thwart him, and Waru was a weighty ally whose support they sought. Naturally, he would be reinstated in his functions, this time with the influence and resources to oppose his lifelong rival. The choice was easy for Waru. It was an opportunity he could not afford to miss.

With these new allies, Waru gradually extended his influence, patiently weaving his web. He was invited into the palaces of some governors, met prestigious dignitaries. Over the years, he took a central position among Avkan's opponents. Partly thanks to Mack, he built a network of spies and informants who answered only to him. The Chimera conveyed messages to him, whispered secrets, gave him advice. Once linked through the Musubi, Mack could even share with Waru what he saw, what he heard, and the politician could in turn communicate these sensitive pieces of information to the other plotters.

However, they could not prevent Avkan from being elected Basileus of Asgartha. It was futile to try to thwart his path to this office given his growing popularity. But the Rediscovery Endeavor could be countered. Nevertheless, despite their machinations and conspiracies, Avkan always seemed to have a countermeasure, a move ahead of them. He seemed to anticipate all their actions, whether legal or more covert. In the end, they could only delay the inevitable, securing certain concessions, ensuring that the exploration forces did not fall entirely into his hands.

And one of those concessions was his appointment, with Mack, to the position of Exalt. By joining the exploration contingents, he had a prominent position to inform his allies of the progress of the Rediscovery Endeavor. They were now playing the long game, ready to cast doubt, at the opportune moment, on Asgartha's leader. Even if the constitution of the Expeditionary Corps was already a financial abyss, when they faced their first obstacles, it was still possible to turn public opinion against the enterprise and nip this bold and unreasonable venture in the bud…

As he rounds a corner, Waru relaxes his shoulders, abandoning his falsely austere and rigid demeanor. His gait becomes less military, more relaxed. Mack slinks up to him and nibbles on his ear, and Waru tousles his fur in return. In front of them, two Kuninguard sentinels snap to attention, and he casually salutes them with a wave of his hand, allowing himself a sigh as he passes between them. Dropping his mask is a relief he can only afford on rare occasions, so he might as well take advantage when given the opportunity.

He walks past the two sections of the obelisk that welcome all visitors entering this part of the museum. He passes by the gutted carcass of a rail vehicle, its red paint still visible in a few places, now tinged with rust. All these relics had been unearthed from the sand of the lagoon, clearly indicating that a great city had once existed here, before the Confluence buried it in the winding folds of oblivion. All that remained were ruins and old stones, muted memories of a lost and evidently glorious age of humanity.

For decades now, he had funded, with his own resources, archaeological excavations and dig sites across the entire Peninsula. More than just a hobby, knowledge of the past seemed to him an absolute necessity to avoid repeating its mistakes and follies. Yet they knew little or nothing of the world before, and it was unbearable for him to build on shifting sands. Of course, he had a rough idea of what had happened before the cataclysm. Historians spoke of a great war, terrible and universal; of a plague that had ravaged the world; of a collapse of society that had caused chaos, indigence, and famine…

And at the same time, other sources highlighted great artistic explosions, like a final burst of creativity in a world going to ruin. The few scattered chronicles that survived from this period mentioned "mad" or "roaring" years. And perhaps the world had gone mad. Perhaps it was this madness that called forth the Confluence... but all this was speculation and extrapolation. They had no concrete proof, and only exploration of the Terra Incognita could confirm or refute these theories. They still had much to learn, much to dig into to hope to shed light on what had happened over five centuries ago.

The Rediscovery Endeavor was an absolute necessity. Only fools would claim otherwise. To remain in Asgartha meant to remain at an impasse, forever blind to what was happening outside. He had been convinced of this from the beginning, as they raised their glasses in the seedy bistros of the Ruzzante. And Waru had always been Avkan's staunchest supporter, the one willing to make any sacrifice to see his vision realized. They already knew then that there would be numerous challenges, if ever they managed to promote it, and if they were in a position to ratify it.