Osiris nodded slightly, and then, with a flat intonation, calmly uttered a phrase. Though his voice was not loud, it caused the atmosphere across the entire virtual assembly to freeze abruptly.
"The Croneswords. Or rather, the blades of the Crone."
He paused, adding with absolute clarity: "The mythic god-weapons of the Aeldari God of Death, reputedly wielded by his manifestation, the Daughter of Death, which once severed the essence of Greater Daemons. I am well aware they remain scattered across different Craftworlds or aspect groups. Of the five, I require a minimum of three."
"The Croneswords—"
The term was delivered in a tranquil tone by Osiris, yet it resonated within the secluded chamber like a silent clap of thunder.
For the first time, a visible fluctuation broke across Eldrad's eternally unyielding countenance, a face normally capable of containing the birth and death of stars. The psychic light enveloping his projection wavered violently for a brief instant, and within those eyes as deep as an ancient stellar abyss, shock, disbelief, and a profound pang of agony and struggle flashed uncontrollably.
Elendil abruptly lifted her head, her red eyes filled with astonishment. She instinctively took a minute step forward before forcing herself to halt, staring incredulously at Osiris's back.
To the Aeldari, the Croneswords were far from mere legendary weapons or ancient relics. They were divine creations directly intertwined with the final hope of their species—Ynnead, the God of Death. Myth held that when the final deity of the Aeldari was ultimately birthed and had amassed sufficient power to confront Slaanesh, one of his avatars, the Daughter of Death, would brandish these blades to bring ultimate salvation or absolute ruin to their race.
Each Cronesword contained a distinct fragment of deathly power, representing the final spark of resistance that the Aeldari, amidst endless despair, had invested within the mythic layer of their existence. They were not merely armaments; they were symbols, faiths, and a part of the species' destiny totem. To collect them was inherently considered a taboo act, pursued only by certain extreme death-cult factions or seers attempting to accelerate the awakening of Ynnead.
Yet now, Osiris spoke of them with casual indifference, demanding a minimum of three. This was nothing short of requiring the Aeldari to surrender a portion of the mythic symbols tethered to their race's ultimate destiny as a "collateral" or a "pledge of allegiance." Its significance far eclipsed any material price or promises of personnel loyalty, cutting straight into the spiritual and faithful core of the Aeldari.
Time within the secluded chamber seemed to solidify for several seconds. Only the faint thrumming emitted by the psychic projection equipment and a certain invisible, tightening pressure permeated the air.
Eldrad slowly—exceedingly slowly—closed his eyes. When he opened them once more, the ripples within had been forcibly suppressed, replaced by a bottomless exhaustion and a complex evaluation of leverage. He did not issue an angry denunciation, nor did he flatly refuse, for he knew that Osiris putting forward this demand was far from a sudden whim or a simple attempt to create difficulties.
"Lord Osiris—" Eldrad's voice was more raspy than before, as if he had aged immensely in an instant. "You never fail to deliver demands that catch one entirely unprepared. The Croneswords... their significance to the Aeldari is something you surely comprehend inside and out."
"Precisely because their significance is extraordinary can they serve as a token of sufficient weight," Osiris's response was calm to the point of being cold. "Ordinary resources, technology, or even the loyalty of personnel are things that, to your faction, can perhaps be bargained away or sacrificed. But sacred relics concerning the ultimate mythic and faithful core of a species—their surrender itself constitutes the most profound posture and binding alignment. It signifies that the resolve to seek new life has eclipsed the attachment to an ancient mythic salvation. It means you are entrusting a portion of your race's 'symbols of destiny' upon the success of this collaboration."
He leaned his body slightly forward, his gaze piercing through the projection like something material. "I need to witness that resolve, that burn-the-bridges sincerity. This is not merely a guarantee for me; perhaps, it is also a warning and an anchor for the Aeldari themselves. A reminder to you that a new path demands a new price, and that the future is gripped within realistic choices and cooperation, rather than distant, uncertain mythic prophecies."
Eldrad fell silent. He could not counter Osiris's logic.
The demand was brutal and brilliant, striking exactly where it mattered most. Surrendering the Croneswords, particularly as many as three, would undoubtedly trigger unimaginable shockwaves, fractures, and fierce internal conflicts within the Aeldari. Many aspect groups and seers would view this as a sacrilege, a betrayal of the faith in Ynnead. It might even shake his own prestige in the hearts of certain peers.
But turning the thought over, was Osiris correct? Perhaps he was. The Aeldari had indulged in fragmented prophecies and ancient myths for far too long. The birth of Ynnead remained distant, and whether it even constituted the ultimate answer remained in doubt. Yet right before them, a concrete path leading to a clean universe, free from immediate destruction, had emerged—even if it was commanded by a human.
Was it truly wise to continue holding onto an illusory mythic salvation while refusing to pay a sufficiently agonizing price for realistic survival? The price was so agonizing that it required mortgaging a portion of their species' spiritual totem.
"I require time," Eldrad finally spoke, his voice carrying a heavy weight of pressure. "This is not a matter Craftworld Ulthwé can resolve in isolation. The locations of the Croneswords—some are explicit, while others are merely myths. Securing them will not only demand negotiations and transactions, but might even require confronting the fierce resistance of their keepers, regardless of whether the opposing party is a peer or another entity. This in itself could trigger an upheaval rippling across multiple Craftworlds and into the corners of the Webway."
"I can wait," Osiris's intonation softened minutely, yet his objective remained explicit. "But my time and patience are also finite. The construction and maintenance of a migration corridor demand my resources and sustained investment. Prior to receiving a token that satisfies me, a large-scale, guaranteed Aeldari migration plan cannot enter the phase of substantive operations. Small-scale, experimental pioneer transfers remaining under my strict monitoring might be considered as circumstances dictate, but that is far from a permanent solution."
He offered a step down while simultaneously drawing a hard line. Either pay the core price to secure a collective future, or settle for piecemeal crumbs while answering to his whims.
Eldrad cast a deep look at Osiris, a gaze filled with highly complex emotions: there was helplessness, scrutiny, a heavy worry for the future of his race, and a layer of awe toward Osiris's methods that he was forced to admit to himself.
"I understand," the High Farseer stated slowly. "I will do everything within my capability to initialize the relevant consultations and actions. Yet this progression will inevitably be riddled with hardships and risks, and the outcome remains difficult to divine. I hope that while our side exerts its efforts toward this end, you will preserve the open possibility of that door."
"So long as your actions prove your sincerity, the direction of the door will not alter," Osiris delivered a promise that was barely a promise, keeping the initiative firmly gripped in his hands.
"Furthermore, regarding the subsequent arrangements for the Pandoran universe, alongside our short-term collaboration on other matters in the near future, Elendil will continue to oversee the coordination. I expect Ulthwé to continue providing the necessary support; this itself is a process of accumulating mutual trust."