A desperate alliance has been brought together to stop Waaagh! Mogrek’s invasion. Masterminded by Ceraph Dariel the Resplendent, it is an unlikely collection of allies called upon by common cause, or at least common enemies. Trust must still be earned, yet the threat they face is so great that each member of the alliance is prepared to extend at least a little faith.
The Iscari Dawnguard make up the core of the alliance, charged with defending their homes against the coming invasion. Their commanders understand the threat they face, yet whispers have begun among the troops that the cost of bringing in so many ‘allies’ may be the Ceraphate’s soul. Placing Renaya in charge of the Dawnguard surprised many, yet to Dariel it made unassailable logic. He has no reason to doubt her conviction, yet he knows the depths she is capable of sinking to. He would rather her on the field, leading an army under bright banners than skulking about in the Dominion unchecked.
The Armies of Azyr may be the most straight-forward allies of the Ceraphate, led by a cadre of yet-unproven Questor Knights with mysterious ties to the Prime Dominion. Few doubt the sincerity of their cause, but some question what it is that truly drives them.
The Undesired are inconvenient allies of convenience. On the one hand, their homes are just as much under threat as the rest of the Dominion. On the other, the criminals, pirates and malcontents that make up their ranks have been the largest obstacle to Dariel’s reconstruction since the Civil War. Likspit has been a trusted ally to Renaya in the past, yet few have ever profited by trusting in a skaven.
The Tetrarchy are an enigma to Dariel, for they appeared seemingly from nowhere to offer powerful aid when it was needed most, and ask only for peace in return. Free at last of Nagash’s influence, they claim to seek only a new home, and the Prime Dominion has always been a refuge for those that sought relief from the wars of gods. Yet the memories of Alti’s return still run deep, and the Iscarneth have good reason to be wary of the dead.
The appearance of the Black Choosing was the most surprising, yet Dariel can find no fault in their reasoning for joining the Alliance. Eris Bloodwrath, Qarang Sarn’s previous apprentice, had been an invaluable ally to Duke Atressa and the Iscarneth in the past. That he would seek her replacement here, while at the same time both avenging her death and Mogrek’s slight against his dark gods, has a simple if brutal logic. Yet the Ceraph is wary, for with Qarang Sarn, nothing is ever simple.
These allies, unlikely as they are, must come together to defeat the greatest Waaagh! in this age of the Mortal Realms.
Ceraph Dariel the Resplendent
Dariel the Resplendent is the zenith of everything it meant to be aelf before the cataclysm of the Spirefall. He was a paragon of the civilization he was born into; unmatched in statecraft and philosophy, his reasoning flawless, his judgment unimpeachable. He believed deeply in the pursuit of mastery in all things, applying himself fully to the task at hand. The Teclandec people emulated this philosophy, embracing patience and discipline. It’s easy to assume these qualities are why he became Ceraph, yet unchecked they could also lead to obsession and corruption.
Since his coronation, the responsibility of his station weighs heavily on the Ceraph. He is responsible for his people, and for the safety of the Dominion. With governance has come temperance, and allowed little room for ego. His reign has been prosperous and strong, building the nation through patience and discipline as he ever has. Yet now, with destruction at his very doorstep, he must gamble everything that what he has built will be enough.
Although Dariel has negotiated his alliances in good faith, he would sooner sacrifice them all to Mogrek Longblade before spilling a single drop of Iscarneth blood. Still, he will need them in order to triumph, and cannot afford to throw their lives away foolishly. Where Renaya must win battles, Dariel must bend his formidable intellect toward winning the war, and in this, his rival now is nothing less than a splinter of a primal god.
