Clais gave a look to Azathur, as he addressed Tekaska's concern. One saying he was both right and wrong.<span style="color: #BFBF00">"You are right, but only partially. To assume the antagonist could not manifest is a risky view. There is, however, a more compelling reason that would not be the case. The antagonist yearns to return to paradise, according to all texts that concern him. The return to paradise would only be possible through a complete corruption of all who are faithful to his adversary. Should they die, such power would be lost to him. Not to mention the fact that the Bloodfountain's treacherous nature does not inspire much faith, and such an unruly subject is, I think, not one he'd be inclined to help. Finally, the destruction of the universe notwithstanding, we seek to claim the Lifestone - and thus its power, however briefly - for ourselves. We are corrupted and damned, and will corrupt and damn others. And the human mind is more easily swayed than the Bloodfountain, whose very nature cannot be amended. As such, we're likely to be the favourable victors in this war, should the antagonist manage to manifest himself, and have a desire to intervene."</span><br/><br/><div><hr style="height:2px; width:100%; border:0; color: white;background:white;"/></div><br/><br/>Doctor Blackvein assessed the situation with the other practitioners around the table. Fleshmelder was the man he'd expected to be most reluctant about entering into the alliance, and yet he seemed very open for it.<span style="color: #008040"><span style="font-style: italic">A product of desire to hold the Lifestone in his own hands,</span></span>Blackvein thought, but didn't much care. He didn't know Fleshmelder well, except by reputation, and thought his brash and straightforward nature may speak of a deeper, ingrained sense of - not honesty perhaps, but brash, uncompromising candor. The Tzoolizik Boyar was something of a wild card, savage and cruel. And also coldly curteous. Blackvein concluded that he should be given particular attention to ensure he didn't betray the alliance at an exceedingly inconvenient time. A brash grasp for the Lifestone's power may see it inadvertently in the hands of their enemy, after all, and had to be avoided. Finally, he considered Tekeska. Far more skeptical and difficult to convince than he expected, for he had heard she admired him, to an extent, anyway. In any case, caution was not to be abhorred, at least not in this war. And her talent with beasts gave her a series of other skills the alliance could make use of. All in all, Blackvein was surprised at his fellow practitioners, but not unpleasantly. He decided to divert his energy towards ensuring the alliance worked smoothly, and that all knew what they had to to. He gave a subtle nod to Clais, whom immediately continued.<br/><br/><div><hr style="height:2px; width:100%; border:0; color: white;background:white;"/></div><br/><br/>Clais looked over the group, and began a carefully prepared speech. His hand was on the hilt of his rapier all the time, casually, as you might expect from a millitant scholar. Opening his copy of the Tome of Truth, he began reciting.<span style="color: #BFBF00">"Finally, there's the truth about this world of which you are all well aware. The winners survive, and the losers perish. If you do not fight, you cannot win. So even if all our predictions turn out false, and we are faced with the Bloodfountain, Lucifer, and any mortals we come over, as well as all the practitioners in the world, we have better odds if we stand and fight, than if we submit. There is nothing to gain, but everything to lose, should we stand by and watch the events unfold. And if that is not compelling enough... Then you wouldn't be a necromancer."</span>He gazed into his Tome, furrowing his brows.<span style="color: #BFBF00">"Now, the Tome of Truth explains that even the power of the gods can be transmuted with enough energy. Convenient, as transmuting the Lifestone can therefore be accomplished by the power of the stone itself. To ensure our ultimate survival, Blackvein and I agreed that the best course of action would be to give the power over all life's fate back to the pagan gods, while using some of it to banish the Bloodfountain. It'd make us the most powerful people in the world."</span>He let the implications hang in the air for a bit. Certainly, a lot stood to be lost in this war... But a lot stood to be gained as well.