"Oh, only the highest, most faithful in their ranks are informed of Vile's true motives. I would surmise that they are promised power and standing within Vile's realm, once he does whatever he intends with Mundus." Areldril answered, again without hesitation. "And I would not be so quick to dismiss their plan as impossible. Certainly, it is not an easy task to deactivate a Tower, but Towers have been destroyed before, and it is not at all far-fetched."
Kaleeth was looking nervous. She had her sword in hand in case something happened, but her mind was focused on what Areldril was saying. It seemed insane to think that there were, evidently, buildings with the power to hold reality together. She supposed it could make sense with some sort of divine magic from the gods, but it seemed insane that their secret war with another Daedric cult could actually somehow be for the fate of the world, instead of just their own lives. "So these divine towers have been destroyed before? How?" She asked.
Areldril paused a moment, standing up straight with his hands behind his back as he collected his thoughts on the matter. "Each Tower has a stone, metaphorically speaking, which is bound to its Tower. If either the stone or Tower is destroyed, or the connection between them severed, the Tower will deactivate. Orichalc was located on the continent of Yokuda. When Yokuda was destroyed, Orichalc was destroyed with it. Green-Sap consisted of a network of Graht-Oaks in Valenwood. At one time, it was the subject of a plot to turn Green-Sap into another White-Gold, which may or may not have been related to its eventual deactivation. The exact reason for its downfall is a mystery, but though the Graht-Oaks still stand, Green-Sap is no more. Walk-Brass was the Tower forged by the Dwemer, their Brass god: the Anumidium. When Dagoth Ur interrupted the creation of their golem at the Battle of Red Mountain, the Dwemer disappeared, and Walk-Brass, their Tower, was left behind. It's pieces were eventually reformed into the golem you know as the Numidium, with its stone being the Mantella, which Tiber Septim used to conquer Tamriel and form the First Empire. The Numidium was later used in the Miracle of Peace in the Iliac bay, destroying it and bringing an end to Walk-Brass. The Red Tower, Red Mountain in Vvardenfell, was deactivated when its stone, the Heart of Lorkhan, was destroyed by the Nerevarine."
Increasingly, the expressions of several of the pack became more worried as Areldril listed one by one the Towers, which supposedly held together existence itself, that had been destroyed or deactivated. And he was not yet finished. He continued on, his tone neutral, but his expression severe. "Crystal-Like-Law, erected by Elves in the Summerset Isles in emulation of Ada-Mantia, was destroyed by the invading Daedra during the Oblivion Crisis. Also at that time, the stone of the White-Gold Tower, the Chim-el Adabal, the stone at the center of the Amulet of Kings, was shattered by Martin Septim. Snow-Throat is one of the more...uncertain Towers. It is believed to be the mountain known as the Throat of the World, and its stone is known only as the Cave. I call it uncertain because it is unknown if it is still active. As stated in the prophesy of the Dragonborn: When misrule takes its place at the eight corners of the world / When the Brass Tower walks and Time is reshaped / When the thrice-blessed fail and the Red Tower trembles / When the Dragonborn Ruler loses his throne, and the White Tower falls / When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding / The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn. Everyone knows this prophesy has already come to pass, and it does imply that the Snow Tower has fallen, but none can say for certain. Ada-Mantia, of course, still stands. Its stone is both physical and metaphysical, the Zero stone, Convention."
Lorag was managing to keep up with what Areldril was saying, though much of it was references to history or religions that went over his head. Of all the pack, he was the most skeptical. With his arms crossed, he stared down Areldril. "Okay, so assuming you're not lyin' through your teeth about all this, this seems like something you'd just tell your own people. Seems like it'd be important to them. Why not just tell the rest of your Thalmor and have them pass it on to us? Why make yourself a traitor for this?"
Areldril turned his head slightly and slowly towards Lunise. It was hard to tell, but there might have been a slight grin on his lips. "Because of the ninth and final Tower: Talos. Well, not a Tower in the literal sense, but the man who ascended to the Divine serves a similar purpose. For he is, or has become, Convention, the very stone of Ada-Mantia. Or at the very least, he strengthens the Wheel of Convention. The details are not entirely known, but what is sure to any true scholar of the Towers is that Talos serves an integral role in the continued existence of Mundus. If Snow-Throat has fallen, then Talos may very well be only thing keeping Mundus stable, aside from Ada-Mantia. Why did I turn traitor to deliver this message? To that I give a question, for our venerable Justicar Lunise. What is the true, final goal of the Thalmor? Why have they devoted themselves to the eradication of the worship of Talos? And I do not mean the notion of heresy that a Human could become a Divine. No, I mean the real, tangible reason for devoting so many of our resources to hunting the believers of Talos. The reason that is shared only among the upper echelon of the Thalmor, such as myself. Have you managed to piece it together yet, Justicar Lunise?"
Kaleeth was looking nervous. She had her sword in hand in case something happened, but her mind was focused on what Areldril was saying. It seemed insane to think that there were, evidently, buildings with the power to hold reality together. She supposed it could make sense with some sort of divine magic from the gods, but it seemed insane that their secret war with another Daedric cult could actually somehow be for the fate of the world, instead of just their own lives. "So these divine towers have been destroyed before? How?" She asked.
Areldril paused a moment, standing up straight with his hands behind his back as he collected his thoughts on the matter. "Each Tower has a stone, metaphorically speaking, which is bound to its Tower. If either the stone or Tower is destroyed, or the connection between them severed, the Tower will deactivate. Orichalc was located on the continent of Yokuda. When Yokuda was destroyed, Orichalc was destroyed with it. Green-Sap consisted of a network of Graht-Oaks in Valenwood. At one time, it was the subject of a plot to turn Green-Sap into another White-Gold, which may or may not have been related to its eventual deactivation. The exact reason for its downfall is a mystery, but though the Graht-Oaks still stand, Green-Sap is no more. Walk-Brass was the Tower forged by the Dwemer, their Brass god: the Anumidium. When Dagoth Ur interrupted the creation of their golem at the Battle of Red Mountain, the Dwemer disappeared, and Walk-Brass, their Tower, was left behind. It's pieces were eventually reformed into the golem you know as the Numidium, with its stone being the Mantella, which Tiber Septim used to conquer Tamriel and form the First Empire. The Numidium was later used in the Miracle of Peace in the Iliac bay, destroying it and bringing an end to Walk-Brass. The Red Tower, Red Mountain in Vvardenfell, was deactivated when its stone, the Heart of Lorkhan, was destroyed by the Nerevarine."
Increasingly, the expressions of several of the pack became more worried as Areldril listed one by one the Towers, which supposedly held together existence itself, that had been destroyed or deactivated. And he was not yet finished. He continued on, his tone neutral, but his expression severe. "Crystal-Like-Law, erected by Elves in the Summerset Isles in emulation of Ada-Mantia, was destroyed by the invading Daedra during the Oblivion Crisis. Also at that time, the stone of the White-Gold Tower, the Chim-el Adabal, the stone at the center of the Amulet of Kings, was shattered by Martin Septim. Snow-Throat is one of the more...uncertain Towers. It is believed to be the mountain known as the Throat of the World, and its stone is known only as the Cave. I call it uncertain because it is unknown if it is still active. As stated in the prophesy of the Dragonborn: When misrule takes its place at the eight corners of the world / When the Brass Tower walks and Time is reshaped / When the thrice-blessed fail and the Red Tower trembles / When the Dragonborn Ruler loses his throne, and the White Tower falls / When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding / The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn. Everyone knows this prophesy has already come to pass, and it does imply that the Snow Tower has fallen, but none can say for certain. Ada-Mantia, of course, still stands. Its stone is both physical and metaphysical, the Zero stone, Convention."
Lorag was managing to keep up with what Areldril was saying, though much of it was references to history or religions that went over his head. Of all the pack, he was the most skeptical. With his arms crossed, he stared down Areldril. "Okay, so assuming you're not lyin' through your teeth about all this, this seems like something you'd just tell your own people. Seems like it'd be important to them. Why not just tell the rest of your Thalmor and have them pass it on to us? Why make yourself a traitor for this?"
Areldril turned his head slightly and slowly towards Lunise. It was hard to tell, but there might have been a slight grin on his lips. "Because of the ninth and final Tower: Talos. Well, not a Tower in the literal sense, but the man who ascended to the Divine serves a similar purpose. For he is, or has become, Convention, the very stone of Ada-Mantia. Or at the very least, he strengthens the Wheel of Convention. The details are not entirely known, but what is sure to any true scholar of the Towers is that Talos serves an integral role in the continued existence of Mundus. If Snow-Throat has fallen, then Talos may very well be only thing keeping Mundus stable, aside from Ada-Mantia. Why did I turn traitor to deliver this message? To that I give a question, for our venerable Justicar Lunise. What is the true, final goal of the Thalmor? Why have they devoted themselves to the eradication of the worship of Talos? And I do not mean the notion of heresy that a Human could become a Divine. No, I mean the real, tangible reason for devoting so many of our resources to hunting the believers of Talos. The reason that is shared only among the upper echelon of the Thalmor, such as myself. Have you managed to piece it together yet, Justicar Lunise?"