Before the Eldouir catastrophe exploded in Lorendale, Regan received a different message concerning their redheaded friends. As promised, Regan made use of the king’s portal key at intervals to drop in on the Druken Dyr—never lasting there more than a minute. Just enough to check to see whether the signal had been activated and the mysterious woman she’d met was ready to talk. That following evening, as promised, Regan would wait for Ona in the room. When the woman entered, she’d see the Nevermerean looking about the room, turning to greet her.

Regan dipped her head respectfully. “Ona, it’s, uh,” she looked the woman over, “Good to see you well.” Rebellion was a dangerous profession, after all.

When she opened the door and found someone inside of her room, she was started for a moment, even though she had been the one to summon Regan. Ona exhaled sharply and closed the door behind her again, turning towards the Nevermerean woman. She returned the nod and stepped a bit closer while Obri jumped on the bed and made himself comfortable, keeping an eye on the two women. He wasn't really worried. He thought Regan was kind. A bit cold, but she had good intentions.

"Thank you", she said, gesturing at the chairs at the small square table near the window, in case Regan wanted to sit. She closed the blinds so nobody would be able to look in, although that would have been difficult anyway given they were on the second floor. She herself would only sit of the other did. "It's good to see you too." She removed her hair tie and ruffled through her hair to release tension on her scalp. "Thanks for coming so quickly. Maybe it's not enough information as of yet, but I thought you should know what I've learnt."

The room was cozy for a Dresmondi home. Ons lived at her tavern, so she did whatever she could to make her room feel like a different place. She lit the candle on the table and placed the match down.

Regan hesitated for a moment but she did sit—though in a way that would allow her to spring up immediately if there was an unwelcome visitor. She watched Ona enraptured, nodding in an invitation to continue.

With Regan seated, she sat down as well. She studied the woman for a second, but then began to speak. "I'm not even sure where to begin", she said. "Ishmael wants to build walls around Dresmond, multiple ones, as far as I understand, to keep enemy forces, as he falls them, out of Dresmond. Because he knows this will take years, he has tasked me with finding Earth Dyr to create a tunnel system, or a shelter. According to him, it's to protect the Dyrless and children when the enemy forces attack, but I wonder if it's secretly an escape plan for the Eldouir."

She paused, then continued. "He has Eirwen, the psycho killer Dresmondi girl, train Dresmondi, so I think it's safe to say he's creating an army. The only positive thing, if you can call it that, is that Eirwen likes me. She has confined in me that she mostly works for them out of fear. She has been lied to and abandoned by them before, so I might be able to convince her to join the right side. I'm hesitant to, though. Her moods are unpredictable. If I tell her too much and she changes her mind again, they will surely kill me."

Ona took a breath. "Ishmael desperately wants to find the amulet again. He had Eirwen bury nameless children in hopes of them emerging with a Dyr. They didn't, of course. Everything I hear just makes me think he's trying to gather an army, and he wants the elements of the Dyr on his side. It's worrisome, to say the least."

Regan listened with a stern expression, nodding every once in a while to indicate that she was listening. A construction project? Strange that after all this time the Eldouir were deciding to build themselves a proper kingdom. Strange, but concerning. Why now? What is it they could possibly gain? The Eldouir had been left to their corner of Terra Nova for six years. Perhaps it was the attack on the Arynn Frey wall that had them fearful of retaliation. But…there was no telling what went on in an Eldouir’s head. The mention of this Eirwen made Regan wrinkle her nose in disgust.

“Anyone that’s burying kids alive isn’t worth your time or sympathy—or trust,” Regan said bluntly, “I’d do what you can to act like an ally, see what scraps of information she’ll part with, but there’s no recruiting someone like that to a noble cause.” If they invaded Dresmond, Regan would personally rip her head off with her teeth.

“Any leads on the amulet, though?” Regan raised an eyebrow, “There’s no finding it, right? At least…not that you know of?”

Regan's bluntness certainly gave Ona a reality check. Did she have to be more careful with Eirwen? She had attributed all bad behaviour to being under the influence of the Eldouir, but did she not have at least some autonomy and choice? The Dresmondi would need to think about it.

"I've told you before that she isn't right in the head", Obri told her. With an annoyed look she looked over at him. Stop it, Obri. You're not being helpful.

Ona looked back at Regan and nodded. "I hear you", she said. "You're right." For now, she would still hang out with Eirwen, because while she had indeed heard what Regan said, she hoped Regan was wrong. "As for the Medaillon, I have no idea. Ishmael asked me the same thing. He said that doesn't change the fact we need to find it. It was a threat. The Medaillon or the deaths of all Dresmondi." She was silent again. "Any advice would be greatly appreciated, because I cannot figure out how to disobey his orders without it guaranteeing my or other Dresmondi's deaths."

Regan grimaced. Death to all Dresmondi. “We will never let that happen,” She said, both a promise and a threat to the Eldouir not present. Perhaps it was not within Regan’s power ot give such a promise, but for what it was worth, she meant it. What Ishmael threated was genocide—and that would never come to pass. Not if Regan had anything to say about it.

“The Eldouir know nothing of the Medallion,” Regan said, “And if your people have not found it by now, chances are it won’t appear overnight…uh, no offense.” She smiled a little or tried to anyway. “Look busy, do what you can, and I’ll bring this to the king. If the Eldouir does find the Medallion, then we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. What’s most important is that you and your people stay alive.”

Regan's words meant little to her. If anything, they angered Ona a little. She leaned back in her chair and looked at the Nevermerean woman across from her. "It is happening", she said, matter-of-factly, with a stoic expression on her face. "Forgive me, I'm not trying to provoke anyone or imply anything, but is is happening and it's been for six years now. I appreciate that Nevermere wants to come to our aid, but what you're saying you won't let happen has been our reality for way too long now." She sighed and rubbed her face with her hands. "If it needs to get worse before someone intervenes, let me be the one to tell you that it can't get much worse anymore. Those who don't obey the Eldouir, are killed. Those Earth Dyrs I need to find? If those Dresmondi refuse to help, they get killed."

Obri crawled a bit closer, to comfort her. "I'll continue to look busy, but to my fellow Dresmondi, I'm becoming like them the more I obey." Them being the Eldouir, of course. "The only way to stay alive is to obey the Eldouir, which only makes them stronger." She leaned forward again. "We need Nevermere." The look in her eyes was a plea for help.

Regan was surprised to feel shame. Red-cheeked embarrassment rose to her face as she listened in stunned silence. She was stunned to silence because Ona was right. Dresmond was suffering—had been suffering—and whatever All Nevermere had to offer so far was unfulfilled promises. What was she even doing here?

“I know,” Regan said softly, “I know. I’ll do what I can.” For it’s all she could offer. Ultimately it was the king who would decide, but the look in Regan’s eyes would hopefully tell Ona that her intentions were sincere.

Ona would be lying if she would claim the silence wasn't a bit satisfying - because it told her Regan understood that Nevermere had been promising a lot, but not delivering - but it mostly made her feel defeated. Hearing Regan confirm what she had said did too. But deep down, there was also some hope that this had been a wake-up call for Nevermere, that Dresmond needed their help.

The woman showed Regan a bit of a white boy sympathy smile, the pursed lips kind. "Thank you", she simply said, her voice barely any louder than Regan's had been.

Regan stood. She was uncomfortable, and unless there was anything else, she intended to deliver this information to the king with haste. “You know how to find me,” Regan said, “I’ll speak with the king. I hope…” She trailed off, eyes finding Ona, “I hope I’ll have good news next time we speak."