The Ancient Pact
Overview
Section titled “Overview”Hidden in the Sealed Vaults of the Archives is a record of an alliance formed during the first Necrosynth Wars — a pact between humanity and the beings now called The Watchers.
The pact includes conditions for their return.
The Original Agreement
Section titled “The Original Agreement”During the first war, when the Threshold Walkers became the Necrosynths, the Watchers fought alongside the Orders.
What Was Promised
Section titled “What Was Promised”| From Watchers | From Humanity |
|---|---|
| Military assistance | Recognition of shared values |
| Their Source connection | Commitment to Source theology |
| The weapon (when ready) | Fulfillment of conditions |
| Future return if called | Proper calling |
Why Conditions?
Section titled “Why Conditions?”The Watchers didn’t withdraw to punish humanity. They withdrew because:
- Protection — Their Source connection made them targets
- Testing — Humanity needed to prove itself
- Preparation — The weapon needed time
- Growth — Humanity needed to mature without a crutch
The conditions exist to ensure that when humanity calls, they’re ready for what comes next.
The Sequence
Section titled “The Sequence”The pact requires a sequence of conditions to be fulfilled:
| Step | Requirement | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ”The dead must walk in the halls of the living” | Public acknowledgment of Necrosynths |
| 2 | ”The keepers must open the sealed doors” | Archives fully unlocked; secrets revealed |
| 3 | ”The four must speak as one” | Unanimous agreement of The Thirteen |
| 4 | ”The sovereign must offer the crown” | A sacrifice from the Philosopher Sovereign |
| 5 | ”A child of the threshold must choose” | Someone connected to Necrosynths must turn |
| 6 | ”The signal must be sent from where worlds touch” | Specific location; final transmission |
Why These Conditions?
Section titled “Why These Conditions?”Each step serves a purpose:
| Condition | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Public acknowledgment | No more hiding; face the truth |
| Archives opened | Knowledge freely shared; secrets end |
| Unanimous agreement | All Orders united; no more factionalism |
| Sovereign’s sacrifice | Leadership pays a price; not just soldiers |
| Child of threshold | Redemption is possible; even for the fallen |
| The signal | Final proof of commitment |
The Watchers will not save a civilization that cannot be honest, unified, and willing to sacrifice.
What’s in the Archives
Section titled “What’s in the Archives”Luden, as an Exemplar, has access to the Sealed Vaults. The Emissary tells him:
“There is knowledge in the Archives you must find.”
What He Discovers
Section titled “What He Discovers”| Discovery | Significance |
|---|---|
| The pact text | The actual agreement; conditions listed |
| The original songs | Untranslated lyrics; ritual significance |
| The location | ”Where worlds touch” — coordinates |
| The weapon’s nature | What the Watchers bring |
| The Watchers’ history | Who they really were |
Research Arc
Section titled “Research Arc”| Book | Luden’s Research |
|---|---|
| Book 2 (Herald’s Cry) | Discovers the pact exists; begins investigation |
| Book 2 (Herald’s Cry) | Understands the conditions; seems impossible |
| Book 3 (Watcher’s Song) | Works to fulfill each condition |
| Book 3 (Watcher’s Song) | Finds the location; sends the signal |
Fulfilling the Conditions
Section titled “Fulfilling the Conditions””The dead must walk in the halls of the living”
Section titled “”The dead must walk in the halls of the living””Meaning: The coverup must end. The public must know Necrosynths have returned.
Challenge: The Thirteen authorized the coverup. Breaking it is treason — but necessary.
How It Happens: TBD — possibly the TV Analyst’s revelations force it; possibly catastrophic failure makes concealment impossible.
”The keepers must open the sealed doors”
Section titled “”The keepers must open the sealed doors””Meaning: The Archives must be fully accessible. All secrets revealed.
Challenge: Some knowledge was sealed for good reason. Opening everything means releasing dangerous information.
Who Acts: The Exemplars, as keepers of the Archives.
”The four must speak as one”
Section titled “”The four must speak as one””Meaning: The Thirteen must vote unanimously — all four Orders plus Exemplars aligned.
Challenge: Unanimous agreement is rare. With a mole present, it may be impossible.
Implication: The mole must be exposed and removed before this can happen.
”The sovereign must offer the crown”
Section titled “”The sovereign must offer the crown””Meaning: The Philosopher Sovereign must sacrifice something — their authority? Their life?
Challenge: This is asking the highest authority to give something up.
Possibilities:
- Abdication (giving up power)
- Death (literal sacrifice)
- Transformation (becoming something else)
- Vulnerability (revealing a secret that diminishes them)
“A child of the threshold must choose”
Section titled ““A child of the threshold must choose””Meaning: Someone with Necrosynth connection must choose the Orders/Watchers over the Architect.
Candidates:
- The True Believer POV character
- A sleeper agent who awakens
- Someone who was processed but retained agency
- A descendant of original Threshold Walkers
Challenge: This requires someone inside the enemy to turn.
”The signal must be sent from where worlds touch”
Section titled “”The signal must be sent from where worlds touch””Meaning: A specific location — physical or metaphorical — where the transmission must occur.
Possibilities:
- A place where Source is accessible
- Ancient Watcher architecture
- A threshold between dimensions
- The original site of the pact’s signing
Who Sends It: Likely Luden — the one marked by the beacon.
The Weapon
Section titled “The Weapon”What the Watchers bring:
| Possibility | Description |
|---|---|
| A frequency | Resonance that severs Reanimate control; forces souls to Source |
| A field | The Armada projects something making reanimation impossible |
| A truth | Knowledge that undoes the Architect’s work |
| Themselves | The Watchers ARE the weapon; Source connection manifest |
| A choice | Gives trapped souls the ability to choose Source |
Why Humanity Can’t Wield It
Section titled “Why Humanity Can’t Wield It”The weapon requires:
- Absolute alignment with Source
- No fear of death
- No desire for immortality
- Complete acceptance of mortality as gift
The Architect is proof of what happens when humans are given power over death.
The Watchers have watched for a thousand years. They will not make that mistake again.
The Architect’s Error
Section titled “The Architect’s Error”The thousand-year plan assumed the Watchers were extinct.
They aren’t.
- The Architect escaped Source
- The Watchers ARE Source (in some sense)
- The weapon doesn’t just defeat the army — it refutes the Architect’s entire theology
Questions to Resolve
Section titled “Questions to Resolve”- What specifically is the Sovereign’s sacrifice?
- Who is “the child of the threshold”?
- Where exactly is “where worlds touch”?
- What does the signal look like/sound like?
- How does the weapon actually work?
- Do the Watchers stay after the war?