It took Vootru a while to recover from the news that his father was closer than he had been in years. After some time letting reality sink in, a warm- if mysterious concoction made by Eugene, and the formation of a fidget ball of moss, Vootru had clear thoughts and was ready to tackle the problem. He was just in time to join the small council that had formed to decide how best to deal with the emergent problem. The blue toa entered a warm hut, painstakingly crafted from driftwood, thin logs, rocks, and an actual growing element of greenery. The coven was resourceful and often used the environment of the bog to aid them in their everyday lives. It was the exact opposite of Tidalwave's army, and something Vootru continued to marvel at, even after having lived with them for years.

Inside the hut sat three other figures who he knew well. Eugene was there to the left of the doorway and dipped their head at him in greeting as he entered, not interrupting the speaker and leader of their coven- Acolyte. The small grey bald with stars that danced across their pelt stood in the center of the room, gesturing at a pile of small rocks and twigs that were being placed around in a small replica of the bog. To the right of them was Mertle, who was doing the moving of the sticks and rocks. She was diligently attempting to follow Acolyte's instructions. Behind Acolyte and Mertle was someone Vootru was less familiar with. He was simply known as Swamp, and any other discernable name had not been shared with the blue toa.

Swamp was a large ketucari who was not directly associated with the coven, but he would also be inconvenienced at best and deceased at worst should Tidalwave's army sweep through the bog as they had in other areas. He stood to benefit from working with the coven and rumor was- he had immense knowledge of ancient magics.

Vootru paced around and sat between Eugene and Acolyte. This was the council. Vootru worried that they were not yet prepared to be a war council. He was of the opinion that this was nothing short of an invasion and that severe conflict was inevitable. Others in the coven had expressed sentiments that they could simply ignore the "travelers." Vootru's stomach twisted as he tried to be patient, waiting for Mertle and Acolyte to finish their mapping. He needed to make sure the others saw just how much danger tey were all in.

Mertle finished putting the finishing touches on the map. "Not quite to scale but it'll do." She brushed her hands off on her arms and sat back on her haunches, looking to Acolyte for the next move.

Acolyte also sat back and looked around the room. "I see we're all here. Mertle and Eugene- you have been in our coven since before I was born and are renowned alchemists, scouts, and warriors. Vootru." Acolyte's gaze fell across Vootru and he felt smaller. He knew the coven leader meant nothing by it, but their deep grey eyes always felt searing to the thin toa. "You have insider information on these travelers and claim to have once belonged to their group. I trust your insight will be invaluable in this matter."

Vootru swallowed back his nervousness and felt a little beam of pride in his chest. There it was- the confidence his coven-mates instilled in him. He was appreciated here and accepted. It wasn't something that'd crossed his mind as even possible before, but looking around the room, he suddenly couldn't wait to help bring about a defeat for his father. It just might be possible!

"You may or may not be familiar with Swamp. I have asked him here to assist with our planning. He has also sighted these outsiders and feels that they are threatening. His knowledge of terrain and skills will also be invaluable. Now let us begin discussing what should be done about the outsiders."

The room was quiet for a moment before Mertle jumped in to speak. She pushed handfuls of pebbled on the far side of the map and started detailing where exactly their scouts were monitoring the progress of the outsiders, and what possible directions they could go. Mertle drew claw marks as she spoke and moved pebbles indicating pathways towards and around their home camp. Though the coven had other areas of shelter, this was their largest homestead and the last place they wanted the outsiders to find.

"This might be of interest to you. In this area" Mertle circled in the dirt just to the left of the outsiders' current position. "The domain guardian has been sighted recently. He seems to be lurking there. There's a very real possibility that he will intercept the outsiders and take care of the problem for us."

Vootru suppressed a chuckle. What a way to go that would be! He pictured Tidalwave dragged deep beneath the waters of Terendum, into the cavernous underbelly of the swamp, never to be seen again. If only they could be so lucky.

Eugene nodded at the circle "The guardian is not known to reveal himself to large groups though. He likes to pick off strays and play with his food. I don't think we can count on him in this situation."

Mertle shrugged "Hey can't I be a little optimistic here?"

Vootru shook his head and words burst from his mouth before he could think about them. "We can't be optimistic! We can't be too careful. We have to take this seriously."

The whole room turned towards him. He wasn't one for speaking his mind often, and he swallowed his anxiety down. He needed them to know what he knew. "Look, I know I've only been here a few years but you all are family. I don't want to lose any of you. I know these outsiders. I was once a part of their group, but not by choice..." He trailed off for a moment, taking a deep breath, ready to reveal the truth. They'd never asked him details about his past when it became apparent it was hard for him to talk about. He'd never told them about the army or Tidalwave, or Veritas. He'd never told anyone before.

"Their leader is my father."

He'd been expecting something earth-shattering to happen. Perhaps the roof would cave in, or the earth would sink down and swallow them up. Instead he was met with wide eyes, encouraging head nods from Eugene, and inviting silence for him to continue.

"He's a war-mongering leader of an army of loyal followers. They seek power and destruction. They are threatened by strength and try to wipe it out where possible. Tidalwave doesn't tolerate weakness. He would kill friend or foe if they didn't live up to his standards. He's always sending spies and scouts to far regions and planning invasions. He hopes to conquer the entirety of the world. There are rumors that his spirit is the reincarnation of an ancient warlord whose goal was much the same. I don't know if that's true, but I do know that he means business. His people are equipped to fight and willing to die wretched deaths for him. His being here is no coincidence. He wouldn't come himself if he wasn't planning something big. I think we need to treat this as an invasion with a high threat and prepare for the worst."

Eugene nodded in consideration. "I agree with Vootru. I don't doubt these are skilled warriors with the intent to kill. From the descriptions of their armor and weapons, I agree that they aren't here for a simple stroll."

Mertle butted in "We can't be certain they're here for us. They could be using Terendum as a shortcut to somehwere they really want to go to."

Acolyte interrupted her "Really Mertle? What kind of gods-forsaken shortcut would Terendum be? We like it here because of its inhospitability. They would've turned back days ago after struggling through the swamp and being picked off by the wildlife if they weren't here for a purpose."

"Their purpose is to kill and conquer." Vootru added in. "Us. Their purpose is to kill and conquer us."

Mertle shook her head "I don't doubt that but they might not even know about us. They could even be going after the demon himself. Are they the sort who would willingly hunt a god?" She directed her question at Vootru.

"Yes, but they don't usually just hunt peaceful gods. You can find them wherever a raid is happening but I've never heard of Tidalwave planning a hit on a non-berserk god."

Acolyte nodded. "So they could be going after the guardian, but are more likely seeking to invade Terendum itself."

Eugene spoke up "Regardless we are in danger. An all-out fight between an army and a god could trample everything in its path. We must be prepared to fight- be it a direct attack on us and our home, or an all-out, free-for-all brawl."

Everyone, including Swamp and Mertle, nodded at Eugene's words. Vootru was grateful to his friend for back him up. Their wisdom was well-regarded within the coven and having them on his side was a booster to his confidence and their chances at coming out in one piece.

"What would you propose we do about this then, Eugene?" Acolyte asked of the great harpy.

Eugene began to detail plans for defenses. They took their turn at moving twigs into the map, proposing barricades around the main camp and easy routes into the camp. Mertle began to propose wards of hiding and deterrent within the barricades and in every home. If the outsiders did reach the defenses they would feel compelled to look elsewhere and move away from the routes and safe zones the coven had made.

Vootru nodded along with the plans, but he knew something was missing. "We can't stop at defenses. Most of us are also warriors in our own right. We should take the offensive to them before they even get close to our homes. We shouldn't even give them the chance to find out where we are. That way if they flee they can't plan a retaliation on us. They'll have to send scouts and work to find us, hopefully allowing us to see them coming first again."

Swamp nodded in the background and spoke up for the first time of the meeting. "I was hoping someone would suggest that. I don't think these warriors will go down without a heavy fight. We should begin training and take the fight to them."

Acolyte looked like they were carefully weighing the options. "I believe we can do both. Wards and barricades are good, but if they're truly here to destroy and conquer, then I agree. They won't stop. Confrontation is inevitable. Better to take the fight to them, in our territory, on our terms... Eugene- you are in charge of preparing warriors to fight. Vootru, I want you to stick with them and the two of you devise strategies to combat these outsiders. Mertle- you gather a team of our skilled ward makers and prepare the defenses of our homes, safe zones, and routes. Swamp, if you would be so kind, I would have you continue to scout and report back on their progress and whereabouts. I trust your ability to stay out of sight."

The green and purple toa nodded. They all had their duties. The defense of Terendum had begun.