From Ashes to Alliance: Reeling from Selene’s loss, Drey retreats with his allies to Elsir, the enclave that has grown around his ideals. Determined to ensure her death was not in vain, Drey channels his grief into building a nation where tragedies like this won’t recur. He formalizes Elsir as the first supernatural kingdom, a safe haven for werewolves, vampires, mages, and humans who choose coexistence. A Council of Seven is established to rule: Drey (reluctantly) accepts the mantle of leader; Valeria, devastated by her mistake, is made co-ruler to prove her commitment to a better path; Hircine (surprisingly) is given a seat as an elder statesman of lycanthropes; along with Verran, Tharador, Eryndor, and a monk representative. Together, they draft laws such as outlawing non-consensual blood feeding by vampires and promoting trade and cultural exchange, laying a framework for lasting peace. Building Elsir gives Drey a renewed sense of purpose beyond revenge.
Drey’s Evolution – The First Wolf Stirs: Though outwardly leading a new nation, Drey inside is a storm of turmoil. Selene’s death and Valeria’s role in it push him to the brink. In private, Drey and Valeria have a brutal confrontation – a cathartic clash of words and claws. Drey vents that he can’t forgive what happened; Valeria, choking on guilt, offers him a literal sword to her throat as atonement. In the end, Drey cannot kill a friend he loves. They weep and emerge with a stronger, if scarred, bond. This emotional crucible nudges Drey’s inner Wolf back to life. But it is changed – simmering with an almost separate identity of sorrow and wrath. The First Wolf, the primordial spirit of lycanthropy that Drey holds at bay, begins testing the edges of its cage. It hungers for an outlet, and Drey feels its urge to consume growing stronger each day. He knows tapping that power saved Selene’s soul, but unleashing it fully could make him as monstrous as the foes he’s fought. This internal struggle becomes a faction within Drey himself, a battle for his soul that will shape his destiny.
Valeria’s Redemption Arc: Valeria, for her part, dedicates herself to atoning. She spearheads humanitarian (or rather, vampire-tarian) projects in Elsir, like the Blood Substitution Project – synthesizing artificial blood so vampires can feed without harming humans. She also insists on personally recovering the remains of her two long-lost sisters (vampires who met tragic ends) and giving them proper burials with a never-dying rose atop each grave. Drey aids her in this quest, and through it he sees Valeria reclaiming her lost humanity piece by piece. Their relationship deepens into a complex love built on trauma and trust – two leaders leaning on each other to endure their guilt. By making Valeria Queen of the reformed Syndicate (now an honored faction of Elsir), Drey shows he still believes in her. And Valeria’s fierce protection of Drey (almost obsessively ensuring his safety after what she did) shows her devotion in return.
A New Threat Emerges – Fate Itself: Just as Elsir finds its footing, ominous signs herald the next great enemy. Mavros, the Fate of Correction, an enigmatic being, reveals himself. Unlike prior foes, Mavros isn’t a god of night or hunt – he’s a guardian of destiny and order who views Drey as a cosmic anomaly. By slaying Nytherus and Hircine, Drey effectively “broke” preordained fate. Mavros believes this unpredictability could unravel reality, so he sets out to erase Drey and his influence. He does so by creating an army of Hollowborn – horrific undead infused with fungal spores that connect to a hive mind. These creatures “consume” the essence of supernaturals, and with each one Drey slays, Mavros learns more about Drey’s tactics. Worse, Mavros begins assembling “The One,” a composite super-being built from harvested pieces of powerful creatures, intended to be the ultimate predator that can kill the First Wolf. In essence, Mavros is crafting Drey’s dark mirror – the King of Monsters fated to correct the balance.
Children of Fate – Kael and Ryn: As if orchestrated by destiny, two youths become central to this conflict. Kael storms into Elsir one day – a brash, silver-haired vaewolf (half-vampire, half-werewolf) – and challenges Drey to single combat. In the midst of a spectacular duel, Kael drops a bombshell: “I’m your son… yours and Valeria’s”. He claims to hail from a future timeline where Drey lost control of the First Wolf, resulting in a cataclysm called the Red Eclipse that devastated the world. In that dark future, Elsir fell, and humanity and supernaturals alike were nearly annihilated. Kael explains that an older Molvok and Eryndor managed to cast a Godbane 2.0 time-spell to send him back with a mission to change the outcome. The council is stunned – especially Valeria, who has no memory of having a child (in the current timeline, these events haven’t happened… yet). As they grapple with this, another revelation surfaces: Drey discovers that a quiet orphan boy he had adopted weeks ago, Ryn, is in fact his son with Selene. Selene, knowing the dangers around Drey, hid her pregnancy and entrusted Ryn to a monastery. The boy’s peculiar habits – staring longingly at the moon, and Drey’s Wolf spirit curiously remarking that Ryn “smelled like family” – suddenly make sense. Ryn is a living piece of Selene left behind, a symbol of love that transcended death.
Paradox and Purpose: These two “children of fate” galvanize the narrative. Kael’s knowledge gives Drey a blueprint of what to avoid: in Kael’s timeline, Mavros succeeded in triggering Drey’s total loss of control (the Red Eclipse). Kael warns that Mavros has merged with his future self and is actively trying to ensure that prophecy comes true in this timeline. Meanwhile, Ryn represents hope – if Drey can build a future where Ryn grows up safe, it means defying fate. The council pieces together that Mavros’s plan likely involves using the Hollowborn to provoke Drey’s First Wolf into frenzy or to assemble an entity that can host the First Wolf’s power (hence “The One”). They also deduce that Hollowborn spores have infiltrated various places – even one of Elsir’s allied mages was found spored and acting as a spy. The clock is ticking to thwart Mavros before he orchestrates another catastrophe.
Elsir in Action: Part 7 also showcases Elsir coming into its own. Drey’s realm is recognized by neighboring nations after Blackreach, forcing the world to acknowledge the supernatural openly. Trade routes open; human kingdoms send envoys (some friendly, some hostile). An order of fanatic knights called the Iron Vow declares Elsir an abomination and marches an army of 8,000 toward it. Drey, weary of bloodshed, meets them under a flag of truce, dramatically backed by Fūdan, his meteor-forged nagamaki that can cleave through steel. The sheer presence of Drey – the man who killed gods – and his arsenal of Gatling guns and Qi warriors convinces the Iron Vow to stand down (for now), diffusing a war through strength and diplomacy. Within Elsir, new innovations like meteor-iron forging (for advanced weaponry) and council governance mechanics (Drey even holds formal votes on kingdom policy) highlight a shift from ragtag adventurers to nation-builders. Yet, amidst these accomplishments, Drey is haunted by the prophecy of Red Eclipse and the weight of being a father and a king in the same breath.