Stoic Alder met me outside of the venue—this is going to be his first big introduction to the rest of modern Tyria. He was nervous but expectedly prepared. His people are in danger, and putting them above himself is the way of the Claw. The room was already tense when we entered. I took my place at the podium, and things kicked off. The Astral Ward confirmed what Malice seemed to know immediately upon the first encounter: Titans had indeed returned to Tyria. Demonic creatures from the Mists. Until now, they were thought to be eliminated from Tyria. I listened to the room's rising concerns, confusion, worry, and fear. As we broached another moment of tension, Livia appeared at the door to toss a little more fuel on the fire. She called for utilization of the Scepter of Orr—or Legavo—an ancient seer weapon designed to control or manipulate creatures from the Mists. No one had a straight answer about whether or not the thing actually works, but at least a few of the council were willing to risk it to calm this threat as quickly as possible. The room couldn't come to an agreement on what to do, so I called for a vote. Queen Jennah and Ludo were at each other's throats, but even they agreed that neither would concede. Everyone took a moment to dwell on their stance before reconvening. With everyone decided, the council voted. We will not be using the scepter; most of the room couldn't rationalize the risk. As a result, Countess Anise ordered Malice, Caithe, and me to return to Janthir with Stoic Alder to do more research and determine the scope of the threat. I saw Alder off and will make my own preparations before heading back to Harvest Den. Let's see if we can even kill a titan. ***