"Yes," Hadama confirmed from his own perspective as a Natural. The shrines had not always been silent; spirits other than gods occasionally answered prayers. Some benign and others... well. The memory was old and well-scarred over, but the ache would never completely leave the mermanta's heart and it was with relief that he focused on Harper's fatherly experiences.
"I have met her twice. She is kind. And a hard worker," he agreed, glad to hear that his initial impressions of her had been correct. All of these things boded well for her tenure in charge of Stormbreak...
But she was also young, and they had yet to see how she would react under pressure.
But aside from the young leader's potential, there were other political considerations to weigh. Hadama nodded slowly at Harper's words, accepting the wisdom of them. "Hmm. I agree, they are more prosperous," he said slowly. "But I do not know how useful their trade goods are. Between Stormbreak's Dragonleather and Halo's Eirachi's Tears... the Dragonleather seems more broadly useful." Armor was armor, no matter what monster or foe was faced. The Tears' ice damage seemed far more limited in what it would affect.
And Hadama tended to prefer a defensive approach.
"Torchline sheltered Deimos and the current Halovian government when they were in exile before the War," he said slowly. He hadn't been on the surface during that tumultuous time, but rumors had filtered down below the waves of Halo's political instability in seasons past; the coup by the Warden who had been sympathetic to the Ascended... and her subsequent death, which had opened the door for the current leadership to return from their banishment without needing to resort to violence. It was a debt that Hadama had no inclination to call in, not least because he had not been involved in granting that asylum, but it was worth keeping in mind the existing ties to both of the other governments on Halo. "Though I think we should trade with both lands eventually. It is deciding which one we should approach first..." He paused, turning his gaze from the stars to his fellow leader. "If either. Or if we should focus on using our goods for our own land first."
"I have met her twice. She is kind. And a hard worker," he agreed, glad to hear that his initial impressions of her had been correct. All of these things boded well for her tenure in charge of Stormbreak...
But she was also young, and they had yet to see how she would react under pressure.
But aside from the young leader's potential, there were other political considerations to weigh. Hadama nodded slowly at Harper's words, accepting the wisdom of them. "Hmm. I agree, they are more prosperous," he said slowly. "But I do not know how useful their trade goods are. Between Stormbreak's Dragonleather and Halo's Eirachi's Tears... the Dragonleather seems more broadly useful." Armor was armor, no matter what monster or foe was faced. The Tears' ice damage seemed far more limited in what it would affect.
And Hadama tended to prefer a defensive approach.
"Torchline sheltered Deimos and the current Halovian government when they were in exile before the War," he said slowly. He hadn't been on the surface during that tumultuous time, but rumors had filtered down below the waves of Halo's political instability in seasons past; the coup by the Warden who had been sympathetic to the Ascended... and her subsequent death, which had opened the door for the current leadership to return from their banishment without needing to resort to violence. It was a debt that Hadama had no inclination to call in, not least because he had not been involved in granting that asylum, but it was worth keeping in mind the existing ties to both of the other governments on Halo. "Though I think we should trade with both lands eventually. It is deciding which one we should approach first..." He paused, turning his gaze from the stars to his fellow leader. "If either. Or if we should focus on using our goods for our own land first."
