Ser Aymeric de Borel, acting lord commander of the Holy See of Ishgard, believes that the thousand-year war between man and dragon can end—that truth, peace, and a genuine attempt at reformation are the path forward. Not everyone in Ishgard agrees. Some are still bound to the old enmities, the old fears, and the old certainties they have organized their identities around. They rise up against Aymeric's reforms, defending Ishgard against the change they are convinced will destroy it. The change comes anyway.