We don’t really know what Layla’s plans are once she takes over leadership of the Order of Solar Seers, if she even has any. She’s only expressed a strong desire to take control and, apparently, to make a name for herself and leave a legacy. You could say she’s grown tired of playing second fiddle and manipulating Da'kar and Belegarde behind the scenes just to wield influence from the shadows.
That said, compared to Belegarde, she’s the smarter one and more willing to strike a deal with us. She promised support in exchange for whatever backing we can offer. Also, Layla hasn’t voiced any ambitions regarding the mortal realm, unlike Belegarde. She made it clear she doesn’t care about the ideals held by either Solarists or Humanists. What truly matters to her is power, pure and simple, at the head of this Order.
Belegarde himself isn’t dangerous if you only consider his personality. He’s a weak, timid, cowardly man, lacking confidence both in himself and the authority he holds over Humanists. But you shouldn’t underestimate the damage someone like him could cause if he ends up leading the Solar Seers. It would be a disaster. He might not even win the election, even if spared, or he could continue to be manipulated by Layla if she’s still alive. Still, he’s unreliable, inconsistent, and seen as a radical within his own faction.
His political agenda is clearly dangerous. He aims to intervene in regional conflicts, maintain the Order’s independence from any state oversight, sell Seers’ services to governments, and grant them free rein. Imagine the consequences: prolonged, devastating wars if every state in the sector decides to deploy Seers within its armed forces, resulting in a situation that is more than chaotic and unstable.
If Belegarde even has a chance of gaining power and bringing his Order down to Terra, the chaos he could unleash through reckless, idealistic, and delusional decisions is completely unpredictable. This is exactly the kind of risk I prefer to avoid by supporting a potential ally, even if manipulative and opportunistic, rather than an unstable loose cannon like Belegarde.
He could also be fooled or fall under the influence of figures like Cicero or others. In any case, he’s potentially dangerous if left in power. Weak and uncertain personalities often wreak havoc in positions like this. Don’t be fooled into thinking their lack of confidence makes them harmless, especially when they hold all the levers of power.
They can easily establish a reign of terror just to assert authority, prove something to themselves, or eliminate real or imagined rivals under the pretense of potential threats.
Of course, the Dev could also be playing us and deceiving us. It’s possible that neither Belegarde nor Layla are truly good choices, and we might be surprised by the outcome of these decisions later on in the story.
