The call had been unanimous, a resonant hum of agreement that vibrated through the very stones of the Great Council hall. From the snowy peaks of the Himalayas to the whispering palms of the southern shores, the most luminous minds of the age had gathered. A disquiet had settled over the land, a subtle spiritual lethargy, as if the wellsprings of wisdom were slowly silting over. The solution, proposed by Angiras and affirmed by all, was a quest of unprecedented scale: to seek out the Eternal Flame, the very essence of Brahma-jnana, and rekindle the light of the world.

They came, each a legend, each a universe of wisdom and power. Vashishtha, the custodian of cosmic order; Vishwamitra, the titan of willpower; Valmiki, the poet who had mapped the soul of the forest. They were joined by a congregation of the divine and the brilliant: Atri, the master of stillness; Bharadwaja, the keeper of all knowledge; Agastya, who had drunk the very oceans. From every corner of the land, the greatest of the great rishis answered the call, their individual might forming a constellation of spiritual authority.