Navarres darkest secret: Why leadership does not want the war to end

Like many of you, I’ve devoured all three Empyrean books, and I love seeing everyone’s theories. But there’s something that’s been bothering me, and I think I’ve finally put the pieces together.

We know the war with the Venin has been raging for over 600 years. In all that time, Navarre has built its wards, protected the hatching grounds, and trained generation after generation of dragon riders. But despite their incredible strategists and powerful riders, they’ve never once made a serious attempt to eliminate the Venin.

Think about it:

They never formed alliances to take the fight to the enemy.

They kept fliers (who also wield magic) outside the wards, even though Mira and Violet quickly found a way to let them in.

They had to know the Venin would evolve. The Venin literally must keep expanding to survive because they can’t reuse drained magic. It was inevitable that they’d eventually find a way past the wards.

So why would Navarre’s leadership risk everything by staying so passive? Why not take the offensive and wipe the Venin out?

Because they can’t afford to.

Navarre’s entire power structure—the thing that makes them special—is built on the existence of dragon riders and their magic.

In Iron Flame, we learned that the first six riders didn’t bond with dragons because of some noble destiny. The dragons bonded with them out of necessity—because it was the only way to combine their magic with human rune-weaving to stop the Venin. Signets weren’t the goal; they were an unintended side effect of the bond.

So why do signets exist? Because magic demands balance.

This theme is repeated constantly in the books. In Onyx Storm, we learn that signets develop in response to Venin abilities:

Theophania reveals that Lilith’s storm signet evolved specifically to counteract her stolen Venin magic.

Lynx (the second shadow wielder) developed his ability in response to Xaden becoming Venin.

If signets exist as a reaction to Venin power… then what happens if the Venin are completely wiped out?

The signets will eventually disappear. Maybe not overnight, maybe over a generation or two, but once the Venin are gone, nature won’t need riders to develop counterbalancing magic anymore. And if that happens, Navarre loses its greatest asset: its dragon riders and their abilities.

I believe Navarre’s top leadership already knows this. The ruling class is made up of the most powerful signet-wielders—the ones who stand to lose the most if signets disappear. And instead of risking their own power, they’ve chosen to let the war drag on for centuries, sacrificing civilians and riders alike just to maintain their status.

And this? This is what Violet will have to face in the final battle. Not just the Venin, but the truth—that eliminating the Venin means losing the very power that has defined Navarre for centuries. And as the most powerful rider of her generation, she stands to lose more than anyone.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Do you think this theory holds up? How do you think Violet will react if she figures this out?