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Mahendru Divya	How disappointing. Divya turns her attention back to catch Whisper's last moments only because she heard him stop talking. Given his already grievous wounds and her own lack of magical healing, there'd be no point in heroic measures. Instead, she steps close to him and inspects the wound carefully before deciding...well, it's done with regardless. Instead, she smirks at Deryl's retrieval of the eye. "You have a talent for the macabre, my good Captain," she comments in an artificially cheerful voice. "But it's a very useful talent under these circumstances. We still need to finish looking over this tower, though. See if there's any other allies or traps that might bring harm to this city." As she rises from the corpse to join the search effort, Divya's attention shifts to the soulsteel staff in her hands with its starmetal ornament. Experimentally, she tries to pry the starmetal free.
The Mournful Chorus	With the dozen undead fighters holding the remaining hungry ghosts at bay and their former master vanquished, the Envoy steps forward to examine his mangled corpse as well. After a brief look at his injuries - especially the bite wound, where the Lion-Dog's massive jaws had torn out a chunk of his chest - she turns her attention towards the prosthetic eye in Deryl's hands, with all the gore still clinging to it. "If it's all the same to you, I would take if off your hands. You can have all the glory instead. Let these people celebrate your heroic deed." Her smile remains almost invisible in the tower's oppressive darkness. "I need something to show for our efforts here... to the ancestors of the fourty-four victims. Delivering that thing to them should give them at least some consulation." She also listens at what Divya is saying, nodding in agreement. "We should definitely search the place. Not only to dismantle whatever might be left of his work here... the ghost I was sent to find still remain at large." And she cranes her head to gaze up at the spire's top. Her monkey should have to problem scaling the walls. Should he encounter anything hostile, she would know.
Deryl Laklan	Once the monkey reaches the top of the tower, it sees ghosts restrained in chambers sealed with some sort of necromantic rune, possibly to prevent them from escaping. Underneath the chambers however, are lines that converge to the center of the necromancer's laboratory, a giant cast that resembles a large cog. The souls seem to be enthralled as their ectoplasmic forms seem to be slowly converting into something, as the passion and joy in their eyes is being drained. However as no one is managing the laboratory, the process is halted at best. He grips on the soulsteel eye and gives it to the envoy. "I prefer weapons and artifacts made with adamant anyway...even if rare and I'm sort of uncomfortable with it. I only took it since it's better than it being claimed by another deathknight" He says ironically unaware of the Echo's true nature but understands there may be loose ends. "I wonder what sort of things he is doing in the tower. I'll accompany you in the search in case there may be hostiles around."
Mahendru Divya	"A wise plan," Divya says agreeably, giving up on her efforts to pry the starmetal loose. For now. Speaking now to her partner, she says "See if there's anything you can find, my old friend". The Lion Dog has been eyeing the Deathknight's body suspiciously, as if expecting it to get back up or something else inexplicable. With a bit of a shake of his massive head, Inauspicious Icons makes a harrumph sound and sets to work, sniffing the ground. Despite his leonine appearance, his approach to sniffing is decidedly dog-like. Meanwhile, the Sijanese Funer-wait, no. As quickly as one might cast off a cloak, the Sijanese Funerist is gone as if she never was. There's only Divya, the enigmatic investigator allegedly working for Yu-Shan in some capacity. And she's poking around the immediate scene for tricks, traps, secret doors and any other shenanigans before moving up the stairs to the next level.
The Mournful Chorus	Agitated chittering from above preceeds the return of Echo's furry friend. The monkey is light and nimble enough to jump from every nook and cranny in the construction's walls, descending with rapid speed. With his last jump, he lands on the Envoy's shoulder and peppers her with a series of inscrutable vocalizations, punctuated by the occasional ear-splitting shriek. Through all of this, his master watches the Lion-Dog and Divya as they begin their own search. Meanwhile, Shredded Promises instructs his troops to stand watch over the entrance to the next room, where the hungry ghosts still linger. "You're such a good boy!", Echo tells the animal after it has fallen silent. She tosses him a peanut, and an amiable smile at Deryl, then pulls out a handkernchief to wrap the bloody eye before she pockets it. "According to Tabi, there are people up there... and some kind of huge man-made thing. The mechanism our late deathknight-friend here was talking about, no doubt." She purses her lips, looking thoughtful. "If the ghosts he wanted to use to power his machine are still up there, we should hurry." As she says this, Echo already turns towards the stairwell. Her eyes search and find the two Heavenly investigators. "Do you want to continue sniffing around down here, or are you coming with us?"
Deryl Laklan	"We should hurry then if there may be other surprises that await us" Deryl says as he leads his pawn soldiers up the tower. As they climb further and further in the spiral stairs that lead to the tower's main rooms, the citadel is littered with morbid artworks of such variety. Whether subtle or more blunt in it's expression of death and despair. Once they reach the laboratory, there are ghosts here in smith's attire that attend to the deathknight's projects such as preparing the ghosts to be converted into the giant cog. "You are not Vitiating Whispers, where is the savior that promises to free us from the horrid afterlife and create a far better one?" There is a thin looking ghosts covered in scars and burns while he seems to bleed eternally. He seems to be the leader of the worker ghost aiding in the deathknight's works. "Eugh, If only I am a warrior that we will stop you from preventing his goals to be fulfilled" The ghost opposes you however he notes he is no combatant.
Mahendru Divya	Divya sees the various spectral entities working in the laboratory and looks at them with open curiosity and no particular discomfort. It helps that in her last century of life, she's had various occasions to meet ghosts and get over the reflexive aversion of the living towards the dead. The leader of the worker ghosts, however, demands attention. Divya realizes she clearly needs to brush up on her Underworld lore, to better intelligently engage with spirits like this. ...And then she realizes she doesn't actually have to. Instead, she steps to the side, gesturing Inauspicious Icons likewise to get out of the way. And the Sidereal gestures instead to the unknown Deathknight among their number. "Envoy, you speak for the dead. Would you care to speak -to- the dead as well?"
The Mournful Chorus	Echo flashes Divya a quick smile, then gives a sharp nod. When the two larger people... entities... step aside, and the leader of the workers can get a good look at her, she slowly reaches up to the rim of her hood and lowers it, proudly displaying the intricate white death-mask paint adorning her face. A few long, confident strides take her towards the agitated dead man. The Envoy bows slightly in acknowledgement. "Greetings to you, honored one. I am afraid Vitiating Whispers is no longer with us. Honorable as his plans for freeing you from your chains of eternal labor might have been... his methods were questionable at best. He has upset the delicate balance between the dead and the living - murdering a god, slaying innocents to use their ghosts as fodder for his machine..." She gestures towards the sealed chambers before addressing the head smith again, more sternly this time. "To improve your own lot, you would see others suffer? There has to be a better way. Nobody else needs to get hurt. Tell your people to stand down, and allow me to help."
Deryl Laklan	"Nononono. He was killed? He is the architect to finally remake our afterlife into something more beautiful where suffering is no more and it will transfigure into a paradise that will lead those into eternal darkness of peace and silence" The leader of the ghosts is quite distraught after hearing of his ally's death. "Like I was wronged by my god into condemning me for my flawed work to this city's afterlife even if I aided in reinforcing the walls when it was attacked by a wannabe conqueror. He was condemned to death before he exalted all because his philosophy attempted to change his country's government for the better" "He freed us from the curse where we are doomed to create flawed works in the afterlife. But he cannot completely lift the accursed geas of the afterlife when it comes to the rest of the ghosts. I was even the one who aided him and suggested in using the starmetal heart of that arrogant god's corpse into his staff. If only gods have ghosts so that we may condemn him into the same suffering we experienced"
Mahendru Divya	Divya frowns as the ghost's speech continues and, by the end of it, her face has a grim cast to it. She then holds aloft the staff with its starmetal ornament. "Nefer-Bel-Gevil is dead," she states. "While Gods can often return from death, there's no coming back for him. There's no meaningful apology I can make for what you've suffered. Gods have a Mandate to not abuse their worshippers, he clearly didn't follow it, and now you're here. The question is; what to do about your situation." Her eyes flick over to Chorus for a moment. Then the Sidereal continues to speak to the ghosts. "I'm not an expert in the Underworld, you understand. As far as I know, there may be another afterlife you might find. Perhaps where the faithful of Anath-Isis go. Or you can give up the flawed obsession with flawed works, give up what afterlife exists for you. Lay down your burdens. Let go and find your way to Lethe in doing so. For those who've suffered, a new life is usually a better future." "Unless you know of a better way?" Now her question's directed at Chorus. Divya's lips are pressed into a firm line of displeasure over this situation, when she's not talking. "I know something of curses but not this kind. I would break it, if I knew how."
The Mournful Chorus	After listening attentively to both the ghost's lament and the Heavenly investigator's response, the Envoy makes eye contact with Divya - easily visible now that the hood's shadow is no longer obscuring most of her face. As usual, whatever might be going through her head is buried deep beneath an inscrutable expression. She cocks her head to the side, thinking, then says: "Maybe it's not a curse, just the ever-mysterious Old Laws at work. A god cursing his nation's afterlife? That would be exceptionally cruel... but not unheard of. You, of all people, would know best how often the divine meddles with mortal affairs." Echo returns her attention to the ghost, softening both her voice and her expression. "I am the Envoy, a speaker for the dead. You may also call me Echo, depending on what you prefer. What are you called?" She pauses a moment before cutting to the important part: "You've mentioned a geas. Please help us understand how it affects you and your people. Are you unable to leave for a better place, or do you ~want~ to stay and work to turn your home into a paradise?"
Deryl Laklan	"I'm Vayul Untarnished-Pillar." He mentions his name to the speaker of the dead and begins to speak more about the curse. "Whenever a person's magnum opus is denied by Nefer-Bel-Gevil as flawed, he will be cursed once he is in the afterlife. The afterlife is a dark mirror of Iron Simhata for we are damned to do pointless labors that are inevitably flawed and shall fail. A city of creaky buildings and cracked pavements that continously heals itself but can never be truly fixed" Echo can feel Vayul is traumatized by his experience in Iron Simhata's afterlife, to the point he shudders just by remembering it. "We cannot leave until he came but his magic was only limited to a few ghosts as he cannot undo the geas to an entire afterlife. Although he originally wanted to do his plans all by himself with ghost servants, we pledged our support and our group became the Unresting Masons Of Ashen Bricks And Wailing Iron." Deryl is mostly silent for now but holds his daiklave in case things get ugly. "Our goal is to undo the geas in the entire afterlife and Vitiating Whisper's plans would have broke it as it will transfigure into new afterlife, while Iron Simhata and it's afterlife will be one, as it will be a paradise for the dead and the living."
Mahendru Divya	Divya stares in mute astonishment as she hears how horrific the afterlife these people experience is. Her lips are back in a grim line by the end but there's a compassionate sorrow in her eyes as she looks at Vayul Untarnished-Pillar. "You deserve better," she states. "You and those cursed with you, you deserve better. The Gods aren't perfect, by any means, and never has that been more obvious than now. But consider...just consider." She pauses and rallies her arguments. "Consider letting go. Nefer-Bel-Gevil is dead now, there's no God in Iron Simhata able to judge a work as flawed or flawless. No more dead to be cursed in this way. And for you, for those condemned by his rules, there's still Lethe. If you all let go, and no one else who dies will die condemned, then the curse will be gone. "It's not a perfect way. But it -has- to be better than condemning those poor people," she gestures at the ghosts caught in the machine, being drained to power the cogwheel. "Any paradise you build would be wet with the blood of those sacrificed to make it. You'll know, for all eternity, you'll be reminded of those who were extinguished to make it possible for you. Isn't it better to just...let go? "Unless my colleague, Chorus, knows a way to break this curse of yours..."
The Mournful Chorus	There's a noteable shift in Echo's expression while Vayul recounts the circumstances of his terrible plight. She doesn't look particularly suprised - after all, there are many unkind afterlives in the Underworld. Still, the horrors visited upon Iron Simhata's dead prompt her face to soften underneath the hallowed white marks. Her dark eyes regard Vayul with compassion and kindness. She slowly nods along, comprehension blossoming into determination with the ghost's words. More pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place. This is something she can work with. And then, Divya offers her own opinion. While her first few sentences earn her an appreciative nod from the Envoy, the following does not inspire joy. Echo makes no attempt to hide that scowl of disapproval, directed at the Sidereal. When Divya hands the reins of the conversation back to her, the Envoy is eager to seize them, to grip them in a tigress' iron jaws... ...but she holds back. There are two agents of Heaven watching. Exerting her authority too openly would be folly. It would make her no better than Vitiating Whispers, who payed the price for overreaching. And so, she pauses for several moments, deliberating with herself, feeling the room, planning a careful course through the tangled mess of it all. Then, she turns towards Vayul, eyes full of sorrow and sympathy for his terrible fate. "Vayul Untarnished-Pillar... Thank you so, so much for sharing your tale with us. The crimes of your god are truly appalling." She shakes her head a few times, closing her eyes, and walks a few steps back and forth between the two of them. "I am so sorry that your people had to suffer thus in your afterlife. What Divya here says is true. You all deserve better..." Echo's steps take her closer to the Sidereal, and she smiles briefly at Divya - an amiable, diplomatic expression, telling the investigator without words that she understands completely... but doesn't agree. "...but her view of death is coming from a position of privilege." The smile vanishes, and she shakes her head at Divya, stepping away and resuming her slow, deliberate pacing. "It's easy to speak of letting go, of succumbing to Lethe, when your heart is still beating. When warm blood is still coursing through your veins. When every breath fills your lungs with new life. When your body is full of vigor, your soul whole, and your life's goals still within reach." She turns to face Vayul fully, locking eyes with him. "All that suffering, and yet you cling to existence. If you choose to let go now, I won't stop you... that's not for me to decide. But consider the future you could help build. A ~true~ paradise, an afterlife of your people, both living and dead - transformed and freed of its geas by your faith and your will alone." A strategic pause. The Envoy raises a hand, gesturing towards the star-filled void above them. "For you see, Vitiating Whispers neglected to tell you the truth. All this..." Lowering her hand, she sweeps her arms around the perimeter, indicating the building and its machinery. "...the magic of an outsider, the sacrifice of innocent souls, the disruption of the sunless realm's fabric - is not necessary to free you. Everything you need, you already have." The Envoy's hand slowly closes into a fist in front of her heart. "Faith. Now that your god is truly gone, your living kin will seek someone else to pray to. Old beliefs can be cast aside. You, and the other ghosts of Iron Simhata, can become their new guardians, benefactors who receive prayers and sacrifice in return for their blessing. That ugly, cursed afterlife of yours will blossom into something new, something beautiful - transformed as you already envisioned it." For the final words of her speech, she smiles again, hopeful und compassionate. "All you have to do is tell them."
Deryl Laklan	Although Vayul is a ghost, he cries with ectoplasmic tears as he is moved by the deathspeaker's words. He appears weary and tired, yet at the same time he now feels free alongside with the other Unresting Masons. "I see our alliance with him has harmed the living. It is no better than the afterlife itself tormenting us" Vayul considers the deathspeaker's proposal as he then accepts it as an alternative to this plan. "Us guiding the living of this city? I lead the dead but if this is for the sake of both the ones that are still alive and those who passed on. I shall teach the living of this city they do not have to create a magnum opus just so they will be blessed. Hardwork that lead to nothing is meaningless after all" Although Deryl feels uneasy regarding the undead in general, it seems he understands ghosts are still people and suffer the same problems as them. He puts back his daiklave away now that's resolved and sighs. But as the dead even those who do not linger on as ghost, they still need to be respected and remembered in some way as Deryl has other plans once this is over
Mahendru Divya	Privilege. Not an accusation that Divya has levied against herself often. Mostly because of ignorance. If there's one thing Sidereals are, it's privileged. She's had exclusive training, education, access to libraries, a palatial home in Yu-Shan, an elaborate network of connections and contacts from all divine walks of life. She's wealthy beyond the comprehension of many mortals. Is letting go of such things easy, though? In her experience, people with power don't relax and 'let go'. They jealously guard their power and seek to acquire more. When one's life's goals are within reach, that's all the more reason to hang on to see them done, isn't it? But the Envoy's words are persuasive and her passion seemingly heartfelt. Faith. It's an appeal Divya herself has made, on numerous occasions. Usually to shore up a God's cult in exchange for favors. This ins't cheap or tawdry like that, though. While it's mildly blasphemous to promote a ghost cult, it's not as if Heaven has ever cared for or tracked the prayers of ghosts. If they pray to each other, no one's harmed or losing out. And if that results in a better outcome for people clearly abused by the legacy system...well, why not? ...Well, until the ghost starts talking about guiding the people of Iron Simhata, the way a God might. At last, she steps up to speak again. "My colleague speaks truly, that you don't need the magic of an outsider to free you. But before you abandon all hope outside of yourselves...consider. Anath-Isis still lives. By all accounts, she was made a victim of this situation too. She never condemned the people of Iron Simhata, no, she even made a sacrifice of herself to beg Heaven for a champion to help when famine came. Whatever her father's faults, Anath-Isis means you're not entirely alone or on your own. If you wish to guide your descendents," she shrugs. "That's your affair. But don't forget that not all Gods are Nefer-Bel-Gevil." She glances now over at Deryl, curious to see how he's reading the situation.
The Mournful Chorus	Chorus quickly assesses the reactions of both Deryl and Divya. Vayul's ghostly tears prompt her to offer him support, depending on his comfort level: A reassuing pat on his arm; firm, yet friendly hands gripping his shoulders, or even a gentle hug - what he doesn't reject, she gives him freely. Deryl is rewarded with a grateful smile for sheathing his daiklave. But swaying Divya would be harder, as Chorus already knew. This time, she decides to go along with the investigator. Choosing confrontation doesn't benefit anyone in this delicate situation. And so, she steps next to Divya and nods. "Only the prayers of your descendants can transform your afterlife, but this doesn't mean prayer to the exclusion of everyone else. She makes a very good point..." This time, she smiles warmly at the Sidereal. "Judging by everything we know about her, Anath-Isis has been nothing but supportive and sympathetic to your cause. She will be at your side, helping you forge this dream of paradise into a reality. And I can teach your descendants the proper rites. You are an excellent leader, driven by determination and iron will. You can see this through."
Deryl Laklan	Suddenly a gust of wind enters the chamber and then in a flash, a green parrot headed goddess with viridian wings of leaves from an unknown plant yet it's scent is pleasant. She appears to be weak but as exigence takes a heavy toll even if the god survives, it's probably the reason for her frail appearance. "I see, I am late for the show. The high priest ordered a sorcerer among the priesthood to cast an Infallible Messenger to warn me of my father's death and the deathknight on the loose. I wish I could arrived far earlier just to help you all" Despite her being a deity, she is rather shy judging from her tone. She is surprised to find a lion dog here of all things "And I see heaven intervened itself" Then Vayul looks at Anath-Isis with mild joy. "Ah the goddess that was in exile. I've heard of your deeds once from the dead who saw you. A goddess overshadowed by her father yet wanted change to this city" As her father is mentioned, Anath-Isis feels guilt even if it's merely association by blood. "Father let himself be consumed by bitterness and hate over his exile. He became no better than the pantheon that exiled him." Even if others hate her father, including herself deep within her heart, she mourns for him out of his death and he could have been a better ruler. "I did some mistakes I regreted myself goddess but hopefully the new future of this city shall learn a lesson from it's mistakes. We shall mold it together" The ghost offers a hand of cooperation to the goddess of gardens and she accepts. Deryl can't believe he is seeing a god and a ghost shake hands in agreement, but it's better than what he has seen.