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Deryl Laklan	After the events of Iron Simhata, Deryl was distraught after hearing of the revelation of Aurora, the deceased patron of the once noble Auroral Exalted who are now accursed to become malignant monsters that prey on the free will of others. They could have been better if their god was still alive. Although the refugee camp struggles to make a living for most do not have money, they try their best to survive and even thrive even as their old city is now lost to the Mask Of Winters. However although Deryl has yet to be rewarded, some of the people of the town gave the camp food supplies as gratitude for their leader putting an end to the deathknight's terror. Meanwhile however Deryl asks one of the surviving Thorns artist for a commission, a simple mural of a god with a halo made of the northern and southern lights converging above in the center of the camp. "Out of curiosity, who is she?" The artists inquire the "exigent" champion about the figure. "He was a god of the lights above the skies that was as prominent as the sun, moon and star gods but he's no more but he deserves to be remembered" He forgot who told him of this, was it a guide, some scholar he met during his travels or some spirit? He may never know. As the deathknight observes the refugee camp, she sees that his pawns are guarding it. The people here mostly live in tents although some are making cabins and small houses from whatever materials they can find. Most of the houses are painted with a variety of art in an attempt to evoke the old glory of Thorns.
The Mournful Chorus	It has been several days since Iron Simahata was freed of Vitiating Whispers' influence. While Chorus spent most of that time in the Underworld, she has now returned to this region of Creation. After all, there is still work to be done. A new ancestor cult requires her guidance. But it wasn't that difficult to find out where Deryl and his refugees are camped, and it's close enough to the Abyssal's destination to take a little detour and pay him a visit. After letting her ship drop anchor behind a bend in the river and a small forest, out of sight, she disembarks and walks the rest of the way towards the camp, alone except for the undead monkey Tabi, who follows closely behind, jumping and swinging from tree to tree. She spends a while with observing the camp from a distance, noting the familiar faces of Deryl's heart-eaten soldiers, before approaching one of them. Like back in Iron Simhata, she is in her guise as Echo, the Speaker for the Dead, wrapped in her iridescent insect-skin cloak. But this time, something about her feels different: She appears exotic and alluring, rather than otherworldly and disquiting to the living. Maybe everyone looks less frightening in daylight? Who knows... After drawing back her hood, she smiles at the guard. "Greetings. You're with Deryl Laklan, aren't you? May I talk to him?"
Deryl Laklan	"Master is in the center of the village" The hearteaten man points towards the direction of where he is. "He is currently waiting for a mural to be finished" The guard then leaves to attend to his usual job in protecting the village. As Chorus is lead through the village, she sees that the refugees her were of differing social classes once when Thorns was still standing whether they were poor, middle class or rich, but now both struggle and work together if they are able to survive the aftermath. The other refugees barely see the stranger doesn't belong among them as if she blended right in. It seems the people have become quite superstitious about the dead, but they did encounter the dead horrors that befell Thorns. Instead of graveyards as the deathknights traverses the village, there are only urns placed in a makeshift shrine while their loved ones placed candles, offerings and gifts to the deceased. Better their bodies becoming ash than be violated by necromantic magics. As the deathknight sees Deryl in the vicinity with an artist, there is a colorful mural of a god whose tunic's fabric appears crystalline, while there is a two ringed halo above his head representing the northern and southern lights. "That should be done. When the town's mayor finally gives me the reward, hopefully we get enough to make you a small art studio. Even artwork can be sold to neighboring communities to support our own." Both him and the artist carries the large mural to be put in the shrine
The Mournful Chorus	Chorus, no, "Echo", raises her eyebrows in surprise at the guard's succinct speech - or rather at the fact that he's able to speak for himself at all. But she bites back a comment and simply thanks him for the information, wishing him a good day while she's at it, even if that feels sarcastic, given his state of being. On her way to Deryl, the Envoy looks around with curiosity. She examines the urns and offerings to the dead as she passes them by. The living are of interest to her as well. Do they appear miserable, or reasonably content, despite their plight? Are they malnourished? And most importantly, does anyone else show signs of having fallen victim to the Hearteater's hunger? The sight of that mural of the haloed god gives her pause. She has never seen the auroral lights herself, only heard tales of them. However, the artwork's colors remind her of that shimmering mist she saw gathering around Deryl during the fight. Echo follows Deryl and the artist to the shrine, waiting until they have put the piece down again before greeting the Exalt with a friendly smile. "Good day, Deryl Laklan. And to you as well", she nods at the as of yet unnamed artist. "I didn't mean to distrub your work, but I happened to be in the area and wanted to pay you a visit. That's quite a beautiful mural you've got there. A Thornish deity?"
Deryl Laklan	Besides the pawn soldiers, the living here seem to act as individuals and not as mindless thralls. It seems he has kept his hunger in check....for now. Most of these people are hungry but once the supplies arrived, they have hope in their eyes. "Let's make a salad with vinigrette! Reminds me of the cafe back in Thorns" A man in fancy clothing mentions while one of the cooks preparing to use the ingredients sigh. "Are you forgetting that a salad won't be enough for others here? I'll be using the vegetables to make a soup since it can feed everyone here" The man sighs while rolling his eyes as his petty demands were denied. Deryl then turns to Echo as he notices her. "Oh glad to see you here. The god is Aurora, once one of the greatest of the gods but fell. He may be gone, but he must be remembered" He says as both he and the artist place it in the memorial sign. "I forgot who I learned this from. But even as the god who created my exaltation died which resulted in me being cursed, I must live on to protect Creation"
The Mournful Chorus	Echo nods in understanding as Deryl mentions Aurora. Of course she remembers Divya telling them both about that strange, forgotten deity and his cursed Chosen, but she didn't want to be the one to say it out loud. However, something else he mentions only in passing gives her pause. Something about forgetting. Maybe it's best to not bring this up in front of his subjects. "And protect Creation you did", she assures the Hearteater after a brief pause, during which she struggles with preventing her confusion from showing in her face. Her smile brightens further to compensate. Like last time, she wears white paint on her face, but the pattern looks different: It features lilys and chrysanthemums, flowers associated with death and grief in many places, with occasional feathers, surrounded by abstract patterns that resemble vines. "I overheard you mentioning Iron Simhata's mayor, something about payment that's still due... Did they promise to reward you for killing the deathknight?"
Deryl Laklan	"Actually it's the mayor of the town that hired me. I did hear mention they may double it after learning his plans may also affect this area of the Hundred Kingdoms. Once I get the money, I'll use it to support this village and turn it into a permanent settlement. I know people may miss the old Thorns including myself, but we need a place to live for now. Hopefully there are refugees among us who know how to farm so that we may grow our own food" Despite the burdens of taking care of people forced outside their homeland, he takes the responsibility no matter how difficult it is. "There is also a consequence after what we did, since word has spread about me in this area of the Hundred Kingdoms. I don't know how to react to this since I may draw attention to people that may know my true nature. I plan to build connections myself with other figures, even exalts that want to counter Thorns, but I better try to make my "Exigent Of Diamonds" identity a bit more convincing." Although not everyone knows what a Hearteater is, it is best to hide his nature for his kind's infamy.
The Mournful Chorus	Deryl's plans for the village have the Envoy nodding again, with much more enthusiasm. But her smile fades when he talks about his increasing fame, and the issue of hiding his true nature. Stepping a bit closer to him, she lowers her voice, so that her words can't be easily overheard by the artist or any other refugees nearby. "I all but expected that to happen. You really should make an effort to be more secretive..." She takes a pointed glance at Aurora's mural, then at the Thornish going about their various activities around them. "Can we talk in private? There are a few things I wanted to ask. Depending on how much your people know or don't know, it's probably best if I ask them somewhere less... public."
Deryl Laklan	"Yes, I really need to improve on that. I wasn't exactly a spy before my exaltation after all." He sighs while telling his nearby guards to leave them be privately as the Hearteaters leads her to his tent. Inside, mostly minor trinkets and nothing notable besides the adamant blade that he now holds. He is curious to what she plans to tell him in private. He then opens up a chest that seems to have a wine collection within it and opens one up as he pours it into two glasses, one for him and one for the guest. "What sort of questions do you want to ask me about?"
The Mournful Chorus	After taking a look around, Echo flashes Deryl a brief grin. "Living in a tent like everyone else, hm? I sure hope that mayor isn't going to skimp on your payment. At least you don't wear a chip on your shoulder for being one of the Chosen." She either takes a seat or hunkers down wherever possible or convenient - even if it's just a rug on the floor, she doesn't seem to care much. The cloak neatly flows around her, chitinous and sturdy, yet somehow still supple like fine leather. "Oh, a couple different questions, actually." With her chin resting on a raised fist, she watches Deryl pouring the wine. "Let's start with this one: Did anything Vitiating Whispers told us make sense to you?"
Deryl Laklan	"The guy was admittedly nuts. I don't know who this Lover he mentioned is, but it's probably some high ranking deathknight he works for" Deryl speculates on what she even is, however such knowledge is beyond his scope. "Although I am a bit unnerved to learn that the dark metals used by the deathknights are made of souls crushed into iron." As he isn't unfamiliar with most of the magical metals besides knowing his kind attune well with adamant, it gives him a chill up his spine while sipping wine from his glass. "But this is the first time I encountered a deathknight that simply wants to spread death so it may consume Creation for the first time. Most deathknights I encounter do it for their own personal glory and to get the spoils of war. But to think one wants to spread death for the sake of it....I see they are the most dangerous of all"
The Mournful Chorus	The Envoy waits for Deryl to drink before she takes a small sip of wine herself, savoring the taste without overindulging - especially since she doesn't know how strong that drink is. She purses her lips and frowns, apparently recalling the enthusastic speech that proved to be Vitiating Whispers' last, before answering. "I mean... yes, the man was certainly insane. No point arguing about that." Echo grimaces. "I don't know who that 'Lover' person is supposed to be either, but judging by that long-ass title, it's probably just a senior deathknight." A dismissive shrug, followed by another appreciative sip of wine. "You know, what you said last - that's really interesting. I wanted to ask you if they're all like that. His motives didn't appear to be entirely selfish. I could have sworn the grief about his wife's death was genuine, and so was his desire to help the ghosts of Iron Simhata." She watches Deryl closely, waiting to see how he reacts to that.
Deryl Laklan	Considering he may have been a decent man before his exaltation as a deathknight, Deryl almost pities him. "Maybe the despair he felt after he was wronged, his wife's death and his execution is what drove him to be like this. He would have been a decent philosopher if that didn't happen to him and the nation he mentioned would have changed for the better" Deryl ponders on this as he wonders whether it's the exaltation that did this or merely the experience that scarred him in the past. "The ghosts he allied with did sympathize with him for they suffered something similar. If only he saw another way, but I am not sure if it's his exaltation or maybe that's merely the result of his mental state." He is at a crossroad here for it would be hypocritical to assume all deathknights are harbingers whose sole goal is to spread death to Creation and not individuals. After all, his fallen kind are seen as monsters that deserve to be put down and no chance of redemption
The Mournful Chorus	Echo's gaze is intense, almost like a physical weight pressing against Deryl's skull. For several moments after he has finished speaking, she stares at him like this, then takes a swig of wine, finally breaking eye contact. "Unlike myself, you would know if Exaltation brings change of personality. I have no idea who you were before you became one of the Chosen. But maybe, just maybe..." She cocks her head and softens her tone with a gentle smile. "...that gift brings out the best and the worst in those who wield it." After that, she pivots back to the topic of Iron Simhata's afterlife: "Vayul invited me to come visit his people and see for myself. He wasn't exaggerating, you know. Nefer-Bel-Gevil's meddling turned the place into an absolute shitshow. They tried to fix it, tried to grow, tried to break their chains." Her eyes narrow a bit. "Can't fault them for siding with the first guy who actually had the power to help them." The Envoy heaves a big sigh. "I promised them to show them how to unfuck their home with different, less drastic measures. But think about it: If you came across people who desperately needed help with something, and realized you would only need to unleash your powers to fix it - wouldn't you do the same?"
Deryl Laklan	Although Deryl may be just as cursed as any other Hearteater, he then comes to a realization about his nature as a chosen. "Although I still feel the same hunger but I must sate it eventually, it did not affect my personality but you have a point. Exaltation like any other power brings out the worst and the best in people. Some may use it to do sorceries that harm others for their own agendas, others such as myself wield it to protect those I care. I'm starting to wonder if deathknights are capable of such choices although it has yet to be seen" The topic is certainly morally gray for him. "Yes I would do the same thing. Although mine has been tainted thanks to my god's death at the hands of their enemies, it can be a power used against other evils. But I do commend you for helping the ghosts, it seems my experience with Thorns has lead me to distrust all things deathly. It's an error in my part"
The Mournful Chorus	"You got that right." Echo grins cheerfully. "I've been dealing with ghosts for a long time. They may seem strange, but in the end, they're just people. Like all of us, they want to lead a comfortable, happy existance, pursue their ambition, and satisfy their passions. Most among the living cling to life like a person possessed, yet keep shitting on ghosts for doing the same in death." After saying this, she shifts back to a solemn, grave expression. "Divya seems to believe that the only answer to ghostly existence is to let go of these passions, succumb to Lethe, and return to the cycle of reincarnation. Sound familiar? The Immaculates teach that too, don't they? According to them, ghosts shouldn't exist." She gives a disdainful sniff. "Just like those they call Anathema. People like you."
Deryl Laklan	"I see ghosts can be evil and good like humanity. People sometimes can be no different than hungry ghosts such as murderers and gangs that extort the innocent." He nods as he continues sipping his wine while listening to the deathspeaker's words regarding the nature of the spectral dead. However he does not recognize who this Divya is and assumes she's some friend of Echo. "I don't know who Divya is but it's the dead's choice whether to pass on or linger as ghosts no matter what Immaculates say. For those that pick the latter, they may do it for reasons such as protecting their descendants or seeking justice as they were wronged or murdered in life" He then comments more regarding the Immaculates. "Before my exaltation, I barely cared about the Immaculates and only pretended when I'm in front of the Cathak that hired me. I'm also a bit annoyed that some monks whine regarding depictions of ancestors in some Thornish art as signs of ancestor worship. They also preached that the dragons are righteous and I almost believed it...look at where it got me and my fellow mercenaries who protected the Cathak" He says with a hint of regret and resentment regarding the Cathak. "I believe the anathema stories are just to preach their supremacy. Speaking of anathema....I'm not the only one in this region of the Hundred Kingdoms and thankfully, he isn't here for now. He was also a survivor from Thorns but he dislikes undeath especially as he slew a deathknight's titanic pet."
The Mournful Chorus	Echo raises her glass - such a fine glass! - to drink just a bit more wine, but freezes half-way to her mouth as Deryl claims he doesn't know who Divya is. Twice, even! She blinks at him a few times, fighting back a frown. Before she can get a chance to press the matter, Deryl has already moved on to a different topic, so the Envoy decides to simply file that information away in her mind for later use and listens to the Hearteater's opinion about Immaculacy, finally moving the glass all the way to her lips. His resentment towards the dynast is rewarded with a sympathetic smile. When Deryl mentions another survivor with Anathemic powers roaming the region, Echo sits a bit straighter and regards him with keen interest. "Oh, really? Another one? The sacking of Thorns seems to have resulted in more than just deathknights popping up all over the place. No wonder the Lookshyans all got their pants tied up in knots." The Envoy chews on her lower lip for a bit. "What kind of so-called Anathema is he? Same as you?"
Deryl Laklan	"No but he is of the sun. Even before his exaltation, he was regarded with curiousity thanks to his gigantic height but I guess that was probably the workings of the Wyld. He is Volken but is called the Titan Breaker thanks to his first deed after his exaltation. He was also the one to encourage me to stop self loathing about my cursed existence and to live on to use it for good" He mentions to the deathspeaker but he shifts to the topic regarding Lookshy. "Admittedly Lookshy is the reason why I am worried that word may get out regarding my deeds in Iron Simhata as I remember my former Cathak master...no, brat mentioned they have some outposts here besides a Realm satrapy called Greyfalls. I guess other anathema are taking advantage of the chaos in the Scavenger Lands, since the Immaculate presence was weakened but Lookshy still stands"
The Mournful Chorus	Chorus pauses, eying a few of the trinkets that Deryl keeps in his tent, just to better hide her discomfort. Pretending that she needs a moment to collect her thoughts while he is telling her about that Chosen of the Sun opposing the Mask's deathknights. Thankfully, Lookshy is a much more familiar - and much safer - topic, so she latches on to that. Deryl sees the Envoy shift her weight around a bit, pressing her lips together in displeasure. "The Seventh Legion seems to do a rather shitty job of protecting this region. They didn't to anything about Nefer-Bel-Gervil... or Vitiating Whispers, for that matter." Her gaze returns to the Exalt, scrutinizing him. "Why are you even worried about them? A random Exigent smacking down those dreaded deathknights in the region - if I were Lookshy, I would send you a friendly letter, commend you on your efforts, then leave you alone. Did you give them reason for suspicion?"
Deryl Laklan	"It's probably me, since I remember there are some Immaculates that say exigents are still a mistake even if they are tolerated or whatever. Hopefully they won't ask too many questions especially regarding my men and powers" One wrong move could lead a wyld hunt against him after all especially as there are other anathema in the area. "Although they have a presence here, their numbers are thinned so they cannot just have eyes everywhere even if they have a spy network" The chosen of the fallen god of the sky lights sigh in relief as Lookshy is too preoccupied with the emergence of the Mask Of Winters that they cannot track other anathema in regions where they have a hold in. "I should try to see if there are other exalts in this region of the Hundred Kingdoms besides Volken, mostly to see if they can be an ally or a threat. But for now I shall focus on the needs of the refugees here. I may use the money to buy seeds for crops"
The Mournful Chorus	Echo smiles gently, once again showing sympathy for the plight of the Thornish refuguees. "I'm inclined to agree. Giving them a real home with houses to live in, even if they're just huts, and fields to work will go a long way." After a short, strategic pause, which she spends eyeing her glass wistfully, the Envoy puts it down. No more wine, not now. Her gaze once again finds Deryl's strange diamond eyes, and she lets her smile vanish slowly. "Say... you're not really good with names, are you? Or else, you would have recognized the name Divya. No need to be ashamed about that. It's easy to forget a name you heard only once or twice." The Envoy gestures dismissively while continuing to talk. "But surely you remember her. That investigator sent by Heaven, with her friend, the Lion-Dog, who helped us track Vitiating Whispers' trail all the way to Iron Simhata? She was the one who told you about Aurora, after all. I was half-expecting to find her here. After all, she offered you help in coping with your... curse." While she says this, Chorus observes every little gesture, every minute reaction in Deryl's expression and body language. No matter how he responds, it's going to either prove her theory wrong... or confirm it.
Deryl Laklan	It seems that Deryl doesn't remember Divya at all as if she doesn't exist. "I admittedly don't know who she is at all. Is she someone I meet while we were on the way? I did recall a lion dog god from what I remember. I have a clear memory on our journey to Iron Simhata, but strange I have no idea on who she is. All I remember is some sorceress who told me of the incarnae. Or was it a librarian?" It seems Deryl cannot remember who she as it seems memories of her are replaced with another figure. He knows someone told him about the gods and Aurora, but he forgot. Then someone is screaming his name outside. "Deryl, we have vegetable soup with mahleb coated bread!" It seems the same cook Chorus has heard from before has finished cooking her dish for everyone in the village. "Oh that's Tesah, a cook and old friend and coworker of my mother I rescued alongside other refugees." He notes the person calling him outside to give him food. "I hope to develop this village further. After I deal with the basic needs, I may improve it further. I doubt it can even reach Thorns glory but who knows" He takes a step outside and takes Tesah's offering of vegetable soup and what seems to be a slice of bread covered in some spice.
The Mournful Chorus	This time, Chorus doesn't attempt to hide her reaction. There really is no need. It isn't out of character for Echo to look bewildered about Deryl's curious loss of memory... and yet he still remembers Inauspicious Icons, and everyone else... Now, realization dawns: Still staring at him in astonishment, she accepts that there is no rekindling that memory. If he doesn't remember Divya now, after everything she just tried - what else can she do? And even if she were able to make him remember, why bother? He still knows what he has learned about Aurora and his kind, at least. "Maybe it was that strange tower's influence", she offers. "It could have damaged our memory. Who knows if what I remember truly happened?" When Deryl is called to eat, Echo closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and rises to follow him outside. "That sounds truly delicious." She smiles at Tesah, then turns towards Deryl and bows. "I'm glad we had this talk. Thank you for the amazing wine. I should get going... to Iron Simhata, again." Just in case Deryl doesn't know about the current state of affairs in the city, she offers a bit of context: "They're going to assemble a council tomorrow evening, with leaders of both the living and the dead talking about the way forward. Even a priest of Anath-Isis who survived the riots has been invited. My presence has been requested by Vayul, and I'm happy to oblige." After another bow, she says her goodbyes, wishes them all a wonderful meal, and leaves. Once she has put a good distance between herself and the camp, Chorus grinds her teeth in frustration. Her fingers curl into fists. She keeps walking back towards her ship, muttering: "What the fuck? What the actual flying FUCK..."