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Chrys'tel's Quest for Truth
Occurs during chapters 17 25 26 27 31 32
Following her harsh meeting with Sil'lice Val'Sharen in the Val'Sarghress prison, Chrys'tel Vel'Sharen returned home with more questions than she expected. She began to notice things that she had previously taken for granted and felt compelled to dig deep for the truth.
Throughout the 12th and 13th Moons of Year 1098, the young Chrys'tel lead an investigation into the lies of the Vel'Sharen clan.
Major Influences
Chrys'tel's Capture
Chrys'tel was held in the Val'Sarghress prison after she was captured by Ariel Val'Sarghress. There, she was shocked to find out that her clan's biggest traitor, Sil'lice, was still alive. Sil'lice told Chrys'tel that the Nidraa'chal won the war 16 years ago, but that Chel'el'Sussuloth has been believing the lies fed to them by the rulers of the clan. Sil'lice instead provided Chrys with the following:
- Sil'lice was not the one to attempt to murder Diva'ratrika, it was Zala'ess, Sarv'swati, and Snadhya'rune - and they succeeded
- Mandatory tainting was not intended as a cautious safeguard, but as a Nidraa'chal control tool
- For proof, Chrys'tel should check Val'Sharess tower and the basement of the Orthorbbae
Event Timeline
Chrys'tel began to ask those around her when Diva'ratrika had last been seen. The answers she received her vague, and the tiny doubt was nagging at her. She stole her mother's crown in order to gain access to the locked Val'Sharess tower, and found it in ruin. It was clear that no one had used the tower in years.
16 13th Moon, 1098 - Asking Questions
Chrys'tel then decided to probe deeper by visiting a cousin of hers that had left the clan just before the war. She met with him at the Chel'el'Sussoloth branch of the Val'Illhar'dro clan. Assuming that his current lack of allegiance would make him more likely to spill the family secrets, she prepared to ask him about Diva'ratrika. However, just before she could get any answers, a tainted friend of his, Shodun Val'Illhar'dro, appeared and put Chrys'tel on edge. She left empty-handed.
24 13th Moon, 1098 - Orthorbbae's Basement
Having exhausted the leads she cold explore on her own, Chrys'tel finally spilled her thoughts to her protector twin, Shinae Vel'Sharen. Shinae scolded Chrys for her traitorous thoughts, but was reluctantly convinced to help probe further. After enlisting the help of Kiel'ndia, Naal'suul, Nau'kheol and Khal'harror, Chrys lead an expedition to the basement of the Orthorbbae.
They stole Snadhya'rune's keystone and used it used it to open a conspicuous door in the lowest level of the school. Inside they found a large freezer full of dead bodies, some of which were of people they had very recently seen walking around the school. Before they could investigate further, they were attacked by Sate'ja Vel'Sharen - despite the fact that Sate'ja's dead body was also laying on a table right next to them.
The kids realized that the Sate'ja standing in front of them was actually some kind of corporeal summon of Sate'ja's aura. Before they could get out, Sate'ja critically wounded Naal, and they were forced to leave her behind as she lost control of her seed.
When Chrys'tel returned home, she was distressed by all the wrongness in her clan she had never seen before. She found the body of a slave that had been mauled by one of the clan's supposedly safe tainted summons, and later saw the summon's core crumbling to pieces. Chrys'tel didn't know what to believe and was having trouble sleeping, so she visited with Yakuise Val'Kyorl'solenurn, a seer that often worked as an adviser to the Vels of Sharen.
The seer warmly listened to everything Chrys'tel had found so far. Unfortunately, she possessed no answers herself and instead suggested that Chrys try to make contact with Sil'lice again. On the way back to her room, Chrys'tel ran into Zala'ess, who scolded her for going to the seer. Chrys'tel told her mother about the rogue golem, and Zala'ess told her daughter that was ridiculous. When Chrys pressed and told her that she had heard Diva'ratrika was dead, Zala'ess soothingly cooed that Diva'ratrika was alive and well, simply tired of the clans' affairs.
30 13th Moon, 1098 - Val'Sarghress Fortress
With her mother obviously lying to her face, Chrys'tel knew she would never find the truth within her own clan's walls. After a harsh argument with Shinae, she left to find Sil'lice with Nau'kheol. After some brutal introductions, Sil'lice arrived to tell them that there wasn't much for them to do anymore but to survive. She gave Chrys'tel a token to mark her as loyal to her faction, and told her to keep up appearances of normalcy in the Vel'Sharen clan until the moment was right.
Aftermath
Chrys'tel and Nau left, unsure of how to cope with what they had learned. Chrys'tel was successfully installed as a double agent in the Vel'Sharen clan with questionable loyalties. Her investigation revealed the following:
- Diva'ratrika is dead, and her clan is covering it up
- The Nidraa'chal is not a dead clan, but an organization that has permeated the highest levels of the goverment
- They are making use of flesh summons and biogolems to impersonate real people
- Tainted fae will have a shortened lifespan because of their demon seed
Zala'ess is fully aware of Chrys' knowledge. Rather than punishing her daughter for treason, she instead promoted her to Overseer and hopes that Chrys'tel will use what she knows to protect the empire.
This article reflects events up to Chapter 39.