Turn 3 Thread

[The GM]

[You are in Turn 3. Which Secondary Objective do you want to pursue?]

As it happens, Gracious waves Laval over. He does not look concerned, but simply willing to chat, and he smiles as Laval approaches. Rather than wait for a verbal explanation, Laval attempts to plunder Gracious' mind.

She reaches out, insidiously and secretly. She locks onto those tendrils of psyche with which she is now familiar. He is Gracious Obscura. His physical and mental health has not changed, and though he is calm and contented, there are the decaying vestiges of fear. That fear subconsciously erects barriers in his mind, and Laval finds herself unable to delve deeper. Perhaps Gracious' mind is becoming more resistant to her telepathic wiles.

And so, she drops the pretence. Reaching out again with her mind, she drags down those walls of fear and claws her way inside. She gets a little further, but Gracious is able to force her out before she gets too deep. What she finds are not memories, but hints as to what has happened. Gracious is focused on controlling his Slaaneshi cult now that Kibwa is dead. He is concerned, but also pleased, at how Ari has transformed into a pseudo-daemonic form. He is about to suggest that he and Laval follow the cult to Kifodini.

[Wren is up for a longer interaction if you are. I will be travelling today, so feel free to organise it yourselves.]

[Jewelcast]

[Let's try again at poisoning the food.]

"I see you don't feel the need to ask any more..." Gracious smiles sardonically.

She shrugs. "You like it rough. Would you prefer I went back to tiptoeing around the issue?"

"Ha! But there's something nice in the negotiation. No matter. I'd love to stand here and flirt or be violated or whatever it is we're calling this, but actually right now, we have a situation."

"What happened to him?"

"Kibwe... I don't know. He was dead when I arrived. I think one of the cult killed him, and I think Ari told her to. He, uh.. he'd died from bleeding..."

"For ritual purposes, or just for fun?"

"An unscheduled and unwanted amputation of his vital parts."

"Oh."

"Ha! The veil wasn't thin, but it had - what do they say - it, yes, it had, uh, ritual significance. I think that's Ari's intent with them. She's leading them to sacred murder."

Laval just looks at him.

"Which..." he shrugs. "...it's not ideal."

"That is a true statement. Removing them from here does seem like a good plan, then."

"I think we need to, uh.... they can't go on their own, I mean; we need some... let's follow."

She smiles slightly.

"But yes;" Gracious continues, "I think she still has her senses, at least; but they're barely controlled. I can talk them down... but if they turn..."

"Then let's point them at someone who isn't us."

"They're off to Kifodini, I think. "I think she said to kill soliders..."

"Well, I can't object to that, particularly..."

"No! I think the question is, what happens if there aren't any soliders to kill?"

"A mess. I'm sure we can lure some out, though."

"So let's follow on and act as gameskeepers for the hunt? I, uh, I like it."

She nods, looking slightly put out. "Not as planned, but... well, it's interesting."

"No question of getting Vex along, I assume? What's your long-term plan, there...?"

"He's up and about. Wooden leg. Long term plan is... well, he thinks he can solve it if he puts his mind to the problem. I'd prefer not to put myself in the centre of your murder cult without his protection... but I don't know how long he'll be able to walk at a stretch, so it might not be an option."

"They aren't my - but I take your - the point is they're moving now."

"Does it matter if they're a day or so ahead? They cause a bit of trouble, you show up and play the saviour?"

"...no, I see what you're saying. Fine. But we get ready to move now. I'll pack my travelling bag. Sten can stay here, look after the lab."

"Vex and I are packed. Heck, convince them to leave us some non-lethal wounds and I'll work miracles! That will get us either welcomed or lynched for sure." She grins.

"I have, uh, hitherto not been hung by the neck for non-recreational purposes. I would prefer to, uh, keep that record."

"You're into new experiences."

"Ha!"

"Come on, this is not going to be a subtle job."

"No. Fine. When shall we travel?"

She shrugs. "Any time, I suppose. Preferably a little way behind these lunatics."

"I'll meet you in an hour. Want me to pack the nootropics?"

"Hmm. Hopefully shouldn't need them, but they sure are handy if I happen to need to clash wills with a daemon."

"Just another day, eh? See you soon!"

She smiles. He runs off, a focused look on his face. Laval watches him go for a moment, then returns to the hut. She summarises the situation for Faruha and Vex, leaving out her own darker intentions to use the cultists in Kidofini.

"It's not ideal, I know, but... at this stage I think there is no stopping them from leaving, and the value of their protection is not worth tolerating their murderous urges." She shakes her head, the peculiarity and viciousness of the situation beginning to sink in.

"I'll be back in a few days," she promises Faruha, "Let's pray that all else is stable in the meantime."

"Vex, can you walk?" She does not wait for a response. "You're going to have to. I'll drag you if I must, I'll give you something for the pain if you need it, but you must walk."

Vex wants to object, but there is an urgency in her voice. "I need you," she begs, "You must come with me." And so, despite his misgivings, he acquiesces.

Packing is not difficult. Pretty much everything has already been put away in advance, from the last time they were planning this trip. And they travel light. Laval takes the time to remind Faruha about the poison for the tithe, confirm that she remembers how to use it. She does a quick sweep of the village, saying farewells and checking up perfunctorily on her patients amongst the villagers to make sure nobody has aggravated injuries, to deposit antibiologics if required. The hour flies past, and then she must rendezvous with Gracious again.

[The GM]

Faruha nods, but Laval can tell that she is thinking hard. "I wish we were rid of them for good," she remarks. There is a pregnant pause - a pause in which Faruha thinks on the issue, and decides to act. Whatever she plans to do, she does not voice it unpressed, and instead warmly embraces Laval as the two wyches leave. 

Meeting up with Gracious, the three make their way towards Kifodini, following the footsteps of the murder-cult. Vex, of course, is not the ideal walking companion. Though he is swiftly picking up speed on a wooden leg lassoed to his stump, he is evidently pained by the experience, and says little. His pain renders Laval similarly quiet, and the silence of the few hour journey to Kifodini is broken up only by inane small-talk from Gracious.

By the central dirt-road, three Swaad men are found hanged from an ageing baobab tree. The bodies are in a state of mild decay, and in the burning sun they smell awful. They have clearly been badly beaten (presumably before they were hanged) and their eyes, tongues and genitalia have been scooped out or hacked off. A sign, nailed to the tree, reads thusly:

Heretics and Traitors be Warned.


Behind, in the near distance, is the village of Kifodini. It is a much larger settlement than Imani, and even has a small, wooden church raising an Aquila to the sky in the centre of the town. The goat herds, though not plentiful, are much larger, and even from here, Laval and Vex can see that the dirt streets are teeming with people. What do they do?

[Jewelcast]

As they leave, Laval makes a lazy attempt at subtly skimming Faruha's mind for her plan, but if she is unable to get the information she leaves it be and trusts to the woman's judgement.

The sight of the corpses makes Laval feel a little unwell - not from squeamishness, not after all she has seen, though the smell does not help with the issue - but from sympathy and from fear. She does not voice her feelings. Neither Vex nor Gracious would care, from her estimation.

Laval is not keen to enter the village in daylight. She would prefer the cover of darkness to conceal her mutation, and argues for as much. She wraps and covers Vex's hand for him and reminds him to hide it, despite his complaints that he remembers and he isn't stupid. She lights her censer for the concealing smoke. But she still does not want to enter the village by day. Ideally she would like to set up a short way outside town, with a fire once it starts to get dark for added smoke and misleading lighting.

[The GM]

It is the first time that Laval has sent her psychic tendrils within Faruha's mind. Now used to the chaotic overlapping of Gracious' mind, or the intimate power of Vex's, Laval finds the terrain foreign and strange. Her name is Faruha, daughter of Tendaji. She is in a state of fraying mental health - or so an Imperial psyker would claim - but in truth she is merely rearranging and breaking down those ordered lies that have claimed her for all these years. She is malnourished, and tired, but otherwise well. Her mood is plagued by ambition, imagined triumph, and determination. Yet, before Laval can probe deeper, Faruha's strong will forces her out.

A few hours later and the two wyches, along with Gracious, are standing before the hanged traitors. In the distance there is a low boom of a gunshot, and Vex thinks it is the sound of a boltpistol. He notes that Ari carried such a weapon, and used it to blow off a soldier's arm in the fateful battle in which Vex lost his leg. The group share ominous glances, but they can hear no further sounds... perhaps the fighting is finished, one way or another. Laval suggests that they wait until nightfall, but Gracious, to the naked eye un-mutated, decides that he himself will simply saunter in.

[Jewelcast]

Laval is not opposed to Gracious going in and starting his business. Though she still cannot wholly bring herself to trust him, a village under his sway is far less likely to be murderously inclined towards her and Vex than one firmly beholden to the Imperial Creed. She reminds Gracious that she would be grateful if he'd point any sick or injured her way as a medic and a herbalist, and lets him know where she plans to set up - about as far from the village as the hanging tree, but off the road, not in the shadow of those corpses. If he acquiesces, Laval will link Gracious to herself and Vex so that they can call silently to each other if required.

After parting ways, she and Vex find a likely spot - not directly visible from the village if possible, but a little concealed by the sparse vegetation or the roll of the land - and sit down to make plans. They survey the land, discuss the practicality of painting a circle around the entire village, or failing that, what other areas they could mark out. Certainly such an endeavour should be done in the dark, lest they draw unwanted attention, but it is good to plan in advance.

"I'm not sure your love potion plan is going to fly," Vex criticises.

"I'm optimistic," she returns. "In a village this size, there must be someone pining hard enough to want such a draught."

"Sure, but how are we going to find them? Advertise and we'll hang for wychcraft, for sure."

"I'll skim minds," she asserts, but it lacks confidence. Enough minds, with the proximity required, the length of contact? She is not certain. "We'll offer more conventional herbs and I'll see if I can find a likely target."

"We need a backup plan." Vex is right. Laval sighs, but she is not really disappointed. Already the wheels are spinning in her mind. She has plenty of options. Lay on the charm, plant heretical symbols, provide nonsensical medical advice... hallucinogens? Gracious probably carries such things, and if not it can't be hard to brew something simple.

"There's lots of options," she says eventually. "We need to find a mark or two before I can lay any firmer plans."

"So what are we waiting out here for?"

"Gracious might be practised at speaking to crowds, but I'm not. And if anyone spots our gifts, the game's up. We need to wait until the crowd thins out a bit before we can get to work."

"Tch." Vex is unimpressed. "They're just peasants."

"Like Ari is just a peasant?"

He has no answer to that. And so they wait. Vex sits, exhausted from the walk, stump aching, and contemplates the mysteries of biomancy. Laval passes the time foraging for firewood and for useful herbs - nothing in particular, just anything she recognises as useful to top up her supplies.

When darkness falls and the hubbub of the village dies down, if nothing else has forced their hands before then, the pair intend to venture into the village and start seeking out likely victims.

[The GM]

The pickings around Kifodini are scarce - probably due to its higher population - and Laval finds little of much use in the local vegetation. Luckily, she has her own supplies, but they may begin to dwindle. She thinks that a local survivalist could be of assistance.

While there wait, there is one event that provoke them to act - depending on their approach. After half an hour, there is the rapid whipcrack of lasguns from the outskirts of the village: both Laval and Vex think that it comes from near the sound of a bolt weapon. Positioned away from that side of the village, it is hard to get a full grasp on the situation, but the gunfire continues. Do Laval and Vex intervene, or do they keep to their plan?

[To be clear on Laval's plan: the idea is to find marks for a love potion, and bring them back to where the wyches are camped?]

[Jewelcast]

Laval and Vex do not intervene, though Laval does send Gracious a brief query (assuming he accepted the mind link): Something interesting happening?

[The plan is to go into the village once it's darker and/or quieter out, to minimise risk of being caught out as mutants, and look for marks. Laval would love to find someone she can sell a love potion to, but is not intending to open with that unless she finds a promising lead. Her primary opening strategy is to offer her services as a healer.

If she gets the chance to subtly read minds, she will do so, looking for any vulnerability she can exploit to start manipulating people. Anyone who has needs she can fulfil or pretend to fulfil, or fears that she can offer comfort against. She would prefer to have protracted interactions somewhere private - for instance, at their camp - to reduce distractions and danger, but won't push the issue.]

[The GM]

Gracious does not respond immediately, presumably busy, and Laval and Vex begin heading into town. They avoid the signs of a fire-waving mob, hoping to avoid paranoid and frenzied attentions upon them, and instead enter from the eastern side. They find a village mostly emptied, but those that remain are not so blindly consumed by their pathetic faith. A less devout mind is more malleable, and Laval puts her plan into action. She walks through the streets, noting the larger huts and the quiet dignity of the central church in the centre of the settlement. The farmsteads are more elaborate than in Imani - the farmers living in large, multi-roomed accommodations - if still constructed mostly from threaded grass.

Even though it is dark, and Laval and Vex take care to avoid the limelight, they are still treated to suspicious glares from the locals. These people do not like outsiders, but their attention fades as the two wyches wander past, keeping to themselves. The disguises that Laval and Vex have taken avoid them instantly being discovered as mutants, and Laval is free to subtly skim the minds of those nearby. 

She finds a few individuals that might be manipulated. There is a young man, Matu, who pines after his unrequited love, Mfanya. There is a merchant, Fedha, who harbours jealousy for the craft of others, and is struggling to sell her poorly made, hand-crafted charms. And then there is Faraji, a middle-aged man who is fearful of the mob, and whether his secret will be discovered. Curious, Laval probes deeper. This man is a local farmhand, his full name is Faraji Paa, and he is sheltering Sadaka refugees in secret.

[The GM]

In Laval and Vex's head, they hear the thought-scream of Gracious:

MOB. FANATICS. GO LOUD. GO LOUD.

[Jewelcast]

More detail! The pair are not quite sure which of them sends the thought. Perhaps both of them simultaneously. It is Laval who picks up the thread and continues.

Think at us, she insists, It's fast. We can hear you. What's going on?

True to her own words, she is acting even as she sends the thoughts. She grips Vex's arm and guides him off the street, out of the immediate view of strangers, maintaining a veneer of calm.

The first thing that crosses her mind is to yell "fire!", but she hesitates. The houses here are constructed of grass, the climate is dry... the people should be frightened of the very possibility of fire. It should draw attention. It crosses her mind that she has a lit censer, not to mention the tools she used to light it... it would be a simple matter to drop a few sparks and pray for nature to take its course... but no. No. She cannot condone setting an entire town on fire. Especially since she has no idea what the situation is yet.

"I know how to go loud," Vex whispers urgently, "I'll have people screaming in seconds."

Laval waits a bare few seconds, hoping for clarification on the situation from Gracious. Thought is fast, surely even if he's busy running or talking for his life he can spare slightly more explanation than that. If she hears nothing more from the chymist, she nods to Vex, and he will manifest Host of Fiends.

As soon as she hears other people start to react to the power, Laval is ready to start acting for her life, feigning fear and confusion of her own and trying to match the attitude of the locals - neither suspiciously calm nor excessively dramatic - so as not to draw attention to the pair.

[Fettered should be sufficient to catch plenty of people in the area? And let's pick up Deceive +10 for Laval while we're at it...]

[The GM]

A jumble of information comes through Gracious' mind, but he is not a trained telepath and the articulation of thoughts is a learned skill. Laval and Vex catch glimpses of a fire-waving mob, heading towards where the gunshots were heard, that Gracious wants to delay them... something to this effect.

Even as the two wyches are getting ready, they can hear what must be a lynch-mob on the move. They are heading in the direction of the marketplace, and where Laval and Vex entered the village - not towards the sounds of gunfire. Laval, remembering the hanged men, feels a slither of fear: doesn't Gracious realise how much danger he is putting her and Vex in by directing the mob this way?

[Jewelcast]

Are you in danger? she demands, I'm not putting myself on the line for your convenience!

"You want I should...?" Vex starts. Laval shakes her head vehemently.

"Not yet. Not unless we have to."

She pulls Vex back the way they came. They will need to hide before the mob gets here. Running from the village would only draw attention. And she only has one lead on a potentially sympathetic ear. Faraji. Even if he will not shelter them, he won't call down the mob on them due to his own fears.

She knocks on his door, prays for good fortune, ready to plead for asylum.

[The GM]

Having delved rather deeply into Faraji's mind, Laval knows where his farmstead sits. Leading the way and communicating directions to Vex, she begins to run. Behind her, she can hear the din of an incoming lynch mob. They whoop and holler prayers to the False Emperor, chanting perverse promises of murder to the free, and screaming half-sung hymns to the sky. Laval just about keeps her cool, but Vex is scared, hobbling behind on his one good limb. Before he panics, Laval has to lend a shoulder to keep him in pace.

They knock at Faraji's house. Someone stirs inside, and a viewing latch opens in the door. It is Faraji, whose eyes narrow at the two heretics and the colour of their skin. He inspects them carefully, but does not seem to notice their mutations, and listens to what they have to say. Suspicious of their motives, he is nonetheless mollified by Vex's fear, and he swiftly lets the two of them into his home.

His farmstead is a series of interconnected huts, and, in a separate building, a spindly-looking barn where goats graze. There is no sign of any refugees hiding here - though Laval knows that they are hidden in dug-out holes beneath grass-spun rags. Faraji, a middle-aged, thin man with stress lines all across his face, offers the strangers water. He waits before they have drunk their fill before beginning his questions.

"I don't understand why white folk are hiding," he remarks, eyeing the pair suspiciously again. His eyes pass over their weapons and armour. "Especially those as kitted out as yourselves."

He frowns. "Not all pleading for sanctuary are deserving of it. Sometimes they get it right. Why they after you?"

Faraji has let the pair in, and they are safe for now, but he is paranoid and wary. He will need further reassurance - or perhaps threats - if Laval and Vex are to be housed until the storm passes.

[Jewelcast]

"We are off-worlders," Laval explains, allowing her own fear to show through. "I don't know anyone here, when I saw the mob I panicked - Kidofini - it doesn't have a good reputation for treating outsiders well. They're not after us, I'm just frightened that with everyone's blood up... Yes, maybe we could defend ourselves, but I don't want to start a fight! I'm a herbalist - I'm here to treat wounds, not to cause them. I don't mean to impose on your hospitality long. I just don't want to be out in... in that. I doubt they listen to reason."

Vex holds his tongue. Let Laval try her honeyed words. If it doesn't work, he will make this stranger shelter them, one way or another.

[The GM]

Faraji listens carefully. Laval's words are almost drowned out by the sound of the approaching horde - even though, thankfully, they are not heading directly in the direction of the farmstead. The Swaad man clearly doesn't trust Laval, but his eyes widen slightly when he learns that Laval is a herbalist. He nods, and leads the pair deeper into his property.

"A herbalist, eh? Let's say I had need for one of those. Be fair pay for sheltering you, wouldn't it?"

He pauses besides a grass rug. "Choni, come out of there. Come on, get out." He pulls the rug aside to reveal a young man, looking beaten half to death. He seems to have suffered a minor knife wound to the side, but even with a cursory glance Laval can see that it has become infected. Faraji helps the young man up with a genuine tenderness not seen in his dealings with Laval. He turns to the herbalist with a raised eyebrow. He looks very tired.

"You can stay here," he tells the two wyches. "But that wound is infected, and I don't know what to do about it. You do, though, so you'll treat it. And then you'll be gone by morning." He nods, before making his way into another area of the huts.

Laval inspects Choni's wound in more detail. It must have been inflicted about a week ago, and doesn't seem to have been dressed or sterilised at all. If not treated quickly, the infection will spread and the man will die. But the malady has had time to become deep-rooted, and Laval does not know how to reverse so severe a case.

[Laval has failed the Medicae Test against 86. She can use an Infamy Spend if you like, or else they can try other strategies for appeasing Faraji.]

Choni smiles as Laval looks at his wound, wincing against the pain. "Don't mind Faraji," he tells her. "His bark's worse than his bite. If it wasn't for him, I'd be long dead."

[Jewelcast]

[I'll reroll please.]

[The GM]

Laval smiles reflexively at Choni's reassurance, going through her medicine bag in pursuit of an idea. She has seen a case this bad before, and though she didn't treat it herself, an old lady she once met swore by a particular combination of herbs. Preparing the concoction, Laval makes a salve, and gently applies it to the wound. It will take some time to determine how successful the treatment has been, but Laval is confident in her method.

"It's a useful skill that you've got," Choni remarks conversationally. "Where did you learn?"

[Jewelcast]

"Off-world, mostly," she confesses. "I trained at a medicarum when I was a girl. It's what my parents wanted." She thinks about mentioning the people who have helped her learn the local herbs, but she does not want to discuss why she is on this planet, so she turns the conversation elsewhere.

"I'm glad that there are still people who will help each other. Faraji is a kind soul to hide you here. What happened to you, if it is not too unkind to ask?"

[The GM]

Choni grimaces. "I came here from Sadaka two years ago," he explains. "Long before it was occupied. I moved to study crafting under Rala. For a time, things were good. But then the occupation happened, and people started to come from my village. They needed food and water, but the people here wanted it for themselves. So they called them heretics and hurt them instead."

He sighs. "I am shamed to say I did nothing. I was still considered part of the village then, and though some men had been beaten, it was not like what it is now. But things got worse, and more people from Sadaka came. The zealot Nuru Haki coerced the preacher Nia Upendo, and told everyone that those from Sadaka were traitors and had to be purged. That we were here to kill them, and spread heresies of dark gods."

"It just got worse and worse, but I was still left alone. I had come before Kind Peter, and so they did not suspect me. But then the Disappearance happened. There is no one left in Sadaka: they disappeared overnight, with no trace, leaving their things behind. Nuru Haki said it was proof that the people of Sadaka were cursed. Now they kill my people on sight. Even those who came here long ago are targeted."

He shows Laval his beaten body. "A group of men fell on me, and beat me. They had heard I was from Sadaka. They wanted to kill me, I think, and one had a blade. I don't know how I got away, but I just ran. Faraji saw me running near his farmstead, and told me to come inside. He said he would help me." Choni smiles. "He is a good man."

Faraji comes back through, tutting slightly at Choni's remarks. "I am an average man," he objects. "It is just that my village has turned crazy." He looks at the paste on Choni's wounds. He is clearly unable to evaluate Laval's works, but nods approvingly all the same. "There are more here," he tells the newcomers. "I would ask them to come out." He sighs. "If you were to betray me, you already know too much. I hope that there are some good people left in Kifodini."

He gives a low whistle, and about two dozen people make their way out from various hiding holes. They are mostly young - the majority of them are children, and they look curiously at the strangers. Many of them harbour wounds, and they do not talk as they are given water and food by the farmer.

[Jewelcast]

"Your secret is safe with us," Laval promises. She tuts over the state of the refugees, shocked and appalled by their condition. She approaches the wounded with medical tools in hand, coaxes the young into letting her treat them. Seeing these children here, living like this, she struggles not to cry. These are innocents in this war. These are the people that she is fighting to liberate. There must be sacrifices, yes, for the war to be won, but if she can protect these people, she will.

"Something must be done," she declares quietly, "Things cannot continue like this."

[The GM]

The children are timid and afraid of her touch. It is only with coaxing that she is able to lay hands on them, to help them with their pain and with their injuries. Even still, they are quiet and introverted around her. They have learned too young to not trust strangers - even strangers who seem to be helping them.

"Yes, yes," Faruji waves his hands, dispirited, "Something must be done. But even with your white skin and fancy kit, there is nothing you can do. That is why you hide from the mob. Bah." He throws up his hands, and moves to the door. "I'm checking on the goats," he tells the children, "Don't answer the door to anyone, and keep quiet. Choni, lock this door behind me."

He checks the viewing latch before heading on out. "Something must be done..." he mutters, "Bah."

When he is gone, Choni shrugs apologetically. "Faruji has lost hope," he explains, "But still he helps us. No matter what he pretends, he is an idealist." He grins, moving closer to Laval and Vex. "You spoke as if you might have a plan. I can talk to the old man. Perhaps you tell me?"

[Jewelcast]

"Hope is important," Laval asserts softly. "A plan..." she rubs her eyelids with her fingertips. "I had heard, but I had not imagined quite how bad things were here. I don't have a specific plan to help you, not yet. But let me think on it..."

On an impulse she reaches out to subtly skim Choni's mind, as she pauses to think. Success or failure, she moves on thoughtfully.

"Nuru Haki is the enemy," she begins, "It is their words that poison the minds of others against your people. If they were discredited, proved to be less than what they appear, then their accusations would lose their weight. Tell me more about Nuru?

"Faraji is already doing a great deal to help you. I don't know that there is any need to draw him into anything even more dangerous."

[The GM]

Lazily skimming through Choni's mind, she easily slips under the innate mental defences of the man and into his psyche. His name is Choni, and his mood is hopeful, but apprehensive. He doesn't like to see others in tension, and he is eager to smooth any problem over. He is badly beaten and heavily injured, but the body is responding well to Laval's treatment and his condition will improve. His mental health is robust, even if Choni has had his fair share of challenges in life. Sometimes memories make him feel nervous, and he doesn't know why.

Laval probes deeper. Choni is concerned that Faraji has caused offence, but also afraid of the newcomers. He is scared that because they are white, and strangers, they will report him to the mobs outside. Out of diplomacy, he hides this distrust, hoping instead to make friends. Choni has done things that he is not proud of, but his soul is barely marked by chaos.

Over the last day, Choni has done a bit of cooking, helped Faraji with the children, and suffered over his wounds. When the mob came, he hid. His memories paint a life of fear, boredom and shame. Fear that he will be lynched. Bored by his life inside, doing nothing. Shamed by his cowardice, unable to act and break free. Laval focuses on the shame for a moment, but it prickles something in Choni's psyche, and she is forced out of his mind a moment later.

"Nuru Haki is the woman leading the mobs," Choni tells her. "She is known even to the Deacon of the Makuu. She attends that place often, and is very vocal. Others like her flock to her, those that have hate and call it faith. I worry that she is everything she appears to be: a mad woman chasing at shadows and intent on killing us all."

Choni pauses. Laval's focus on his shame has unconsciously affected him, and his mood suffers. "Nia Upendi once preached caution, but Nuru was louder. The preacher had to shift to their opinion. Even the Mkuu has given the lynch mobs backing."

He continues, telling Laval all that he can. As it is, he is not the most informed source. Nuru Haki seems to be a devout worshipper of the Imperial Creed, and has brought out the fervor in others. Her militant aspect and lack of tolerance reminds Laval of the redemptionist cults she has sometimes seen in Imperial worlds. Should things get that far, the whole town could burn.

The local preacher, Nia Upendi, is less fanatical. Choni notes that it was a source of great pride to have a native preacher, and that, for a time, Nia was immensely popular. But her moderate impression of the Imperial Creed was soon overshadowed by Nuru's rhetoric. Choni, somewhat cynical, suggests that there is an element of greed behind the paranoia: "They do not fear a cursed people, they fear a people that needs their food. So they make their excuses, and do away with us."

[Jewelcast]

Laval nods, agreeing. "Of course they fear starvation. Nuru Haki has goaded that fear into hatred." She exhales. "It doesn't matter what she truly is, what matters is how the people see her. Right now she is a hero to them - she plays on their fears and waves her faith as permission to do whatever she pleases - and what she pleases is madness.

"But if we make her look bad, then we can turn the people against her. What will they say if she is revealed as the very thing she hates - a traitor, a heretic even?" Laval speaks boldly, confident of Choni's position. "Evidence can be planted, her reputation can be brought low. The same trick she has used unfairly against children and refugees can be turned on her."

The wheels are starting to turn in Laval's head, the first hints of plans beginning to solidify. No, some part of her says, This is not what we're here for. This is a distraction. She pushes those thoughts aside. These people need her. She is a Lightbringer, and she will not turn aside from those who need hope the most.

"Where does her food come from?" she asks aloud.

[Sponsored content]