What Lingers in the Smoke
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Eldrin’s been cross-referencing symbols all night. He hasn’t even touched his tea, which means either the journal’s leading somewhere… or he’s already there in his mind.
There’s a passage he keeps circling back to. Something about how “what burns in the breath returns to the stone.” He thinks the ash isn’t just ceremonial… it’s transitional. It changed them. Maybe even chooses who changes.
We need samples. Not only from the stone where they store the ash, but from the Ashbreathers themselves. When they fall, there’s a strange residue they leave behind. Lighter than smoke, but it clings like guilt.
See what you can gather. And if you can get into one of their ritual rooms, grab a pinch of whatever they are using from those big stone tubs of ash. Carefully. We want fresh, and not all of the tubs have the good stuff. You’ll know it when you see it.
Bring it all back. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll start to understand what this place is trying to become.
Hand-in Dialog(beware: possible spoilers)
That shimmer… same as before.
[She leans closer to the samples, careful not to breathe too deeply.]
It reacts. Subtly, but it’s there. The ash from the bodies, and the tub dust? They’re kin. Not just material, but memory. Like they know each other.
Whatever’s guiding these castes - it’s not just tradition. It’s ritual, yes, but it’s encoded. Etched into them through breath, fire and … time. Eldrin’s going to want to test this against the markings in the journal.
Come see me when you’re ready. If you’re willing, I have another task for you.