Chapter 8

Chapter 8 cover page

Chapter 8, Masks began posting on [DATE]. Its tag line reads "In Which Everyone Is A Liar"

## Synopsis

The chapter opens as the Ethelmik constables watch the city's conscripts march off to the conflict with Alderode. They laugh over the recruit's chances for survival and voice some disparaging words towards the Peaceguard, who are planning on leaving that morning. Elka arrives and spoils their fun, further increasing tensions between the two groups, but hers is spoiled in turn by Captain Hetr. Rumor has it that Elka was appointed to her position with Toma because Lady Emne personally asked for Elka, seeing her as too masculine to turn Toma's head.

Frustrated, she goes into the stables to find Toma and finds a letter in Pantoffel saddlebag from Lady Emne. She assumes it to be palace gossip, but finds out that Emne is pregnant and planning to divorce Toma, a fact he has known about yet kept secret from his command. Additionally, Emne plans on taking sole custody of their daughter, Chea. Elka finds Elan and coerces him into giving her his Peaceguard badge for Toma to send to Chea, a tradition he's kept at every deployment.

Meanwhile, Toma investigates Duane's killing of Turas inside the love hotel. He discovers one of Knock-Me-Down's saw-shooter discs inside the hamper where Sette slept. Elka shows up and helps Toma discover the pymaric traces of Duane and Sette's exit, as Toma offhandedly mentions that he's decided to stay and continue the investigation against orders. Elka argues, but ultimately decides to stay as well before noticing that something is off with the local khert, a thin spot that Murkoph is trying to break through.

Back at the Ripa's, Jivi and Matti convince Rahm that they are there in the spirit of scholarship, invoking an Ilganyag rule of hospitality. Quigley tries to fix Uaid, but is missing the necessary materials.

Sette wakes up in a toy shop to dreams of the khert, as Duane begins to interrogate her on what happened. Duane, having realized they've entered Cresce despite his explicit desire not to do so, becomes angry with Sette when she tells him of her vision of his life and death. Insisting that this must be another of Nary Frummagem's schemes, he throws Sette around before she's able to convince him that what she is telling the truth. Duane, having accepted Sette's version of events, explains to her that he was killed by Cresce to show Crescian support for the Aldish Gefendur in order to split the country. He woke up after his funeral and was given pymaric eyes by Lemuel. For some time, he remained in Alderode, but eventually fled the country by ship.

## Appearances

### Characters

* Elka
* Anadyne Frummagem
* "Hamsteak"
* Yuma
* Siwl
* Maike
* Hart Hetr
* Abby
* Emne Toma
* Pantoffel
* Chea Toma
* Elan Aled
* Turas Thanigirri
* Emil Sava-Toma
* Vale
* Vera
* Murkoph
* Iori Ripa
* Jivi Flask
* Matty Quigley
* Timofey
* Uaid
* Vienne Quigley (mentioned)
* Mathis Quigley (Sr.)
* Rahm Ripa
* Delicieu (mentioned)
* Sette Frummagem
* Nary-A’Care Frummagem
* Lady Ilganyag
* Duane Adelier
* Leysa Adelier
* Simon Adelier
* Mikaila Adelier
* Lemuel Adelier
* Orlina
* Simon
* William Argenti (Sr.)
* William Argenti (Jr.)
* Knock-Me-Down Frummagem
* Arctrit Ramora
* Cutter
* Toby
* Shaterstar Cache
* Boo
* Bodi
* Lucky Puppy
* Stockyard Frummagem (mentioned)
* Kala Alsk (mentioned)

### Items/Concepts

* Kedis
* Hounds
* Pigs (mentioned)
* Plods
* Swarm
* Elan Aled's Badge
* Emil's Sword
* We're so Pretty! Make-up Paints for Cresce's Good Children
* Blood Amulet
* Ssaelism
* Gefendur

### Locations

* Cresce
	+ Ethelmik
		- The Happy Tentacle
		- Toy Box
		- Deadly Nevergreen
* Khert/Brightlands
	+ Temple of Song

## Trivia

* Synopsis taken from this page of the abandoned author curated wiki.