Chapter 7

Coverpage of Chapter 7

Chapter 7, Phantom Pain began posting on [DATE]. Its tag line reads "In Which Nothing Is Forgotten & Death Holds No Dominion"

## Synopsis

The next morning Jivi and the Quigleys awaken in the comfortable home of Iori and Rahm, an older Crescian couple with overt ties to a shady organization of illicit wrights called the Black Tongues. Having been granted the pair's temporary protection, they learn that the Red Berry Boys are still at large, and the Peaceguard have been called off the hunt in order to return to the capital to support an escalating conflict with Alderode.

Elsewhere, Sette awakens from the tranquilizer blade to find Duane has killed and eaten the slaver she left him alone with. Expecting him to return to his senses now that the sun is up, Sette finds him unable or unwilling. He attacks her, and in avoiding his lunge Sette appears to fall into his shadow and clean out of reality, awakening in the mysterious realm of the khert.

Flabbergasted and disoriented, Sette wanders through this misty, golden realm of strange creatures and curious flying fish. She finds herself able to dig into the otherwise hard walls of the khert with her bare hands and cause memories to spill forth. Eventually she comes upon a boggy forest of floating fetuses who ask for her help. She frees a few only to be accosted by an enormous black bird. The bird chases her into a cave where she meets an affable stranger named Murkoph who is stuck in the wall. He promises to help her if she frees him and, spurred on by the noises of the huge bird monster outside, she does so. Unfortunately he wastes no time in attacking her, and is stopped from hungrily biting off her fingers only by the arrival of a washed out, green, transparent, and very strange version of Duane. Murkoph easily overcomes this phantom and hurls him into Sette, where the pair fall backwards into a wall that rips apart. They tumble through a void, Duane's memories washing over Sette and becoming her world.

Now we are transported with Sette six years into the past, into Duane's hometown of Durlyne in frozen northern Alderode. We meet Duane's young son and wife, and learn that Duane is in line for a promotion that he does not want. After his wife Leysa soothes his nerves over the looming ordeal they are summoned to the other room where their daughter Mikaila must be rescued from the consequences of one of her miscast spells.

The next day, Duane takes Mikaila with him to the Temple of Song, where he works as a Ssaelit priest, pymary instructor, and official. During a morning meeting with the Temple's administration Duane learns that the religious and political group (the Gefendur) with which his own faith (the Ssaelit) cooperatively runs the country is planning to wrest power away from them, taking advantage of a  plague that has diminished Ssaelit numbers. A Ssaelit politician who is present suggests they in turn spread the plague to Gefendur citizens to combat this. Aghast, Duane speaks against the idea, and when he is put in his place, he punches the politician in the face.

Ejected from the meeting, Duane looks for sympathy from his brother Lemuel, but finds only more bloodthirst and warnings of looming catastrophe. That evening Duane and Mikaila are returning home from the Temple through the snow when they are set upon by a gang of men with clubs and crossbows. Duane fights valiantly to protect his daughter but succumbs to poisoned darts. They are both cut down.

Sette awakens from the flashback still in the khert, with Murkoph ready to resume their dance. Duane sweeps them from his path and Sette uses her uncanny sense of smell to trace their way back to where she first entered the strange realm. Finding Duane is attached to this exit by a spectral line, she frees it from where it's been snagged around the dead slaver's incoming soul. She and Duane are transported back to reality.

## Appearances

### Characters

* Duane Adelier
* Iori Ripa
* Emil Sava-Toma
* Pantoffel
* Elka
* Morgen
* Mathis Quigley (Sr.)
* Matty Quigley
* Jivi Flask
* Queen Sonorie
* Timofey
* Pip
* Squeak
* happy coffee
* Rahm Ripa
* Sam (Inak janitor/servant)
* Vera
* Sette Frummagem
* Boo
* Bastion Winalils
* Nary-A’Care Frummagem
* Bodkin
* Turas Thanigirri
* Lady Ilganyag
* Murkoph
* Simon Adelier
* Leysa Adelier
* Orlina
* Mikaila Adelier
* Simon
* Lizbeth
* William Argenti (Sr.)
* Diva
* Lions of Mercy
* Thackery
* William Argenti (Jr.)
* Lemuel Adelier
* Bodi
* Shadwe Grandvin
* Masked assassin
* Kima Bell (mentioned)
* Red Berry Boys (mentioned)
	+ Cutter (mentioned)
* Jivi's Uncle (mentioned)
* Black Tongues (mentioned)
* Sonum Ssael (mentioned)
* Triste (mentioned)
* Composer Valentin (mentioned)
* Caroline (mentioned)
* Agatha (mentioned)
* Jane (mentioned)

### Items/Concepts

* Kedis
* Glowfish
* Hounds
* Owls
* Ghosts
	+ Smoke Eels
	+ Squishes
* Chitz
* Jivi's bosun's whistle
* Inak/Two-Toe
* Turtle Bacon
* Shatterstar Cache of First Silver
* Blood Amulet
* Softi
* Ssaelism
* Gefendur
* Khert babies
* Isabel Ne'er-do-Well
* Grebber (mentioned)
* The March
* Vliegeng
* Vits Council
* *Durlyne Daily*
* Lions
* Weeping Plague
* Purple Weed

### Locations

* Sharteshane (cover only)
	+ New Tawhoque (cover only)
* Cresce
	+ Ethelmik
		- Clocktower
		- Ripa's House
		- The Happy Tentacle
	+ Grenzlan
	+ Lurick (mentioned)
* Khert/Brightlands
* Alderode
	+ Durlyne
		- Durlyne City
			* Ghers 34
			* Temple of Song
	+ Fachlyne (mentioned)
* Madishane (mentioned)

## Trivia

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