Chapter Sixteen: Swirling Wine and Mind[edit | edit source]

Meliu arrives early for the pivotal High Priests' vote on vacating Canon of Justef, convening in Tomarok Pyramid's secret Hall of Lord Priests—veined with seamless passages hewn via Elemental prayer, evoking ancient conquerors. Sedut joins with rare Woodkin wine, probing Meliu's stance amid church tensions and her delayed Mulshahar quest. A swish heralds Elemental Sound assault, deafening and disorienting; Meliu prays Light/Life while Sedut collapses bleeding from invisible pricks—potent Elemental poison akin to Ivin's. Meliu channels overwhelming Elements, verging on godlike delusion, until Izilfer intervenes, severing her grip. Hulerê awakens Meliu days later, revealing empathic healing limits: she absorbs afflictions, flipping poison's "coin" from killing to healing, but risks overdose. Twitching from overexertion, Meliu demands escort to the hall, grasping Ulrikt's schemes and her Defiled origins.

SoM Chapter 15 — Questioning Numbers
SoM Chapter 17 — Angels, Demons, and Ghosts
Shadows of Man — Main Chapter Listing