Notes on The Dark Souls of the Forest
Chapter 6: The Creation
Vasta tries to explain why the Ehathians would have been summoned. He bases his theories on the assumption that they were created by Fiends. One easy explanation would be that the Ehathians were created in order to build an army for the Fiends. However, if the Ehathians were purely for war, even by the time of Vasta, they would have been used as an army. The Ehathians had already attacked Thyla several times and nearly destroyed the city. So Vasta thinks that if Fiends wanted them to simply fight, the Fiends would have showed up and started the war by the time he had started his research.
A second theory, is that the Fiends brought back the souls of some of their victims in order to torture them and make them do their bidding. Vasta did not agree with that theory either, pointing out that the Ehathians seemed to multiply without the presence of Fiends. Vasta doubts that the Fiends would have granted the Ehathians the power to enchant more, if their goal was to torture them. He did admit that he heard an argument for this theory that said the Ehathians having such a power was part of the torture. It makes sense because, what better to torture someone than to watch yourself turn innocent people into the same monster you had become?
Vasta had the theory that the Ehathians were created as slaves and their multiplication did rely upon the death of others, but it was not that the souls of the newly deceased became an Ehathian, but that their death gave the Ehathians the power to create a new one. Originally this theory sounded a lot like the army one, but Vasta actually went on to explain how it was different. The Ehathians were not created for the Fiends themselves, but someone who was on their side. Vasta says that there were several rumors of resource movement within the forest’s region not conducted by the Tithians. I have heard such rumors that there are other inhabitants of the forest other that the Ehathians, but nothing more than that. What an intriguing idea that there is someone there that is working on the side of Fiends.
The 14th Day of the 10th Moon
I was able to sneak out of the palace and go to the marketplace. I did see Cherish there. She was beautiful as always. Apparently no one knows that the ambassadors are elven. After hearing the rumors of how the conversations were going with the King, I decided not to inform them. I do not think that making people think there is a chance that things can improve will be good, since I have doubts of that. I also do not want to say things are not looking well in case conversations go better.
Cherish said she will be in the marketplace more often; her father is relying on her to sell the goods more often. He is in the process of getting land for a booth. At first, I was worried that their business with the King was not going well, but Cherish reassured me that it is simply that their trees are producing so much fruit that they have plenty to spare. Maybe, if they do well enough, they can be considered almost noble.
