Karrigan'Xalda
Daughter of the Karishzar
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Codify a location established in rp. Essentially the nexus is the mystical equivalent to a memorial for victims of crimes against humanity and other atrocities.
Image Credit: Here.
Canon: N/A.
Permissions: N/A.
Links: Twilight of the Goddess, Daughters of the Destroyer, Vashyada, Qadiri, Karrigan'Xalda, Order of Fire, Quas'Ziru, Kaylah Danton, Teaching Resilience, Tylania, Elpsis Kerrigan, Firemane, Siobhan Kerrigan, Xioquo, House Kerrigan, Windian Jedi Order, Diona.
SETTING INFORMATION
Nexus Name: Flame of the Eternal Memorial
Nexus Alignment: Light.
Location: Tlaxqui, Tygara.
Affiliation: Xioquo, Seekers of the Sky, Liavondra, Daughters of the Destroyer. Indirectly: Firemane.
Size: Small
Strength: Strong
Accessibility: The nexus is part of Tlaxqui, the main city of the Xioquo. Located far beneath a mountain of the remote world of Tygara, it is no secret, but neither well-known nor easy to reach for outsiders. The natives treat the nexus as a memorial, so it is accessible to the public. An increasing number of the visitors are foreigners from other areas of Tygara or elsewhere in Firemane's sphere of influence. However, it is guarded by Xioquo paladins and security forces. Their presence is unobtrusive, since it is not a military base and of spiritual significance to the Xioquo. Nonetheless, prospective visitors will be vetted before they enter the Eternal Memorial. Moreover, the nexus' power gives it defences of its own that go beyond what conventional guards can do, as outlined in effects.
Description: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. The Flame of the Eternal Memorial is a solemn place of remembrance and warning. The Xioquo have a dark, grim history. For many centuries they were dominated by a brutal, despotic oligarchy that built its rule on the bedrock of slavery, tyranny and dark side worship. Now the old order has been overthrown, but the Xioquo psyche and society have been deeply scarred. The Eternal Memorial occupies part of the former Blood Forges, a dark place where the Xioquo used to build demonic war machines powered by the souls of the damned. It is part of Tlaxqui, the subterranean capital of the Xioquo. Many horrible atrocities were committed in this forgotten corner of the Underealm, and the spirits of the dead still linger. Heat still rises from volcanic pits far below, and there are long, dark tunnels minerals used to be extracted from.
But now the forges are cold, for industry has been moved elsewhere - and no longer uses ghastly blood sacrifices or slave labour. A monument has been erected. A panel of heroes can be found here, listing the names of those who were killed during the rebellion against the overseers. Arches of rusted metal stretch over the entrance. Memorials showing the horrors of the old ways are on clear display, while museum display pieces show the war machines that were built here. But at the centre, there is a curious hint of the Light, muting and keeping the dark side at bay.
There is a rusted metal arch made of some of the plates forged there. It leads down into a chamber where the forges used to be which is now the heart of the nexus. The is the heart of the light side nexus. It was formed and shaped by large pillars of Light attuned stone which harness and calm the dark side presence otherwise there. The ring of dark obelisks surrounds a small altar of light grey stone. At the centre is a small fountain of clear water where one can gaze into. The Force is thick here, but the pervasive darkness of the forges seems to be drained away, conducted like a lightning rod away. In its place sits a beacon of the Light Side. There is no physical light, but the power of the Force is oddly peaceful, oddly soothing. The Eternal Memorial keeps, as the name implies, the flame of memory alive. It also serves as a place of mourning and remembrance for those who lost friends and family under the old order.
They can also connect with the spirits who dwell here. Survivors of the Blood Forges offer tours and give talks here. As a new generation of Xioquo is born with no memory of the old order, it is important to make sure the horrors that took place here are never forgotten. For the Seekers of the Sky, a lightside Xioquo sect that follows the teachings of Queen Lia, the nexus is a holy site and a place of pilgrimage, mourning and reflection. It is considered a rite of passage for an aspiring Seeker to come to the nexus and spend a day in meditation and contemplation while they commune with the Flame of Eternal Memory. This is encouraged even after they have completed their trials and become full members of the order, as part of a process of reexamining and affirming their commitment to the Light in deed as in word.
It is of particular significance to the light side paladins and healers of the group. The Eternal Memorial is protected by the paladins as well as Tlaxqui's police force. The security presence is unobtrusive, but vigilant. Visitors are not allowed to carry weapons within the memorial. Xioquo have a blood-soaked past and have had to essentially rebuild their civilisation from the ground up. Casting the old ways aside is a difficult process, but then the Light is not the quick, easy path. The memorial is managed by the Council of the Eternal Memory, an educational society.
The Daughters of the Destroyer, a religious sect that worships Siobhan Kerrigan as the Karishzar, are privately a bit ambivalent about it. The Daughters regard themselves as the champion of the downtrodden, especially former slaves, and so honouring them and remembering their suffering is important to them. They are also fiery supporters of punishing profiteers and criminals who served the ancien régime, and have indeed accused the government of being too merciful. But on average their Force adepts are inclined towards the dark side or grey, and this is a light side nexus. Nonetheless, the Daughters participated in the foundation of the memorial. For political reasons, some of the guards must be members of their sect. Firemane maintains a presence in Tlaxqui, but control and protection of the nexus is in hands of the natives. Individual adepts of the Order of Fire and Firemane military or civilian personnel may visit it.
The Eternal Memorial has attracted some criticism from the usual suspects. A far-right Xioquo politician recently stated that 'we Xioquo are the only people in the world who have planted a memorial of shame in the heart of our capital.' She went on to suggest that the Xioquo 'need to make a 180 degree change in their politics of commemoration.' A former slave who had gone into journalism responded: 'if you don't want a memorial of shame...don't do shameful things. It's there to remind idiots and leeches like her not to do it again.' The politician sued the journalist, but her claim was struck down by the court.
NEXUS EFFECTS
'The shapes before Diona coalesced into faintly glowing golden shapes of Xio. Many were marred, but when they spoke they did so levelly, and in Common. Though, since it was through telepathy any language would do. Many voices spoke as one. The spirits appearing did not have any individual form, but rather the golden highlights surrounded them all.
"Welcome. We speak as memory for the fallen, so memory will not be lost. We speak for the lost so no more will be lost again. We are those who fell here but who have not left this realm. We are not trapped here, we seek to educate and bear witness to those who come after. We are here so what happened here is not lost. You bear great burdens, Jedi Diona. Will you let us show you what happened here?"
"We ask that you keep the memory of this place and its story with you. We ask that you do all in your power to prevent it occurring again. The Light is just as strong as the Dark, but requires sacrifice and will."
Effects are for any who enter to feel calm, but also to see visions of the past and what happened there. Not in an aggressive way, but as an eternal memorial. The visions can be very vivid. Horrible atrocities took place here, but the purpose of a vision is to educate. Visitors will bear witness to the suffering of the condemned, but also their desperate and courageous attempts to survive and practice solidarity in hell. They will also see the pettiness, cruelty and ultimately short-sightedness of their tormentors. In addition, the nexus allows one attuned to it to speak to the spirits.
It is a light side nexus, but not the type that induces feelings of fluffy happiness. When one treads upon its grounds, one feels the weight of the deaths of countless souls whose lives were extinquished in a mad drive for power. A feeling of sorrow and loss hangs over the area. There is a contemplative air, for it is a place of quiet reflection. One can still feel the darkness that permeates the nexus, for the indescribable atrocities have left metaphysical scar. However, the light of Eternal Flame keeps the darkness at bay.
The nexus tests travellers, though not in a malicious way. It calms, but also educates. Those who enter the nexus will bear witness to the horrors that were wrought here. The nexus means to educate travellers about the folly of selfish pursuit of power and totalitarianism. In essence, the nexus is the collective memory of all those who were murdered here. It keeps their memories alive, even after they and their loved ones have passed away, and shares them with those that visit. The memories and thoughts of spirits who move to join the Cosmic Force will be preserved by the nexus. Essentially, it is a benevolent hive-mind.
The concentration of Force energies is at its strongest in the Circle of the Rising Dawn. The Force is heavy and thick. But at the heart of the nexus the pervasive darkness of the blood forges seems to drain away, conducted like a lightning rod does. The spirits of some of the dead still linger in the nexus, even after the Blood Forges were purified. The spirits are not tormented, but at peace. They remain here by choice to act as witnesses of the past, who can educate those who seek out knowledge about what happened here. Thus it is possible to interact and converse with them. The spirits may act as guides for those attuned to the nexus, showing them around and telling them what transpired here. They will also confront those who come to the nexus with malicious intent.
The spirits may give a visitor a vision of what transpired here. Each vision is different, as it is something of significance to the recipient. This is a way for family, friends or lovers of those who perished in the Blood Forges to find out what happened to their loved ones and get closure. The nexus is essentially a benevolent hive-mind, so the spirits typically do not have individual shape. Rather golden highlights surround them all. However, an individual spirit may manifest and let say a loved one hear their voice and feel their presence. This way a Xioquo called Xilae was able to briefly witness and hear his sister, who had led a rebellion against the oppressors and been killed during the battle.
Not all spirits are as tranquil as those in the Circle though. Those who can be found in the pit located in the Maw of Fire, a pit disobedient slaves used to be thrown in, are often angry and confused, and they might lash out. Only those with the necessary mental fortitude should visit this place. Some of them are aware of what has happened, some are not. Visitors are exhorted to respond with calmness and compassion and not allow anger or fear to cloud their emotions, since that it what will draw the spirits to them. At the same time, they must possess the fortitude and training to shield themselves. Some angry spirits may try to possess a visitor or talk them into letting in to reclaim the life that was taken from them. Visitors who are not safer Xio will be safer since the spirits will not recognise them.
Darksiders, especially those who are actively malicious and heavily steeped in the dark side, will experience feelings of discomfort and find their powers weakened. It is more difficult to draw upon the dark side of the Force within the Eternal Memorial. To illustrate, a Sith Acolyte might have issues trying to touch the Force entirely, while a Sith Lord could have trouble lifting a sizeable rock. This is not impossible, but the experience can be described as very draining. It is easier to call upon powers of the Light, such as Force Light, Force Healing or Force Valour, within the confines of the nexus. While the Light is merciful, it is not the path of meekness. The nexus does not subscribe to the idea that Lightsiders are not allowed to use lethal force, but it must be proportionate to the threat.
Malicious beings who come to taint the nexus will be opposed by it and the spirit guardians. It may use mind games. The nexus takes a low view of sadistic beings beings, deniers of atrocities, slavers and other exploiters. It tries to educate them via benign mind control, forcing them to watch the suffering that took place here and make them feel the wickedness, as if it could have happened to them. It will use such mental manipulation to force them to face their conscience. A glimmering figure speaks with an echoing voice of all the souls. This is not supposed to be a flagellating experience, but to induce self-reflection. However, Lightsiders the nexus considers to be haughty, cruel or hypocritical will be tested mentally as it tries to guide them away from their tainted path.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Monolith of the Martyred - a black stone plaque that displays a list of names of all who perished during the rebellion against the overseers and mistresses, as well as other slaves who gave their lives for others before that day. It is a solemn place of remembrance.
Monuments of the Fallen Dark - a series of exhibitions that depict the mistresses' reign of terror as well as the war machines that were made here. But the exhibitions do not just tell the story of the crimes, but also of the slaves who toiled, suffered, and resisted here in order to show them to visitors as individuals instead of anonymous statistics. Moreover, there is a section about the perpetrators. Survivors of the Blood Forges as well as volunteers give tours and provide information to visitors. A gallery tries to convey the personal stories of the slaves through photos, artwork, letters and personal objects such as clothes, toys and musical instruments.
Circle of the Rising Dawn - In the old days, this was a place of suffering. Cages hung from the roof, the living or dead alike abandoned to rot. Machines filled the interior, working night and day to produce weapons, armour, ammunition. Then this infernal place became a focal point of the rebellion. A Xioquo overseer called Varanara'Mirae turned turned on her colleagues, freed and armed slaves. She gave her life when she was shot by a guard. Today, this cavern is the heart of the memorial and the epicentre of the nexus, located in the bottom of the open area. Here a ring of dark obelisks surrounds a small altar of light grey stone. The Force is thick here, but the pervasive darkness of the Blood Forges seemed to be drained away, conducted like a lightning rod away. In its place a beacon of the Light Side sits.
There is no physical light, but the power of the Force is oddly peaceful, oddly soothing. It is a place of meditation and reflection. Apparitions of the dead may manifest and congregate here. Sometimes they are silent, but they can also offer guidance, coalescing into faintly glowing shapes of Xio, Qadiri and others. Many are marred, though they speak levelly. Golden highlights surround them, so they lack individual form. However, an individual spirit may reach out to a visitor to contact them, such as to give comfort and closure to a loved one. Whispers can be heard here, and the visions are particularly vivid. The vision an individual sees is tied to their own personal experiences.
Memory Gate - a guardhouse at the entrance to the memorial in order to vet visitors, provide them with information about the place and deal with intruders. For political reasons, there are an equal number of Seekers and Daughters on guard.
Mausoleum of the Martyrs - place where the urns of the cremated dead are kept, almost like a reliquary. Not ostentatious ones, but on shelves stacked floor to ceiling. There is no room for a proper cemetery, so this suffices. Moreover, cremation is a Xioquo burial tradition so that they can return to Mother Earth, and also because they do not have the space to inhume all their departed.
Maw of Fire - the vent which leads down into the volcanic vent. The Maw is a pit dropping down into an active volcanic vent below. Under the reign of the ancien régime, the mistresses made carvings so it seemed to be a great beast's maw. These carvings have been preserved. In the old days, the slavedrivers liked to toss 'rebellious' slaves into the volcanic pit below as an example to others. The same fate befell many overseers and mistresses on the day of the downfall. This is no longer done. Sometimes one can still hear the screams.
The catwalk of the Maw of Fire is quite old. Sections close to the door have been repaired and improved with modern metals, but this work seems to have been abandoned part way through, likely because of the visitations. For those who do not like heights it is best not to look down. It extends out maybe thirty feet and eventually came to a wider ending. The ornate mouth which once dominated the end has been removed but otherwise it remains the same. Far below is a bubbling trough of lava. Ancient pullies and chains once scooped this material out to use above, or the unfortunate miners below had to work in the oppressive heat and fumes.
This section is not for those who might be mentally influenced. It's very different from the Circle, the epicentre of the nexus. The spirits here are angry, confused, they might lash out or possess someone. The visions they might give are more jarring. Only those who have the necessary mental fortitude are allowed to come here. For this reason, visitors are only allowed very brief stays here - three minutes at most.
Tomb of the Unknown Martyr - the equivalent of a Tomb of the Unknown soldier. An unknown slave buried in state to symbolise all those who were lost in the terrible conflict. The tomb lies on a raised, well-carved sarcophagus made of common stone in a little shrine. Engraved onto it are Xio runes which read: 'Here lies one whose name is lost. Their memory and all who suffered here will never be forgotten.' The flickering braziers casts shadows onto the walls around. It is peaceful here, for the Force is balanced and calm.
It is a common place of pilgrimage for former slaves to pay their respects. The tomb is guarded by warriors from the Daughters of the Destroyer. There is a certain irony in this, since the nexus is lightside and many, though not all, Daughters are more inclined to the dark. However, the Daughters regard themselves as the champion of the oppressed and insisted on having some sort of role at the memorial, since they have members who suffered in the Blood Forges or lost friends and family there. Typically the honour guard is of a more grey alignment. Moreover, the tomb is a little way from the epicentre of the light nexus.
Unlike certain other honour guards, the Daughters don't have a rule that mandates they have to remain at attention for eight hours in a stretch. Instead they will patrol around the site and engage with visitors so long as they keep their distance and remain respectful. The Daughters make a point of picking their more friendly and more approachable members as an honour guard. It is a good way for them to show that they're not a cult of lunatics despite their radical beliefs.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Xioquo society was built upon bloodshed, the Dark Side and slavery. A small clique of noble families used terror and propaganda to keep the under classes in line. Many Xioquo were kept as slaves. Xioquo society had always been steeped in the Dark Side. For centuries, the drows were governed by a ruthless mageocracy where only those who pursued the path of Darkness ended up on the top. Thousands laboured as slaves to serve the whims of the mistresses who sat on the top of the pyramid. The disobedient were brutally punished and often sacrificed in ghastly rituals to power war machines or be turned into abominations.
Generations of Xioquo were raised to worship and fear Myrou. She was (correctly) regarded as the mother of their race. Though the dark oddess had slumbered in a tomb for millennia, it was believed that she would one day awaken to lead them to conquer Tygara...and judge her children. Believing that Tygara was theirs by right, the Xioquo warred against their neighbours and rivals, the Qadiri and Vashyada. While the technologically most advanced of Tygara's natives, their low population, incessant power struggles and the constant need to be on their guard against slave revolts kept them from fulfilling their potential.
The Blood Forges were once a place of indescribable suffering and pain. They were a place not just of the miseries of slaves forced to make machines, but a place where the Force was used and corrupted. Powered by the heat from far below, and fed with minerals extracted from long, dark tunnels, it had forged some of the most devastating war machines of the old Xioquo. Slave labourers would be executed or sacrificed to power the machines for the pettiest of reasons. Cruelty and corruption were endemic. Guards and overseers blackmailed, beat, humiliated, tortured or murdered slaves with impunity. Occasionally they were reined in...not for moral reasons, but because the facility was wasting labour assets far too quickly. But at the end of the day, the slaves were a production ingedrient. They were only useful for as long as they could work. Once they became too weak or sick, they would be consumed by the forge.
The Blood Forges fell under the purview of the Grand Circle of Glorious Armaments. The Xioquo 'government' was a bit of a contradiction in terms. A Council of Ten (actually nine) handed out responsibilities depending on who had the support and power. But they didn't exist as a centralised government, more a collection of squabbling nobles. What this meant is that any noble running the Circle tried to squeeze as much output out of the Blood Forges as possible to feather her nest, trade favours and intimidate her rivals. It was a much sought after role because of the ability to embezzle money but also to make other houses cut deals with you.
Everyone in the Underealm knew about what happened here in a general sense, but people either profited too much from it, were too scared to speak out, or wilfully ignored it. Life was hard in the Underealm, slaves and their labour made things a bit easier. Raids and wars often brought back treasures the Mistresses would distribute to all to gain favour. The few who saw the truth understood that the Mistresses were deliberately making it difficult in order to aggrandise their roles. The government's propaganda apparatus made the citizens believe that all of this was necessary, good even. And that those who went here were criminals, traitors, heretics. And most people believed it until the Council Guard arrived at their door because they had been condemned, or because they had property another wanted, or because they knew something inconvenient.
But in the darkness, there was light. The slaves were starved and worked to death, but there were those who shared what meagre rations they had with their fellows, or who stole supplies to help the young, the old and the infirm. Among the camp staff, there were nurses who hid patients from being sacrificed. Some educated slaves illegally taught their fellows how to read and write, although this was forbidden. This was also resistance. There were even, here and there, guards who showed sympathy for those they should torment. And there were slaves who fought back, be it through attempted revolt or passive resistance. Some even tried to sabotage the war machines, under pain of death. These brave souls often paid the price. But these were the first embers of light.
Nemesis came to their subterranean kingdom, the Underealm, when a coalition of Firemane, Eldorai and Qadiri forces invaded their territory, defeated their armies and war beasts. In desperation, the oligarchic council that governed the Xioquo voted to reawaken Myrou. Two dissenters among the oligarchs tried to thwart the ritual by blowing up the summoners, but their intervention only hastened her awakening. However, Myrou proved that she didn't care about her children, regarding them only as nourishment to feed her power.
When the Underealm fell the slaves had been primed to be sacrificed in a last bid to feed power to Myrou by her fanatics, but they had risen up. Weak and malnourished, armed only with mining tools and improvised clubs they fought with the desperate courage of the damned and overcame their oppressors despite heavy losses. A Force-Sensitive slave called Nazar'Tlachinolli was one of the ring leaders of the revolt. She sacrificed herself in order to help rescue others and slay one of the mistresses. The noble deed was a truly light side act in a place of darkness. A Qadiri slaves named Arriza led her gang even though they were still in a chain gang at the ankles and bring down the supports of the overseers' watch tower. She perished saving others in her group. The surviving overseers and whipmasters had been pitched into the forges or cast into the volcanic pits as a final revenge. The occupation forces organised food, medical aid and accommodations for the former slaves.
In the aftermath of the bloody slaughter, a transitional government was formed. Firemane appointed Liavondra, a former aristocrat who had turned away from the traditions of her kin and embraced the Light, as vassal queen. The new government faced a daunting task: they had to punish war criminals and profiteers, emancipate and integrate the slave population, and heal the wounds of the past. It was a tall order. The Eldorai and the humans had a patronising attitude to the humans, while many Qadiri wanted revenge for past wrongs, and Firemane wanted the Xioquo to be obedient vassals who followed the decrees of their 'human saviours'. It was a tall order.
War crimes trials were held in the former slave pens. The criminal investigations that aided the tribunal brought horrible atrocities to light, as well as how widespread complicity had been. The worst of the criminals were executed or had already fled. However, many of the old mistresses' allies and minions were spared punishment. Complicity had simply been too widespread. There were numerous 'small' collaborators and profiteers who were pardoned, released after a couple years of prison time and penal labour or given a slap on the wrist. Some managed to make an oily transition into the new order, suddenly proclaiming they had always been against the ancien régime. But there was something the transitional cabinet could to preserve the memory of those who had suffered.
And so it turned its attention to the Blood Forges. The Forges were permeated by darkness, for all the evil and suffering inflicted here had left deep scars. But even in a place that had caused such pain and loss, there could be hope for the future. However, the embers of light had grown inside this dark place, planting the seeds for this cursed' place transformation. The fledgling Seekers felt the presence of the light, and were able to commune with the spirits that remained here.
Some had been driven mad by their torment, but many were lucid and willing to communicate. The light had touched them, and they wanted to help. To create a memorial so that the Xio would never forget. Resolution filled the Seekers and they laboured for several days, receiving aid from the mystics of the Defenders of the Sunstar Realm. With the help of the spirits, they carried out an intense ritual to push back the darkness. Ironically, a number of Daughters of the Destroyer helped, for many of their own had suffered here. Of course, those who could assist were of a more grey alignment. The evil that had been perpetrated here would never fade, nor should it, but the Blood Forges changed as the Light spread. A light side nexus was born, acting as the collective memory of the dead. Some of the spirits moved, freed from their chains, as they passed on into the Cosmic Force. The nexus preserved their memories and thoughts. Many spirits remained - by choice rather than by being bound.
The decision was made to transform it into a memorial to the fallen. This was particularly promoted by the Seekers of the Sky. It would be a place for the bereaved to grieve, but also for the survivors to educate both the present and the next generation about the horrors that had taken place here. People were doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past and restart the cycle if they refused to remember their history. As one councillor said, the memorial would work to keep the memory of the Blood Forges alive while inspiring citizens and leaders to confront hatred, prevent crimes against sentience, and promote freedom by disseminating knowledge of this horrible crime. It would encourage its visitors to reflect upon the moral and spiritual questions raised by these events and their own responsibilities as free citizens. The memorial was to be overseen by the Council of the Eternal Memory.
For many Xioquo, the memorial became a place of pilgrimage. There were many visitors to start with, though fewer came over time. Many were students, or visitors from far away. The first visitors were greeted by spirits congregating here. Survivors of the Blood Forges gave talks and acted as guides. Guidelines were introduced that mandated schools to organise field trips for students to the memorial. This became an important part of remembrance culture.
The transition was not entirely painless. Still, there were always who were less receptive. Rebel insurgents who considered the memorial a 'monument of shame' tried to stage terrorist attacks. The Blood Wraiths, a sect of necromancers who followed the old ways, aimed to taint the nexus and harness the deaths that had taken place here. However, the nexus was not without defences of its own. It used its powers of mind control and empathy to force insurgents to feel the wickedness that had taken place here, paralysing several of them. A small number even experienced a crisis of conscience.
One visitor tried broke an exhibit attempting to get a picture with it. They showed no remorse and were arrested for trying to leave without paying restitution. And then there were those for whom none of this was real. One, a noble scion, tried to remove the blindfold of a former prisoner called Tamoca who had been crippled during her confinement, calling her an actor paid to pretend what had happened here. The Banishers grabbed her, but Tamoca removed her own blindfold and showed her empty socket to her attacker, asking her if this was what an actor did, and asked her if she would like a role where one's set of eyes were removed with a hot knife.
Reactionary activists staged a protest outside of the memorial, proclaiming that only criminals had been put to work and that Myrou's resurrection had been staged by the invaders using holograms. All sacrificial victims had actually been murdered by terrorists and the invaders. Thankfully the Xioquo and the Queen especially took a dim view of war crimes deniers, and they were subjected to the Light nexus and if they still do not see the blindingly apparent truth they were exiled from the Underealm.
In one memorable incident, a Xioquo mistress who had managed to escape prosecution and even get a government job by testifying against her former colleagues and pretending to be repentant visited the memorial and gave a speech condemning the atrocities that had taken place here. However, then suddenly spirits manifested, accusing her of having been deeply complicit in the suffering of the slaves. Indeed, they revealed that during a visit, she had complained that the slaves were being 'coddled' and cut their rations. As more and more spirits accused her, and she and the other visitors received visions of her crimes, the matriarch was reduced to stammering incoherently.
As time went by, the number of Xioquo visiting the memorial decreased to a degree, though it continued to attract many students and foreigners. Recently, the nexus was visited by a couple Firemane soldiers who belonged to an Order of Fire platoon commanded by Elpsis Kerrigan. One of them was Xilae, the brother of one of the martyred leaders of the slave uprising that toppled the cruel regime. He was able to commune with the spirits in the Circle of the Rising Dawn and even have a brief reunion with his martyred sister.
Jedi Diona, a former Inquisitor of the Windian Jedi who was now on the path of atonement, had encounter with the spirits, who showed her what had transpired her. The example of Varanara'Mirae, a sinner turned rebel martyr, inspired her, reaffirming her faith in Ashla. While visiting the Maw of Fire, the former paladin encountered the spirit of a Qadiri woman called Javana Jai Akamal. The spirit was initially aggressive as she tried to take possession of the visitor and her guide Vara'Ximal. But she was lucid and when repelled explained herself. She sought closure and wanted to see her family one last time before departing for judgement beyond the veil. Despite her turmoil, Diona, moved by the fact that she'd been forced to abandon her own clone family and sensing the truth in the spirit's words, agreed to a temporary merger.
