Ikselam/Echo
Contents
Echo of the Unspoken Word
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Background
The Echo of the Unspoken Word is co-ruler of the Skullstone Archipelago. Due to her reclusive nature, few people outside of Skullstone even know that she exists, but within the shadowland, it is well-known that she and the Bodhisattva Anointed by Dark Water have been close allies ever since the founding of Skullstone.
Echo rarely appears in public. When she does, she is often mistaken for one of the Bodhisattva's advisors or servants, a perception neither of the Deathlords makes any effort to correct. She shuns attention, and has never actually been observed outside of Onyx.
Description
Echo of the Unspoken Word goes garbed in hooded, dark blue robes that conceal her entire body except for her hands and the lower half of her face. If those parts of her are any indication, she is a young, beautiful woman, albeit one suffering from severe hypothermia; her fair skin has a distinct bluish tint, and her lips are a pale cyan. Water constantly condenses on her hands and drips from her long, slender fingers. Her eyes are always hidden in the shadow of her cowl.
Echo moves gracefully and silently, with an economy of motion which makes her actions appear much slower than they actually are. She dislikes wide open spaces and loud noises. If it is necessary for her to be in a room with other people, she usually lurks in dark corners.
Part of Echo of the Unspoken Word's preference for quiet, enclosed spaces has to do with her fairly retiring personality, but it is equally a result of the fact that she has no voice of her own. When someone speaks in her presence, her reply will come as a whispered echo reverberating from the chamber's walls. If no one speaks near her, or she is in an area without walls to produce echoes, she is effectively mute.
Echo has a number of unusual and subtle powers, among them the ability to see out of any body of still water within a thousand-mile radius. She is also known to regularly visit the dreams of Skullstone's inhabitants; living criminals are often found with their lungs full of water, drowned to death in their own beds.
Place of Residence
Echo of the Unspoken Word resides in Onyx, deep beneath the Bodhisattva's citadel. Her home is fairly unassuming compared to those of other Deathlords, comprising a single small grotto at the center of a maze of damp, twisting tunnels which extend throughout the entire island.
Echo's nameless grotto is dark, wet, and has excellent acoustics. It is filled with various divinatory tools, including astrological charts and modelling devices, a large collection of oracular skulls, and a softly-glowing divining pool in the center of the floor. Small stalactites hang from the ceiling.
Although most of Echo's time is spent in her grotto, she occasionally ventures up into the Bodhisattva's citadel, usually to consult the library housed there. When she and the Bodhisattva meet privately, they usually do so in her cave; if others are included in the meeting, then she comes aboveground to the Bodhisattva's meeting chamber.
Followers
While the Bodhisattva heads up Skullstone's military forces and deals with public and foreign relations, the Echo of the Unspoken Word sees to the nation's internal affairs and judicial system. She employs several Abyssal agents, who investigate and prosecute serious crimes, appoint judges and magistrates, and oversee tax collection and public-works projects. Echo also handles intelligence-gathering and espionage operations. She rarely meets face-to-face with any of her underlings, preferring to communicate by appearing in their dreams.
- Razor of Indisputable Logic is the chief inspector of Skullstone's police force. She is renowned for her great insight and powers of deduction, and is a scholar of both human behavior and natural philosophy. Her large topaz eyes, flowing teal hair, and melodious contralto voice are all quite lovely, but any semblance of beauty stops there; her tall, lanky frame is scarecrow-thin, with tatters of sallow skin hanging ragged from withered ligaments and the occasional exposed bone. Although she would never admit it, Razor of Indisputable Logic is rather self-conscious about her appearance, and favors loose, concealing clothes and a lacquered mask when appearing in public or mingling with her less repulsive colleagues. She is Daybreak Caste.
- Ripple on Still Water is a giant of a man, standing just under seven feet tall and bulging with muscles. His chiseled mahogany features are broodingly handsome, and his deep-set gray eyes sparkle with intelligence. He is of the Moonshadow Caste, and is in charge of recruiting foreigners to serve Skullstone as privateers and spies. He is thoughtful and clever, and was trained as an alienist by Razor of Indisputable Logic. Ripple moves surprisingly lightly for a person of such bulk, and practices several different styles of martial arts.
Mad Schemes
Echo of the Unspoken Word and the Bodhisattva Anointed by Dark Water have been comrades for many centuries. They came up with the plan for Skullstone together, and work together to see it through. Most other Deathlords think that Echo and the Bodhisattva are constantly scheming against each other, and that it is only a matter of time before their alliance collapses; this is completely untrue, based solely on fabricated information which Echo and the Bodhisattva feed to their colleagues' spies. In reality, the emotions that exist between them are as close to true friendship as can be felt by a pair of ancient, vengeful ghosts.
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