We see Elara’s childhood: how she was always a "Dark Touch"—a child born without a shadow. The village elder explains that she was "already promised to the void." This re-contextualizes everything. Elara was never a random victim; she was a vessel being prepared long before Kaelen arrived. The inquisitors who burned the village weren't evil; they were terrified. Berkili4 blurs the line between hero and villain so effectively that the reader finishes the flashback unsure of who to root for.
: A supportive character whose storyline in this chapter involves a significant personal development related to her "belly," sparking curiosity among players about its long-term impact. Companion of Darkness -Ch. 9- By Berkili4
…then Berkili4’s work will feel like a hidden gem. We see Elara’s childhood: how she was always
The chapter ends with Vethris’s shadow shrinking to the size of a small coin—Kaelen having learned to compress and leash it using a forgotten mage’s technique from the restored memories. The inquisitors who burned the village weren't evil;
CR 3 (700 XP) Medium monstrosity (shadow), neutral evil