"Oh?" He says, almost feigning a tone of innocence. "I have always appreciated their unwavering sense of dedication." The people's willingness to see themselves as superior and dedicate themselves wholly to a cause made them exceedingly useful, and exceedingly simple to manipulate. Loyalty is such a valuable asset.

The next few stretches of rock are treacherous and he takes a pause in the conversation while trying to navigate them. Ascending such terrain on foot is demanding when stacked on top of already existing weariness. For a moment he looks ahead and squints to assess the state of his abilities. And sees nothing. Not a hint of the aether that surrounds them.

"And, praytell, how did your 'relief' efforts fair?" He asks instead.