: Hello, outlander. I've spent my life studying you in our archives... I can't believe I get to meet one of you in the flesh. This will be an interesting time.

: I am intrigued by Alva's existence. We were sent to the vault to act as a failsafe for the Vaal, should they be wiped out. Her bloodline proves that at least some of us survived on the outside... Perhaps, despite all of Master Doryani's efforts, the best plan was simply to have faith... ... and let the spirit of our people win through.

: The Azmeri hold the oldest wisdom. They were already in their mountains when the first Vaal was born from Xibaqua's remains. They will likely still be up there, even now, after this Cataclysm. Troubled, but alive.

: The first generation sealed in the Cuachic Vault passed down stories about you. I never thought you were real... but here you are, with Master Doryani, no less. Truly, this is a time of wonders! We thought you were a curse sent to plague us, but you may be our salvation instead.

: I've never read anything about these 'Ezomytes,' as you call them. The system of runes you describe is also unfamiliar to me. To be quite honest, the concept of 'runes' sounds like a jest... ... and I am not your fool to toy with.

: The King in the Mists would have conquered us long ago, if he was capable of such. He is an opportunist, lurking about in times of strife. Go, attend to him, and bring me his heart. I wish to see his Nameless flesh.

: A few tomes described the Karui as rabid diseased animals that ate each other and fought for dominance. I don't know if I believe that, though. One account was very different. It was a diary. A noblewoman fell in love with a Karui man from the Rongokurai tribe. She described them as a culture of poetic warriors with intensely strong communal bonds. A biased source, clearly, but a strong note of dissension among the texts.

: This may be subjective, but you don't look like an animal to me.

: I know little of this entity's origin, only that he is described as emerging from nothing. That's not a metaphor. He comes from a place that is nothing. A void bursting with things that don't exist. Cuachic's ranking system holds me as the most intelligent among us, but even I can't fathom what that actually means.

: The Maraketh were not so bad, according to our tomes. They were militaristic and headstrong. Criminals were tattooed and cast out for a time. The intention was good, but the implementation was wasteful. They should have been using all that blood - and those organs - for more useful ends. In Cuachic, we used everything we possibly could. Nothing discarded.

: Oriath? Hmm... Ah, a derivative of the original name for the island the Golden Cult called home. They split off from the Azmeri during a difficult time in history. There was a time of famine, fire, and despair... and the gods rose from the ashes. Or so they say. The only god I've ever seen, supposedly, is lying over there doing nothing to aid us.

: The tomes in the archives only go back to the time of worldwide fire and famine. Even then, it's only conjecture and speculation. It was already ancient history to the Vaal. You'd have to ask the Azmeri. They are the only culture that was intact before and after the era of despair.

: The histories are confusing when it comes to the culture I believe you're asking about. Uzaza, Aul, Putembo... these names are treated more like myths than historical facts. Over the years, I've spent a few of our excess newborns trying to scry for dreams about them. So far, I've seen nothing useful.

: The texts talk of these altars. In the last days before the fall, they began appearing on the fringes of our Empire. It was an opportunist, an entity called the 'King in the Mists,' which sought tribute through those altars. None knew what he wanted, other than the faith of those foolish enough to follow him.

: In the vault, we had our duties, and little else. I spent my free time reading tomes in the archives. They contained highly detailed information about Wraeclast's plant life, animal life, and surface cultures. I thought I knew everything... but knowing is nothing, next to seeing.

: As I understand it, the Vaal were a shining beacon of power that kept the world safe. They were surrounded by savage cultures that burned, pillaged, and ravaged Wraeclast. Without us, modern life must have been quite terrifying... By wiping that all away, the Cataclysm may have been a blessing in disguise.

: Trarthus is now home to a culture of exiles from the Eternal Empire? I've never heard of this 'Eternal Empire.' They sound like upstarts who took advantage of our absence. In our era, Trarthus was inhabited by scattered tribes that originally came from the south. They found the slightly warmer climate to their liking... that, and the geological vapours. They were described as quite intoxicating.

: We did not have access to the Trial in the Cuachic Vault. We entreated the favour of Chaos several times over the centuries, but they were not interested. There were very few possibilities in the Vault. All of us were dedicated and disciplined to our cause, so there was no infighting. No... dramatic turns. Boring to watch, I imagine.