the sixth prince first appearence

Addendum to the last entry. I never would have thought so much could happen in one day!
After spending the late afternoon in the library, we managed to shake Briel and Cravien. But it probably would have been better if she had been there for what happened. Then they could have testified that we weren't the murderers!
But first things first. Before we left for the crime scene, we went to get something to eat and take a short break. We all talked a little about our pasts. Oro had a tree house, just like me! Another thing we have in common, especially since no one else in the group had one. I definitely have to ask Alizée if she had a tree house when she comes back. We'll probably see her tomorrow at 11:30 at the court hearing—she was called to another family emergency.
They were very interested in my past! First because of my old tree house above the vineyards, and then because of the servants my mother had provided me to build it. Steam called the servants “slaves” and was quite astonished that we had such servants. I'm still not sure why the servants should be a problem. There's a reason they're in their position! Oro said that his entire people have a similar relationship with his mistress. Does that mean Oro is also a slave?
 
We also talked a little about our parents. Apparently, each of us (maybe even Aura) has something from our parents with us! Steam carries a pendant with a silver dragon scale from his mother. That's why he hopes that the Silver Calling will lead him to his mother. He is looking for both his mother Sahira and his sister in the city. His sister is currently on her Aramenté—I didn't quite understand what that is, but it sounds like a big journey. Oro said his mother is the Matron of Ravens ??? and he doesn't have a father but several mothers? Well, okay. I know all too well what it's like to not have a father. I told them a little about my mother and my life in the palace. I also mentioned that my father didn't play (or want to play) a big role in my life. They asked me if I was a prince, so I had to explain that my mother only worked in the Matriarch's palace and that's why I was educated there.
Steam didn't seem to like the shatta very much; he looked like he was boiling. I was then allowed to have his red bananas because they were too spicy for him. We asked for directions to the scene of the murder, which was at a crossroads called Makar Alaara in Karim.
When we arrived there (we flew with dragonflies—Oro invited me) we found the same knot in front of a window. Oro saw some strange string in the ground but as we wanted to investigate it Aura walked into an ambush. She really shouldn't make the frontline! She doesn't even wear armor. But... you can't kill what's already dead, right? Anyways some shadow creatures appeared. We later learned that they were Echos of the living - the dead men of the past murders. I jumped through a window the help her and Oro shot is loud musket-thing. I don't understand why he uses such a weird weapon. Nothing goes over a honest spear to the heart.
As the fight goes on, Steam was wounded, he was leaking all over the floor. The fight went on outside of the building as a second portal appeared and the sixth prince appeared. He managed to escape via the first portal.
I am not the only one who can summon weapons. Oro used a Zweihander in the fight. i never saw it before. Oro has many secrets... during the fight, his appearance changed into a kind of half-decayed corpse. He says that is his true appearance. Am I traveling with two undead beings? I wonder why he hides his true appearance. i killed two of the four echos today. we managed to save the second family so that's a big win. They will also be at court to testify for us. If Cravien and Briel would have been here, they would surely also testify for us...
We also gathered ectoplasm from the "corpses" and Oro destroyed the second portal (good, i also wanted to do it). But than suddenly Oro started to cry black tears ans speak with a female voice...
 
He (she?) told us the legend of the sixth prince Dibarra "the Collector" - in my experiance everyone who is called "collector" is just a sadist and thief. Collector of Memories; Collector of cursed Items; Collector of Coins, etc. They all think their collection makes them better than any other "worthless" beeing. I once was used as a guard for a auction of coin collectors. The ones who called themselves the most discerning coin collectors were those who took the most radical approach and literally walked over dead bodies for a valuable coin. No wonder they used our enomotia to protect the carriage from the swamp city until the coins were sold. if not they would have been stolen in an instant by those "Collectors". Back to the Legend, there were some interessting informations. Dibarra was the first of the princes who remembers Su'Allhazi, the forgotten prince, and when he remembered him, the curse took also him and turned him into that what he is now. Oro told the Story that Dibarra propably made himself unforgettable by weaving his essence into the souls of those who mourned. The price was steep—he feasts on the memory of others, rendering those he consumed mere shadows of their former selves - Echos of the living.
Another important information was that Su'Allhazi knew the true name of Dibarra, as a way to remind Dibarra of his old self - maybe if we find his true name ... we could end his tyranny and free his soul from the course.
 
We decided to stay with Frederick's family for the night so that we could go to the court hearing the next day full of energy. He lives across from a dice room called Ibis! If I weren't so exhausted, I would have spent the night there... I'm sure I would have won enough to invite the group on the Dragonflys flight next time. But after talking to Neriah, I really need to recover. I've had really bad luck the last few times... I feel like my next streak of luck is just around the corner!
Frederick's parents share a house with two workshops. His father Fritz is a shoemaker and his mother Ann is a seamstress. I have to take a closer look at their work if we survive tomorrow. Maybe she has the quality we need at the Clockwork Rose. The madam would surely be happy if I could get her a good deal on new clothes, and that way I could also pay some off my honor debt to her! They had an 'empty room' in their house. I immediately thought of dead grandparents that no one can remember, just like Alizée. But suddenly Frederick remembered that it was the room of his dead Sister Katherlyna who inspired him to be a dancer. As he remembers her, his whole family remembered her again! Just like he ripped the memories of her out of the sixth princes treasure. So not only grandparents are forgotten but everyone who dies ... as long as they were born in the city (?). Steam can remember his grandparents. Aura can not (well obviously) and Oro and I ... never knew them? I don't know about Oro, but i never thought about grandparents. We don't have strong family bounds, most Children don't even know their parents. I grew up in a relatively sheltered environment.... I am lucky that my mother is one of the favorite servants of our matriach - I wonder if this has anything to do with my father...
From our informations I wonder if the memories of people fade which Birthstones are sacrified to the Sea of Memories. I need to go there and look how many Visitors there are for the dead! ... Maybe you get the memories back if you physically steal the Birthstones out of the Sea of Memories again... It shouldn't be a crime if I am right. If noone can remember the person, there could be no prosecutor right? And if they remember the person after i stole the stone... well than there is a huge conspiracy in the city and if this is true - i will fight for the truth!
But if i am wrong tho, i need to give a great sacrefice to the Matron of Ravens or Oro will hate me forever...
If all of my theories are correct, it will get much worse... All the murders of Dibarra were in Karam - the same part of the city where Dhakira - the sea of memories is. What if everyone of the seven princes return? And what if each of them have their own part of the City??? The city has nine Districts, we know of seven princes ... something doesn't add up, but i fear that there are two more figures in the shadow behind the seven princes. We know from Oro that the first prince is scheming for the Throne (Warda?) and the second prince was the diplomat (Amana?) We need to get more informations about them to prevent the worst.
 
I actually wanted to spend the night in Ann's workshop to take a look at her work, but Aura is there too... then I won't be able to sleep again because she talks to Oro all night long. I'm now in Fritz's workshop, it smells wonderful, like leather! I hope I sleep better tonight... I hear strange noises coming from the toilet between the workshops. I hope everything is okay with Steam. And that he'll calm down soon!