Urshi. An ancient Nephalem. The legendary jeweler who held the secrets to every Legendary Gem in existence.
"Hello, Urshi," Bul-Kathos said, his tone exhausted.
"A real beauty!" Constantine chimed in, crawling toward the pillars of light like a scavenger. He sat down amidst the loot, staring up at the floating spirit.
Bul-Kathos frowned. He still didn't like Constantine. Being brave enough to talk back to Diablo was one thing, but the man was a nuisance.
"Bul-Kathos? I didn't expect to see you again after you collected all those max-level gems," Urshi said, her voice bright with surprise. In Orek's Rifts, Bul-Kathos was her most frequent visitor. Not because others weren't hardworking, but because few possessed his relentless, machine-like drive. "Did you achieve your goal?"
"No. Malthael escaped," Bul-Kathos muttered, clearly not wanting to discuss it. "I'm here to ask about the original owner of the Bane of the Trapped."
"Lady Tuodeqin? Is there something you need to know? This is the first time you haven't just upgraded your gems and bolted. It's nice to have a chat." Urshi drifted excitedly.
"Legendary Gems?" Constantine held up a fist-sized stone, looking baffled. The gem was set in a four-pronged bronze mount. "Zei's Stone of Vengeance?"
"Ah, Zei's Stone! Shen told me exactly how to temper that one," Urshi said, her eyes sparking. Eons of loneliness had made the ancient soul a bit of a chatterbox.
Bul-Kathos rubbed his temples. So, Covetous Shen was Zei, the Trickster God. It was an open secret, but Shen always denied it. Now, he had another piece of evidence.
"Oh! Did I say something I shouldn't have?" Urshi whispered, covering her mouth.
She was incredibly naive. She had died because she was naive—the only Nephalem in history to be tricked by a Fallen Shaman. Her personality was a poor match for her immense power and craftsmanship.
"Urshi, tell me about Lady Tuodeqin. I need to confirm a theory."
"What specifically? The love triangle between Zhong Yiluo, Tuodeqin, and Xiangyi? Or why Tuodeqin asked the Xiansai jewelers to make a gem that controls people?" Urshi looked at him expectantly, desperate to tell her stories.
"I need to know where she is buried," Bul-Kathos said flatly. "As for the stories... I think these two might be interested." He pointed to the recovering Steve and the smoking Constantine.
"Xiangyi was the most beautiful jeweler on Xiansai," Urshi sighed, ignored Bul-Kathos' lack of interest. "Her most famous work was the Pain Enhancer. She made it to commemorate an ex-lover. She was so angry while making it that her hands moved at lightning speed... until she tested it on him. Then her anger finally vanished."
"I don't want to know," Bul-Kathos said. He was bad at being rude to friendly people, but he was reaching his limit.
"What about the Moratorium and the Bane of the Trapped?" Urshi continued anyway, like a little girl eager to show off. "Zhong Yiluo used to go to the poison-makers' workshops and bang on the tables, telling them he'd put them out of business. Then he made the Moratorium gem. But the poison-makers all fled to the rogue camps, so it didn't work. He left Xiansai and met Lady Tuodeqin. They had quite a 'happy time' until he decided to go back home."
"Sorry, love. Interruption," Constantine said, fishing a crumpled cigarette out of his sock. No one knew how many cigarettes he had hidden on his person, and frankly, no one wanted to know. "You're a terrible storyteller. You skipped the best part of the 'happy time.'"
Urshi pouted. "Fine. Lady Tuodeqin wanted to keep Zhong Yiluo from leaving, so she commissioned the Bane of the Trapped to hold him down. But then Xiangyi showed up with her Pain Enhancer."
She rushed through the ending, glancing at Bul-Kathos. "Lady Tuodeqin and Zhong Yiluo are buried together. Xiangyi buried them in the Burning Hells so they could 'feel the pain' for eternity. Does that answer your question?"
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