Simon had not chosen to use the dead Tempest Tyrant, Vhaurak, at random.
A lie was strongest when most of its pieces had once been true.
Vhaurak had existed and the Tempest Tyrant had possessed terrifying control over wind. His pale-green storms, skeletal frame, old scars, and unsettling eyes belonged to a demon who had once made entire regions fear the name Mad Wind of the West.
Most importantly, Vhaurak was dead.
A living demon could be found, questioned, bribed, threatened, or forced to deny Simon's story. A dead one could do none of those things.
Using Vhaurak gave Simon's lie several advantages.
It explained the attack that supposedly tore through the earth and Furnaceback Centipede's armour. It gave Korran another suspect capable of stealing the carrier's ring and removing the three cases. It also redirected attention toward a powerful unknown demon instead of leaving Simon as the only survivor connected to everything that happened underground.
