Messengers carried the news quickly from one settlement to another. Soon, people learned of the cursed tribe, and the Whisperers’ fame faded away like a leaf carried off by the wind.

The people asked their chieftains and one another: why should we pay with our souls for the mistakes of a Whisperer? What will our fate be when Žmij casts its shadow over us and the flames of Svarog lick at our feet? Should we surrender at once and die in torment or succumb to the curse’s whim and let it transform us into mindless atrocities?

And what if the Whisperers were to use this fear to claim rule? What if they made us do their bidding under the threat of using these artifacts? What if they’re too foolish, insolent, and hungry for power? Or lacking in bravery, persistence, and cunning? How should we know whether the world is balanced, as Dolya wished, or whether the scales tip to one side?