You can still feel the aftershock of a war for-...Maker, decades later. Centuries. [ She shakes her head. ] You may not have been there, but I'd imagine you're still living in its fallout.

[ Not spoken from experience, or anything. ]

I am, which I imagine is obvious, especially if you're routinely here to shepherd in the fresh corpses. [ That's what they are, isn't it? Dressed in black and adorned with lilies? ] ...Why do they cut our hair? I can't imagine it's anything too far from "to send a message."