frostrune said:
"Kayla, when we reach Sundabar I would ask a favor of you."
"Aiden Zarun, or at least his wife's family hails from your homeland. Can you use whatever contacts you may have to learn of their history, particularly since Zarun entered the picture?"
"The weapons his men use are far too similar to those of the sarkith, or whatever they were called. We need to positively connect him to the events in the Sea of Fallen Stars."
"It ultimately may not prove useful but, at the least, I should like to understand my enemies."
(Are you guys now traveling to Sundabar?)
Maggie cuts in "Well, it turns out that its not only his devices tha tresemble those of the Sarkrith. From what I've examined, this ship does, too. The control crystals, for instance. In fact, with some modifications, I should be able to use and duplicate the translator that Cronos built for the Sarkrith viewing device to get around the security measures that Cronos uses on this ship. Also, the air enchanting thingee that they were using on the island seems to be in place with regard to the summoned air this ship uses in part for propulsion. See, the bottom of the ship is coated in this fascinating anti-magical substance, so that that reaction causes further repulsion between the air and the ship, making it even more effective than rising hot air would be on its own. Its just like the vaccuum trap on Sarkon!!
But yeah, wait, I should go back. It makes sense that all the twice-damned would be aware of Sarkrith magicks and technologies, even styles. Remember, according to the writings in the temple at Sarkon, the twice-damned were allied with a race called the Nazuri who attacked the Sarkrith homeworld. The Sarkrith hate magic, and in fact are highly resistant to it -- even capable of generating anti-magic fields around their bodies. Some realized, however, that only magic could beat the twice-damned, and traveled to magic-rich worlds to find a solution...until they met Sobek, who, being something of a humanoid crocodile demon, found the Sarkrith much to his liking, and forged the baneswords. The Sarkrith then defeated the twice-damned. The faction that did so chose to stay here to study magic, and protect themselves against their brethren. That would be why they developed the enchantment that makes anti-magic hedge out air. If their magic-hating brethren found themselves in such an area, they would sense the magic and activate their anti-magic fields, which would in turn create a total vaccuum inside and kill them, as we witnessed. "
Kayla responds, after looking very, very bored listening to Maggie's rambling speech. "I do not believe there is an embassy in Sundabar. However, I can communicate with my superiors at southern headquarters, though they will be rather busy with the war and I am not scheduled to check in for a while. Only the witch-blooded are trusted with positions such as mine. The power in my blood allows me to use the witchblades. In Rashman, they are signs of power and station and have further abilities. But here, it does little more than communicate with the homeland"
She concentrated for a moment, and an ornate dagger with a jeweled and feathered hilt appears in her hand. It emits a golden glow, with shoots of red traveling through it. Her eyes do as well.
The glow suddenly stops and she looks around surprised. "My beacon no longer exists. Apparently, Southern headquarters is no more. It is in the south of the country, but not nearly far enough to have been overrun by the Thayans under usual circumstances. the battle must be going far worse than could be expected. I must return. Besides...my brother was stationed there. If he I alive, I must find him." She seems on the verge of tears.
