When a drago child comes of age in a drago caste society, and pledge their loyalty to a nation, they're tattoo'd on their ears.
Sky
►
◄
The ink is permanent, as it ends up changing the fur color of the area, even if you grow.
Sky
►
◄
The tattoos follow a standardized pattern: the drago's right ear is their country of allegiance, and their left ear is their caste.
Sky
►
◄
My right ear represents Ion, as hers did, and my left ear represents our Religious caste. Ink colors are standardized for each nation.
Sky
►
◄
What, you all just agreed to each only use specific colors?
Arntta
►
◄
Yes. Why wouldn't we? Makes things simplier. Caste marks aren't universal across nations, but all drago societies, even those that don't get along, all standardized the tattoo system for countries generations ago.
Sky
►
◄
If a new nation forms, like when North and South Dryar split, they generally each come up with seperate colors and designs for their own.
Sky
►
◄
For those born outside a caste society, they don't get any tattoos. We refer to them as the casteless. Pillian and Cytheria both didn't carry caste marks for reasons we realized in the clock tower.
Sky
►
◄
So what happens if you change castes or countries?
Arntta
►
◄
You never change caste. No drago has ever changed their caste. You'd only get new tattoos if you changed countries and had to adopt to their caste symbols.
Sky
►
◄
As tattoos are permanent, in the case of changing countries, usually your new citizenship is tattooed over the old one. As a reminder of where you came from. But citizenship isn't something many drago change, if ever.
Sky
►
◄
The exception to both ears is a single horizontal line, across both ears, in red ink.
Sky
►
◄
It is the universal symbol of the banished. The mark you can never remove.
Sky
►
◄
Someone who comitted a crime so horrible that the only recourse was complete and total exile from all drago societies.
Sky
►
◄
Execution is out of the question, no matter how horrible the crime. I can't think of a drago society that allows that. So banishment is the most severe punishment that can be dealt.
Sky
►
◄
No drago society will even allow them entry; many Fennic and Ura nations, as well as some Lagre, follow these general rules as well, as it's a mark that they did something truely, truely horrible.
Sky
►
◄
Treason, mass murder, war crimes. Pretty much the only situations that would warrant it.
Sky
►
◄
And this drago that attacked y'all carried that mark.
Arntta
►
◄
Yes, but there's no way to know what she did. If I had to guess, given her caste mark was military, and the age of her uniform, probably a war crime involving the Half Year War with Alosha.
Sky
►
◄
But I have no idea what that would be, and those records would be sealed, likely. I'd have to request them brought up when we return to Ion. She did make it seem like she did something heretical, but that isn't something one would be banished for.
Sky
►
◄
Regardless of what her crime was, we know she's dangerous, prone to violent outbursts, and ruthless. That much is evident from her rant about death.
Sky
►
◄
Which was?
Kintal
►
◄
She talked about dying before, which I am assuming is referring to her banishment, but also spoke of "entire cities disappearing in an instant". Specifically targetting Ionian islands.
Sky
►
◄
Which I can only guess was something she planned to do with the Nexus itself, and her device to control it.
Sky
►
◄
And that's this... pair of orbs and wires... thing. Doesn't look like much.
Arntta
►
◄
Well, if it's something capable of controlling a nexus, I don't really want it anywhere near here.
Kintal
►
◄
Ion has some policy involving dangerous relics where they seal it away, yes? You can see that happen?
Kintal
►
◄
This isn't the first time we've encountered something like this, but I believe it's some kind of Lun artifact.
K'Sarian
►
◄
Meaning yes, Ion would be very interested in making sure it was never used by anyone.
K'Sarian
►
◄
Seems like a waste for something that could be useful for what we want to do next.
Arntta
►
◄
Please tell me that it isn't "taking over the air nexus".
Kintal
►
◄
No, but we need to get to the Fire Nexus next, which the remnants of the Air Army are fiercely guarding.
Sky
►
◄
I don't think it's a good idea for us to use something possibly so dangerous when we don't even know where it came from, or how it works.
Merric
►
◄
I have to agree with Merric. We know it has some link to Cael; we can't be using it recklessly.
Sky
►
◄
Wait, Lunism's evil god? What's he have to do with this?
Kintal
►
◄
Veltune said she was his servant. And we have reason to believe similar actors have been on the move elsewhere, also servants of him. Linked to Cryostoria, as well.
Sky
►
◄
If the air demon had something to do with this, I'm not surprised, although I wish his spirit would stay dead.
Kintal
►
◄
I said everything of hers is yours, and I mean it. You're good del, and I'm sure it's safer with you than anywhere else right now.
Kintal
►
◄
It does probably mean I should reseal the temple. After Illos has had a chance to recharge the Jewel, that is. Completely cut it off from being abused by anyone. But how did she know I was going to unseal it today?