#Lore24 – Entry #238 – Helica Month #26 – Anonymous
Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah
I had long suspected that the reason the Ketzeryn language was difficult for the Phyresians to master was not simply their unwillingness to do so, but because it was composed of words and phrases from many separate languages that did not always mesh easily together. This would prove to be correct, for once I was accepted by the Ketzeryn, I would finally see them without the masks they wore in front of strangers. The Ketzeryn themselves were composed of several Helican races, most prominently humans of various ancestries, but with significant numbers of Orcs (of which Captain Rojen was a member), Sylvanae who had forsaken or been ejected from their own people, the rarer race of elves known as the Sabaknae (traditionally associated with desert regions), and the exceedingly rare Drakonae, a race whose lineage supposedly can be traced to the ancient and mythical dragons that supposedly formed Helica in times long forgotten.
I would learn that they valued their anonymity, hence them always covering their bodies and faces almost totally, with only the humans tending to reveal any flesh for they were the most accepted by the Church, and hence why they would handle the trade and any interactions, while the others would remain hidden, though the Drakonae rarely ventured away from their many ports and bases, given their smaller numbers. I would also confirm that they have little care for the One True God, for its policies would see them exterminated without a second thought, though they could not deny its power and sway over the faithful.
Though it would take more time, something of which I had plenty, I would tell them of my history as I grew into their society, and eventually tell them of my need to explore ancient sites. Once I had become fully a member of their society, I would be allowed to travel to these places, of which they knew many, so that I may search for knowledge long forgotten and forbidden. It was during this time that I began to drop hints of Saghirah’s truths to them, even finding them receptive to them. Thus, I began to plant seeds amongst my new people, and thus I would continue my search for the scrolls.
I would even have the opportunity to visit the partially sunken temple of Saghirah during my shipboard travels, though we did not linger long there. The Ketzeryn, while not fully understanding the nature of the Amaranths as they are now, know of their power, and give wide berth to their temples. In the case of Saghirah’s, they have only ever used a single room of her temple for storage of emergency supplies and as a dead drop for relaying information in uncertain times and have never ventured inside. Though I was deathly curious to visit the Empress’s domain, I resisted my urge to delve deeper, for she had not called upon me, and had yet to provide any clues as to the whereabouts of the next scroll. I suspect she was giving me the time I needed to build new relationships and learn more of the world now that the chains of Phyresis had been shattered fully, for I was still possessed of her blessing, and still had not aged since I had attained it.
The anonymity of the Ketzeryn would certainly prove a boon in hiding that blessing in the coming years.