Being born into the bosom of one of the Great Houses of Magnagora is never an
easy thing. Taking one's life from the Matriarch of the i’Xiia line promises
an existence of intrigue and games. Indeed, it is from one of these many games
that I first drew breath. My arrival into this world was heralded with much
relief by my clan; my continued survival was the link by which we bound
n’Lochli to us. My mother had seduced the eldest heir to the n’Lochli mining
rights, which proved to be a very rewarding move much later. Yet I get ahead of
myself.

Though these following pages may seem random musings of an adolescent girlchild
to you, they serve a purpose. So much is lost, and oral traditions may become
warped with time. These pages will be filled with recounting as they happen, so
that future generations will know the truth of our blood.

We- the i’Xiia- have a long and proud history, countless years spend ensuring
our goals were met to our satisfaction. Even during the infancy of the Empire,
we strove to attain greatness. Whilst certain other families scrabbled their way
to prominence through excessive breeding, eking out a meager living through the
farmlands, we established ourselves as crafters, priests and lenders. We made
our way through trade, and charging services at interest.

In general, we were well respected, though there was some resentment from
lesser families, who demonstrated no talent in particular, and made their way
through numbers, rather than ability. We were, and still are portrayed as
somewhat monstrous, our name invoked to frighten unruly children. It is a
fantasy, and has no more basis in fact than the rumours of d’Murani
intelligence.

I suppose that you, as my reader, will be aware of Emperor Ladantine’s
Project, Cosmic Hope. And the exciting results of this. I do not believe that I
need to go over the details of such, nor of our quick reactions soon after, yet
it was an interesting project into the results of the Taint and the effects we
may encourage through its manifestation.

So then, I will bring us to recent times. My uncle serves as the High Priest of
the Demon Lord, Baalphegar, and it is to him that the Lord whispered, telling
him of a ritual that he possesses the knowledge of. Immediately, my cousin
contacted me, knowing that I alone have my mother’s indulgence, and may
convince her to pursue this knowledge.

Upon receiving his missive, I presented myself to the Lord Baalphagar, who
spoke of greatness and a knowledge of the Taint to rival his own. This is an
intriguing offer, from he who still refuses to speak to many amongst the Houses.
I will present myself to learn at his feet in the weeks to come.

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I have begun taking another cousin of mine from House n’Lochli along with me
on my trips to Nil, as per the request of Lord Baalphagar. The Lord’s
knowledge is nothing short of amazing. I have been meeting with him near every
day, and the discussions! Sometimes he alludes to things that make me curious,
but upon further questioning, he deftly redirects the discussion, and I often do
not realize until hours later that I left unanswered.

In particular, I am beginning to suspect that Lord Baalphegar himself may have
known about Project Cosmic Hope and its results. I dare not push too closely,
for fear he may forsake us and deliver the ultimate prize to another House. My
cousin, Serhin seems to have impressed the Lord with his knowledge, and just
today spoke to us both of a power that our Houses may use in conjunction. We may
yet rule Magnagora, and be rid of the scrabbling hands of the d’Murani.

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It seems I too have impressed the Lord somehow. My mother had intended to send
me to the Presidio to assist the family with their research, but Lord Baalphegar
instructed my uncle to intervene and allow me to remain here.

My mother was no doubt livid. News has reached us of a breakthrough concerning
our research. Some of the brains extracted in the course of the experimentation
have been sustained for a short time when infused with mild strains of the
Taint. Unfortunately, most are not animated for more than a few moments, and are
quite aggressive, yet there is still hope we can use them to generate power.
Think of what we may yet achieve in Magnagora! Despite the news, I am glad to be
remaining here. The Presidio may be lovely for a short holiday, yet I would be
bored to tears within a month. It is little more than a prettily worked trade
station, and far too close to that Cathedral for peace of mind.

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There has been some rumours of instability in my relatives within the Presidio.
It has been suggested that our research projects are unnatural, and we have
little concern for where the subjects of our experiments come from. No doubt
this stir comes from the accusation many years back that we had a hand in the
downfall of the pompous fool, Rushdam d’Murani. Whether or not this may be
based in fact is irrelevant, of course. Any we select ought to be thankful for
the chance to serve both Queen Nifilhema and Lord Gorgulu so faithfully. They
further the goals of the Engine first and foremost. If some of the glory is
reflected back on House i’Xiia, then what of it? It is not yet a crime to wish
to be recognized for contributions, though you would be forgiven for thinking
such, the way n’Kylbar rave. I think perhaps the instability reflects on that
House, rather than ours.

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May it be known that House i’Xiia has been judged worthy by the Lord
Baalphegar. We walk with his favour, and he speaks to us of rite and ritual to
elevate us above all others. He has bestowed upon us a document listing items
we must gather, and we have but a few short months to achieve this. We begin
immediately. There must be perfect timing, the Lord tells us, though his talks
of alignment oft confuses me and my cousin. As long as he tells us the correct
time, then all will be well, and he seems to be content to aid us in this
manner.

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May the Gods curse each of the y’Bolgari to the deepest pit! They have stolen
from us the parchments bearing the ritual, and sold themselves to the
d’Murani. The only consolation in this matter is that they were missing a
number of papers detailing the pronunciation of ritual words, and they failed in
the execution of the rite. Alaron y’Bolgari has been dealt with, though we
know not where the documents have ended up. We must abandon this project, to our
dismay. A number of the House has been sent to the Presidio and Angkrag to
prevent retaliation once the other Houses realize what we have started. To my
deepest regret, it was too late for cousin Serhin. He was found earlier this
morning, left exposed for the creatures of the Blasted Lands to devour. His
naming day bracelet was the only way to identify him. Yet I remain here,
sheltered beneath Lord Baalphagar. I hope it is enough.

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The city is in turmoil. Though the y’Bolgari brat didn’t understand
everything that was going on, and thusly, neither do the d’Murani, it was
still enough to make them suspicious. House y’Bolgari seem frantic to locate
their missing traitor; it seems indeed, that they believe the ritual may have
been successful. Still, there is little chance the pieces of the ‘puzzle’
will be found. The Lord was agreeable to assisting us in our display of
retribution. He has also suggested quietly that I take another name, to protect
myself and those of my line. My mother has seen fit to agree to this, and I am
thankful for once of the family practice of surrounding each of the children of
i’Xiia with a handful of those of lesser blood. It is likely no one will ever
even realize who I was, and thusly we will be safe until such time as i’Xiia
may rise again. It will sting, giving up some of my comforts, and I fear for
what sacrifices my children and their children may need to make in the future,
yet we will succeed in our revenge on these lesser Houses for their slight, of
this I have no doubt.