Explaining Fir'Lith Steel.

Those weapons that you’re holding, do you know who made them? That axe you have along with that sword at your hip and the spear you left lying by my door? All of them were made from Fir’lith steel. Rashida never could pass up an opportunity for military or social advancement for us Ionphall. While we may not have agreed about policy, Rashida and I could always find common ground in our love for our people. She believed that we could still uphold the tenets of our forefathers, still keep our people safe. Kamaria and I warned her of the dangers of that sorcery. It brought us into the black sky and for ages we thought we were one with our ancestors in the stars. We truly believed that through our sacrifice of essence, we were allowed passage through their realm and by doing so were linked to all of the people under the black sky. Now, I just believe I got more proof that Rashida is a damn fool.
What you hold is proof of our ignorance and a testament to our avarice. Children, the Fir’lith steel of the Verunte is forged not only with their namesake herbs, but also in sacrifice. Years ago I visited the mountains that they once called home. Thinking about the cold makes my knees hurt, and well, walking up those snow covered paths to their forge didn’t help either. Kamaria was fond of pointing out that as Rashida’s envoys we had the responsibility of conducting an annual survey of the state. Looking back, I think she just repeated that to keep from complaining about the cold herself. So what do my aching knees have to do with sacrifice? Nothing, but it helps me remember the rest of the story so pipe down while I’m thinking please. Anyway, I was responsible in detailing the research efforts for weapons and armor development. We weren’t at war with anyone, but ever since our people first set sail into the black sky, we have constantly been at the ready for the worst. Every report I received recounted strange incidents of men dying in the mines and rising as ghost. Yet none turned up during my personal investigation and none were discovered when I returned with the help of several notable occultist. The dead always have demands — Always. Restless spirits are want for an audience like a fruit fly seeks sugar so I left the mine with rising suspicion in the specter’s absence.
I remember Kamaria being puzzled by my report. Perhaps they had already been whisked away by their gods? No, something wasn’t adding up. The rules of this world are foreign to those of our original homes, but they remain consistent. The soul is given form by lingering essence and will walk among us for only a few days before it begins to feel the pull of the afterlife calling it home. We doubted that the locals would be lying to us, but we questioned them all separately and their stories matched up. The timing of these “accidents” were too close together to explain the lack of spectral presence in those mines. Days later, Kamaria stumbled upon an old glyph in Verunte’s library. We traced it back to an old city found in one of Ionphall’s colonies in the fifth cloud, Sadaka, which means “Offering”. Sadaka was an outpost in the more remote part of the cloud and was primarily used as a meeting ground to trade prisoners between the six and fourth cloud’s territories so they could be tried and usually, summarily executed. We learned that the glyph was used to mark rogue operatives of these clouds for death and would glow when read aloud. This was used as an easy way to identify prisoners during transport as even the best of con artists couldn’t wash the glyph clean once inscribed into their skin.
How this all fit together didn’t occur to us until after we were preparing to embark on our journey home. Late on the final night of our survey, I poured over that tome Kamaria had found for answers until the sound of footsteps roused me from my meditative state of study. I took a moment to decide if my response would be curious or incensed. Either would have been appropriate, but curiosity has been my greatest weakness and for good reason. I rose from my chair, crept towards the door, and opened it just enough to peer beyond it. A robed man holding an oil lantern took careful steps towards the other end of the hallway that held our room. At first he appeared to be leaning over something, but as I moved in closer, stealing a glance from behind the statues of Verunte’s former chieftains spread evenly down the hall, I realized he actually had a hunch in his back. The man took no extra precautions to hide his presence beyond remaining quiet until he reached the conference room, where he held his lantern up to the wall and whispered “Prisoner”. The glyph from Kamaria’s tome glowed in response. The wall opened up side by side and the robed figure walked down the staircase as it revealed, unfolding like fresh laundry before his feet. I waited until the walls closed again. Though the sound was muffled, you can not truly conceal the scraping of stone against stone and the churning of gears. Makes a lot more sense why their conference room was located in such a remote area of the castle. The Verunte smiths worked around the clock and their sleeping quarters were well insulated from sound and far away enough from the constant noise that the man I was tailing didn’t need to worry too much about noise. Well, I’m sure he realized that he relied on this too much when he felt my hand tapping on his shoulder.
“Who… how… Cebisa? When did you?” his voice trailed off, confusion fragmenting his thoughts like a stone through a pane of glass. I didn’t wait for him to pick up the pieces. “Why don’t you tell me the who, how, and when you started sneaking down here. For good measure, throw in the what and why you’re doing all this? I like to be thorough after all.” I’ll admit I felt clever coming up with that in the middle of the night. They may be untrustworthy folk, but the Verunte make excellent coffee.
Closing a leather bound book and placing it gently on his large wooden desk, he calmly but apprehensively stood to properly greet me. “I’m Dr. Akuji. I admit you have me at a disadvantage. I wasn’t prepared to entertain guest here. “ “Oh I’m sure you weren’t planning on ever explaining what you’re doing down here, but I don’t have time for you to collect yourself. Please, just start talking. Remember who my family is before you think of declining my request.” “Certainly. “ He adjusted his robe with a quick downward stroke of his hands. With a reluctant sigh he added, “This is my lab. Between catching me here and the line of questioning you used to get down here, I won’t waste time testing your intelligence or patience with evasiveness. Ask me what you need to know and then please leave.” “I will decided when I leave, thanks.” “By all means.” Akuji revealed a gem and handed it to me. Even in the dimly lit laboratory, it glistened. “What is this? I thought I saw a —” “Face. Yes.” “Then the ghost…” I realized that now I was the one at a disadvantage. Had the thoughts in my head not been so terrifying, I would of smiled at the ironic turn of events.”
“They were transported here from the mines. This conference room is normally locked, far from normal foot traffic in this part of the castle and for good reason.” Akuji slowly turned and made a wide, sweeping, palms up gesture behind him. “We used the help to piggyback the spectres here and warded off the exit.” I turned as he said to confirm that yeah, the place was warded off and beautifully at that. “Those wards identify everyone that’s stored in this lab. How were you planning on covering this up?” I thought he would of moved and I tensed up in expectation, but Akuji didn’t move an inch. “I’m already caught, I’m old, and killing Rashida’s kin would fall on all of us. Do not worry, you’re safe.” Akuji watched as I relaxed my muscles and let out a sigh that betrayed my true feelings. I was still uneasy, but at least he didn’t intend me any immediate harm. “So I’ll continue, now that you know where my lab is, it won’t be long until you figure it out on your own. I’d rather you hear the story correctly instead of coming to your own conclusions and getting something horribly wrong.” “You might be too late for that. Those are Ionphall souls in your gems.” The scowl I gave him forced him to take a step back. “You’re right, but I promise you I work for the greater good of Verunte and Verunte for us all.” Akuji grabbed some parchment from a nearby shelf and passed it to me. “Please Cebisa, stay quiet about this. This can be explained to the people once we know how to frame it. Those miners, they were already dying from the dust, exhaustion, or just the cold.” Akuji picked up a larger green gem from the top shelf and studied it for less than a single heartbeat, but it was a long, uncomfortable, and miserable heartbeat. He said nothing, but his eyes gave away the truth of how important that gem was to him.
“We wish to harness the essence from these souls to further Verunte’s future. The advances we can make with this energy source, especially if it is given willingly, would be monumental. You are a woman of learning, aren’t you Cebisa? You must understand the impact that this could have on our society.” Akuji put the gem back into its holder and turned to face me.
“It’s unethical.” I walked towards the shelf where the large green gem sat. I paused for a moment to let it’s light shine over me while imagning the soul inside smiling.“Do you not care about their peace?” “What about our peace, Cebisa?” He lowered his head and turned away. “Our peace is one with theirs Akuji! If the dead cannot rest than what of those they leave behind? You’re robbing their families of closure.” “I’m willing to pay that price if it means that our culture advances. If we can see the black sky once more.” “Akuji, advancement is not its own reward nor does it justify the cost.” I walked within spitting distance of him and through gritted teeth I said, “You are wrong and Rashida will know.”
“I am counting on it.” He stepped back from me defiantly flipping his hood back before continuing. “Temilade and Rashida are speaking on the matter tomorrow morning. Go and tell Rashida what you saw here. Tell her of the miracles of the Verunte and how you wish for the Ionphall to stagnate because you can not let go of your lofty principles. To think I thought you a woman of higher learning. You’re a fool, Cebisa.” He scoffed, reaching for the lever to open the stairway. “Get out of my lab, I’ve cooperated enough and you’ve overstayed your welcome here.” He sneered as he walked back toward his table. “Then I’ll do just that. Not before I take your research for myself. No way this can continue in the dark. Rashida will listen to reason.” I turned and left the laboratory and returned with a leather bag. Without another word I snatched all of the paperwork I could find and a few of the gems to sample leaving the doctor in his laboratory screaming after me as I left with the bloodstained research.
He may not have murdered those miners, but he profited from their deaths. We returned to our home, reported our findings to Rashida, and Temilade spun the story to his advantage. The dead are dead, the old ways are outdated, and the Gods of this land are not our own he said. He thought that they would turn on us as we were not of their world. The gems were the first signs of artifice in Perina and led to horrors we deal with today. Those weapons you hold in your hands children are born in sacrifice. We sacrificed our hearts and the dead their very souls to fuel the advancement of our people.
Akuji’s gems, however, paved the way to our only hope; as it was my meeting with him that made me think of an ethical way to power our weapons and utilities. I was able to work with my occultist and some of Verunte’s smiths before the calamity happened to reverse engineer Akuji’s work. This Fir’lith steel channels the wielder’s essence much like Akuji’s gems did, but the draw is from your own replenishable supply. This way, no one suffers and the essence you use to fuel these blades disrupts the corruption caused by Akuji’s artifice. There is hope in life. That steel may be born in sacrifice, but it doesn’t mean it has to be for the worst. I believe the dead deserve peace, children. If they don’t get it, then none of our families will. Nature cries out for us to make it right. Please, answer her call.

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This is the first draft of this story. I'm aware that I need to edit it heavily because of how the flashback reads.