Blakat is the name of one of the Seven Sisters of the mythos of Babel, known as the Goddess of Conflict, often as the Goddess of Murder, and sometimes invoked as a Goddess of War. She is a matron of mercenaries, and is also seen as a matron of bandits and brigands, for in legend she is depicted as frequently being envious of others' possessions and taking them by force.

Blakat is also regarded as the "Mad Goddess", and is strongly associated with insanity at times. At times, there have been attempts by outsiders to portray her favorably as a matron of soldiers, but this is contrary to the Babelite mythos, in that they see the universe as naturally chaotic and unfair, and thus their gods and goddesses are fundamentally flawed and are appeased more than truly worshipped.

Blakat is depicted as a wild-haired, wild-eyed, mad-looking female Eeee with a fierce countenance, in torn clothes and pieces of mismatched armor, often carrying a cruel-looking weapon of exotic shape. She is frequently (but not always) depicted as having red hair and/or red fur; she is said to bathe in the blood of her enemies.

Blakat is also the name of a mountain in the range of the "Seven Sisters" near Mount Dronnel, outside the city of Babel. It is home to a shrine devoted to her name, and it is said that every pebble on the mountain represents a drop of blood shed in her name.

Priestesses of Blakat are taught some martial skills, and many of them serve as mercenaries for those who make especially large "donations" to the sisterhood. Of the Yodhblakat (Daughters of Blakat), many are trained to become the Slakash - the Poison Women - warrior priestesses who are best known for their practice of working themselves into berserk frenzies when entering combat.

The rune that represents Blakat in Babelite script is also known as "The Dagger", though it's often given a more descriptive adjective, such as "The Bloody Dagger" or "The Crimson Dagger".

The best defense against Blood Flies (other than simply never bleeding) is to keep moving. They track by scent, not sight, so even if a swarm is in the same clearing, there is still hope to get moving, and hope to find water. Getting into water is the second method -- On the one hand, washing away blood helps. On the other, Blood Flies drown very easily, and the best way to save a victim covered with the flies is to dunk him quickly.

Locations of note within Bosch's borders would include the Crystal Tower, the Plains of Change (and Citadel of Change), the Cascades of Fire ... and a lone oasis of relative safety, the monastery known as the "Sanctuary of Gears" (or "Sanctuary of Order") located on its western end, connected by a mountain pass to Gallis.

2) The language of the nation of Chronotopia, a fairly "industrialized" land on the surface of Sinai, on the northern part of Ai, bordering Titania, the Vykarin Wastes and Sylvania. As for why the language of Chronotopia would be named after its greatest enemy, only the monk historians of the Celestial Order might know for sure, but legends hint at a time when Bosch was not quite the land of horrors that it is now.

In appearance, the truffle looks like a giant, hairy pumpkin. The outer husk is thick and durable, requiring some effort to break. The inside consists of nodules of a carob-like substance. Pumpkin truffles are sometimes sought out as delicacies, but their relative rarity and the lack of ease in finding them makes them even more a rarity on anyone's dinner plate (except, perhaps, that of a Bromthen Forest-Hog...).

Sometimes Forest-Hogs have been used to root out these truffles, but (unfortunately for truffle connosieurs and for the Forest-Hog), the boar-like creature is rather tasty as well, and his ivory tusks are far more valuable than any truffles ... so he's not likely to be kept on as a pet. (Besides, Bromthen Forest-Hogs are impossible to truly "tame".)

Along the coastline, the land is very level and low, such that tides will flood many square kilometers during certain seasons. During this time, land-bound creatures will congregate in "islands" formed by debris caught about the bases of cageroot trees, and larger mounds of earth that remain more or less dry in the deluge (even though the water may only be a few inches deep in most of the areas affected).

On the western edge of Bromthen, where the capitol -- Bromthen City -- is located, Sea Serpent Nagas and amphibious Jingas can be found in abundance. The area is overseen by a governor, assisted by a small bureaucracy of officials. (Titles of various offices in Bromthen government can be misleading, often having no connection to what functions would be traditionally associated with such a title. Titles of offices tend to "mutate" over time.)

One noteworthy feature of the burrowbit is its ability to store extra food in large sacks that open at its "mouth", and run along the length of its body. It feeds mostly on roots and fungi, and thus these are primarily stored there. If attacked by a predator, the burrowbit follows one of three reactions. First, if it is relatively easy, the burrowbit will simply retreat into its hole and flee. Second, if it is completely cornered, it may attempt to fight, but burrowbits are hardly impressive for their ferocity.

Third, however, the burrowbit is capable of contracting its body and forceably expelling the contents of its food pouches and then fleeing. Many times, a food-seeking predator will stop to investigate the expelled food first, before attempting pursuit.

This latter tactic, while mostly successful as a last-ditch method, is actually somewhat flawed ... because the Gooshurms seem specially adapted in their behaviors to exploit this feature of the burrowbit. They seek out the small creature during its rare surface excursions, burst out, and whip it with their semi-prehensile tongues. This is usually sufficient to prompt the burrowbit to expel its store and skitter away like the dickens ... while the gooshurm has a snack.

The "cages" tend to collect debris (such as fallen leaves, or dirt moved by floodwaters), and are often home to a variety of creatures that may build their homes there, due to the partial protection afforded by the roots.

These are the incantations that are to be mastered by mage apprentices before more complex proper spells and rituals are learned. Unlike rituals, cantrips do not require such preparations as magical circles, and usually don't require material components.

On the surface of Sinai, the average cantrip takes about fifteen seconds to cast by the average trained mage. The same cantrip would take four times as long (that is, about one minute) to cast in Rephidim, due to the weaker state of magical energies at that elevation.