The xiatami: Owyllain vs MALISON

A reader asked why the xiatami snakemen act differently in MALISON than they do in the SEVENFOLD SWORD books.

Basically, the xiatami in Owyllain and the xiatami in MALISON come from different religious factions on their original homeworld. When the xiatami homeworld was destroyed and their god Xophiramus was killed, their wizards opened gates to different worlds and fled, and the factions of xiatami were scattered.

The xiatami who ended up in Owyllain and founded Najaris were glad to be rid of Xophiramus. Their priests, the Intercessors, developed elaborate religious rituals all designed to make sure that Xophiramus stayed dead and didn’t bother them. Consequently, the xiatami of Najaris tended to be somewhat isolationist. They submitted to the Sovereign and did what he wanted so he wouldn’t destroy them, but turned against him the minute it looked like Kothlaric Pendragon had a chance of victory. The xiatami of Najaris prefer to get what they want through trade and manipulation rather than bothering with warfare, and it usually works for them.

The xiatami that Tyrcamber Rigamond faced in MALISON: DRAGON FURY, however, think that Xophiramus is still alive and requires blood sacrifice. Consequently, the xiatami on Tyrcamber’s world are much more warlike, since they require a constant supply of sacrificial slaves to appease Xophiramus. Their priests, called the Conciliators, also figured out that magic powered by blood provides something of a “safety buffer” against the Malison, which means they could use much more magic without risking an accidental transformation into a dragon. This dovetailed nicely with their belief that Xophiramus required blood sacrifice. So the Conciliators became very powerful, and were able to fight against Tyrcamber’s Empire and the dark elves on an equal footing.

-JM