Shulamit ponders the situation.

Shulamit says to Zarrach, "Hoo, yes. Oh, let's see, the artifact!"

Shulamit says, "Today we will be researching a steel dagger with marlinspike, parts found by Poet in her digging at..."

Shulamit says, "Hoo, the Prugita Breeding Colony."

Poet says, "I was going to say, I hope it's Prugita."

Zarrach says, "Why? Got another dig going already?"

Shulamit wiggles its finger tendrils into some acid free gloves, and picks up the dagger. A drone nearby starts flying around, capturing the image. "This sailor's dagger bears the sharp edge a steel dagger should have as well as a marlinspike coming out of the pommel. Both marlinspike and dagger are sharp, making taking the dagger from its heavy duty scabbard a dangerous affair for all but the most accomplished marlinspike seamen. Decorating the leather scabbard are crude blue waves, painted on by a steady if not very artistic hand. The part of the pommel that is neither dagger nor marlinspike is thin rope lashings, giving the user a good firm grip when they manage to get past the pointy ends."

Poet says, "I'm never sure what the other Poet's might be up to."

Shulamit stares at Poet, tilts its head quizzically, rubs its chin thoughtfully, raises its eyebrow and says, "I see..."

Shulamit carefully places the dagger back down onto the table, careful to not damage it.

Zarrach says, "Huh. Kinda looks like something you'd see in an alley somewheres. In the hands of someone trying very hard to look uniquely dangerous."

Shulamit says, "It was very difficult to put together. I do not think Decheeran were the ones using this...weapon? Item?"

Zarrach says, "Tool."

Poet says, "So. My people did in fact dig this thing up on the beach on Prugita. It seems like an odd design to me. Wouldn't two separate tools be more effective? Not to mention easier to manipulate?"

Shulamit stares at Zarrach, tilts its head quizzically, rubs its chin thoughtfully, raises its eyebrow and says, "I see..."

Shulamit says to Poet, "I think so. Perhaps it was a space saving measure?"

Poet ponders the situation.

Zarrach says, "Or the uses were close together."

Poet says, "Possibly, or perhaps materials were scarce."

Shulamit says, "At the least, I think we can say...this is likely not the earliest items we could find on Prugita, as it uses steel. And steel means steel...working. Generally."

Shulamit ponders the situation.

Acknowledging Poet's point to be true, Shulamit nods its head gravely at her.

Acknowledging Zarrach's point to be true, Shulamit nods its head gravely at him.

Zarrach ponders the situation.

Zarrach stares off into the middle distance, looking up something somewhere on the commsphere.

Shulamit says, "I also don't think anyone currently on Prugita could use it. The pommel seems all wrong for hoo...Xariel hands."

Shulamit says, "They came later, didn't they? Their captors took them there."

Poet looks baffled. "Did they?" She coughs. "I'm a terrible researcher apparently. I don't know that part of their history."

Shulamit says to Zarrach, "Hoo, found anything interesting?"

Shulamit says to Poet, "Yes, I think so. Brought there because surrounded by water."

Zarrach leans forward slightly, looking at the marlinspike end of the artifact. "Not really, just noting that this end looks a lot like a needle. Given the waves and ... dual use of the item, where it was found and what not, made me wonder if it had something to do with old ocean ships."

Shulamit says, "Given how uniquely bad they are at swimming, if Prugita was their original homeworld it would be concerning."

Shulamit says to Zarrach, "Hoo hoo! I think perhaps it was old enough to be from the planets time of ship sailing. Hoo, er. Tiny ship sailing."

Shulamit tries to create a boat shaped item out of its tendrils. It does a passable job of creating a tiny canoe like object. "But with a sail!"

Zarrach nods.

Shulamit says, "So hoo, made of steel, with worked rope. A surprise the rope survived the moistness of the planet."

Shulamit acknowledges the point with a grave nod of its head.

Zarrach gets eye level with the marlinspike, studying it closely for a long moment. "Hard to say with the weathering and damage, but the end of it doesn't look like it came to a spiked point. More flat. Kinda like a pry bar??"

Shulamit ponders the situation.

Shulamit says to Zarrach, "Hoo. Because the dagger portion is all pointy, perhaps they felt the marlinspike could be less pointy? Or perhaps pry bar is more useful on a sailing vessel?"

Zarrach says, "A pry bar is pretty useful anywhere, speaking from experience."

Shulamit ponders this for a moment before shrugging. "I can't say I've been on a sailing ship. Most ships make me sick, watery ships probably do as well."

Acknowledging Zarrach's point to be true, Shulamit nods its head gravely at him.

Shulamit says, "And you wouldn't want to pry with a dagger, that might break the tip, hoo?"

Zarrach says, "Not necessarily, but yes."

Shulamit says, "Perhaps more likely to break the tip, then."

Shulamit says to Poet, "Do you know where the dig was exactly? I haven't tried digging on Prugita yet myself."

Poet says, "The site is uh, on the beach south westish of where the village is."

Shulamit rubs its chin thoughtfully, raises its eyebrow and says, "I see..."

Zarrach mutters to himself as he stares into the middle distance again, "Where the void is that... file again. Could've sworn it was in there."

Shulamit says, "So near the water? Excellent."

Poet nods at Shulamit.

Zarrach says, "Probably dropped it overboard one day and it took ages for it to come to shore. Sad day for someone to lose something like that."

Poet says, "I mean. Nothing there is terribly far from the water, but with half a kilometer."

Poet says, "Er, within half a kilometer."

Shulamit says to Zarrach, "But found now, and on display! Well, after today."

Shulamit says, "Since we can't look at it and display it at the same time, hee hoo."

Shulamit says to Poet, "True true. I'm sure there's bigger islands out there, but the hoo...Nabians won't let anyone in further?"

Poet says, "Yeah. There is no passage elsewhere on the planet that I'm aware of."

"Hmm," Zarrach says.

Shulamit nods solemnly at Poet.

Shulamit tilts its head and listens intently to Zarrach.

Poet says, "So the purpose of the spikey bit is something to do with ropework?"

Zarrach says, "Something I remember reading about one time, yeah."

Zarrach says, "Though I can't find the file anymore. It's like it never existed or something. Something about it breaking stuck knots??"

Zarrach says, "If that's the case the dagger end is more of a rope cutting blade than a person cutting blade."

The drone flies around Shulamit before zooming in real close to the artifact.

Shulamit says to Zarrach, "Hoo, that's good. A...relief? Not sure why I find that relieving."

Shulamit ponders the situation.

Shulamit acknowledges the point with a grave nod of its head.

Zarrach says, "Well... if it can cut rope it can cut a person."

Poet says, "Steel implies some level of technological prowess. And it must be decent quality to have lasted this long."

Zarrach says, "Paint too."

Poet says, "Honesty the paint is even more surprising to me."

Shulamit acknowledges the point with a grave nod of its head.

Shulamit says, "Perhaps the original denizens of the planet left soon after this. I wonder if there are wooden sailing ships. But hoo. In space."

Shulamit ponders the situation.

Poet says, "Does the handle shape imply anything to you about the sort of hand that might have held it?"

Shulamit says, "Would make a good painting."

Poet leans in to look more closely at the artifact.

Shulamit says to Poet, "Well, not Decheeran."

Shulamit acknowledges the point with a grave nod of its head.

Shulamit says, "Probably dexterous."

Zarrach chuckles long and heartily.

Zarrach says, "I think i can see how it got lost."

"Oh?" Shulamit exclaims quizzically.

Comprehension flashes across Shulamit's face.

Shulamit says to Zarrach, "Hoo. Perhaps needed so much dexterity, that much did not exist. Slip slip, away it gooooes."

Shulamit pantomimes the dagger being fumbled before sailing off a ship. It watches as the dagger sinks in the water mournfully. The drone captures the pantomime placidly before turning back to the dagger.

Zarrach says, "Ocean environments are notoriously wet. Obviously. Whoever owned this dagger back in the day was probably out working on the deck, maybe it was raining, maybe the wave action was strong. Who knows. They had a pretty stubborn knot or rope to cut and it just-- yeah. Slipped out of their hands while in use. Cue immediate string of curses at the misfortune."

"Heh heh heh," Shulamit chuckles.

Acknowledging Zarrach's point to be true, Shulamit nods its head gravely at him.

Poet says, "Well huh."

Poet says, "You'd think they'd have thought of that. There any kind of attachment point for a keeper strap?"

Shulamit says to Poet, "Not that I can see, hoo."

Zarrach says, "Might've rusted off by now. Something like that'd be pretty weak."

Shulamit says, "That too. Another point of failure."

Zarrach says, "Or... it just wasn't used."

Shulamit says, "Oh, hoo? Decorative?"

Shulamit ponders the situation.

Zarrach says, "No, more like arrogance."

Shulamit says, "Always a possibility with anything found. Oh?"

Poet says, "Decorative makes me wonder if it wasn't something given as a momento of achieving some sort of status."

Zarrach says, "I've lost tools in the engine of my ship a few times cause i was in a hurry or just didn't think it'd happen. Sockets, mostly. Now I make a point of sticking them to a magnet so they don't make a five minute job into a two hour job of me hunting for one tiny part."

"Oooooooooh!" Shulamit says to Zarrach, eyes wide with wonder.

Zarrach says, "Momento or something to distinguish one tool from another."

Shulamit says to Zarrach, "A good idea. I need to remember to do that to some of my cooking utensils."

Shulamit nods its head slowly, looking very wise.

Shulamit ponders the situation.

Zarrach says, "Doesn't look professional. Looks like amateur work, but done well enough to satisfy."

Shulamit says to Poet, "Perhaps achieving a rank on a ship, hoo? "Here, have a scary items.""

Shulamit says to Zarrach, "That's true though. If it were an award, perhaps the artwork would be more...nice."

Poet nods at Shulamit.

Shulamit frowns at the dagger, tracing the artwork with one tendril, careful to not touch it directly. "It's adequate. If it's an award, perhaps one having to be made out to see, and so, less fancy."

Zarrach inspects the blue artwork, rubbing his chin. "Oh... I think I know what this paint is for."

"Oh?" Shulamit exclaims quizzically at Zarrach.

Zarrach says, "I used to do the same damn thing years back. I'd doodle stuff on my kit while on watches. Part something to pass the time, part art session."

Comprehension flashes across Shulamit's face.

Zarrach says, "Sometimes there's nothing to do."

Shulamit says, "Beings do like to make an art."

Shulamit acknowledges the point with a grave nod of its head.

Poet says, "That bit did seem like it might be a personal addition."

Shulamit nods slowly.

Zarrach says, "Honestly the state of it just tells more about the state of Prugita's ocean, in my mind."

"Oh?" Shulamit exclaims quizzically.

Shulamit says, "Had a thriving watery ship time, perhaps?"

Zarrach says, "At one point, yeah. But also other things. Composition of the soil, where the shorelines are now aren't where they've always been... So on."

Shulamit rubs its chin thoughtfully, raises its eyebrow and says, "I see..."

Poet says, "I'm still curious about the manufacturing process. Whatever it's for, that level of metal work implies mining, a working smelter with enough draw to achieve the proper temperature, forging. Use on a water craft means.. well I dunno. I know nothing about water craft. What are they typically made of?"

Shulamit says, "Wood, hoo hoo. Well, the ones that require ropes."

Zarrach says, "Depends on where in the "tech tree" a civilization is."

Shulamit nods slowly at Zarrach.

Zarrach says, "Could be wooden ships, could be metal-bottomed wood boats. Flat, not flat. Sails, not sails."

Zarrach shrugs helplessly.

"Oh?" Shulamit exclaims quizzically.

Shulamit says, "Can't say I know much about them either, like Poet. I know less about starships as well though!"

Zarrach says, "Still need ropes even if you don't have sails. Mostly to tie off when docked."

Shulamit ponders this before shaking its head. "Well, I know how to make ship go faster in space."

"Oh?" Shulamit exclaims quizzically.

Shulamit stares at Zarrach, tilts its head quizzically, rubs its chin thoughtfully, raises its eyebrow and says, "I see..."

Poet says, "I'll have to poke around on Prugita, see if there is any sign of any of the old infrastructure."

Zarrach says, "Found that one out the hard way playing around with paper boats as a kid. needed some string to keep it from slowly drifting away."

Shulamit says, "So a possibly very long time period it could have existed in."

Shulamit says, "And also some time ago, as it doesn't seem like the Nabians or Xariel made it, also. We know they weren't from Prugita."

Shulamit says, "Although, we don't know exactly where the Xariel themselves are from."

Shulamit says, "Just...not Prugita."

Shulamit nods its head slowly, looking very wise.

Zarrach says, "So an older civilization that either left, died out or was uh... "forcibly relocated" by the Nabians."

Zarrach sucks thoughtfully on his teeth.

Shulamit ponders the situation.

Acknowledging Zarrach's point to be true, Shulamit nods its head gravely at him.

Shulamit says, "Good point, they could have been relocated or er...exterminated as well."

Zarrach says, "Resources like that sitting under the ground somewhere and the Nabians are using the planet - or what we can access of it anyway - to do mass fishing."

Shulamit says, "Perhaps they were less easily forced into servitude like the Xariel."

Shulamit says, "Maybe the smeltables were taken, or the easy ones were? So the harder to get to is there, but the Nabians don't want to try to get the deeper stuff."

Shulamit says, "But fish? Are everywhere."

Shulamit nods its head slowly, looking very wise.

Poet says, "Hrm. Well. I'll be interested to see what other artifacts we can acquire. Perhaps give us a bit more context."

Acknowledging Poet's point to be true, Shulamit nods its head gravely at her.

Zarrach nods.

Shulamit says, "I don't think we have any others from Prugita completed at this point. Shall I put the dagger away for now?"

Poet nods.

Shulamit tilts its head and listens intently.

Zarrach says, "Sounds like a plan to me, right now all we got is a lot of speculation and maybes."

Shulamit acknowledges the point with a grave nod of its head.

Shulamit carefully bundles away the steel dagger with marlinspike, preparing it to be displayed out in the museum proper.