Inessa doesn't flinch when Anders pokes the orb, partly because she did it earlier and nothing happened. Whatever needs to be done to reawaken the artifact, they've not found it yet. "An intelligent broodmother...I absolutely do not envy you that hair-raising experience. It's a shame we can't learn just where it was found, but we'll make do with what we have."

Another sip of wine and she can almost feel it chasing away the cold and damp of the marsh. Almost. The note about an artist's mark may be a joke, but it has Inessa looking thoughtful. "None that we can see with the naked eye, though perhaps with enough research and resources, we'll find a way. If we could unlock its past, we could unlock its potential with that knowledge. I can only hope that's not an entirely unrealistic goal."