Bloodstone Inscription

[BrettM]

Seems a bit weird they would casually use it as decoration, considering the circumstances involving this inscription.

Again, what makes you think the use is either casual or decorative? It seems more likely that it is informative. "Scouts, be on the lookout for this symbol. Report immediately if found." or "Mages, study this symbol and report any conclusions you reach concerning its meaning or use."

[Gmr Leon]

Gmr - so those markers exist in more than one place? Were those all on a similiar "stand" as in the OP?

Yes, and they were. I didn't check any of the outposts other than the mission outposts, though.

[Nayru]

Again, what makes you think the use is either casual or decorative? It seems more likely that it is informative. "Scouts, be on the lookout for this symbol. Report immediately if found." or "Mages, study this symbol and report any conclusions you reach concerning its meaning or use."

Well, because the thing the symbol is used on is, first and foremost, a "speaker's stand". This type of stand can be found in Ascalon and Kryta aswell. It seems every region has its own version of it, and the decoration changes accordingly. For example, the White Mantle use a stylised Mursaat on their version. And it's clearly used to give speeches or something like that. So the symbol is secondary to that, and therefore seems to be purely decorative.

The uses you proposed don't really make sense, I think. For example, the Shining Blade already know where to find the symbol, as evidenced in the Bloodstone Fen mission. I also think the Shining Blade have a pretty good idea of how or why the symbol is used.

[BrettM]

The uses you proposed don't really make sense, I think. For example, the Shining Blade already know where to find the symbol, as evidenced in the Bloodstone Fen mission. I also think the Shining Blade have a pretty good idea of how or why the symbol is used.

The Shining Blade weren't born knowing where to find the symbol and knowing how it is used. Someone had to find out and then the knowledge had to be spread. New recruits have to be informed. The Blade may hope that continued study by their mages will give them more than a "pretty good idea", such as a way to stop its operation or use it against the Mantle.

Just because speaker's stands are decorated in major towns does not mean that everything on a speaker's stand is required to be decorative. These are field camps. The stand is a handy place to post something that you want everyone to see or that you want to talk about.

Suppose one of the Shining Blade wanted to give a lecture on the symbol to new recruits or instruct them look for that symbol as a sign of possible Mantle presence in an area? Where would the lecturer stand? On the speaker's stand. Where would the recruits stand? In front of the speaker's stand. Where they would have a good view of the symbol hanging in front of it to help them follow the discussion.