1. (SPOILER)The party ventured to the Holy Mt. Bur-Omisace at the behest of Lord Larsa; Their intention was for the Gran Kiltias to acknowledge Ashe as the heir to the Dalmascan throne. After speaking with the Gran Kiltias Anastasis, the party's motive changes and they set out to retrieve the Sword of Kings from the Stilshrine of Miriam. After recieving the Sword of Kings (the sword that can cut nethecite), they find that the holy mountain has been invaded by the Archadian military. Larsa leaves with the Archadians in hope that they will not cause any more damage. The Gran Kiltias is killed. The party then decides they have to get to Archades to find the Draklor Laboratory, which is where all of Archades's military technology is developed and where manufacted nethicite is made.

2. Nethicite nullifies magicks. Deifacted nethicite is filled with powerful Mist and possesses awesome destructive power. Manufacted nethicite does not appear to have the same destructive power, yet it is still very powerful in it's own right (for instance, (SPOILER)the increased strength of Judge Bergan is attributed to the manufacted nethicite he has).

3. Nethicite is a form of Magicite. Magicite has magick properties. Nethicite nullifies the power of magicks (for example, equiping the Dawn Shard will make that character's MP stay locked at zero).

4. The Dawn, Dusk, and Midlight Shards are nethicite. They are deifacted nethicite.

5. The plan at the moment is to destroy the nethicite that Vayne has. (I think...) (SPOILER)Ashe doesn't destroy the Dawn Shard because she doesn't know if she wants to use it (even though it has no power).