Session 121: Please Stop Trying To Crash Your Guide
The Imperial Museum of Alternan History tells the story of the Empress Relis Laurent and the founding of the Alternan Empire, weaving a story out of exhibits both tangible and told. Our brave adventurers were prepared to explore, but they were not prepared to have a guide on this journey. A voice without form welcomed them to the Museum, introduced themselves as Fayth, and took them on a journey through history itself.
The first room said much of the land before Alterna itself, painting a picture of a world in flux, full of danger and death around every turn, spilling out into every path. Quite literally, in one case, as Yves meandered into a painting that burst its borders, briefly losing himself in the verdant wilderness of pre-Alterna Ducorde before Isa dragged him back with the others.
The second room spoke at length about the Empress herself, showcasing her coronation gown, among other relics. A young woman who scaled an impossible mountain and returned the founder of the greatest Empire to ever span Ducorde, the Empress was far and away the most important person in all of Alterna’s history, and her legacy shone through the priceless artifacts on display. One such artifact, a silver box, captivated the adventurers, with Bast and Orrey paying particular attention to it before moving along.
We join our brave adventurers as they step into the third room…
**
“What you see before you is a scale model of the heart of Alterna, the Eternal Guide, the Unyielding Brilliance, the Great Crystal. The Great Crystal guides us all through our lives, promising our safety and ensuring our prosperity. It is from the Great Crystal that we draw our strength and plot our course, and it is to the Great Crystal we give our thanks and devote our lives. The Great Crystal is what sets Alterna apart from all pretender nations the world over.”
The scale model of the Great Crystal is as its true self in every way.
It, too, shattered.
Shards of multi-faceted crystal cover the room, embedded in walls, piled in corners, scattered in pieces over the floor.
Amidst the shards of the crystal, gaps exist in the floor. Three separate parallel gaps, six inches across, eighteen inches between. These gaps run the full length of the floor, the walls, and the ceiling, as if three blades of titanic proportion sliced cleanly through the Imperial Museum. The gouges run deep into the ground beneath the museum as well; through one, the distant sea sparkles.
“Throughout this room you can learn more about the Great Crystal itself; how It determines our future, how It guides us through life, and who is allowed to work with It on a daily basis.”
"I don't suppose you can tell us what happened to Orrey?" Bast looks up at the hypothetical source of the voice in the ceiling.
Yves blinks several times, looking at the pieces, and exactly where the whole thing ought, in theory, to stand. There's a lot of head-swiveling involved. "...I mean, presumably they didn't store the actual thing in here and just tell people it was a model, but isn't that interesting?" He lowers his voice. "Let's, uh, let's maybe not ask Fayth about that, it's clearly a sensitive subject."
He probably means the Great Crystal. But Orrey could be a sensitive subject now. Who's to say?
Isa paces the room, stepping carefully over the gaps, sweeping her gaze over the remains of the model.
The crossbow is ready, there's hot air rising from the jet nozzles, the belt is practically gleaming with hardware usually concealed. Bast doesn't seem to be treating this as an amusing excursion anymore.
"The carrier of the Fifth Crystal has stepped away," states Fayth in that monotone. Switching back to the ebullient guide, they say, "If you have any questions about the exhibit, please speak it aloud."
"How does it determine the future?" Yves asks, by all impressions sincerely interested in the answer, as he walks up to where the entire model used to stand.
No light shines from the shattered crystal, reflected or otherwise. Time and trauma both have dulled its sheen. The exhibit spaces that once stood along the edges of the room lay in shredded piles strewn throughout.
"Who were the pretender nations?" Isa asks.
Half-listening, Bast steps up to the titanic gouges, trying to figure out what could have made them and where the - attack? - came from.
"The Great Crystal has existed for the entire lifespan of our planet," Fayth replies. "Everything that can be learned has come from the Great Crystal. All potential shines from within. When a Job Crystal dims, its power returns to the Great Crystal, adding to Alterna's endless font of knowledge."
"Oh!" says Yves, crouching down to look at one of those dull shards on the floor. "So is the knowledge of the person who held the Job Crystal accessible to others in some manner? Or is it sort of, hm, a pool of knowledge that the Great Crystal draws on when making Job Crystals for new people?"
"The pretender nations are of no importance," Fayth replies.
"When a holder of a Job Crystal passes from this world, their Job Crystal's essence returns to the Great Crystal. The next Alternan to bear their Job will have the previous owner's experience to draw from as well," Fayth replies.
"Huh. So it's ideal to start your Job immediately after the death of someone who was particularly good at it. Though I suppose that would be difficult--I mean, that would be unethical to attempt to arrange." Yves looks thoughtful, all the same.
Though Bast does not look over at this, there's something like an amused snort from his direction.
"I assure you, the Great Crystal cannot be--"
Fayth falls silent.
Yves waits patiently for a complementary infinitive.
(The silence does get Bast's attention. Without making any particularly sudden movements, he steps closer to a wall.)
A couple of minutes later, Fayth resumes. "The Great Crystal cannot be manipulated. The Crystal Exarch and the reigning ruler are the only Alternans that are allowed to work with it."
"Who are the current Exarch and reigning ruler?" Isa inquires, coldly.
"So, who decides what Job each person gets?" Yves asks, as if there was no pause at all. "Does the Great Crystal decide on its own? Or does it advise those who decide? Or is it advised by others when making those decisions?" GM/Matt — 10/05/2022 "The Crystal Exarch is the Crystal Exarch," Fayth says simply. "Our current ruler is Empress Huw."
"What do they do with the Crystal?" asks Bast.
"Every week, the Crystal Exarch leads a ceremony for all those travelers who have come to Alterna to receive their guidance from the Great Crystal. All those who have yet to receive their proper course assemble before the Crystal to receive its shining guidance. The Crystal Exarch instructs each crystal bearer on the Job they have been given. The crystal bearer is welcome to receive further guidance from individual trainers or masters after this time."
"How many, each week?" (Isa.)
"Thousands."
"Hm." Bast leans against the wall. "What if someone doesn't come? Or cannot?"
"Every citizen of Alterna comes before the Great Crystal," Fayth replies.
"The innkeepers around here must've made a killing," Yves says under his breath.
"No one is ever snowed in, too ill or too poor to travel, and the trains always run on time. Must be nice." Bast looks...unconvinced.
"Every citizen of Alterna comes before the Great Crystal," Fayth repeats.
"Might be looking at it the other way around," Isa notes. "You're not a citizen until you do."
"If you don't come before it, maybe you're not a citizen," Yves suggests cheerfully. He refrains from picking up a fragment of the Great Model, just in case, and wanders over to study one of the shredded exhibits.
"The Crystal Exarch," Fayth narrates near Yves, "oversees the Great Crystal in addition to the ceremonies. Working closely with the Empress, they interpret the Crystal's guidance. There have been many Crystal Exarchs over the generations, but the Crystal Exarch forsakes their name upon being chosen, and they always wear the ceremonial hood and cloak when in public."
"Are non-citizens allowed to live in Alterna?" Bast queries upwards. "I've been living under a rock, you see. Nice and cool down there."
"With a citizen to sponsor them, foreigners are granted leave to reside in Alterna for one year's time," Fayth replies.
"Oh! Is there a reproduction of the cloak and hood on display?" Yves asks.
"There is! It is to your left." The only thing to Yves's left that could have once been a cloak is now a pile of tattered black shreds.
Yves clasps one hand with the other behind his back, and dutifully stares at the black shreds. They're so... shredded? And black! Well, he can appreciate some of that, aesthetically, on both points.
"How long has it been since the last ceremony?"
"Careful..." Isa's voice warns.
"Just checking for...interesting coincidences," Bast mutters back.
"Ceremonies are held every seventh day before Castle Atma. There would have been one three days ago."
"I should definitely visit more museums," Yves notes to Linnet in passing, as he moves on to look at another... exhibit? Place where an exhibit probably used to be. Close enough. "Fayth, I'm wondering, if you wanted to convey just one thing to someone who isn't a citizen, to explain the importance of the Great Crystal to everyone's lives... What would you emphasize? What would you point to as the real, uh, takeaway message about why it's so much better to have it than be without it? Compared to, I don't know, getting Jobs any old way, with each person picking out whatever they wanted most or felt would suit them."
"Before Empress Laurent founded the Alternan Empire, all efforts to tame this land failed, and all human knowledge died when beast or famine claimed another life. Now, when the Great Crystal bestows upon you the honorable role of Black Mage, you have the wisdom and strength of every Alternan to bear that title before you. You wield the magicks of countless generations. You are a comet streaking across the sky, while others struggle to cause a twig to light."
Yves looks down at his fingers, and makes a thoughtful little noise.
Bast looks down, making as if to kick one of the shards of the model Crystal down into the hole leading to the ocean below - then reconsiders, frowning, and turns towards the next room.
Yves looks at the shredded black cloth one more time, and carefully does not take even the tiniest souvenir as he heads toward the next room. "Maybe Orrey is waiting in the gift shop," he murmurs to Linnet. "I mean, it wouldn't be the first time, right?"
The adventurers leave the room of the Great Crystal behind.
Orrey breathes a sigh of relief.
Twelve pedestals surround a central stone platform. Time-ravaged lamps hang from a broken ceiling, casting their inconsistent illumination on the statues that remain beneath them.
“Atop the Gap of Alterna, Relis Laurent discovered the rest of the world. Atop the Gap of Alterna, Relis Laurent discovered the gods. The Twelve. Who are the Twelve? What can They teach us? How did they help the Empress before she became the Empress? How did they receive her when her time here ended and she took her place alongside them in the stars?"
Each pedestal holds a statue Isa’s height and half again.
The central stone platform is but a charred mass of melted destruction.
Bast spins around, crossbow leveled at Orrey before being lowered again in relief. "What- ...happened with you?"
"Fayth enacted some kind of security protocol, interrogated me, and threatened me with a Tribunal," Orrey says. "The Empress or Grand Theologian presidng."
"Wait, did the Empress become, like, the Thirteenth? Or did she take her place alongside them without becoming one of them?" Yves gives a distracted nod to Orrey, his attention mostly on the statues. (See, Orrey always shows up again eventually, it was fine!) "And... in the stars in what sense?"
"Seems difficult," Isa points out.
"The Empress ascended to join the Twelve as their equal," Fayth replies.
"But Oracles have some sort of pull in the Empire, so when I told her I was one she released me. They just need to verify things with my Job Crystal and everything should be good? They have my Job Crystal." Orrey says with a bit of anxiety showing through.
"So now there are thirteen?" Yves takes out a journal to jot down a few more notes. "You're back at the exact right time, Orrey, this is the room about--oh. Uh. Hm. That's a bit... well, I'm sure you'll get it back, no problem! Not like what happened with Linnet and that one other crystal and, uh, anyway, look at these statues! Any thoughts?"
"Hoo." Bast thinks for a moment. "And how does this...Tribunal deliver its decision?"
"There was mention of a secure holding facility until the Tribunal..." Orrey shudders.
"You think they're going to notice it's got more than one Job in it?" Isa wonders.
"Fayth can't wrap her head around that kind of reality without blinking out," Orrey says.
"I mean, surely even old-fashioned assigned Jobs could handle... a little bit of... I mean, to get some sorts of Jobs, you can't even understand it until, so they would have to..." Yves' face goes through a series of expressions. "The past is such a strange place. Time. Time-space point. Span? Anyway." He heads over to look at whichever statue seems most likely to be his favorite god: the one usually represented by a zero.
Orrey, trying to calm himself, approaches the statue of his original patron, The Forgotten, and prays.
Yves finds the statue.
Beneath a darkening sky descends a human woman, her gown mixed with the night itself, a dress wearing a face in the doorway, opening her arms to the bitterness. “From Yoshuelje, she gained the Cloud of Darkness, unending power over night itself," says Fayth.
Beneath an empty socket waits a human man, clad in full armor, his face hidden by a helmet of antlered steel. He stands behind, but does not hold, a shield. “From the Forgotten, she gained a gift lost to the ages. What the Forgotten bestowed upon our Empress was not recorded," Fayth interrupts Orrey's prayer.
"...feels like that power should still belong to Yoshuelje," Yves murmurs. All the same, he looks at the statue with something a few steps closer to reverence than he is usually liable to show.
Apparently deciding that answers to more pressing matters won't be immediately forthcoming, Bast sizes up the statue of Kuganepo.
Beneath an absent light thinks a human woman of diminutive stature on the precipice of disaster. In her right, and only, arm she holds a pen, its ink tracing spiderwebs through the air, on which very real spiders now spin their additions. “From Kuganepo, she gained the Eternium, the gift of the gods that allowed her body to keep up with her divinely-inspired determination.”
Isa's body language is hard to read as she circles the statues. When her helmet regards Itami, her grip on the Frost-Fair Blade tightens.
Beneath a fractured spotlight lurks a human woman of martial might, carrying a spear in her left hand and an envelope in her right. On her back she wears a cloak of daggers, and on her face she betrays no expression at all. “From Itami, she gained the Brionac, the spear that would forever lead the greatest Alternan warrior to victory, no matter the treacherous odds they must face.”
Orrey wanders to each of the statues in turn, sending gratitude to each of them through his holy symbols.
Beneath a shattered light stands a human man, wrapped in a starry cloak of carved stone. Time has erased his features and worn away the edges of the platform, but the celestial canvas of his attire remains pristine. “From Turon, she gained the Celestial Chorus, the song of the stars that placed Alterna at their center.”
Beneath a burned-out bulb reclines a human woman of refined elegance, wearing a gown of 7/4 time, jet-black hair of sharps and flats. “From Somnus, she gained the Dreamwatch, the gift of borderless communication through nighttime ritual."
Beneath a burning flame rises a human woman of justice’s provenance, a yellow bolero above an orange tunic and red pants, her arms spread wide, her face devoid of any features at all. “From Saroni, she gained the Magnatus, the trident of prophecy that would balance the eternal scales.”
Beneath a dimly-burning lamp sits a human man of wizened patience on a throne of tomes. In his hands he holds a book swirling with infinity, a galaxy between its covers. “From Caelonde, she gained the Meteorologica, an unwritten tome that came to house her expansive knowledge of all of Alterna.”
Beneath a beam of light from the outside sky lingers a human woman of boughs and brambles, grasping an absent tool in her two hands, eyes toward the horizon. “From Thalatte, she gained the Ark, the vessel that would carry Alterna to distant shores, to spread its wings to safeguard the entire world.”
Beneath a plume of smoke builds a human man, wielding a hammer in each hand, clad in an apron of smoldering iron, his bare arms burning with finely-crafted fury. “From Koehnta, she gained the Vulcan Lucis, the hammer that would strike the first stone that would build this great nation.”
Beneath a wafting scent rests a human woman, wearing comfortable clothes of hearth and home. To her chest she clasps a sickle and scythe, and of her face only the smile remains. “From Yinha, she gained the Rauni Supra, the scythe that would harvest the first wheat she grew in these inhospitable lands, ensuring her people would survive the first true Alternan winter.”
Beneath a perfect sphere of light marks a human man wearing a fitted suit of black and gold. In his hands he holds a timepiece perfectly parallel to the ground. “From Mechon, she gained the Fated Hour, the knowledge of the time and place of her departure from our world. Nothing would take her from us before that time.”
Yves takes notes, gaze increasingly distant as Orrey activates the whole sequence. "And now she's... in the stars, as their equal, with something from each of them. Hm."
"But the stars are falling," Isa points out.
"Does she have a gift of her own, in that company?" inquires Bast.
"Yeah, mm, the stars part seems like there's a problem and all, with the whole... setup. Among other issues." Yves frowns into his notebook. "The timing of when they began is still--anyway. Hm."
Whatever statue once stood on the central platform has long since been destroyed. "At the conclusion of her time on Ducorde, the Twelve welcomed the Empress to their home in the stars as one of them. She stands equal to the Twelve in her might and her majesty. From above, she watches over her vast Empire, forever guiding us to prosperity."
"It's interesting how various statues have lasted and... not," Yves notes to Orrey quietly. That is definitely not a comment aimed at Fayth, who is demonstrably...sensitive.
"Is the thirteenth floor of the tower dedicated to the Empress?" Orrey asks Fayth.
"Yes, that is correct," Fayth replies.
"We visited the Tower recently." Orrey says. "Truly awe-inspiring."
"Where did you travel from?" Fayth asks.
"Originally, Saron." Orrey tries out of curiosity.
"Interesting," Fayth replies so politely it hurts.
"I was wondering," says Yves brightly, after that bit of...etiquette... "if she also controls the Heart of Sabik, or if that's held by someone else. Since she seems to have been granted all sorts of powers and such from so many places."
"What is the Heart of Sabik?" Fayth asks.
Orrey braces at the mention of the Heart...followed by a sigh of relief when Fayth doesn't blink out, then confusion as to why she hasn't heard of it.
"Does the museum have models of the divine artifacts?" Isa inquires of Fayth.
"That's... an interesting question, actually," Yves says, with a small frown. "It gets pretty metaphysical and wibbly-wobbly to try to put exact terms on some things, but it's something we heard about from... Principia, among others. Do you know Principia? Absolutely marvelous person--book--well, book-person, used to do a job not entirely unlike yours, at an archive instead of a museum."
"I am familiar with Principia," Fayth replies to Yves. "We do not have models. The artifacts themselves are part of a traveling exhibit at this time, but are expected back by next summer."
"Where are they traveling to? I'd love to see them!" Orrey says with real enthusiasm.
"The tour begins in Cardia, then travels to Machanon, Caerwyn, then Saron, before returning here."
"Do you ever get a chance to talk to people like Principia? To other people like yourself?" Yves asks, looking up at the ceiling. "It seems like it must get lonely here without many people coming through the museum, compared to how many you used to get before--recently. I know I get fidgety and sort of glum after a while if I'm not seeing anyone else, even though I do like some good focused lab time or the like. Sometimes it's just nice to be around people doing their own thing. Maybe it's different for you."
"It is of no concern to me, but it is appreciated," Fayth replies. Then, in a sudden monotone: "One moment please."
"Orrey," delivers the monotone.
Orrey nods, holding his necklace of Holy Symbols without really being conscious of it.
A crystal shimmers into existence before him.
His Job Crystal.
"The Grand Theologian confirms your geas."
"They....They do? They do, of course." Orrey quickly recovers.
Yves pats Orrey on the shoulder gingerly. "See? Fair and just and... things like that which, uh, definitely always accompany imperial. Empires. Right."
"At the conclusion of your tour, go to Castle Atma. They have requested a meeting."
"They did...what...ok." Orrey looks around at everyone to confirm they heard the same thing.
"Who has requested a meeting?" Isa looks lost.
"Interesting. We must have missed them last time." Bast looks skeptical.
"The, uh, Grand Theologian, it sounds like? Maybe they'll..." Yves struggles briefly for a way to finish this sentence. "...have some ideas for, you know. Finding things. Doing things. Th....ings."
"The Grand Theologian wishes to meet the Oracle. They expect you at the Castle after your tour has concluded," Fayth says patiently.
"What's the proper form of address for the Grand Theologian? I don't want to be impolite." Orrey says in an odd tone of voice, slightly befuddled.
"Lord," Fayth replies.
"I told you I'd tell you how a foreigner became an Oracle, Fayth." Orrey says, recovering a bit from the shock of finding out Alterna isn't even close to as dead and empty as he expected.
"Yes," Fayth agrees.
"Would you remind me to do so at the end of the tour?" Orrey asks.
"How many more rooms are on the tour?" Yves asks, digging out the token he picked at the beginning. He still hasn't found out about the fate of his chosen hero of yore, darnit.
"There are two rooms remaining. When you are ready, please proceed," Fayth says.
The first room said much of the land before Alterna itself, painting a picture of a world in flux, full of danger and death around every turn, spilling out into every path. Quite literally, in one case, as Yves meandered into a painting that burst its borders, briefly losing himself in the verdant wilderness of pre-Alterna Ducorde before Isa dragged him back with the others.
The second room spoke at length about the Empress herself, showcasing her coronation gown, among other relics. A young woman who scaled an impossible mountain and returned the founder of the greatest Empire to ever span Ducorde, the Empress was far and away the most important person in all of Alterna’s history, and her legacy shone through the priceless artifacts on display. One such artifact, a silver box, captivated the adventurers, with Bast and Orrey paying particular attention to it before moving along.
We join our brave adventurers as they step into the third room…
**
“What you see before you is a scale model of the heart of Alterna, the Eternal Guide, the Unyielding Brilliance, the Great Crystal. The Great Crystal guides us all through our lives, promising our safety and ensuring our prosperity. It is from the Great Crystal that we draw our strength and plot our course, and it is to the Great Crystal we give our thanks and devote our lives. The Great Crystal is what sets Alterna apart from all pretender nations the world over.”
The scale model of the Great Crystal is as its true self in every way.
It, too, shattered.
Shards of multi-faceted crystal cover the room, embedded in walls, piled in corners, scattered in pieces over the floor.
Amidst the shards of the crystal, gaps exist in the floor. Three separate parallel gaps, six inches across, eighteen inches between. These gaps run the full length of the floor, the walls, and the ceiling, as if three blades of titanic proportion sliced cleanly through the Imperial Museum. The gouges run deep into the ground beneath the museum as well; through one, the distant sea sparkles.
“Throughout this room you can learn more about the Great Crystal itself; how It determines our future, how It guides us through life, and who is allowed to work with It on a daily basis.”
"I don't suppose you can tell us what happened to Orrey?" Bast looks up at the hypothetical source of the voice in the ceiling.
Yves blinks several times, looking at the pieces, and exactly where the whole thing ought, in theory, to stand. There's a lot of head-swiveling involved. "...I mean, presumably they didn't store the actual thing in here and just tell people it was a model, but isn't that interesting?" He lowers his voice. "Let's, uh, let's maybe not ask Fayth about that, it's clearly a sensitive subject."
He probably means the Great Crystal. But Orrey could be a sensitive subject now. Who's to say?
Isa paces the room, stepping carefully over the gaps, sweeping her gaze over the remains of the model.
The crossbow is ready, there's hot air rising from the jet nozzles, the belt is practically gleaming with hardware usually concealed. Bast doesn't seem to be treating this as an amusing excursion anymore.
"The carrier of the Fifth Crystal has stepped away," states Fayth in that monotone. Switching back to the ebullient guide, they say, "If you have any questions about the exhibit, please speak it aloud."
"How does it determine the future?" Yves asks, by all impressions sincerely interested in the answer, as he walks up to where the entire model used to stand.
No light shines from the shattered crystal, reflected or otherwise. Time and trauma both have dulled its sheen. The exhibit spaces that once stood along the edges of the room lay in shredded piles strewn throughout.
"Who were the pretender nations?" Isa asks.
Half-listening, Bast steps up to the titanic gouges, trying to figure out what could have made them and where the - attack? - came from.
"The Great Crystal has existed for the entire lifespan of our planet," Fayth replies. "Everything that can be learned has come from the Great Crystal. All potential shines from within. When a Job Crystal dims, its power returns to the Great Crystal, adding to Alterna's endless font of knowledge."
"Oh!" says Yves, crouching down to look at one of those dull shards on the floor. "So is the knowledge of the person who held the Job Crystal accessible to others in some manner? Or is it sort of, hm, a pool of knowledge that the Great Crystal draws on when making Job Crystals for new people?"
"The pretender nations are of no importance," Fayth replies.
"When a holder of a Job Crystal passes from this world, their Job Crystal's essence returns to the Great Crystal. The next Alternan to bear their Job will have the previous owner's experience to draw from as well," Fayth replies.
"Huh. So it's ideal to start your Job immediately after the death of someone who was particularly good at it. Though I suppose that would be difficult--I mean, that would be unethical to attempt to arrange." Yves looks thoughtful, all the same.
Though Bast does not look over at this, there's something like an amused snort from his direction.
"I assure you, the Great Crystal cannot be--"
Fayth falls silent.
Yves waits patiently for a complementary infinitive.
(The silence does get Bast's attention. Without making any particularly sudden movements, he steps closer to a wall.)
A couple of minutes later, Fayth resumes. "The Great Crystal cannot be manipulated. The Crystal Exarch and the reigning ruler are the only Alternans that are allowed to work with it."
"Who are the current Exarch and reigning ruler?" Isa inquires, coldly.
"So, who decides what Job each person gets?" Yves asks, as if there was no pause at all. "Does the Great Crystal decide on its own? Or does it advise those who decide? Or is it advised by others when making those decisions?" GM/Matt — 10/05/2022 "The Crystal Exarch is the Crystal Exarch," Fayth says simply. "Our current ruler is Empress Huw."
"What do they do with the Crystal?" asks Bast.
"Every week, the Crystal Exarch leads a ceremony for all those travelers who have come to Alterna to receive their guidance from the Great Crystal. All those who have yet to receive their proper course assemble before the Crystal to receive its shining guidance. The Crystal Exarch instructs each crystal bearer on the Job they have been given. The crystal bearer is welcome to receive further guidance from individual trainers or masters after this time."
"How many, each week?" (Isa.)
"Thousands."
"Hm." Bast leans against the wall. "What if someone doesn't come? Or cannot?"
"Every citizen of Alterna comes before the Great Crystal," Fayth replies.
"The innkeepers around here must've made a killing," Yves says under his breath.
"No one is ever snowed in, too ill or too poor to travel, and the trains always run on time. Must be nice." Bast looks...unconvinced.
"Every citizen of Alterna comes before the Great Crystal," Fayth repeats.
"Might be looking at it the other way around," Isa notes. "You're not a citizen until you do."
"If you don't come before it, maybe you're not a citizen," Yves suggests cheerfully. He refrains from picking up a fragment of the Great Model, just in case, and wanders over to study one of the shredded exhibits.
"The Crystal Exarch," Fayth narrates near Yves, "oversees the Great Crystal in addition to the ceremonies. Working closely with the Empress, they interpret the Crystal's guidance. There have been many Crystal Exarchs over the generations, but the Crystal Exarch forsakes their name upon being chosen, and they always wear the ceremonial hood and cloak when in public."
"Are non-citizens allowed to live in Alterna?" Bast queries upwards. "I've been living under a rock, you see. Nice and cool down there."
"With a citizen to sponsor them, foreigners are granted leave to reside in Alterna for one year's time," Fayth replies.
"Oh! Is there a reproduction of the cloak and hood on display?" Yves asks.
"There is! It is to your left." The only thing to Yves's left that could have once been a cloak is now a pile of tattered black shreds.
Yves clasps one hand with the other behind his back, and dutifully stares at the black shreds. They're so... shredded? And black! Well, he can appreciate some of that, aesthetically, on both points.
"How long has it been since the last ceremony?"
"Careful..." Isa's voice warns.
"Just checking for...interesting coincidences," Bast mutters back.
"Ceremonies are held every seventh day before Castle Atma. There would have been one three days ago."
"I should definitely visit more museums," Yves notes to Linnet in passing, as he moves on to look at another... exhibit? Place where an exhibit probably used to be. Close enough. "Fayth, I'm wondering, if you wanted to convey just one thing to someone who isn't a citizen, to explain the importance of the Great Crystal to everyone's lives... What would you emphasize? What would you point to as the real, uh, takeaway message about why it's so much better to have it than be without it? Compared to, I don't know, getting Jobs any old way, with each person picking out whatever they wanted most or felt would suit them."
"Before Empress Laurent founded the Alternan Empire, all efforts to tame this land failed, and all human knowledge died when beast or famine claimed another life. Now, when the Great Crystal bestows upon you the honorable role of Black Mage, you have the wisdom and strength of every Alternan to bear that title before you. You wield the magicks of countless generations. You are a comet streaking across the sky, while others struggle to cause a twig to light."
Yves looks down at his fingers, and makes a thoughtful little noise.
Bast looks down, making as if to kick one of the shards of the model Crystal down into the hole leading to the ocean below - then reconsiders, frowning, and turns towards the next room.
Yves looks at the shredded black cloth one more time, and carefully does not take even the tiniest souvenir as he heads toward the next room. "Maybe Orrey is waiting in the gift shop," he murmurs to Linnet. "I mean, it wouldn't be the first time, right?"
The adventurers leave the room of the Great Crystal behind.
Orrey breathes a sigh of relief.
Twelve pedestals surround a central stone platform. Time-ravaged lamps hang from a broken ceiling, casting their inconsistent illumination on the statues that remain beneath them.
“Atop the Gap of Alterna, Relis Laurent discovered the rest of the world. Atop the Gap of Alterna, Relis Laurent discovered the gods. The Twelve. Who are the Twelve? What can They teach us? How did they help the Empress before she became the Empress? How did they receive her when her time here ended and she took her place alongside them in the stars?"
Each pedestal holds a statue Isa’s height and half again.
The central stone platform is but a charred mass of melted destruction.
Bast spins around, crossbow leveled at Orrey before being lowered again in relief. "What- ...happened with you?"
"Fayth enacted some kind of security protocol, interrogated me, and threatened me with a Tribunal," Orrey says. "The Empress or Grand Theologian presidng."
"Wait, did the Empress become, like, the Thirteenth? Or did she take her place alongside them without becoming one of them?" Yves gives a distracted nod to Orrey, his attention mostly on the statues. (See, Orrey always shows up again eventually, it was fine!) "And... in the stars in what sense?"
"Seems difficult," Isa points out.
"The Empress ascended to join the Twelve as their equal," Fayth replies.
"But Oracles have some sort of pull in the Empire, so when I told her I was one she released me. They just need to verify things with my Job Crystal and everything should be good? They have my Job Crystal." Orrey says with a bit of anxiety showing through.
"So now there are thirteen?" Yves takes out a journal to jot down a few more notes. "You're back at the exact right time, Orrey, this is the room about--oh. Uh. Hm. That's a bit... well, I'm sure you'll get it back, no problem! Not like what happened with Linnet and that one other crystal and, uh, anyway, look at these statues! Any thoughts?"
"Hoo." Bast thinks for a moment. "And how does this...Tribunal deliver its decision?"
"There was mention of a secure holding facility until the Tribunal..." Orrey shudders.
"You think they're going to notice it's got more than one Job in it?" Isa wonders.
"Fayth can't wrap her head around that kind of reality without blinking out," Orrey says.
"I mean, surely even old-fashioned assigned Jobs could handle... a little bit of... I mean, to get some sorts of Jobs, you can't even understand it until, so they would have to..." Yves' face goes through a series of expressions. "The past is such a strange place. Time. Time-space point. Span? Anyway." He heads over to look at whichever statue seems most likely to be his favorite god: the one usually represented by a zero.
Orrey, trying to calm himself, approaches the statue of his original patron, The Forgotten, and prays.
Yves finds the statue.
Beneath a darkening sky descends a human woman, her gown mixed with the night itself, a dress wearing a face in the doorway, opening her arms to the bitterness. “From Yoshuelje, she gained the Cloud of Darkness, unending power over night itself," says Fayth.
Beneath an empty socket waits a human man, clad in full armor, his face hidden by a helmet of antlered steel. He stands behind, but does not hold, a shield. “From the Forgotten, she gained a gift lost to the ages. What the Forgotten bestowed upon our Empress was not recorded," Fayth interrupts Orrey's prayer.
"...feels like that power should still belong to Yoshuelje," Yves murmurs. All the same, he looks at the statue with something a few steps closer to reverence than he is usually liable to show.
Apparently deciding that answers to more pressing matters won't be immediately forthcoming, Bast sizes up the statue of Kuganepo.
Beneath an absent light thinks a human woman of diminutive stature on the precipice of disaster. In her right, and only, arm she holds a pen, its ink tracing spiderwebs through the air, on which very real spiders now spin their additions. “From Kuganepo, she gained the Eternium, the gift of the gods that allowed her body to keep up with her divinely-inspired determination.”
Isa's body language is hard to read as she circles the statues. When her helmet regards Itami, her grip on the Frost-Fair Blade tightens.
Beneath a fractured spotlight lurks a human woman of martial might, carrying a spear in her left hand and an envelope in her right. On her back she wears a cloak of daggers, and on her face she betrays no expression at all. “From Itami, she gained the Brionac, the spear that would forever lead the greatest Alternan warrior to victory, no matter the treacherous odds they must face.”
Orrey wanders to each of the statues in turn, sending gratitude to each of them through his holy symbols.
Beneath a shattered light stands a human man, wrapped in a starry cloak of carved stone. Time has erased his features and worn away the edges of the platform, but the celestial canvas of his attire remains pristine. “From Turon, she gained the Celestial Chorus, the song of the stars that placed Alterna at their center.”
Beneath a burned-out bulb reclines a human woman of refined elegance, wearing a gown of 7/4 time, jet-black hair of sharps and flats. “From Somnus, she gained the Dreamwatch, the gift of borderless communication through nighttime ritual."
Beneath a burning flame rises a human woman of justice’s provenance, a yellow bolero above an orange tunic and red pants, her arms spread wide, her face devoid of any features at all. “From Saroni, she gained the Magnatus, the trident of prophecy that would balance the eternal scales.”
Beneath a dimly-burning lamp sits a human man of wizened patience on a throne of tomes. In his hands he holds a book swirling with infinity, a galaxy between its covers. “From Caelonde, she gained the Meteorologica, an unwritten tome that came to house her expansive knowledge of all of Alterna.”
Beneath a beam of light from the outside sky lingers a human woman of boughs and brambles, grasping an absent tool in her two hands, eyes toward the horizon. “From Thalatte, she gained the Ark, the vessel that would carry Alterna to distant shores, to spread its wings to safeguard the entire world.”
Beneath a plume of smoke builds a human man, wielding a hammer in each hand, clad in an apron of smoldering iron, his bare arms burning with finely-crafted fury. “From Koehnta, she gained the Vulcan Lucis, the hammer that would strike the first stone that would build this great nation.”
Beneath a wafting scent rests a human woman, wearing comfortable clothes of hearth and home. To her chest she clasps a sickle and scythe, and of her face only the smile remains. “From Yinha, she gained the Rauni Supra, the scythe that would harvest the first wheat she grew in these inhospitable lands, ensuring her people would survive the first true Alternan winter.”
Beneath a perfect sphere of light marks a human man wearing a fitted suit of black and gold. In his hands he holds a timepiece perfectly parallel to the ground. “From Mechon, she gained the Fated Hour, the knowledge of the time and place of her departure from our world. Nothing would take her from us before that time.”
Yves takes notes, gaze increasingly distant as Orrey activates the whole sequence. "And now she's... in the stars, as their equal, with something from each of them. Hm."
"But the stars are falling," Isa points out.
"Does she have a gift of her own, in that company?" inquires Bast.
"Yeah, mm, the stars part seems like there's a problem and all, with the whole... setup. Among other issues." Yves frowns into his notebook. "The timing of when they began is still--anyway. Hm."
Whatever statue once stood on the central platform has long since been destroyed. "At the conclusion of her time on Ducorde, the Twelve welcomed the Empress to their home in the stars as one of them. She stands equal to the Twelve in her might and her majesty. From above, she watches over her vast Empire, forever guiding us to prosperity."
"It's interesting how various statues have lasted and... not," Yves notes to Orrey quietly. That is definitely not a comment aimed at Fayth, who is demonstrably...sensitive.
"Is the thirteenth floor of the tower dedicated to the Empress?" Orrey asks Fayth.
"Yes, that is correct," Fayth replies.
"We visited the Tower recently." Orrey says. "Truly awe-inspiring."
"Where did you travel from?" Fayth asks.
"Originally, Saron." Orrey tries out of curiosity.
"Interesting," Fayth replies so politely it hurts.
"I was wondering," says Yves brightly, after that bit of...etiquette... "if she also controls the Heart of Sabik, or if that's held by someone else. Since she seems to have been granted all sorts of powers and such from so many places."
"What is the Heart of Sabik?" Fayth asks.
Orrey braces at the mention of the Heart...followed by a sigh of relief when Fayth doesn't blink out, then confusion as to why she hasn't heard of it.
"Does the museum have models of the divine artifacts?" Isa inquires of Fayth.
"That's... an interesting question, actually," Yves says, with a small frown. "It gets pretty metaphysical and wibbly-wobbly to try to put exact terms on some things, but it's something we heard about from... Principia, among others. Do you know Principia? Absolutely marvelous person--book--well, book-person, used to do a job not entirely unlike yours, at an archive instead of a museum."
"I am familiar with Principia," Fayth replies to Yves. "We do not have models. The artifacts themselves are part of a traveling exhibit at this time, but are expected back by next summer."
"Where are they traveling to? I'd love to see them!" Orrey says with real enthusiasm.
"The tour begins in Cardia, then travels to Machanon, Caerwyn, then Saron, before returning here."
"Do you ever get a chance to talk to people like Principia? To other people like yourself?" Yves asks, looking up at the ceiling. "It seems like it must get lonely here without many people coming through the museum, compared to how many you used to get before--recently. I know I get fidgety and sort of glum after a while if I'm not seeing anyone else, even though I do like some good focused lab time or the like. Sometimes it's just nice to be around people doing their own thing. Maybe it's different for you."
"It is of no concern to me, but it is appreciated," Fayth replies. Then, in a sudden monotone: "One moment please."
"Orrey," delivers the monotone.
Orrey nods, holding his necklace of Holy Symbols without really being conscious of it.
A crystal shimmers into existence before him.
His Job Crystal.
"The Grand Theologian confirms your geas."
"They....They do? They do, of course." Orrey quickly recovers.
Yves pats Orrey on the shoulder gingerly. "See? Fair and just and... things like that which, uh, definitely always accompany imperial. Empires. Right."
"At the conclusion of your tour, go to Castle Atma. They have requested a meeting."
"They did...what...ok." Orrey looks around at everyone to confirm they heard the same thing.
"Who has requested a meeting?" Isa looks lost.
"Interesting. We must have missed them last time." Bast looks skeptical.
"The, uh, Grand Theologian, it sounds like? Maybe they'll..." Yves struggles briefly for a way to finish this sentence. "...have some ideas for, you know. Finding things. Doing things. Th....ings."
"The Grand Theologian wishes to meet the Oracle. They expect you at the Castle after your tour has concluded," Fayth says patiently.
"What's the proper form of address for the Grand Theologian? I don't want to be impolite." Orrey says in an odd tone of voice, slightly befuddled.
"Lord," Fayth replies.
"I told you I'd tell you how a foreigner became an Oracle, Fayth." Orrey says, recovering a bit from the shock of finding out Alterna isn't even close to as dead and empty as he expected.
"Yes," Fayth agrees.
"Would you remind me to do so at the end of the tour?" Orrey asks.
"How many more rooms are on the tour?" Yves asks, digging out the token he picked at the beginning. He still hasn't found out about the fate of his chosen hero of yore, darnit.
"There are two rooms remaining. When you are ready, please proceed," Fayth says.
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