No reply yet from Kernher.
I hired a personal assistant to help me get around in Dam-Torsad.
I spent my time wisely in the Imperial History Museum’s library. The Caretaker of Archives is a most kind and helpful woman. She has pointed me to the works of ancient historians who mention the disappearance of the Ametat and Avetat, and to the works of modern historians on the matter. I learned a great deal, which I must try to summarize here.
Below is a reproduction of the oldest depiction of the Ametat. It is also the only depiction that predates its disappearance. It is a gold-on-wood icon with inlaid gems showing a golden-masked Sefrim holding the Ametat. Not very visible on the reproduction is the red crystal close to the top of the Ametat. The icon is part of a diptych, and there was an accompanying icon showing a Sefrim holding the Avetat. This second panel is now missing.
The oldest depictions of the Avetat show it as a halo with something like crossbars surrounding the Emperor’s head almost like a helmet. It is only much later that depictions show a crown in the usual sense. The oldest written descriptions are fragmentary. They describe the items as made of a light, strong material that did not show sign of wear or rust.
The most complete early historian on the matter is Ashot of Iphria. He is also the first historian in the modern sense of the word, in that he not only relates one side of the story but tries to include different opinions and compiles different sources. However, he lived around 18500 AD, nearly two thousand years after the disappearance of Avetat and Ametat, situated around 16900 AD.
In “De Aurora Imperii”, Ashot lists the most common theories in his days, relating to the disappearance of these artifacts. The main theory – still today I believe – is that God took these items back because he was displeased by the behavior of us Amarrians. If that is true, then most certainly in this era we will not earn them back.
The second theory is that the Avetat is held in secret by the Speakers of Truth – and it is what gives them their wisdom. In this theory the Ametat was kept by the Council of Apostles, to keep it safe from the then warring heirs and to keep the power of the Emperors in check. If that is so, the Avetat may still be in the possession of the Speakers, but the Ametat has probably been moved during the Moral Reforms.
The remaining theories only agree on the fact that there was a theft. But they do not agree on the thief: some claim the Court Chamberlain, others claim this or that heir or warlord.
Several works from after the Reclaiming (so after 20078 AD) mention that the artifacts fell in the hands of the Sani Sabik. This theory of course does not explain what happened to the artifacts in the millenia between their disappearance and the origin of the cult in the early days of the Reclaiming.
The Sani Sabik think they are the only ones destined for greatness and worthy of immortality. If they’re worthy of immortality, the idea goes, they are also worthy of the other gifts of the Sefrim.
The group that absconded the artifacts ran away with them to create a New Amarrian Empire. They used primitive cryo-ships to escape and settle in the Araz constellation. They founded the Takmahl empire, which rose to some importance before collapsing. The flight of the Takmahl and the founding of their empire is well documented history, but the fact they would have taken the Ametat and Avetat with them remains speculation.
I believe now that Tertius Ausonius Bathana (Aspenstar’s father) adhered to this latter theory, which would explain his extensive research on the Takmahl.
I also take note that Lord Aslan focuses his search on the Araz constellation and neighboring Kakol, where Gamdis III is located. Probably he also researched the Takmahl lead.
The pieces of the puzzle start to fit.
