Liquidation auction skillbooks

I participated in the public auction for the liquidation of the assets of a capsuleer corporation, called Moira.

This corporation was founded by captain Julianus Soter of the Federation. He also participated in the Arek'Jalaan research project, and he was the leader of its Multidisciplinary Division. So, in exploration circles he is a famous man, and my hope was that some of the artifacts that he recovered during his investigations would be up for sale.

They were not. Probably they have been transferred to the successor corporation for Moira., called "blades of justice" or something of that gist.

However, the library of the corporation, including mostly a large number of skillbooks but also other types of manuscripts, and I hope records of the Arek'Jalaan project, was auctioned off. Strangely, it was lumped together with a bunch of expensive cybernetic implants in one lot. The auctioneer, general Rinai Vero, was willing to split the lot and sell me the skillbooks only, a very gracious offer which I was happy to take.

This will be the starting core of a permanent collection of skillbooks available for Societas capsuleers in our general hangar in Mehatoor. 

Over the past few years, the skillbook fund has given me a good insight in what our initiate pilots most frequently request: all sorts of laser and missile specialisations, Amarr battleships and battlecruisers, and advanced infomorph psychology. There is also a big demand for some lower level skillbooks, like armor layering, cloaking, thermodynamics, cruisers, shield systems, etc. If I can build up a stock of those in Mehatoor, especially bought at heavy discount in the occasional auction, this will be a wonderful addition to the skillbook refund programme as it will spare our pilots a trip to a trade hub.

Antiquus

I am visiting the Arek'Jalaan archives at the "Site One: Antiquus" facility in Eram. There are few (or no) capsuleers around, so there is no influx of new research from field work. The field work that has been done during dr. Tukoss' time is very well preserved and archived, and a lot of academic work on the materials collected from that time is still being done. There is probably enough material to analyse for scientists for decades to come.

The Antiquus research complex is impressive to behold. There are nice quarters for visiting scholars, close to the main spire but set apart from the main stations that are not accessible for visitors. Although there weren't any capsuleers visiting, there are many baseliner ships in and around the complex - it is bustling with activity.

The archives are accessed via the different storage platforms, one for each research division of Arek'Jalaan. Book copies of abstracts are automatically uploaded to the cargohold upon approaching the platform. 

Two projects in particular draw my attention. Project Infernal Spade, formerly led by a capsuleer named Myyona, investigates the Talocan. This ancient race is linked to the Takmahl - many believe that the meteoric rise of the Takmahl is due to the fact that they stumbled on Talocan artefacts and gate technology, and were able to reverse-engineer them to some extent.

Even more to the point is Project Theseus. It specifically investigates the Takmahl and their relics. Its lead researcher is a familiar person to all those interested in the Takmahl: prof. Valerie Valate. I talked to this Sani Sabik before, as she is maybe the cluster's leading expert on the Takmahl. Here I can dig deeper into these archives, and I am excited to compare my own limited findings to that of other field researchers.

Arek'Jalaan archives

I have been reviewing my expedition to Deklein and rethinking my theories on the exodus of the Sani Sabik during Queron's reign. I am still convinced that the key to finding ancient artifacts lies in understanding the pattern of their cryoship routes. But I have to admit that I was wrong about the pentagram symbolism driving their choice of destinations.

In the Imperial History Museum there is almost no information on the routes the Sani Sabik took. Talking to other scholars there and following up references in works on this topic, it seems some information can be found in the archives of the Arek'Jalaan in Eram, in the Republic. They investigated many subjects, and ancient cultures was one of their research topics. And, since the organisation was capsuleer driven, they could do field work that no-one else could before.

I've encountered that organisation earlier in my searches, and was told it is more or less defunct since the death of its director dr. Hilen Tukoss. However, the archives are still accessible in the "Site One" institute in Eram.

Reinhart Novan

 I must try to summarize Reinhart Novan’s efforts. 

His search for the Ametat and Avetat took place six years ago. He had become rich and powerful, but unsatisfied with his life. He went on a spiritual retreat, and this was where he first started searching for God in his life, letting Him in. In doing so, he found his calling: to use his resources to find the Holy Relics. I am happy for him: God is always waiting to be invited in our lives, but most of us are too busy with ourselves to see that he is in waiting in the lobby of our heart.

He also first followed the Toth lead. His conclusions are that the Toth expedition was most likely attacked by the Jovians, or by some forgotten colony or outpost. The trail seems to have gone cold for him.

And, again mirroring my own journey into this mystery, he next focused on the Takmahl lead. He mentions a research society focusing on the Takmahl, called “Project Revelation”. They are part of a group called the Arek’Jaalan, based in a place they call “Site One” in the Eram system, Metropolis region. By the time Novan reached Site One, the group was already in decline. Nevertheless, he obtained many records, and decided to focus on the Araz constellation. He mentions finding cryoship remains in the lowsec worlds near Araz, but the location is not clearly revealed.

Next, he mentions dr. Valerie Valate as a source for information on the Takmahl and the archivist of the Arek’Jaalan. My frist impression was that she was just vain when she called herself the greatest expert on the Takmahl, but she indeed turns out to be a leading scholar on the matter. I will have to meet her in person, but she is a heretic of the worst kind: a Sani Sabik.  She has texts and lost pieces of the Sani Sabik text, the Apocryphon, that could prove invaluable. But a researcher must be strong and overcome his loathing of heretics, especially Sani Sabik. Sometimes, you must reach trough muck to unclog a drain.

This was more difficult for Novan, as his actions reflect on SFRIM. Throughout his records, I found that his obligations to the corporation – especially given his wealth and power – were hampering and delaying his research. I understand now much better why Tal-Romon made me take the triple vows of poverty, non-aggression and celibacy. Only “Devoid of distractions” will my soul be “free to soar and be close to God” (Missions 42:5).

Novan’s final entries concern his trips to the Museum Arcana in Zimse and and the Labyrinth in Aphi. I have already reported on these places of interest before, and I am glad to find this confirmed by a separate source. 

His final leads concern the links between the Takmahl and the Talocan, he surmises that the latter may have caused the end of the Takmahl empire and that the Takmahl rose to prominence because they found Talocan data. This seems to undercut the Takmahl lead, since it would mean they did not have to rely on the Avetat to give them their wisdom. 

The cluster was undergoing great changes at that point, as Catherine’s Star appeared. He then seems to have taken leave from the corporation. I guess he did this to focus more fully on the search. But, it also entails that the records that the corporation kept end there. I hope one day to meet this adventurer, I get a strong feeling that our paths will converge at some point.

New leads

 I was in the library, working through the records of Reinhart Novan’s search, when Aria Jenneth quietly approached me. She is Aspenstar’s assistant and retainer, and kindly inquired whether I needed anything. I am touched that SFRIM is treating me with such kindness and creates the perfect conditions for research. Ora et labora. 

I took the opportunity to ask ms. Jenneth some questions she might know the answer to, by virtue of her position in the corporation.

Unfortunately, she joined the corporation at about the same time as Novan left, so she did not know him well. As for a possible contact in PIE, she suggested Lord-Consort Aldrith Shutaq Newelle. I must first find out how to properly address him without causing offence.

The most interesting part of our discussion was about organizations devoted to the search of relics or to archeology. The Arek’Jaalan is one such organization, that rose to some fame a while ago. They are also mentioned by Novan. However, it went defunct. I will report more on them in the summary I am preparing on Novan’s search. 

The director of Arek’Jaalan, dr. Hilen Tukoss, was killed. It appears that an impersonator used Tukoss’ position to collect Jove DNA, and soon after Drifter battleships appeared and his corpse was found. Dr. Valate seems to have escaped this shocking incident. Although ms. Jenneth was apprehensive of dr. Valate, she still described her as “the least horrid Sabik” she knows now. 

The research work of the Arek’Jaalan was continued by the Arataka Research Consortium alliance. The name sounds familiar, I may have heard of them before, but I do not remember when. It is a multinational coalition – indeed, science is usually the first part of society that transcends borders between nations. The contact person there is Lasairona Raske and the research director is Haria Haritimado. The current research focuses on present threats – ah, now I remember: I did read several publications of the Arataka Research Consortium on the Triglavians. That war seems to be in some sort of strange stalemate, and I did not pay much attention to the matter. I should revisit these works.

I am grateful to have such an abundance of leads and a long list of persons of interest to investigate.