Singing ice

Ibani VI is a large ice planet. At a distance of 31 AU, Ibani's sun is so weak that even high noon looks like dusk, and stars remain visible on the celestial dome throughout the day. The sun is not able to warm anything on this world, and it is covered by an ice layer many kilometers thick.

Ibani VI has no less than 22 moons. Some of these moons are quite massive, the size of small planets. The large amount of moons means that there are no tides, the moons usually pull all in different directions, averaging out whatever tidal effect there would be. But from time to time there are lunar alignments. Especially if several of the larger moons align, this does cause a powerful transient tidal force on Ibani VI.

There's no free flowing water, Ibani VI is covered in ice. But the immense tidal forces during an alignment event create a strong tension in the ice, ultimately making it crack. As the cracks and fissures move at high speeds through the ice mass, they create strong vibrations resulting in otherworldly sounds, heard over hundreds of kilometers. The ice sings. The colder, the louder the eerie sounds. If a crack occurs close to you, even if it is hundreds of meters below the surface, the force of the vibrations can knock you down. During a tidal event, the proliferating cracks that slowly move around the planet create a powerful and enchanting symphony unlike anything you ever heard.

This is often accompanied by weak, almost auroral light - but rather than an aurora above, the sheets of light are below the ice. This blueish glow under the ice travels at great speed, spreading underfoot from horizon to horizon in a matter of seconds, racing along like the cracks. It's not yet fully understood what causes these curtains of diffuse subsurface light, although often it is attributed to piezo-electric effects in the ice. This glow adds to the magic of the phenomenon.

The singing ice of Ibani VI draws tourists, even from Amarr itself. It's apparently the only thing for which people bother to visit this system. Well, there's the Order of St. Tetrimon's fortress, but that one is not very popular.

Ibani

Ibani. A cold, feeble star. It looks orange, even though it's classified as a main sequence brown dwarf. It's a bit too large for a dwarf but this aberration of a star is still close enough to the main sequence. It's a dark place, and whatever meager light comes from that star has to be enhanced by the ship's imaging systems.

I came early for the meeting. A paladin knight of the order would escort me. Not a cleric: I must be reminded that this is a militant Order.

I passed my waiting time by launching combat scanner probes and having a look at the system. There were a few miners from Darwinism who scurried away as soon as they saw the probes on d-scan. Maybe they picked up my Anathema as well, before it cloaked up, and thought I would cyno in a battle group. I tried to tell them on local that I present no danger, but they were already gone before I could type up a full sentence.

The miners were working the belts, but there are no Athanors in this system, no one is interested in the ore-poor moons. There's some planetary industry, at least if one goes by the customs systems. 

I scanned the ecliptic plane out to about 300 AU, to see if the order is hiding some stations in deepspace pockets. They did this in Thebeka: they built a fortress monastery more than hundred AU away from anything. No-one bothered to scan that far out so their station went undetected, until they chose to reveal it. In this system, I couldn't find anything.

En route

Yesterday, I had a nice chat with mr. Statesman about the search for his father. He's been given some interesting artefacts as "heritage" when his mother passed away, providing hints to the identity of his father. He asked me to help him analyse them - a long while back, in Mehatoor. He then left for a long time - and only recently did he show up again, at SFRIM's new offices in Nasreri. I was glad I could finally get back to him with the results of my investigation, and suggestions on how to proceed next. I almost feel like a private detective.

Anyway, further detective work on this will have to wait a bit, today I left for Ibani - it is rather far away. The kind of place that always seems to be at least 40 jumps from any reasonable place you may find yourself. It is still part of the civilized world, but barely, with a 0.1 security status. The local capsuleers seem to have banded into an alliance called "Darwinism", and unfortunately, they appear to be set red to us, unfriendlies.

I haven't been given permission to land anywhere near the fortress complex of the Order of St. Tetrimon, on Ibani VI. In stead, I have been asked to dock up in the Khanid Storage station orbiting the 15th moon of that planet.

Ascension since Jamyl's reign

The return to power of the Order of St. Tetrimon was a policy of Empress Jamyl I. It came as a shock, totally unexpected, just like Jamyl's reappearance in Mekhios to save us from the Elder fleet. 

One would have thought that Jamyl's return would have been met with scepticism and critique from such an conservative sect. In stead, they issued a simple statement, in support of Jamyl: “The Order of St. Tetrimon welcomes Her Royal Highness Jamyl Sarum home. God’s children rejoice as His light returns home, and the light shall bring death and despair on His enemies.”

Soon after, Jamyl invited the Khanid heir back to the privy counsel, and overturned the old suppression edict, allowing the Order to operate in Amarr space. When Empress Jamyl passed away, it was the Order who was responsible to oversee the succession trials. Empress Catiz has maintained their privileges.

In the last couple of years, their influence has grown even stronger, supported by both house Ardishapur and house Sarum. The Order became more militant, and was given key roles to purge the Empire from heresy, alongside the ministry of internal order. Ardishapur and Sarum were instrumental in giving the Order an  Empire-wide mandate to seek out heresy and rebellion, first among slave populations, and then in general.

House Ardishapur allowed them to start a new chapter in the Ammatar mandate, and to build fortress-monasteries on the planet of Halturzhan in Jarizza, as well as in the Thebeka system, where the order helped defeat a slave rebellion. Similarly, House Sarum gave them titles to a fortess on Dihra VI, and permission to start a new chapter in their demesne, and in return they have been involved in House Sarum's battles in Floseswin.

The Empire has been purging itself from heresy after the treacherous Equilibrium of Mankind attacks, and this latest development has seen the Order become more powerful than ever.

Doriam's period of grace

The Tetrimon cult in exile in Khanid space longed to be recognized by the Empire and lobbied hard and long for this. Heideran never allowed it. However, under his successor, Doriam II, they were finally given a chance to get re-instated. In YC106 the Theology Council accepted a petition to investigate their doctrine and decide if it is in line with the imperial rite. Unfortunately Doriam would not live to see the result of that investigation.

The cult's teachings are based on a slightly different version of the scriptures. Some parts are not included, while others are added. There are apocryphal texts that are not in the canonical version of the scriptures, and these parts are known as the "Tetrimon Scrolls". These include some very old books that were retained by the Tetrimon when the Order had been instructed to purify Scriptures from the Mad Emperor's heresies. These old parts date from at least two millennia ago, when the Order was still in the good graces of the Empire, before the Moral Reforms.

For the duration of the Theology Council's investigation of the scrolls, the Suppression Edict was revoked, suspending the exile of the Order. Still, it was no walk in the park to bring their sciptures to Amarr, in fact the Order's grand master at the time, Elata Ardo, died protecting these shipments during their transfer to the Theology Council. 

The Theology Council then debated and studied these texts carefully for nearly two years, and at first, things were looking good. A first report in January YC108 concluded that several books in the Tetrimon scriptures are authentic.

Things took a turn for the worse not long after that. It appeared that the Order had been spying on the Theology Council. There were even some claims that they tried to influence members of the Council. Their spying attempts were revealed, resulting in a strong condemnation from the Empire. In the end, the Theology Council described the scrolls as "inconclusive", and while this does not reject their authenticity, it does not accept the Order back into the fold either.

In October YC108, chancellor Karsoth had ordered the Imperial Navy to attack an installation from the Order in the Bleak Lands, claimed to be the center of their eavesdropping effort. The Order claimed that it used this station to mop up the remnants of the Blood Raiders that were still in the Bleak Lands following Doriam's successful campaign against the Raiders. The installation was destroyed. One month later, the Privy Council reconfirmed the Suppression Edict and the exile of the Order. 

After two hopeful years, things were back to square one for the Tetrimon.

The Tetrimon in exile

When I was a younger man, before I got my calling to join the monastery, Heideran the Good (Heideran VII) was Emperor. He'd been emperor since I was born and long before that. In those days, the Order of St. Tetrimon was considered a fringe grouping outside the Empire, crackpots at best, heretics at worst.

It had been so ever since they chose the wrong side during the Moral Reforms, one and a half millennium ago. Somehow, the order managed to survive, even though it was disgraced and banished. 

During Heideran's reign, the Khanid Kingdom was not part of the Empire. The reason that they had broken away was the refusal of Garkeh Khanid to commit the ritual suicide Shathol'Syn after the trials that saw Heideran VII ascend the Imperial throne. This breakaway kingdom had offered sanctuary to the Order of St. Tetrimon, perhaps to spite the Empire. The Order was allowed to operate rather freely in the Kingdom, and built its headquarters in the Ibani system in the Budar constellation, a low security backwater pocket of the Kingdom.

So, at least until I left the monastery a year and half ago, in my imagination they were just a bunch of  Khanid zealots, who try to give themselves importance using the fading memory of a once illustrious past. 

You can imagine my surprise when I got back into worldly politics and learned of their swift ascension and the central security role they now play in the Empire...

Visiting the Order

Sometimes I think I bite off more than I can chew.

This is compounded by my inability to say no to requests - and as a result I often find myself lacking time or running around from one errand to another. It's not that I dislike the particular tasks: I enjoy the ministry, and what I can do for baseliners and capsuleers alike. I also love the library, and expanding its collections in a meaningful way. But time flies without me noticing it - in fact a week has passed as if it were a couple of days.

So, I have resolved to refocus some of my attention to the holy mission that saint Tal-Romon has given me. I'm going to try following a lead that I have not given much attention to yet: the order of St. Tetrimon. I've placed a request to visit the library at the Mother Chapter of the order, on Ibani VI, and it did not take long for them to respond positively to my request.

Time to dust off the Indagatrix and climb back into the pod.

A few uneventful days

This past week was rather slow after the Auction, and filled with tedious jobs, for the library and for the chapel. I do not complain: sometimes it's good to have a relatively uneventful few days.

That being said, I did have the pleasure of welcoming Yun-Hee at the Lamp. She's not a member of our corporation yet I think, but Lunarisse allows her to use the Lamp's quarters. She dropped by the library to explore this public part of the Lamp, and made friends with Mittens. I'm glad to have her around.

Ishta came to the chapel, she wanted to repair the altar after she had pinned down a sedevacantist on it. I let her try her woodworking skills on a spot on the side first, and initially it looked like the colour of the filling didn't quite match the rest. But now that it has had some time to dry and cure, it looks very good. I'll ask her fix the top as well now, if she still wants. It's nice of her to do this, and not obvious for her: because of her past, she does not have pleasant memories of altars...

Amra is allowed out of the medbay now for short periods of time, to do sports and relax in the bar. It must be that she's progressing well in her healing and I am glad for that. I must talk to Lord Anderson, I've come to see that his carnal relation with Amra might be sinful, given his position of power over her.

The Lamp underwent "sonic cleaning", whatever that may be. We had to stay out of it for an hour or so and I was very worried about the ancient books and artefacts in the library. Probably this is to take care of the rats - since we moved here the station rats started to explore the new structure that the Lamp represents for them.

I've noticed Aria seems a bit under stress. The whole thing with Amra, first in the chapel and then in the medbay... Then the subdeacon going nuts. And then the rats. I think she takes it all too personally, and sees this as failures of security, but I don't think anyone could do much about any of it. You just can't control everything... And especially not human error, such as a guard that gets infatuated with his prisoner.

The price of art

I am happy the auction for literature went well. Although I am stunned at the amounts of money offered by capsuleers, like I was last year.

The kind of money paid for luxury items like ship skins are outrageous - especially if you think of what it could mean to baseliners or to the improvement of the poor and weakest in society.

Six billion ISK - I think, maybe it was seven before I zoned out - was offered for art by a rather unknown Matari artist, Saccade Amir. After this news gets out, any art gallery in the cluster is going to try to get Saccade's art. Traders and investors are going to goggle it up.

At first, I thought it was rigged, some artists buy their own art through a third person, just to crank up the prizes for their art. But then, this was an auction, the money has to paid to Lunarisse to sponsor the writing contest. So it cannot be a loop, with the artist paying money to themselves just to boost the price of their works. 

Six billion. For a portrait and a painting of a house.And afterwards, the artist tried to murder someone and Ishta prevented it. 

Probably this will boost prices even higher....

Blessings and exorcisms

I'm glad I brushed up on my exorcism skills.

I was in Mehatoor to bless a new station, built by the 641st Task Force. They are valliant warriors active in the war zone, fighting the Republic's hold over our worlds. 

After the station blessing, there was a ship blessing. Always a joyous occasion, and one that boosts the morale of both capsuleers and baseliners. Except - this time mr. Nauplius showed up, asking for his vessel to be blessed too. Of course I was not going to bless the ship of a heretic and enemy to the empire! 

In stead, I attempted an exorcism. If it didn't work, well no harm done. But just in case he was indeed possessed by a demon... 

It turned out that this was not the case. I was hopeful at first, he grunted and shook. But in the end, no it didn't work. He quickly reverted to Sedevacantist propaganda. And left.

News: movies and music section

There was definitely a strange mood this morning in all sections of the Lamp. Baseliners and capsuleers alike seemed to be walking around as if there is a storm warning. Hurricane, highest category. It's betrayed by a definite tension, and an urge to look for shelter. 

I asked around, but of course nobody would acknowledge there was anything wrong. At the same time, nobody wanted to hang around for any amount of time.

I found out later, as I was watching the news. 

Apparently, there's a new sedevacantist movie that came out in the Federation. The news reporters explained how it portrayed a caricature of LUMEN. And Faith. And Luna. The news redaction was gracious enough not to show scenes, but the report anyway did not leave much to be guessed. If Luna hears this, there's going to be war.

Anyone you'd ask at the Lamp will claim they haven't seen any news today. But everyone knows. And everyone is keen on not being the one to tell Luna today.

As it turns out, I have to leave Nasreri today to go to Mehatoor to bless a station. Never was I keener to bless a station.

A closet sedevacantist

I was shocked to discover that one of the clerics in our Chapel is a closet sedevacantist. 

He blew a fuse yesterday, seeing Ishta - a former slave - in her high rank, now member of the illustrious House de Silvestris, at the chapel. He started insulting her and became so enraged he vomited out all his hatred.

Ishta stabbed the man in the hand, pinning him on the altar that got blood all over it now. So, she remained remarkably in control of herself. There was a time where I'd probably have had to go look for his bowels in the chandeliers.

He's been with us since a while, mr. Tykraen. Since Mehatoor, for sure. He is a quiet man, somewhat introvert. He has always been helpful and diligent. I know he was frustrated that he did not get a promotion to deacon, but he did not let that stand in the way of his work. How did the venom of sedevacantism find its way into the mind of this hard working man? 

In Mehatoor, he must have been exposed to the heresy, as it is also the home of Nauplius. Aria downplays the importance of Nauplius, and indeed his power is very limited - he cannot muster a fleet of Titans like the equilibrium of mankind. 

But I think the appeal of his simplistic message of hate and division should not be underestimated. There are many discontent, and when offered scapegoats that can be blamed for everything, it's very tempting to believe in that. Humans have this tendency to divided the world in "us" and "them", and blame all the bad things that happen on these others. 

This newest heresy plays on these feelings. It is therefore more contagious than for example promoting the red god, or any other demon worship. In order to multiply itself, this heresy relies far less on the person of Nauplius than what Aria may surmise. 

Confession

I visited the contortionist assassin, Amra Ronuken, in her cell in the medbay. She was indeed willing to confess - I think this was the reason why she showed up in the chapel earlier. She did, and I think it alleviated her soul.

In some ways, she reminds me of Ishta. Abused, victim of criminals of the worst kind, but nevertheless she still yearns for the light and detests the horrible things she has to do. The compass of her soul still works. I see promise for redemption in her, and hope lord Anderson will help her, as lord Pitojee helped Ishta. However, I am somewhat worried that the relation between his lordship and his enamoured assassin is more carnal, and this might be detrimental to good spiritual guidance.

We will see how this will develop. 

Meanwhile I had to notify Aria that the attendant who lets people in and out the cell has been somewhat negligent in his duties. He wasn't present any more to let me out, Amra had to open the door for me. That was surprising, as she is supposed to be the one who is locked up.

Sounds behind the Walls

Perhaps one thing to add to the summary is that I spent some time in an Achur monastery, and learned about their version of the Sceptre. I even got to see a shard of it, and it could be dated to the time the Eve Gate must have been built. Perhaps there were several Sceptres and as the Goners think they can indeed unlock the Gate...

But, coming back from daydreaming to daily reality at the lamp. There is a noise, a clunking, audible behind walls from time to time. It got Mittens' attention. It's probably just the structure settling in, but I want to make sure we do not have a poltergeist. So I'm having some advanced equipment shipped in from my contacts at the Theology Council. Poltergeists have an effect on the electrostatic potentials in the room and on the thermal gradients in the room. This equipment will detect and track it.

Summary part 4

 Part IV - The Moral Reforms

The expansion to the stars increased the power of the Emperor. Together with with the five most important planetary Holder houses, the later Heirs, Heideran V (not to be confused with the more recent Heideran VII) contested the power of the Council of Apostles. It was a conflict that had been long in the making, but started more or less openly in 21875, five hundred years after the flight of the Sabik.

The civil war would last half a century, till roughly 21930. Heideran V's forces defeated the Council of Apostles. The Order of St. Tetrimon had sided with the Council during the conflict, but managed to remain active in small sects that continued to act against the Moral Reforms. Led by grand master Tetrimon IV they hid away the artifacts and records of the Council of Apostles.

This is probably the second moment in our history where a lot of relics and artefacts were hidden or taken away. I've conjectured earlier in this summary that Council of Apostles - in its ancient role of keeping the power of the Throne in check - was for many millennia the caretaker of the Ametat. During and after the Moral Reforms they would certainly want to keep this symbol out of the hand of Heideran V. 

In recent years, the Order of St. Tetrimon has made a comeback. Their return was encouraged by the recent Empresses Jamyl and Catiz. They now have built a magnificent headquarters, home to their growing fleet and their center of power. If they kept possession of the Ametat, this is the place where they'll keep it. The only other possibility is their Mother Chapter in the Kingdom, Fortress Teakh tak-Teakh on Ibani VI.

I haven't yet pursued that lead, although I was hopeful when one of the Tetrimon joined the ranks of LUMEN. But I haven't seen mr. Moon for a long time now.

This concludes the summary of my search till now.

Summary part 3

This post follows the two previous ones summazing my search thusfar.

Part III - Investigating the Takmahl lead

The Takmahl political organisation reflected what we had in Amarr, and at the head of their society stood an emperor. The possession of the stolen Avetat would have strengthened his claim to power and brought the wise rule necessary to make the Takmahl thrive well beyond any other Sabik colony. Under the emperor stood holders, with commoners under them, and finally slaves at the end of the chain of obedience. The Takmahl empire incorporated Talocan technology into their own science. 

I spent most of the year investigating several leads in connection with the Takmahl :

• I have not uncovered hard evidence that the Takmahl could reach Anoikis or any other far flung part of the cluster using Talocan jump gate technology. There are Takmahl artefacts in Anoikis, but it is not clear they were left there by the Takmahl themselves.

• I spent a lot of time investigating the Araz constellation and the surroundings of the Takmahl core worlds. During one of my expeditions I found a mummified corpse with intact cyberimplants (the Takmahl have developed advanced cybernetics). I keep that corpse in a stasis pod, I need to clone it to succesfully fool the cyberimplants and reactivate them.

• Given their attachment to the pentagram, I was intrigued that besides Araz there is only one other pentagram constellation in the cluster, in Deklein. I went there, beyond the borders of the civilized world, but was unable to find any traces of the Takmahl.

• The Bersirym system is another such place of interest outside or Araz. There is a high concentration of Takmahl relics there, and I found out that it was being used by gangsters to fund their activities. Although I found their space warehouse, I haven't really found the source of these relics, and this is a lead I must continue.

• Finally, I followed archeological reports that claimed there is a large temple or treasury on, let us call it "planet G". The Takmahl emperor would indeed have kept such a relic in a well guarded treasury, but it is not clear that their influence reached planet G. It is also not clear why they wouldn't keep them close at hand in Aphi - unless they got scared of them. There are certainly interesting things hidden there, guarded moreover by typical Jove tech (nanoswarms). However, this treasure is not accessible any more...

Ultimately, Takmahl society collapsed, for reasons not altogether clear. Their numbers dwindled from billions to a few hundred thousand that had reverted to barbary and ignorance by the time our explorers encountered them, as can be seen from the photograph below.

This means that any knowledge of where the Avetat was kept, if indeed it ended up in the possession of the Takmahl emperor, is now lost. Searching their ruins and wreckage will therefore remain an important part of my search.

However, there are still other leads to follow.

Summary part 2

Continuing my summary of what I learned in the first year of search for the Ametat and Avetat.

Part II - The Theft

Several sources - including Lunarisse's archeologist father - point to the great purges under Queron I as a possible time when the relics could have left Amarr.

Queron I ruled not that long after we took to the stars. Our first jump gate, to Hedion, had been built only thirty years before he ascended to the throne. We had not yet met any other intelligent life in the universe. He had inherited from his uncle Armani I an empire rife with heresy. Equilibrium of Mankind was operating from its hidden lair in space, and the Imperial institutions had been infiltrated by Sani Sabik. Queron I cleaned up the Empire.

Those Sabik that survided Queron's inquisitions (21310-21346) fled Amarr in cryoships. They took important relics and artefacts with them and set course to distant lands. I conjecture that they took with them also the Avetat (and possibly the Ametat too, but more on that later). Their cryoships -such as the well-preserved wreck shown in the picture below- were slower than light, and traveled many decades in the hope of finding a good world to start new colonies.

Most of these attempts failed, but at least one colonist fleet succeeded. They made it to the Araz constellation, probably arriving around 21400. There, they flourished - perhaps with the help of the stolen Avetat and its wisdom-granting powers. Certainly the Talocan artefacts that they found in Aphi helped. They would become known as the Takmahl, and their civilization would last for a millennium before collapsing.

The theft of the Avetat by the Sabik runaways must have been known in the highest circles of the Council of Apostles and the Speakers of Truth. A young religious reformer, Ilash Toth, was working with these institutions in their role of curbing the growing powers of the Emperor and the Holders with planetary holdings. The Imperial and Holder power grew through the interstellar expansion, and this planted the first seeds for the conflict between the Throne and the Council. Ilash Toth found out what happened to the Avetat. He organised his famous expedition to retrieve the artefact(s) - bringing his followers along - and left Amarr with his fleet in 21432, in pursuit of the Sabik thieves.

The Sabik colony in Araz -that would become the Takmahl empire- was a mere 30 or 40 years old only when Toth set a course to them. At this point the theories branch: did Toth succeed or not?

Let's first explore the theory that Toth did succeed, and was able to wrest the Avetat and maybe also the Ametat from the budding Takmahl. He sent word of his success back to Amarr, but did not turn his fleet back to our holy homeland. Famously, his fleet disappeared and presumably hasn't been found since.

The Goners, founded by Brother Sarachem after he found his truth in old texts long forgotten in the Hedion archives, believe that Toth flew to Eve Gate. Early last year, I spent a good deal of time in the New Eden system to study this and to talk to the Goners. The Goners believe the relics can open the gate, and devote themselves to flying subwarp to the gate. Maybe one day they will find Toth's lost expedition somewhere between the New Eden star and the gate, but thusfar they have not succeeded. They also mention legends that the Jove or some other ancients stopped Toth from opening Eve Gate and hid the relics in an asteroid belt in the now inaccessible Jove systems.

It is fair to say the Toth trail has gone cold for now. So, next we must look at the alternative: Toth did not succeed in retaking the relic(s?), and they remained with the Takmahl.

Summary part 1

It has been over a year since I started my search. So, it is time to take stock, and review where my investigations stand, and summarize what I’ve learnt. The report is a bit long, so I'm going to break it up in parts for my logbook.

Part I – Early history

The Ametat and Avetat disappeared from the Imperial Palace roughly 400 years after Emperor Amash Akura’s death.

If God sent the Sefrim to retrieve these gifts and bring them back to Him, then my quest would be pointless. Yet, I am devoted to the vision that I received, and must continue.

So, I assume they were moved from the Imperial Palace. If one translates the oldest reports - from the Court Chamberlain - in a strictly literal way then the only things they say for sure is that the Ametat and Avetat were no longer in the hands of the Imperial Family. 

At the time, the only entities with the power to remove them from the Imperial Family, would be the Council of Apostles and the Speakers of Truth. Petty thieves would stand no chance on the long run. Back in these early millennia, the Apostles and the Speakers had as their main role to keep the power of the Emperor in check – the concentration of power in the Throne that we know today is fairly new as it dates from the Moral Reforms.

The Ametat - the Sceptre - gives power and vigor, and its natural extension would be the Council of Apostles. They wielded power and continuity then, and elected the Emperor from their ranks. The Avetat - the Crown - gives wisdom and acumen, and its natural place would be with the Speakers of Truth, who dealt with justice. It makes sense that the trinity of Throne - Scepter - Crown , which in Amash Akura was unified in the Emperor as it is today, used to be split among the Emperor, the Council and the Speakers. 

Ancient jewelry represented this as three interlocking gold rings - they interlock in such a way that if you remove one ring, the other two also fall apart. Before the moral reforms, such trinity rings were inscribed with IMP - SEN - IUS (for Emperor, Council, Justice), and "UNITAS" at the center. After the reforms, these rings still appear, but the three rings are inscribed with "Scripture", "Grace", and "Faith". The message that remains is: leave out one ingredient and all falls apart.

Ah, but I'm digressing, and this was meant as a review. So, I should simply state that it is my firm belief, not proven but corroborated, that the holy relics were still sound and safe in the halls of power, except not with the Imperial Family. 

However, all that changed when Amarr took to the stars.

Gamdis III

My visit to Gamdis III was in the end rather inconclusive for me. 

I did not find what I came looking for, and as potential archeological sites are not accessible any more, there was little in the way of artefacts or other hints that could be retrieved to help me on my quest.

However, the trip did help to answer questions that I had, and in doing so to close a loose end in the investigation, at least for now.

The sand sea

I'm working on an official report today that I promised to make for the reverend mother Sisyriana Kahoudi on the Gamdis trip. 

She won't be interested in the descriptions of local fauna and flora and sightseeing. So that is something I can share here. 

The interesting thing about the sand on Gamdis III is that acts like a liquid - you could not walk on it without sinking in. It forms a sand sea, and the rocky outcroppings are the only places accessible for settlement and exploitation. To travel accross the sand, you need a boat. Luna's family has a sand sailing business, and we got a sailing boat to travel to our destination, a mountainous ridge that rises out of the sand seas and is owned by Luna's family.

The sand sea is also home to some remarkable creatures. There are sand skates, which look like manta rays and can dip out of the sand. They followed the sail boat for a while. There is also a sand lion, it makes a kind of bowl in the sand, a funnel of huge proportions and with a web in the center. Our ship almost got dragged into it. I had a little moment of panic, but Luna and the sailors were able to steer clear from it.

Curiously, there are also places with water, and the usual fish, on 'land'. 

I wonder how the sand fish taste and if it's different from the usual fish like rockjaw....

Another first

Another first, but definitely less impressive that helping a baby into the world.

Lunarisse is enjoying motherhood leave for a few days, and there was a potential member for the Societas who needed an interview during my usual day cycle. So, Lunarisse asked me to do the membership interview.

I still remember my own interview, when I joined our corporation. But I've never been the interviewer, so that was something new. The interviewee is an interesting lad, Anjio Siwalin. A Gallente native, who joined Amarr and our faith long ago and did some spying for the Empire while he was still in the Federation. Those days seem over, so he is now joining as an Amarrian loyalist and faithful.

I was glad Therese showed up - she's a Preafecta (a high rank in our corporation), and she could keep an eye on how things went. I think I did well. And I think mr. Siwalin didn't notice it was my first interview. He was accepted as a member, in the end, and I hope that he will do well.

Miracle of birth

I have returned from Gamdis III. While there during the last several days, I was unable to update these logs. I traveled through rather inhospitable terrain with no good connection to galnet. So, I'm going to record the logs now.

I'll start today with the best news! During the very last day of our hike, Lunarisse went into labor and gave birth to a wonderful baby girl. I was there to help this beautiful baby arrive into our world. It was a bit of an emergency childbirth - certainly it was out of the hospital - and I had to muster all the knowledge I had from the field medic classes. Luckily, while this little miracle was being born, Aria and dr. Jamika and a medical team arrived and made sure everything was fine. Franco was also there, he was beaming.

I've never experienced anything like this - and I've investigated many miracles during my time in the Theology Council.

I will never be a father myself, that is something I came to accept. But Lord, I do feel connected to this child, down to the very roots of my soul. I want to make the universe a better place for her.

Preparations

Lunarisse has promised to bring me to Gamdis III in the next few days. It's a place that I really want to see. Various archeological expeditions have gone there and ended badly. In fact, these doomed searches on Gamdis were what first brought me to Lunarisse and it is how I got to SFRIM. Wars, Kybernauts, militia trouble, and other leads meant that our trip was often postponing, but it looks as if this time it  might actually work.

The MIO is also still investigating the lost expeditions. I've had a discussion with a representative of the ministry, on Amarr, a while ago. So there could be things I will not be allowed to disclose in these public logs. Hopefully there will be enough that I can still write down for future reference.

I need to go back to this shop for hiking and outdoors gear for clerics, the Missionary Adventures. I already got some gear there, but probably it is good to discuss with a professional what is necessary for a warm, arid climate. Gamdis III has sand seas with rocky outcroppings, I have not been to any place like it before.

Unfinished business

The "loot" of artefacts from Bersirym has now been catalogued and identified. It consists of objects all of more or less the same time period, and probably a common origin. So, I think they also have a common historical source in that system, rather than being gathered from all over and brought to a abandoned mining depot for storage by the Blood Raiders. What that source is, is not yet clear. I think I have to go back.

The assassin is captured

The snakewoman assassin got caught! I am glad that my mistake didn't derail Aria's plans to capture the killer. 

Maybe she let herself be captured? She knew there was a trap, but she was caught anyway. If I am right that she wants to be redeemed, then maybe this is a step she took voluntarily.

Lord Anderson seems keen on trying to help her. 

He cannot escape his true nature. 

Indeed, it is the nature of Holders to want to take charge of the wayward and the weak, to lead them to their redemption. This is accomplished through the Holy mutual compact between subject and master: those who are held are duty-bound to offer service and loyalty, and those who hold are duty-bound to offer protection and guidance. Although maybe in this case it may be the Holder who is in need of protection.

A mistake

Yesterday, I met a contortionist sex-crazed assassin, and lived. Of course I did not know she was an assassin: she had convincingly disguised herself as a janitor.

This creature is believed to be able to snake her way through small air vents and cat flaps, and paralyzes you during your sleep to have intercourse with you or to kill you. Or both. She was mentioned during the "welcome to Nasreri" party at Gottin's lamp bar. I was convinced it was a legend, a story about one of the Yoiul clones. They are fictitious demons and thieves that are right now used in the InterBus's newest campaign for safety on board ships. So, it did not cross my mind at first that a Chapel janitor could, in fact, be the killer snake-woman.

To me, this janitor seemed to have some mental problems - this is more common than most people think. I though she suffered from acute delusions. In trying to convince her that Yoiul clones are not real, I made a horrible mistake: I inadvertently spoke about plans Aria and Lord Anderson made to catch a snake-woman, which I thought was some sort of joke. I was slowly goading the conversation to a point where I could propose that she talk to some therapist, but I got derailed all the time and before I got to that point, something startled her and she vanished. 

Her last words matched with Lord Anderson's story, she had no way of knowing that. That's what made me suspicious, and I alerted Aria and Ishta came to help. By then the janitor had left.

I think she came to the chapel because she needs confession. And because she is trying to become a better person. I hope they can help her when they catch her. I'll do a proper confessional then.

Continued investigation

I have started sorting and studying the relics retrieved from the mining outpost in Bersirym. They appear authentic, and collected from various sources. The majority of the stash seems to be of a related origin, early Takmahl empire (although after the Talocan influx of technology). A scholar from Hedion is coming over to see my discovered treasure and help out. I'll allow him to ship most of it back to the university with him. But I do want to keep selected items for my museum.

Meanwhile, I've reported my find to officer Yazdegerd. He confirms that the investigation on the ground is still somewhat stalling, mostly because Boulette and his gang have gone into hiding. My personal effects have been released to me, also the stuff I collected on Odra Capital at the agricultural fair. 

I've been asked what should be done with my corpse. To be honest, I'm not sure. I'm leaning towards incineration but being a capsuleer is weird.

Inauguration

It has been busy over the weekend. There was a welcome ceremony to prepare, with a service in the Chapel to pray for God's blessing for our new home in Nasreri. 

The chapel has been completely re-assembled in the new location; it is the only part of the Lamp which is not modular and which therefore cannot be transported as a whole. The wooden structure had to be dismantled, plank by plank, then tagged and transported and put back together. Given the complexity of the task, a few glitches were expected and have indeed occurred, but the overall professionalism was amazing. Even small(ish) corrections right before the service were made, in time. Too bad Ishta cracked a wooden slat by accident.

After the service, there were ship blessings to attend to. I have to admit I really enjoyed this part. Seeing people's favorite ships pass by, hearing the names of the vessels, and doing the blessings using Imperial Crown fireworks. It is a habit that has gotten a bit out of use for capsuleer ships (these tend to last not very long), and I am glad we could re-instate it. It is also good for the morale of the ship crew.

The evening ended in the bar. That was fine, except that the story did the rounds that a contortionist sex-crazed assassin lady is prowling about in the station. Apparently, she can break in through cat flaps and kill men with her flexibility and grip. 

It did get me worried at first, I even closed Mitten's cat flap for the night. But now I think it's probably some sort of urban legend, like the Yoiul Clones. Probably imaginations are flaring up with all these raunchy sedevacantist movies and that "Sonic Sabik" music nowadays.

The artefact depot

I knew, of course, that LUMEN consists of magnificent people, but I didn't quite realize the extent to which this is true!

Ah, how the old principles of chivalry are upheld! The paladin knights of pre-spaceflight Amarr swore to take up good causes whenever the opportunity presented itself, and to protect the weak and defeat evil. Gaul Arel still possesses this nobility of soul! As soon as I had explained my plight to him, he took up his sword (nowadays that means buying and fitting a suitable ship in Amarr) and came to my aid, without accepting coin for it.

My investigation of the unusual concentration of Takmahl artefacts in Bersyrim had led me to a not-so abandoned mining outpost in the system. The outpost was guarded by a Blood Raider fleet. Even the Indigatrix, my exploration vessel, would not be able to sneak past them and enter the facility. It would be far less able to attack the Blooder fleet.

Gaun Arel, a valiant man who takes on fleets three times larger just for breakfast, had no problems taking out these guards. The journey to this lowsec system was the hardest part, apparently, as one has to be wary of highwaymen and pirates. Once there, the Blood Raiders were trounced in a matter of minutes.

I was able to dock at the outpost, while Gaun kept watch in case reinforcements would appear. As the sensors had shown, there was still a small part of the asteroid mining structure that was powered up and in use. Idesbald, my new cloak technician, came along and brought a gun from his collection (yes, he collects firearms, and usually I worry about that because he also likes Nakrean brandy). I had protested, but I am glad that he insisted, since we were fired upon almost immediately after disembarking.

Idesbald was able to take out the gangsters, but was wounded in the process. It is severe enough that he will be incapacitated for at least two weeks, but he'll recover fully. Several other blooders or gangsters that were in the facility took a shuttle and fled. 

The outpost turns out to be a depot for Takmahl stuff, there are containers full of it. I took as much as I could on board to investigate it further. I couldn't stay long enough to thoroughly search the place or ferry everything to a safe location. I had to bring Idesbald to a medical facility, and I was in constant fear of another attack. 

Gaul Arel, true to his chivalrous nature, offered to escort me back to Nasreri, granting his protection through the lowsec travel.

Many questions remain - why did Blood Raiders collect these artefacts and bring them together in this system? Is the outpost some sort of treasury or repository they have for this stuff? Do they sort their loot? This must represent more loot than can be found in relic sites in this system alone. Are they developing an academic interest in understanding the society and the lives of those that came before them in a blood cult? But then why disassemble these valuable witnesses of the past to make illegal implants and drugs with them?

Hopefully closer inspection of the artefacts I brought back (over 180 cubic metre of them...) should answer some of these questions.

Eyes in system

Just a few days ago, there was an announcement on Amarr Certified News that our Empire will continue to respond with deadly force against any incursion, as well as raid Triglavian held systems aggressively.

Yesterday, lord Gaven Lok'ri led LUMEN forces against Triglavian raiders that were operating in Patzsha. I think it is the start of a renewed campaign again the Triglavians and their Kybernaut lackeys, much in the spirit of what we heard on the news.

I was able to contribute, as well as to explore a new role in fleet. There are not many roles that are compatible with my vow of non-violence. I have already tried logistics, but yesterday I tried to make myself useful in another way. I used the Indigatrix's cloaking and scanning ability to be the "eyes in the system" for the fleet. This means tracking down the wormhole entrance to Pochven, and the movement of neutral fleets and of Triglavians in the system itself, calling out around which planet the Triglavians were hiding. 

Although my help was probably superfluous I do like to think it made the operation run somewhat more smoothly.

 

The fleet of Paladins and Apocalypse class battleships was magnificent, and obliterated the enemy invaders. The puny Triglavian vessels were disposed of so quickly that it must have appeared as a celestial fireworks for the inhabitants of the planets below.

Nasreri

I am so relieved the move operation went well. On the first day of the new year, both the library and the chapel (and the rest of Gottin's lamp) were shipped to our new home, the Amarr Trade Registry Bureau Offices station in Nasreri.

I've been walking around the station anxiously during the entire day, hoping and praying that nothing would go wrong, that pirates would not attack the transport freighters that would bring the modular structures of the Lamp. Scaffolding was ready and waiting to receive the modules in Nasreri, and to kill time I inspected that at least a dozen times. 

What a wonder of engineering! Not later than half a day after the freighters had docked, the basic structure was already up, and the movers and the library assistants were unpacking and placing valuable items back in their spot. It will take a bit longer for the Chapel, as it had to be dismantled more thoroughly, but a small army of carpenters is putting it together and soon it will be operational, with just the last detailed woodwork that still need to be placed back. The living quarters were the quickest to be functional again, and as I do not have much stuff I am already settled back in. Mittens has approved of our new home.

I hope these kind of moves won't happen any more for a long time, this has been somewhat nerve-wrecking.

Lunarisse showed me some new places close to Gottin's Lamp. Places where LUMEN members can mingle with capsuleers from all over the cluster. Given that we're close to concord space we'll have more international visitors. The wheels of diplomacy need to be greased by drinks offered in fancy bars, good food, and dancing. I do hope that the faithful will use the chapel as much as they will use the new party venue.

New year's eve

New Year's eve. 

Bersirym will have to wait a bit - I've reported my findings back to officer Yazdegerd and promised him I would come back in the new year. 

I have returned to Mehatoor. The move of the library must take precedence at the moment. All seems to be packed, secured and ready to move. I do not have a lot of personal belongings but I do have a collection of artefacts in my hangar, the result of my first year's worth of exploration.

A new start is upon us. Not merely a new year, but a new home. My prayers and new year's wishes are for LUMEN and all its member to prosper. May the light of faith continue gaining terrain on the darkness, so help us God and Empress!

Blood Raider hidden outpost

I got the green light to track down the shuttle belonging to Boulette's organisation. There was an MIO raid on Boulette's hangars, but it did not yield any substantial proof, the place had been emptied. There were a few arrests "for impeding the MIO's operations". This means the guards of the hangar have been detained for serious questioning.

I undocked and waited for hours until the shuttle finally left Odra and appeared on my sensors. I didn't see where it took off from, I was not attentive enough during the long wait. I probed it down and followed it. It warped to what appears at first sight an abandoned mining station. Broken mining drills and equipment is scattered about, and there are still some precious ores in nearby asteroids. The mining station was built on one of the asteroids, and although the refinery part is clearly derelict, the landing pad and control tower were powered. Sensors also indicate the internal structure of the station, dug deep into the asteroid, is powered.

The shuttle docked at this outpost, and stayed there for about three hours, after it left again to Odra, making planetfall at the main spaceport of Odra Capital, rather than Boulette's private lauch pad.

Probably Boulette gets his materials from this outpost. But, I could not explore the "abandoned" outpost in more detail... I was not alone and was lucky that the Indigatrix was cloaked! A flotilla of Blood Raider ships patrols the outpost. I counted three battlecruisers and three destroyers. On the picture, you can see the outpost and a Blood Raider damnation class vessel in the foreground.

The Indigatrix, even if I would fit it for offense, is no match for this Blooder fleet. I need to ask for help from corp members. This help will not be easy to come by since LUMEN is again on the war path, dealing with the "Black Flag" pirates at the moment. Moreover it is in the middle of a move operation. And to make matters worse, Bersirym is in low-sec, and I've seen roaming gangs of "No Forks Given" hoodlums around...

A mission without a mission agent

The information they obtained from my murderer provided the Odra police inquisitors with the necessary missing pieces to connect the dots on their own surveillance of Boulette's gang. The gang has been the subject of surveillance for a long while before I showed up. Apparently, my appearance and subsequent murder has "stirred sh*t" as officer Yazdegerd formulates it. For better or for worse, the local authories feel they should make their move now.

Boulette controls a private shuttle landing pad in the industrial district of town, and his goods arrive by shuttle from an unknown off-planet location. The police inquisitors and the local MIO branch are still discussing who has the authority to set up a raid, and officer Yazdegerd thinks this bickering will give Boulette enough time to move all contraband away from his hangars.

Capturing the shuttle itself, that's another matter. Neither the local police, nor the local branch of the MIO has any jurisdiction off-planet. They also do not have space vessels in their fleet. Their interplanetary counterparts have been notified, but the matter is not high priority at the moment. Customs police that control the jump gates could confirm that the shuttle has not ever jumped out of system, but of course they cannot rule out that it uses wormholes.

Officer Yazdegerd agrees with me that this is typically a matter where capsuleers are contracted for help, and when I offered my help for free, he reluctantly agreed. He informed me of the shuttle's identification number. The Indigatrix's combat scan probes should have no problem locating and tracking a smuggler's shuttle given that it stays in-system. I was only asked to wait, to coordinate my actions with the raid on the ground.

An offer

Neither the shop manager nor Boulette are anywhere to be found - for the latter this seems to be normal. 

So, I decided to take initiative to meet the man.

I wrote a note and put it under the door of Tacky Parts. In my missive, I explain that I am just a simple friar and that I am not after his business whatever that might be. I only pursue academic knowledge, which ultimately benefits all of society, including monsieur Boulette himself, even if the returns are not immediately tangible. 

And, if contributing to historical research would not be enough of a reward to the man, I also kindly offered to take confessions and explained that this is necessary to get any chance of remission of his sins (after all, since he is Gallente, he might not know about the rite of confession). As a reference, I mentioned that I have had the honor of being confessor to the Duchess of the entire Fekhoya constellation, Lady Ithiria Deritan.

Officer Yazdegerd was not pleased with my initiative and forbade me to try and contact Boulette again. He did not explain to me why, as he was rather upset.

Thinking it through, I admit I should have provided another reference. Shortly after the confession, the Dutchess fell out of grace with King Farokh and vanished. I do not see how Boulette might think someone insignificant as myself can have anything to do with that. Boulette must be a very sensitive man and in the future I will refrain from writing him about powerful people that coincidentally vanished after I met them.

Indeed, I have not heard back from Boulette.