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Pre-Shattering Technology

“Lost Wonders & Forgotten Knowledge”

Pre-Shattering Technology - Lost Wonders Pre-Shattering Technology - Lost Wonders

Table of Contents

Overview

Pre-Shattering civilization possessed technology far beyond current capabilities—instant communication, advanced medicine, reality manipulation (possibly). The Shattering destroyed most, knowledge scattered, and 300 years of survival left little time for recovery. What remains are fragments, mysteries, and desperate hope.

Known Lost Technologies

Communication

Description: Instant long-distance contact Evidence: Historical accounts, fragmentary devices Current: Weeks for messages (ship-speed) Impact: Civilization was unified, now fragmented

Medicine

Description: Cure for diseases, surgery without pain, extended lifespans Evidence: Medical texts (incomplete), healthier pre-Shattering populations Current: Medieval-level healing Impact: Higher mortality, shorter lives

Transportation

Description: Faster-than-wind flight, ground vehicles (before islands) Evidence: Ruins contain strange structures (roads? landing platforms?) Current: Wind-powered airships only

Manufacturing

Description: Mass production, advanced materials Evidence: Pre-Shattering items (superior quality, unknown materials) Current: Manual crafting, limited output

Energy

Description: Power sources (unknown type) Evidence: Devices that still glow/function (no fuel needed) Current: Fire, manual labor only

Sky Anchors

Description: Island stabilization technology Evidence: Fragmentary texts (Brother Caelum researching) Debate: Did they exist? Could they restore world? Returners: Searching desperately

Remaining Artifacts

Functional

Glowing Panels: Some pre-Shattering buildings still illuminate - No power source visible - Dim but steady - Unknown mechanism - Touch-sensitive sometimes

Sealed Doors: Impenetrable barriers - Unknown material (harder than steel) - No handles, keyholes - Occasionally open (trigger unknown)

The Observatory Instruments: Constellation’s Reach - Pre-Shattering telescopes - Superior to modern (by far) - Still functional (mostly) - Maintenance difficult (don’t understand fully)

Non-Functional

Devices: Found in ruins regularly - Purpose unknown - Materials unidentifiable - Can’t replicate - Valuable (collectors, researchers)

Structures: Ruins everywhere - Architecture advanced - Engineering superior - Decay ongoing - Dangerous (collapse risk)

The Luminar Council

Role: Pre-Shattering ruling body Knowledge: Possessed advanced understanding Hubris: Experiments led to Shattering (claimed) Records: Mostly destroyed, fragments survive Archives: Archivists and Song seeking

Research Efforts

The Archivists

Mission: Preserve pre-Shattering knowledge Success: Limited (texts fragmentary) Challenge: Can’t understand much (context lost) Hope: Complete archive might exist somewhere

Guild-Master Song

Secret: Funds expeditions seeking Council archives Motivation: Economic/technological advantage Results: Minimal (most expeditions fail) Cost: Massive (embezzling Guild funds)

Alchemist Kael

Focus: Medical knowledge recovery Method: Experimental (combining fragments with current understanding) Success: Some (Compound Theta-7 partially based on old texts)

The Returners

Belief: Can reverse Shattering with recovered tech Search: Sky Anchor technology specifically Evidence: Fragmentary (enough to hope, not prove) Critics: Chasing impossible dream

Theories About Pre-Shattering Civilization

Level of Advancement

Conservative: Slightly more advanced than present Moderate: Significantly advanced (communication, medicine, etc.) Radical: Reality-manipulation capable (magic-equivalent technology)

Evidence: Supports moderate view (but gaps allow speculation)

What Caused Shattering

Council Experiment: Attempted something beyond understanding Natural Disaster: Technology couldn’t prevent War: Self-destruction through weapons Divine Punishment: Orthodox Clergy view (hubris) Accident: Unintended consequence of research

Truth: Unknown (records destroyed, survivors scattered)

Could Technology Return?

Optimists: Yes (Returners, researchers) Pessimists: No (knowledge too lost) Pragmatists: Irrelevant (survival matters now, not restoration)

Dangers

Active Devices: Sometimes dangerous - Explosions (energy release) - Corruption (Rot-related?) - Reality warps (space distortions)

Unstable Ruins: Collapse kills scavengers regularly

Forbidden Knowledge: Some texts suggest dangerous experiments - Controlled Corruption research - Reality manipulation - Weapons of mass destruction

Brother Caelum’s Dilemma: Preserve everything or destroy dangerous texts?

Impact on Current Society

Hope: Maybe we can recover Envy: They had so much, we have so little Fear: Their hubris destroyed world (don’t repeat) Identity: Defined by loss (post-Shattering humanity)

Notable Discoveries

The Power Node (267 S.): Device that generates electricity - Found by Old Marna - Still functions - Unknown purpose - Kept by her (studying)

The Sealed Vault (Glimmering Spire Underlevel): - Unopenable door - Pre-Shattering construction - What’s inside? (Speculation: archives, weapons, nothing)

The Moving Statue (Periphery ruin): - Occasionally changes position - No one sees it move - Purpose unclear (art? Security? Malfunction?)

Artifact Categories

Power Sources (Mysterious)

Glowing Panels (Common in Ruins): - Appearance: Flat surfaces that emit steady light - Color: Usually white or pale blue - Brightness: Dim but constant (never dims, never brightens) - Power Source: Unknown (no fuel, no mechanism visible) - Functionality: Some respond to touch (brighten when touched) - Uses: Lighting (scavengers harvest them for settlements) - Lifespan: 287+ years and counting (no degradation observed) - Value: 10-30 Coins (depending on size) - Mystery: How do they work? Why don’t they stop?

Power Nodes (Rare): - Appearance: Metallic spheres or cubes, 10-30cm diameter - Function: Generate electricity (sparks, shocks) - Power: Continuous (no fuel needed) - Danger: Can kill if touched improperly - Uses: Unknown (original purpose lost) - Current: Researchers study them (hoping to understand) - Value: Priceless (research value) - Notable: Old Marna has one (studies it obsessively)

Perpetual Lanterns (Uncommon): - Appearance: Glass and metal devices - Function: Emit light indefinitely - Brightness: Variable (some dim, some bright) - Power: Unknown - Uses: Lighting (superior to candles, torches) - Value: 50-100 Coins - Problem: Can’t be repaired (if broken, lost forever)

Communication Devices (Non-Functional)

Resonance Plates (Found Occasionally): - Appearance: Flat metal plates with geometric patterns - Original Function: Instant communication (allegedly) - Current Status: Inert (don’t work post-Shattering) - Attempts to Activate: All failed - Theory: Required constellation connection (now severed?) - Value: 20-50 Coins (collectors, researchers)

Speaking Stones (Legendary): - Description: Paired stones that transmitted speech - Status: Unverified (might be myth) - Accounts: Pre-Shattering texts mention them - Current: None found functional - Hope: If one pair still works, would revolutionize communication

Medical Devices (Mostly Non-Functional)

Healing Crystals (Rare): - Appearance: Translucent crystals, various colors - Original Function: Accelerated healing (allegedly) - Current Status: Inert (don’t work) - Attempts: Alchemists try to activate (no success) - Value: 30-60 Coins (research value) - Theory: Required constellation blessing (now unavailable?)

Diagnostic Instruments (Found in Medical Ruins): - Appearance: Complex devices with displays, sensors - Original Function: Disease detection, body scanning - Current Status: Non-functional (no power) - Understanding: Minimal (can’t replicate) - Value: 50-100 Coins (Archivists want them)

Transportation Technology

Airship Cores (Critical Technology): - Appearance: Metallic spheres, 50-100cm diameter, installed in ship hulls - Function: Provide lift (how? Unknown) - Status: Still functional (this is how airships fly) - Power: Perpetual (no fuel needed) - Maintenance: None required (they just work) - Mystery: Biggest technological mystery in Aetherium - Problem: Can’t make new ones (limited to pre-Shattering stock) - Impact: Number of airships is fixed (can’t increase fleet size) - Value: Priceless (airship without core is useless)

Ground Vehicles (Ruins Contain These): - Appearance: Wheeled structures, metal and glass - Original Function: Transportation on solid ground - Current Status: Useless (no ground to drive on) - Curiosity: Some intact (preserved in ruins) - Value: Minimal (can’t use them) - Scrap: Metal is valuable (vehicles are dismantled)

Weapons (Rare and Dangerous)

Firearms (Extremely Rare): - Found: Occasionally in military ruins - Condition: Variable (some functional, most not) - Ammunition: Critical problem (can’t manufacture bullets) - Effectiveness: Devastating (when they work) - Value: 1000-2000+ Coins - Problem: Ammunition scarcity (10-50 bullets per weapon) - Status: More valuable as trade goods than weapons

Energy Weapons (Mythical): - Description: Weapons that fire light or energy - Evidence: Fragmentary accounts only - Status: Never found (or never existed?) - Legend: Could destroy ships, kill Rot-Beasts instantly - Reality: Probably myth

Explosive Devices (Dangerous): - Found: Rarely in military ruins - Status: Some still active (extremely dangerous) - Function: Explode when triggered - Casualties: Scavengers die regularly - Protocol: Mark and avoid (don’t touch)

Architectural Technology

Sealed Vaults (Impenetrable): - Appearance: Doors of unknown material - Properties: Harder than steel, no visible mechanism - Attempts to Open: All failed (cutting, prying, explosives) - Contents: Unknown (speculation: archives, weapons, treasure, nothing) - Notable: Glimmering Spire underlevel vault (Kael obsessed with opening it)

Gravity Anomalies (Ruins Sometimes Have These): - Effect: Gravity works wrong (pulls sideways, pushes up, varies) - Cause: Pre-Shattering technology malfunction? - Danger: Disorienting, can cause falls - Uses: None (just hazard) - Curiosity: Researchers study them (hoping to understand gravity manipulation)

Self-Repairing Structures (Alleged): - Description: Buildings that repair themselves - Evidence: Some ruins show less decay than expected - Status: Unverified (might just be superior construction) - Theory: Nanomachines? Magic? Unknown - Hope: If true, could revolutionize construction

Understanding Pre-Shattering Technology

What We Know

They Had: - Instant communication (verified by historical accounts) - Advanced medicine (lifespans 100+ years) - Superior materials (devices still function 287 years later) - Reality manipulation (Astral Geometry, possibly more) - Mass production (population in millions supported) - Unknown energy sources (devices work without fuel)

They Attempted: - Physical ascension (Apogee Working) - Reality reshaping (experiments before Shattering) - Constellation communication (Star-Readers) - Possibly more (records incomplete)

They Achieved: - Golden Age (300 years of prosperity) - Global unity (first time in history) - Technological marvels (still functional centuries later) - Then: Catastrophic failure (Shattering)

What We Don’t Know

Critical Gaps: - How airship cores work (we use them, can’t make them) - What powered their civilization (energy source unknown) - How they communicated instantly (mechanism lost) - What exactly went wrong (Shattering cause debated) - How to replicate any of it (knowledge lost)

The Frustration: - We can use their tools - We can’t make new tools - We’re dependent on finite supply - We’re technologically inferior to our ancestors - We’re living in their ruins, unable to match their achievements

The Question: If we can’t replicate their technology, how can we avoid their mistakes?

Theories on Technology Loss

The Shattering Destroyed It: - Physical destruction (libraries burned, factories collapsed) - Knowledge-holders died (Star-Readers, Council members, experts) - Records scattered (fragments across thousands of islands) - Most straightforward explanation

The Knowledge Was Suppressed: - Survivors blamed technology for Shattering - Deliberately destroyed records (prevent repeat) - Clergy condemned “dangerous knowledge” - Possible but unverified

The Technology Required Constellations: - Pre-Shattering tech used Astral Geometry (constellation power) - Post-Shattering, constellations are silent/distant - Technology stopped working (power source severed) - Explains why devices are inert

The Technology Was Never That Advanced: - Historical accounts exaggerated (nostalgia, myth-making) - Pre-Shattering civilization was good, not miraculous - We’ve romanticized what was lost - Skeptical view (minority opinion)

Attempts at Replication

Airship Core Reproduction (Failed)

Attempts: Dozens over 287 years - Disassemble cores (try to understand) - Result: Cores stop working (irreversible) - Copy external structure (doesn’t work) - Various materials tried (all fail)

Current Understanding: Zero - We know cores provide lift - We don’t know how - We can’t make new ones - We’re dependent on finite pre-Shattering stock

Implications: - Maximum airship fleet size is fixed - Lost ships can’t be replaced (only repaired) - If all cores fail eventually, civilization collapses - Terrifying dependency

Communication Device Activation (Failed)

Attempts: Resonance plates, speaking stones, other devices - Apply power (if available) - Prayer to constellations (hoping to activate) - Alchemical treatments (various) - All fail

Theory: Devices required constellation connection - Pre-Shattering, constellations answered reliably - Post-Shattering, constellations are distant - Connection severed, devices inert - Can’t be fixed without divine cooperation

Medical Technology Recovery (Partial Success)

Alchemist Kael’s Work: - Studies pre-Shattering medical texts (fragmentary) - Combines ancient knowledge with current understanding - Experiments (trial and error, dangerous) - Results: Compound Theta-7 (Rot-arresting agent)

Success: Partial - Can’t replicate pre-Shattering medicine fully - But can apply principles (some work) - Incremental progress (better than nothing) - Hope: Eventually recover more

Challenge: Texts are fragmentary - Missing context (what do terms mean?) - Missing steps (procedures incomplete) - Missing materials (some ingredients unknown) - Reconstruction is guesswork

The Nexus Spire Mystery

What It Was

Purpose: Site of Apogee Working (ascension ritual) Size: Tower 10+ kilometers tall (pierced clouds) Construction: 20 years (thousands of workers) Design: Perfect geometric form (every angle calculated for Astral Geometry) Significance: Greatest architectural achievement of pre-Shattering civilization

What Happened to It

Last Seen: Day 8, Year 0 S. (moment of Shattering) Current Location: Unknown

Theories: 1. Destroyed Completely: Shattering vaporized it (nothing remains) 2. Fell to Deeps: Tower fell into lower Aether (might still exist below) 3. Periphery: Cast to edge of reality (explorers seek it) 4. Parallel Dimension: Ritual partially succeeded (Spire exists elsewhere) 5. Hidden: Concealed by survivors (too dangerous to allow access)

Evidence: Inconclusive (no fragments ever found, but Aetherium is vast)

Why It Matters

The Returners’ Belief: - Nexus Spire contains key to undoing Shattering - If found, ritual could be completed properly - World could be restored (Terrum Solidus rebuilt) - Humanity could return to pre-Shattering glory

The Orthodox Warning: - Nexus Spire is cursed (site of catastrophe) - Attempting ritual again would cause second Shattering - Better to leave it lost - Hubris destroyed world once; don’t repeat

The Practical Question: - Even if found, even if ritual could work - Would it erase post-Shattering generation? (Void-Kin never existed in restored world) - Ethical horror: Save ancestors by erasing descendants?

Guild-Master Elara’s Secret: - Funds expeditions seeking Nexus Spire (embezzling Guild funds) - Five years of searching (no success) - Motivation: Economic advantage? Genuine belief? Obsession? - If discovered, would be removed from position

The Archivist’s Dilemma

Preservation vs. Safety

The Question: Should all knowledge be preserved?

Arguments For Preservation: - Knowledge is sacred (Light constellation teaching) - Can’t judge what’s dangerous without understanding it - Future generations might need it - Destroying knowledge is crime against humanity

Arguments For Destruction: - Some knowledge is genuinely dangerous (reality manipulation, weapons of mass destruction) - Preserving it risks repeat of Shattering - Protecting humanity from itself is duty - Safety over knowledge

Brother Caelum’s Position (Head Archivist): - Preserve everything (even dangerous texts) - Lock dangerous knowledge away (restricted access) - Trust future generations to be wiser - Destroying knowledge is unforgivable

Clergy Opposition: - Some texts should be destroyed (heretical, dangerous) - Caelum is naive (knowledge killed world once) - Preservation enables catastrophe - Burn the dangerous texts

Current Practice: Uneasy compromise - Archivists preserve everything - Clergy doesn’t know what Archivists have - Dangerous texts hidden (even from most Archivists) - Tension ongoing

Reverse Engineering Efforts

Successful Recoveries

Metallurgy (Partial): - Pre-Shattering steel superior to current - Archivists found smelting texts - Ironhold smiths applied techniques - Result: Better steel (not as good as pre-Shattering, but improved) - Impact: Better weapons, tools, construction

Agricultural Techniques (Partial): - Crop rotation, irrigation, selective breeding - Texts found, techniques applied - Result: 20% yield increase - Impact: Fewer starvation deaths

Navigation (Partial): - Star-charts, current-mapping, weather prediction - Pre-Shattering astronomical knowledge recovered - Result: Safer travel, better trade routes - Impact: Economic growth, reduced shipwrecks

Medical Knowledge (Minimal): - Fragmentary texts on surgery, disease, anatomy - Alchemists apply what they can understand - Result: Incremental improvements (Compound Theta-7, better surgery) - Impact: Slightly lower mortality

Failed Recoveries

Instant Communication (Total Failure): - Devices found, mechanisms studied - Can’t activate them - Can’t build new ones - Knowledge completely lost

Advanced Medicine (Mostly Failed): - Texts mention antibiotics, vaccines, regeneration - Can’t replicate (missing ingredients, missing context) - Frustrating (know it’s possible, can’t do it)

Energy Generation (Total Failure): - Power sources unknown - Can’t replicate - Can’t even understand - Complete mystery

Reality Manipulation (Deliberately Not Attempted): - Astral Geometry texts exist (fragmentary) - Archivists have them (locked away) - No one attempts (fear of causing second Shattering) - Knowledge preserved but unused

The Technology Gap

Pre-Shattering vs. Current

Communication: - Then: Instant, global - Now: Weeks (ship speed) - Gap: Enormous

Medicine: - Then: Lifespans 100+ years, disease cured - Now: Lifespans 45-50 years, disease often fatal - Gap: Catastrophic

Manufacturing: - Then: Mass production, advanced materials - Now: Manual crafting, basic materials - Gap: Significant

Energy: - Then: Unknown sources (abundant) - Now: Fire, manual labor only - Gap: Complete

Knowledge: - Then: Universal literacy, advanced education - Now: 20% literacy, basic education - Gap: Devastating

Quality of Life: - Then: Comfortable, safe, prosperous - Now: Harsh, dangerous, subsistence - Gap: Total

Implications

We’re Inferior: Technologically, medically, economically - Living in ancestors’ ruins - Using ancestors’ tools - Can’t match ancestors’ achievements - Humbling and frustrating

We’re Dependent: On pre-Shattering artifacts - Airship cores (can’t make new ones) - Superior tools (can’t replicate) - Knowledge fragments (can’t complete) - Finite supply (terrifying)

We’re Trapped: Between past and future - Can’t return to pre-Shattering glory (knowledge lost) - Can’t advance beyond it (foundation missing) - Stuck in technological stagnation - Unless something changes

Research Institutions

The Archivists

Mission: Preserve all pre-Shattering knowledge Location: Hidden libraries (locations secret) Members: ~100 scholar-monks Leader: Brother Caelum (Head Archivist)

Holdings: - 2,000+ pre-Shattering texts (fragmentary) - 500+ artifacts (various functionality) - Maps, diagrams, technical documents - Dangerous knowledge (locked away)

Activities: - Collect artifacts and texts (buy, trade, expedition) - Preserve and catalog (meticulous records) - Research and translate (understand what they have) - Selective sharing (some knowledge is public, some restricted)

Funding: Donations, wealthy patrons, artifact sales

Controversy: Hoarding knowledge (Guild wants access, Clergy wants destruction)

Guild-Master Elara’s Secret Program

Project: Recover Luminar Council archives Funding: Embezzled Guild funds (50,000+ Coins over 5 years) Expeditions: 12 sent (to Periphery, Deeps, rumored locations) Results: Minimal (found fragments, not archives) Motivation: Economic advantage (whoever controls knowledge controls Aetherium)

If Discovered: Political crisis - Embezzlement is crime (removal from position) - But: Many sympathize (knowledge is valuable) - Complicated (is she hero or criminal?)

Glimmering Spire Laboratory

Focus: Practical application of recovered knowledge Leader: Alchemist Kael Greythorn Approach: Experimental (combine old texts with new research)

Successes: - Compound Theta-7 (Rot-arresting agent) - Improved surgical techniques - Better alchemical compounds

Failures: - Can’t activate pre-Shattering devices - Can’t replicate advanced medicine - Can’t understand energy sources

Danger: Experiments are risky - Explosions (3 in past year) - Poisonings (Kael himself, twice) - Rot-exposure (constant risk) - Ethical concerns (human testing)

Philosophical Implications

The Hubris Question

Did Technology Cause Shattering?

Yes (Clergy Position): - Luminar Council’s experiments broke reality - Technology enabled hubris - Advanced civilization is self-destructive - Lesson: Don’t pursue dangerous knowledge

No (Scholar Position): - Shattering’s cause unknown (might be unrelated) - Technology was tool (misuse is human failing, not technology’s fault) - Blaming technology is scapegoating - Lesson: Pursue knowledge responsibly

Complicated (Pragmatic Position): - Technology enabled experiments - Experiments might have caused Shattering - But technology also enabled golden age - Lesson: Power requires wisdom

Should We Recover Technology?

The Returners: Yes, absolutely - Technology could restore world - Pre-Shattering life was better - We should aspire to recover what was lost - Risk is worth reward

The Traditionalists: No, never - Technology destroyed world once - Recovering it risks repeat - Better to live simply, safely - Survival over advancement

The Pragmatists: Selectively - Recover useful technology (medicine, agriculture) - Avoid dangerous technology (reality manipulation) - Learn from past mistakes - Balance progress with caution

No Consensus: Debate ongoing

The Dependency Problem

Current Reality: We depend on pre-Shattering artifacts - Airship cores (can’t make new ones) - Superior tools (can’t replicate) - Knowledge fragments (can’t complete)

The Fear: What happens when they run out? - Airship cores might fail eventually (finite lifespan?) - Artifacts might break (irreplaceable) - Knowledge might fade completely (last texts decay)

The Hope: We’ll recover technology before that happens - Find archives (complete knowledge) - Understand mechanisms (replicate artifacts) - Advance beyond pre-Shattering (learn from their mistakes)

The Reality: Time is running out - Artifacts are finite - Knowledge is fading - We’re not recovering fast enough - Might lose everything before we understand anything

In-World Documents

Archivist’s Catalog Entry

ARTIFACT #1,247: POWER NODE

Description: Metallic sphere, 15cm diameter, seamless construction Function: Generates electrical discharge (sparks, shocks) Power Source: Unknown (no fuel, no mechanism visible) Condition: Functional (287+ years, no degradation) Origin: Found in Luminara ruins (Year 267 S.) Current Location: Old Marna’s possession (studying)

Observations: - Continuous power output (measured: 12 volts, 2 amps) - No heat generation (violates thermodynamics?) - Responds to proximity (output increases when approached) - Indestructible (attempted to open, failed)

Theories: 1. Perpetual motion (impossible by known physics) 2. Constellation-powered (divine energy source) 3. Dimensional tap (draws power from elsewhere) 4. We don’t understand physics (most likely)

Value: Priceless (research significance) Status: Study ongoing (no progress in understanding)

—Brother Caelum, Chief Archivist

Guild-Master Elara’s Private Log (Classified)

Expedition Log, Year 287 S.

Expedition #12: Periphery exploration, seeking Nexus Spire Funding: 5,000 Coins (embezzled from Guild emergency fund) Crew: 6 (Captain Jorah, 5 specialists) Duration: 3 months Result: Failure (Spire not found)

Findings: - Discovered 3 new islands (minor, uninhabited) - Found pre-Shattering ruins (looted, nothing significant) - Lost 1 crew member (fell during exploration) - No sign of Nexus Spire

Total Spent: 50,000+ Coins over 5 years Total Results: Fragments, hints, hope (no archives, no Spire)

Assessment: Either Nexus Spire doesn’t exist, or we’re looking in wrong place.

Decision: Continue. One more expedition. If that fails, I’ll stop. (I’ve said this before. I’m lying to myself.)

If Discovered: I’ll be removed from position. Embezzlement is crime. But if I find the archives, if I recover the knowledge, it’ll be worth it. Humanity needs this. I need this.

Personal Note: I’m obsessed. I know it. Can’t stop. The knowledge is out there. I’ll find it. Or die trying.

Kael Greythorn’s Research Journal

Entry 234, Year 287 S.

Breakthrough. Maybe.

Found pre-Shattering medical text in Glimmering Spire ruins. Fragmentary, water-damaged, but legible.

Describes compound for “cellular regeneration.” Ingredients listed (some unknown, some identifiable). Process described (partially).

I’ve attempted synthesis. Three tries, three failures. Fourth try: Something happened. Solution turned blue (text says it should). Applied to rat with wound. Wound healed 50% faster.

Is this it? The regeneration compound? Or lucky accident?

Testing on human subject next (volunteer, Stage-1 Rot-infected, nothing to lose). If it works, could revolutionize medicine. If it fails, I’ve wasted time and resources.

But I have to try. Text is 300+ years old. Knowledge survived Shattering. I have to honor that. I have to make it work.

Pre-Shattering people could cure anything. We can barely treat wounds. The gap is humiliating.

But maybe, slowly, we’re closing it.

Survivor’s Account (Year 1 S., Recorded)

Interviewer: What technology do you remember?

Survivor (Mara Windborn, age 34 in Year 0 S.): Everything worked. Everything was easy.

I’d wake, and my home was perfect temperature. I’d think about breakfast, and kitchen prepared it. I’d want to talk to friend across world, and device connected us instantly.

I’d go to work (4 hours—that was normal). I’d come home. I’d have leisure time. I’d pursue hobbies. I’d be comfortable.

Disease? Cured. Injury? Healed. Hunger? Eliminated. Danger? Minimal.

We had everything. We wanted more. We broke everything.

Now I wake in cold, cook over fire, walk everywhere, work until exhausted, and pray I don’t die today.

Interviewer: Do you miss it?

Survivor: Every second of every day for 287 years. I’ll die missing it.

Interviewer: Do you want it back?

Survivor: [Long pause] I don’t know. We had everything, and we destroyed it. If we got it back, would we just destroy it again? Maybe we don’t deserve it. Maybe the Shattering was mercy—stopping us before we did something worse.

I don’t know. I just know I’m tired. So tired.

Pre-Shattering Technical Manual (Fragment)

CONSTELLATION RESONANCE COMMUNICATION DEVICE Model: CR-7 (Standard Civilian) Manual: Operator’s Guide

[Pages 1-23: Missing]

Page 24: …activate the device by placing both hands on the resonance plate. Think clearly of your intended recipient. The device will establish connection through Astral Geometry, channeling your thoughts via constellation network.

Connection Time: 2-5 seconds (depending on distance) Duration: Unlimited (until one party disconnects) Cost: Minimal (constellation energy is abundant)

Troubleshooting: - If connection fails, check constellation visibility (device requires clear stellar connection) - If transmission is garbled, clear your mind (stray thoughts interfere) - If device doesn’t respond, contact Star-Reader for recalibration

[Pages 25-67: Missing]

WARNING: Do not attempt to open device. Internal mechanisms are delicate and dangerous. Unauthorized tampering voids warranty and may cause constellation disconnection.

[Pages 68-end: Missing]

Archivist’s Note: This manual is 300+ years old. Devices described don’t work anymore. Constellations don’t respond. Knowledge is useless. But we preserve it anyway. Because maybe, someday, it won’t be useless. Maybe someday, constellations will answer again. Maybe.

Returner’s Manifesto (Excerpt)

WE CAN FIX THIS

The Shattering broke the world. But it can be un-broken.

Pre-Shattering technology exists. Nexus Spire exists. The knowledge exists. We just have to find it.

The Luminar Council attempted ascension. They failed. But failure doesn’t mean impossible—it means they did it wrong.

We can do it right. We can complete the ritual properly. We can restore Terrum Solidus. We can return to the golden age.

Yes, it’s dangerous. Yes, it might fail. Yes, we might cause second Shattering.

But what’s the alternative? Slow extinction? Watching islands fall one by one? Accepting that humanity’s best days are behind us?

No. We refuse. We will find the Nexus Spire. We will recover the knowledge. We will attempt the Working again.

And this time, we’ll succeed.

Or die trying. Either way, better than slow surrender.

—The Returners, Year 285 S.

Clergy Condemnation (Response to Returners)

OFFICIAL STATEMENT: THE RETURNER HERESY

The Returners claim they can undo the Shattering. They lie.

The Apogee Working destroyed the world. Attempting it again would destroy what remains.

The Luminar Council had everything—knowledge, resources, divine favor. They failed catastrophically. We have nothing. We would fail worse.

But more importantly: Even if it could work, should it?

Restoring Terrum Solidus would erase everyone born post-Shattering. The Void-Kin generation—150 years of people—would never have existed. Our children, our grandchildren, erased.

The Returners would sacrifice the living to resurrect the dead.

This is not salvation. This is genocide.

We condemn the Returners. We condemn their goal. We condemn their methods.

The past is dead. Let it stay dead. Build future, don’t resurrect past.

—High Constellation Council, Year 285 S.

Quest Hooks

  1. The Expedition: Join Guild-Master Elara’s secret expedition seeking Nexus Spire. Dangerous, illegal (embezzlement), potentially world-changing.

  2. The Artifact: Discover functioning pre-Shattering device. What does it do? Who gets it? Archivists, Guild, Clergy, Returners all want it.

  3. The Ruins: Explore dangerous pre-Shattering city fragment. Unstable, Rot-touched, but filled with artifacts. Risk vs. reward.

  4. The Translation: Help Archivists translate ancient text. Revelations about pre-Shattering technology. Dangerous knowledge or salvation?

  5. The Vault: Attempt to open sealed pre-Shattering vault (Glimmering Spire). How? What’s inside? Worth the risk?

  6. The Replication: Help alchemist replicate pre-Shattering technology. Experiments are dangerous. Success could change everything.

  7. The Ethical Dilemma: Found text describing reality manipulation. Preserve (knowledge is sacred) or destroy (too dangerous)?

  8. The Returner’s Plan: Returners claim they found Nexus Spire. Want to attempt Apogee Working again. Stop them (prevent catastrophe) or help them (restore world)?

  9. The Airship Core: Discover cache of pre-Shattering airship cores. Priceless. Everyone wants them. Who do you give them to?

  10. The Last Survivor’s Memory: Interview person who lived through Shattering (very old, dying). They remember pre-Shattering technology firsthand. Record their testimony before knowledge dies with them.

  11. The Working Device: Pre-Shattering weapon still functions. Powerful, dangerous, valuable. Use it, sell it, destroy it, or study it?

  12. The Forbidden Text: Archivist shows you text Clergy wants destroyed. Contains dangerous knowledge. Do you help preserve it or help destroy it?

“Pre-Shattering people could talk across world instantly, heal any disease, live centuries. Then they broke reality. Now we scrape by, hoping to recover scraps. That’s progress.”

“Every ruin I explore, I hope: Maybe this one has the cure. The answer. The salvation. So far, just more questions and near-death experiences.” — Old Marna

“They call it ‘Pre-Shattering Technology.’ I call it evidence that advanced civilization is self-destructive. They had everything. They destroyed it. We’re rebuilding. Will we repeat their mistakes?” — Scholar’s warning

“We use their tools. We live in their ruins. We can’t match their achievements. We’re children playing with parents’ toys, not understanding how they work.” — Archivist’s lament

“The Nexus Spire is out there. The archives exist. The knowledge survives. I’ll find it. I have to. Humanity’s future depends on recovering humanity’s past.” — Guild-Master Elara Song (private journal)