Fiction:The Shattering/Ziggurat of the High Proedros

"Pʀᴀɪsᴇ ʙᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ Hɪɢʜ Pʀᴏᴇᴅʀᴏs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ Pᴀʀᴛʏ, Gʀᴇᴀᴛ Lᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴏᴜʀ Rᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴏᴜʀ Gᴀʟᴀᴄᴛɪᴄ Cᴏᴍᴍᴏɴᴡᴇᴀʟᴛʜ. Hᴇ ɪs ᴏᴜʀ Rᴇᴅᴇᴇᴍᴇʀ, ɪᴛ ɪs ʙʏ Hɪs Hᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ Mᴇᴛʀᴏᴘᴏʟʏ ʜᴀs ʀɪsᴇɴ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀsʜᴇs ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀsᴇ, ɪᴛ ɪs ʙʏ Hɪs Wɪsᴇ Gᴜɪᴅᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ʜᴀs ᴘʀᴏsᴘᴇʀᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴀɢᴇs ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ. URSOLEN THE GREAT ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ, Dᴇᴀʀ Lᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ, ᴡʜᴏ ɪs ᴀ ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛ ɪɴᴄᴀʀɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀ ʟᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ, Gᴜᴀʀᴀɴᴛᴇᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ Fᴀᴛʜᴇʀʟᴀɴᴅ's Uɴɪғɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, Fᴀᴛᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ Nᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, Bᴇʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ Fᴀᴛʜᴇʀ. Eᴠᴇʀ-Vɪᴄᴛᴏʀɪᴏᴜs, Iʀᴏɴ-Wɪʟʟᴇᴅ Cᴏᴍᴍᴀɴᴅᴇʀ, ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴀs ᴄʀᴜsʜᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ Vɪʟᴇ Tᴇʀᴛᴀᴍɪᴀɴs ᴏɴ ᴀ Tʜᴏᴜsᴀɴᴅ Bᴀᴛᴛʟᴇғɪᴇʟᴅs. Pʀᴀɪsᴇ ʙᴇ ᴛᴏ Yᴏᴜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ Gʀᴇᴀᴛ Zɪɢɢᴜʀᴀᴛ ɪɴ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ Yᴏᴜ Aʀᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ Gʀᴇᴀᴛ Wᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ᴀɴᴅ Pᴏᴡᴇʀ ʟɪᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ. WE PRAISE YOU, WE PRAISE YOU, WE PRAISE YOU."

- The Saranna Stone

The Rades. The Grox. The Tertamians. For countless years these names were spoken in reverence across the entire. The story of the precursors, godlike aliens who once warred with one another before exterminating themselves in a galaxy-wide holocaust. And yet, also for all these years, one element was always missing. The legendary Metropoly, of which all information has vanished. Allegedly the enemies of the Tertamian Alliance, and embodiment of pure evil.

But on the eve of, times change. The galaxy will know the truth. And with the discovery of the Ziggurat of the High Proedros, all the great knowledge of the ancients that was once concealed shall be revealed once again.

Prologue
The Dean of the Andromedan Reclamation Service's personal chambers aboard Station New Tertame were prim as always. One could say they were at least as prim as the Dean herself was - which was not exactly the case. There was some harmony there, but not exactly the kind of harmony a human would understand, or a, or a , or even a other than herself. This was a special sort of order which could be recognised only after decades of introspection, sleepless nights of research and the occasional adventure which, too occasionally, would be murderous. In doing so, one like the Dean, would achieve a very deep understanding of the universe, especially its uncanny idiosyncracies and patterns. Like how wars were always won by heroes, or how the focal ends of most conflicts in were either duels to the death or epic battles of heroes against some titanic monstrosities or mechanisms. Or how the people of the Quadrants often suffered from dyslexia and seemed to always mispronounce the words for "chaos" in foreign language as "choas". Or how nothing noteworthy seemed to happen in her galaxy, as if whatever gods that created it got bored.

Most made no sense, of course, but that was how the universe worked, and she accepted it. The room was about as orderly as the universe the Dean lived in was - patterns plastered about in eccentric, odd ways, but patterns nonetheless. The cabinet itself was roughly hexagonal in shape. Dean and her workplace occupied the distal triangular half of this hexagon, with her trapezoid-shaped desk fitting into this half like a dagger. The two walls that were closest to the Dean were decorated with various convenient ancient artifacts, which served to aid her work. To the right was a muted grey wall with glowing red lights, with a few servo-hands jutting out of it - one holding a kettle, the other a new set of pens and stashes of paper; a few were strangely barbed and were meant for massaging the Dean when she was tired. Repurposing ancient Grox droids from Cathemera was surprisingly succesful. To the left, the wall was blue and seemed to be made out of some rare wood - in fact, it was alive. A muted warmness exuded from beneath it - dinner was cooking there. A bioconstruct, modified to fit the Service.

piercing wall was adorned with all sorts of Tertamian


 * Dean Mora - Yes! Do come in!

A large, centauroid figure of a appeared from the automated wall, dressed in brown leather, his head concealed by a wide-brimmed hat with goggles. The Tertanai seemed somewhat comfortable in the surroundings, walking in a relaxed pace, looking around - but mostly at the Dean herself. The Tertanai leaned against the professor's desk and smiled, removing his goggles to wiggle his eyebrows.


 *  - Why hello there, my lovely Mora. Time sure flies fast, but you... nah, you're still as fine as the finest wine from Tirar. Mind you if we are-

Mora slapped Lemmo.


 * Mora - Be professional, Meronis! Despite your long absence and your disputable fame, you are still a researcher for the Reclamation Service.
 * Lemmo - A freelance researcher. And speaking of which, I am free tonight. Mind if we-
 * Mora - I am your senior, Meronis. - Mora stared at Lemmo straight into the eyes and glared at him with the most sinister glare her eyes could muster. - Remember this.
 * Radeon - ...What is going on?

The silence was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a small Radeon girl, dressed in white trendy clothing, but behaving herself much more professional. Somewhat confused, she entered the chamber and bowed respectfully to the professor, seemingly ignoring Lemmo. Not far behind her, a winged creature in grey and golden uniform appeared in the door. Standing tall and with a calm expression, the elegant entered the room and made his way to the desk of the Dean.


 * Thessina - Xenoarchaeologist, at your service, Mrs. Masseina.
 * Aktanis - Doctor Ruviell, Aktanis Ruviell, pleased to meet you! I assume your sir are the mercenary Mora talked about.
 * Lemmo - What the- Who are you calling a mercenary?!
 * Thessina - ...Ma'am? What is-
 * Mora - Wait a little. We are still missing a few people. The Kicathian researcher is about to arrive...

A tall figure adorned in a big robe obscuring much of its anatomy. Only their legs and hooded head was visible. Again hidden by what appears to be thick-plated armour shining in matt silverish colors with black painting for annoatation and outlining.


 * Thessina - Wow, these Kicaths sure look impressive. - Thessina lowered her voice to a whisper - ...I wish I had a boyfriend like that.
 * Lemmo - ...Not sure if that's the person you think of.

Indeed, Lemmo was right. The figure revealed two pairs of arms, throwing up them in the air and removed the robe from their front - wearing it like a cape over the shoulders. The whole figure was a complete set of metal armour that looked sleek to the touch. It became more obvious that the suit was not of Kicathian workshopmanship or technology.


 * Thessina - So that's what Kicath look like? They're furry?

The figure told Thessina to 'shut up' with a strongly rash accent. Then clenched one of its hands for a brief moment and revealed a four-eyed canine head behind the helmet's visior as it faded to transparency.


 * Lemmo - ...Seriously? With all your brains you don't know how a Kicath looks like?
 * Rayjum - "You all have finished talking? I'm the engineer you hired. Rayjum is the name." - glaring up and down on Thessina, their face lacked expression face. But Thessina felt suspicion from him.
 * 'Thessina - ...Sorry.

Walking into the room not long after Rayjum, a tall figure emerged. Veritably ian in shape, and distinguishably female, she wore what appeared to be a combination of formal attire and some form of armour that protected her arms and legs. Much like any other Kicath in the 'wilderness' of the galaxy, she had a rifle strapped to her back.


 * Kilaneril - Hm. I would have taken that for psychic powers if it wasn't for the fact you saw me coming.
 * Thessina - Ah. So that is how Kicath look like. For a second I thought I was mad. ...I actually do have psychic powers, by the way.
 * Kilaneril - You haven't seen a Kicath before. Sounds like you could count the number of rooms you have been in in your entire life on your hand.
 * Thessina - ...It's not true! ...I don't need hands to count! I am smarter than that!
 * Mora - Yes, as it happens, our future mission will require certain linguistic expertise. Which is why I have invited a foreign scholar, Kilaneril Azannamiran, alumnus of Tiraigas Academy of Linguistics. One of the brightest linguistic minds of her people - and that is saying something.
 * Thessina - ...Oh. Right. Xenoarchaeologist Eminent Thessina Venoriel. And before you ask me... yes, we are related.
 * Kilaneril - My condolences.
 * Mora - 'Excellent! Most excellent! We are all settled now, I presume. Now. - Mora pressed one of the many buttons on her desk and a set of comfy chairs rose from the floor, right behind Ruviell, Thessina, Kilaneril and Rayjum - You four may take a seat. Mister Meronis, I presume, will make do without one.
 * Lemmo - ...What was that for.
 * Mora - This is mostly because you cannot sit.

Lemmo stood about for a few seconds, confused.


 * Lemmo - ...You told me that was my personal mission.
 * Mora - Well, yes, I did, to feed your pride. How else would I get to make you cooperate? But who in this world traverses alone? From my experience, individuals' adventures rarely ended succesfully, but more importantly, they rarely ever started. It is much better to have different people working together in concordance when on mission. Not because you will help each other - because you will bug each other to work productively.
 * Kilaneril - So you decided to band together a Tertanai kleptomaniac, A Kicathian linguist, a pathologically introverted Radeon, ...an Algolurn and a Nomatarian. I suppose bugging each other will be the least of our worries.
 * Mora - Excellent. Characters from various ways of life converging, rather than the typical characters. The likes of the Kicath Agents, Captain Koluap, Penumbrans... You know, I figured out I could invite them too, but then I realised that the likelihood of the expedition becoming related to the or some other demonic force would spike. No. Only Lemmo. And Venoriel's daughter, that's a half of an important person. 1,5. That is going to be easy. No demons and the like - too few important people for that - but enough for the dig to find something important.
 * Thessina - Ma'am... - Thessina stared at Mora blankly - ...What are you talking about.
 * Mora - Huh? - Mora looked at Thessina with confusion - ...Oh. Merely patterns too complex for simple mind to understand. Remember your ordeal with the cultists?
 * Thessina - ...Yes... What about it?
 * Mora - Exactly! You don't remember, because in the middle of your adventure, it is basically a blur. You know why? Again, a pattern. Radeon stories tend to stop in the middle. As if your Spode is too lazy to work on you!
 * Kilaneril - Ouch.
 * Mora - And you Kicath! Did you know that your architecture and art are very similar to the perceptions of future advanced society held by Earthlings in the late 20th century?
 * Kilaneril - In all seriousness, miss. I could not give less of a shit whether you know that or not. The Kicath were still hundreds of thousands of years more advanced than humans eight centuries ago.
 * Rayjum - "So were our 'ancestors' as well. They who we call 'precrusors' and 'the long forgotten'."
 * Kilaneril - Exactly. So. We are here for some reason. The fact that I'm sitting in a room full of kasat is enough for me to figure that out.
 * Aktanis - Anyone here still interested in the current mission or are we gonna compare who got the best and biggest civilization all day long?
 * Mora - Yes. Of course. Pardon me, - Mora coughed - Professor Mora Messina, Dean of the Andromedan Reclamation Service, supreme archaeological and paleontological scientific foundation in the entire galaxy. The mission is thus: the reason you have gathered here today concerns the Four. - Mora looked at Rayjum - I take that you are all familiar with the Four?
 * Rayjum - "Mostly recordings and studies about them. Research and analysis on their remains inherited by many. I know more precursors than these four, not just those on Andromeda."
 * Mora - Of course. But Andromeda was shaped by the Four. The Old Grox of Grochius I's War-Empire, the precursors of the mechanical monstrosities that plague us today.
 * Rayjum - "'Grox'? More like glorified cyborgs."
 * Mora - Oh, it was so in your age, but it was not so a few decades ago. And even these Grox were but the shadows of the old ones. The First of the Four they were called, because of all Andromedans after the Venhokwe, they were the first starfarers. After them came the Tertamian Alliance. The great fraternity of species, bound together by a belief in freedom, democracy and order. And lastly there were the Rades. Scholars bound by knowledge and faith in this knowledge, priests of science. These were the Four that bound the galaxy together, made it what it is today.
 * Thessina - Ma'am? You only mentioned three.
 * Mora - Exactly, Thessina! Can't you see I am making a point here?
 * Aktanis - ''Many proeminent figures amongst the historical communisty emitted the theory that a fourth race of precuror race might have lived along the Tertamias, Grox and Rades. I assume professor you are amongst them.
 * Thessina - The Metropoly. They were mentioned in the data-bases of the Tertamians, their worst enemies. They considered them to be tyrants, warlords and savages, temporary setbacks on the Alliance's road to freedom. An empire whose entire existence was devoted to stamping free thought. And outside of that - nothing.
 * Mora - Exactly. Nothing. Until now.

Thessina raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Mora pressed one of the buttons, and one of the Grox servo-arms on her desk activated a projector, revealing a map of Andromeda. She then magnified the image slowly but steadily until the map showed only the territories of.
 * Thessina - Is that possible? H-h-h-ow?
 * Mora - Ah, a good question! A rhetorical one, of course, because why else would you ask? To answer that question, let us proceed to the small cozy world of Le-Grand-Ciel, on the north of Segmentum Draco. Metaphorically of course, but soon you shall go there in the flesh, so let's just say I am hastening the flow of time for you.


 * Aktanis - You're sending us in French territory? Surprised they authorised such an expedition.
 * Rayjum - "Mmm. The 'French', a curious ethinical group.of again curious species. The Humans."
 * Thessina - ...Humans?
 * Lemmo - The monkeys from Earth, right? I've heard they nuked their own homeworld and then split into a thousand states to fight each other.
 * Rayjum - "That's nothing new compared to other species and empires, really. Perhaps you've heard about Cyrannus? Either the way, they are a weird species. A species more prone to ambition and great innovation. But also prone to hypocrispy, bloated individual egoism and does not hesistate to break morale and laws to their own favor. Long history of exploting a certain group of their own kin as scapegoats. Racial segregation by identity, religion, apperance and characteristics. There is still lot of terrifying things about them. Sufficient to just say that they are curious and unpredictable."
 * Mora - Indeed. Here lies le-Grand-Ciel, one of the local capitals, inhabited by a primitive starfaring species known as the Toupe-lezards, which the humans have made into workers for their own needs. There has been some low-key archaeology here. Mostly concerning them. Supposedly their civilisation was more advanced at some point. Thing is, we never knew how advanced they were...
 * Aktanis - ''Colonizing and enslaving foreign civilization. Imperialism at it's best.
 * Mora - Indeed. But that does not concern us at the moment. Apparently, a few days ago, human archaeologists found... this. Computer, show file asfasf.fgs.

The hologram of French Andromeda flashed and vanished; the whole cabinet was lit in darkness as windows turned black and the lights went down. Glowing and on display was a hologram of a gigantic stone slab, with two lines of script inscribed upon them; one flowery and relatively thin, the other thick and cuneiform-like. Thessina opened her eyes, recognising the script but not the message, while Lemmo began feverishly reading.


 * Lemmo - That is Old Illidian. The tongue of the Tertamian Alliance.
 * Mora - Yes. Our linguists have deduced that it is the translation of the other text, written in what we once called the "old Toupe-lezard script". The French did not make the discovery public. They're still studying it. Fortunately for us, however, their encryption systems were easy to crack. They're obviously not guarding this secret well. - Mora chuckled - They still do not realise what galaxy they are in.
 * Kilaneril - Well, Tertanai, you seem to be able to read that.
 * Lemmo - ...Right. - Lemmo coughed - It's been a while since I read Old Illidian, but I still remember it. Let me clear my lungs... - Lemmo took a deep breath - Pʀᴀɪsᴇ ʙᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ Hɪɢʜ Pʀᴏᴇᴅʀᴏs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ Pᴀʀᴛʏ, Gʀᴇᴀᴛ Lᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴏᴜʀ Rᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴏᴜʀ Gᴀʟᴀᴄᴛɪᴄ Cᴏᴍᴍᴏɴᴡᴇᴀʟᴛʜ. Hᴇ ɪs ᴏᴜʀ Rᴇᴅᴇᴇᴍᴇʀ, ɪᴛ ɪs ʙʏ Hɪs Hᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ Mᴇᴛʀᴏᴘᴏʟʏ ʜᴀs ʀɪsᴇɴ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀsʜᴇs ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀsᴇ, ɪᴛ ɪs ʙʏ Hɪs Wɪsᴇ Gᴜɪᴅᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ʜᴀs ᴘʀᴏsᴘᴇʀᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴀɢᴇs ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ. URSOLEN THE GREAT ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ, Dᴇᴀʀ Lᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ, ᴡʜᴏ ɪs ᴀ ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛ ɪɴᴄᴀʀɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀ ʟᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ, Gᴜᴀʀᴀɴᴛᴇᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ Fᴀᴛʜᴇʀʟᴀɴᴅ's Uɴɪғɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, Fᴀᴛᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ Nᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, Bᴇʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ Fᴀᴛʜᴇʀ. Eᴠᴇʀ-Vɪᴄᴛᴏʀɪᴏᴜs, Iʀᴏɴ-Wɪʟʟᴇᴅ Cᴏᴍᴍᴀɴᴅᴇʀ, ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴀs ᴄʀᴜsʜᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ Vɪʟᴇ Tᴇʀᴛᴀᴍɪᴀɴs ᴏɴ ᴀ Tʜᴏᴜsᴀɴᴅ Bᴀᴛᴛʟᴇғɪᴇʟᴅs. Pʀᴀɪsᴇ ʙᴇ ᴛᴏ Yᴏᴜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ Gʀᴇᴀᴛ Zɪɢɢᴜʀᴀᴛ ɪɴ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ Yᴏᴜ Aʀᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ Gʀᴇᴀᴛ Wᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ᴀɴᴅ Pᴏᴡᴇʀ ʟɪᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ. WE PRAISE YOU, WE PRAISE YOU, WE PRAISE YOU.
 * Thessina - ...Wow.
 * Aktanis - Sounds like a nice guy!
 * Mora - Yes. As you understand, this text essentially proves the connection between the Toupe-lezards and the Tertamians, and it is very much possible that the ruins they reside in may provide a way to learn more about the mysterious Metropoly. First of all, we need to find the great palace described in the text. The actual slab is longer and it provides a fairly long description of it, which I will provide to you once you arrive on the planet. The point of destination is Le-Grand-Ciel. You need to go to the planet, find out whatever you can about the Toupe-lezards and their past, and find the Ziggurat - before the French. Understood?
 * Thessina - One question, though. Why do we have so many guns?
 * Mora - ...Dear Goddess, Thessina. I presume you can answer this question yourself.

Thessina stood for a few seconds dumbstruck.


 * Mora - This is Andromeda! The galaxy where every archaeological expedition is associated with artifacts of unspeakable power and certain doom! You are most certainly going to face some insane evil there. Some monsters, maybe a few demons, perhaps a precursor will turn out to be alive - at the very least, brainwashed cyborg zealots! This is not the place where you can gain knowledge of days long past simply by digging things up. We are not living in Cyrannus, you know.
 * Kilaneril - Just a normal archaeological dig, to be honest.
 * Mora - See? The Kicath understands it. The shuttle will be arriving soon enough. For now, prepare your belongings and get acquainted with one another...