Proto-Aversarian fresco

Accompanying Notes
Dear Magister Helika, valued colleague,

I found it! After months of digging, years of searching, decades of doubt and insults by our colleagues, I knew this decrepit fucking palace was just waiting to be dug out of its grave! Damn them all, I did it! The oldest dig in history! The oldest evidence of Aversarian superiority in history! It's a fascinating spectacle, let me tell you, and I think it just might enlighten us on how backwards ancient civilization may have been.

The fresco is simply resplendent, and using an ounce of one of my slave's blood, I've ascertained it to have been created approximately 7644 BE! 7644! 7 and a half millenia from the foundation of our enlightened and troubled Aautokrata. To think of the untold eons that have passed! Even the formation of the Empire is shrouded in history to us, yet this! Amazing! While the make is of proto-Aversarian culture, and was likely crafted at the behest of one of the ancient kings that once ruled our lands. Within it, the story is simply unknown to me, however we can make a few guesses! If I am correct, this barbaric tale may have been of a now-extinct non-Aversarian tribe's creation story. Perhaps commissioned in order to ridicule? Or did this long-dead king have a fascination with lesser cultures? Who knows! However, the most fascinating part is the links with the beliefs of our own people. For while some of the tales we tell may seem dated to us now, this fresco may be evidence that we have believed them for millennia, and that barbaric tribes were so impressed with us they adopted much of it into their own beliefs!

The top portion of the mural seems to depict some sort of god figure. Perhaps a representation of the Purest? Regardless, the symbology in the image seems to invoke the universe. We, as educated men, know that no being could create something so vast, but who knows what primitive people like to believe!

Still, the top, while interesting, is the least of all of the pieces. I think this next one will particularly interest you, Helika.

Yes! I know! The first ever representation of Aversaria in history! The map itself is quite primitive, and obviously gets quite a bit wrong, but it easily predates the next oldest map we know of by several thousand years! SEVERAL THOUSAND!!!

There are many interesting pieces on this display. Clearly the interpretation is this god figure of theirs (still perhaps the Purest) creating the world. However, far more interesting is the apparent fixation of the map on the Sunken Tower. While we originally thought the Tower to have possibly been created, or at least occupied, during the early days of the Empire, it appears that ancient ruin was far older than could possibly be imagined!

We've long known the northern wayline centers on the tower, but the fact that this culture placed so much significance in it implies it was far more important than we thought! While I originally had imagined that the tower had been built on the waylines, the interpretation I now see is that this culture believes the wayline comes from the tower.

I've marked the northern wayline in red and the eastern wayline in blue for your perusal. Please do tell me what you think.

Perhaps the tower is where they imagined this god figure of theirs ruled? It could have been the place where a forgotten emperor briefly ruled, before the location was obviously cursed with magic. Still, until the day comes where a ship destined to the tower actually returns, I don't think we will ever know. Still, it is quite odd that the entire map seems to be justified to place the tower at its center, no? It's hardly a place of significance today, and I don't think I've ever seen a record claiming it was ever anything besides a mysterious relic of the past... and ship bait.

Another interesting portion of the map is that it predates the Shattered Coast becoming, well... the Shattered Coast. While I initially put it off as a simple lack of cartographic ability on the part of the ancients, further inspection makes me think that may be incorrect. There are far too many small details in this rendition to have simply missed the entirety of the Shattered Coast. Whether this map was created before it, or that it shows that the creators still had memory of when it was not shattered, or is simply an attempt at an artistic rendition of what the world may have once looked like, I have no idea. Oh, but the possibilities are just too exciting!

The final thing of note is the misplacement of the eastern wayline. While the rest of the maps seem to match up near-perfectly, the eastern line is completely off. Once again part of me wants to write this off as a simple lack of ability, yet so much of the map otherwise links correctly. Once more I ask, does this predate that ancient line as well? Or did they simply know of a time when it was not a place of power? Preposterous, I know, but it is a joy to imagine if nothing else.

Sadly that is my observation of the map, but I will be sure to write to you with more details as I discover them!

We now have a final fragment to observe:

While obviously less of a piece, this one manages to posit so many questions to the gentle scholar such as you and I. The image clearly shows humans bowing in supplication to the previous entity, further confirming my suspicions that this may be some bastardized history of an ancient warlord. However, the next portion shows very clearly the figure once again using the powers of a Magi. However, three things in the second portion immediately stand to note:


 * 1) The two figures flanking seem to be either taking or receiving power from the figure. I know what you're thinking, and no, I do not think this is an example of early Living Vampirism or Lichdom, nor do I think it a symbol of thralldom. Yet I have never heard of a Magi simply giving others the power, or truly taking it from one. The questions are endless!
 * 2) The central figure seems to be holding some form of staff, and while it is not quite visible, the fresco seems to place odd importance around it. Well, I certainly know one artifact I am going to be digging for! Could you imagine, a multi-millenium old staff from an ancient emperor? Why, there's already a thousand fools fighting for the throne, maybe I'd have a chance if I found it! Hahaha, I jest of course my friend, do not worry about me. My thirst for power is currently quite limited to the power of knowledge.
 * 3) And the least interesting, but still certainly curious portion, the figures have been drawn with different ears from the rest. I've seen this in a few digs, and have either theorized it is ancient fantastification of their otherwise mundane world, or simply a way to mark out the first men. The purest of blood. Either way, I do not think that portion of the fresco deserves too much interest.

And finally, at the bottom, you see the figures all carried on the backs of what seems to be slaves. If anything, this further confirms my thoughts that this is some ancient tribe that, upon learning of the superior beliefs found in Aversarinas Aagiokratia, or at least an early version of it, quickly adopted much of its teachings as their own. Yes, I agree with what you are thinking, they would prove themselves weak to do so, and were either soon after wiped out by the proto-Aversarians or enslaved by them like the blackguard Ilyrossi. Still, I am amazed at this find, and once it is properly cleaned and the rest of the site dug, I hope you will host it at your class in the Mayikprolollan! I know the Tower is long cut off, but I have heard the Sjalvolki have so far left you and the merchants at the Chyrso Pýros alone. If the Arch-Magi allows it, as ever feels like he's done playing king, and you and the tower aren't burned to ash like I warned you, then I will present it to you and your class personally. After I tour a bit of the Empire of course... assuming there still is one.

Still my friend, please write back to me with all haste! The Isle is troubled, and the local lords have already risen up against the Governor-Magistrate. One of the fools even said she's the rightful empress! As if we didn't have enough of them! Still, I am safe in my camp with my mercenaries and my magi, and the only thing I currently lack is anyone with half a brain to speak with.

Oh, right! And finally, here is the completed drawing of the fresco, pieced together as best I could. Remember to send me your thoughts! And if any of your students have questions, then feel free to forward those as well!

Regardless, it is now time to get back to the dig.

Your friend, valued colleague, and the one of superior looks to you,

Magi-Archailogokist Magister Nyctinaius

Analysis
While the Magi-Archailogokist does a great job of pointing out very obscure details, the sheer amount of Aversarian bias makes their writing reliable as nothing more than a foundation off which to surmise details instead of an actual guide to the fresco. The analysis will be done on a section-by-sectionbasis.

Section 1
The first thing of note in the Magi-Archailogokist's writings is that their Living Magic dating of the fresco put it at 7644 BE, though the official timeline put the date of the destruction of Aersanon and the Aelfir (this fresco depicting a time before the event) at 11166 BE, 3522 years before its supposed creation. This could simply be due to the Magi-Archailogokist's Magic being inaccurate, or it could have been an ancient civilization's record of their own ancient history.

The Magi-Archailogokist's only factually correct assumption is that this has to do with the creation story of an ancient civilization, depicting Aersanon in all Their radiance. The full picture is however not being encapsulated in this claim, as it's also depicting the hierarchy of Aersanon's creations. Humans are worshiping Them and serving both Them and the Aelfir, while the Aelfir are bestowed great power by Aersanon.

The actual motivation for the creation of the fresco is unknown, though as theorized above, it could have been an ancient culture recording their own ancient history.

Section 2
As much as the Aversarians would like to deny, Aersanon is in fact responsible for the creation of their entire world, thus the universe symbology with Them at the center.

Section 3
Though the accompanying notes have a heavy bias, they do however come very close to the truth. In other parts of the lore, it is noted that the Sea Tower was the seat of Aersanon while They were still the ruler of Aeras.

As the Magi-Archailogokist notes, the seeming inaccuracy of the depiction of the Shattered Coast could very well not be an accident. Though only a theory with no lore to support it, the "shattering" of the Shattered Coast could have been caused by one of the events preceding and during the Godherja. The theory is that it was the genocide of the Aelfir which "shattered" the region; the human masses colliding with the godlike Aelfir, unleashing destructive Magics that annihilated the landscape around them and transformed it into what we know today.

The last thing of note about this paragraph is that the Magi-Archailogokist has yet again made a correct assumption about the Northern Wayline simply not existing at that time, however their bias clouded the actual answer to why. It has been noted that the Northern Wayline springs directly from the dead body of Aersanon, and the fresco depicts events before Aersanon was killed in the Godherja.

Section 4
The fourth part of the fresco is a commentary on the hierarchy of Aersanon's projects. The Aelfir are shown receiving the great power that they were known for from Them, meanwhile the humans are shown bowing to, worshiping, and slaving away for Aersanon and the Aelfir.

One of the most fascinating parts of the fresco is Aersanon's barely visible staff. In the Godherja Discord Server, ThePinkPanzer has heavily implied that, though the location of the staff is lost, it is currently having a momentous effect on Aeras. He stated that the staff could very well be currently buried beneath Chevalie, being the cause for the Anti-Magic field that permeates the region.

Original Thread
https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/comments/g2wx3h/recovered_remains_of_a_protoaversarian_fresco/