News – Page 7 – Tower of Callisto

A change in Kucha

An excerpt from a letter by a noblewoman of Aksu:

The mutual respect shown at the funeral of our late, beloved Queen Fadya has greatly healed the tensions between those who practice Symness and those who follow the fourfold paths of Kusinne. There is a new unity here, as all see each other as sisters of Kucina, equally beloved by our new Queen. Many who would not have spoken previously now greet each other courteously, and the agents of the monarchy are treated with deference. Why, just today, my neighbor invited me to the gathering she held to display her newly acquired Zulaji tiles, and there was much gossip between those who were enemies in former times. I heard many rumors of a treasure hidden in an ancient temple somewhere in Kucina.

Mourning and Celebration

An extract from a history of the royal family of Kucha, referring to the raising of the memorial obelisk above the tomb of Queen Fadya of Kucha:

The whole town was adorned by colorful lanterns, banners and garlands of flowers. There were people everywhere and the scents of the petals rivaled those of the cooking fires. But more importantly, there was music and dancing in every street and works of art of all kinds. Finely sculpted statues and pillars were set up in the squares, ornate pottery was displayed around the public fountains, and exquisite paintings on silks and tiles and wooden boards were hung on every the wall. The mood of the city was unlike anything I have felt before. There was a spirit of shared wonder and elation, of celebration and camaraderie, even though the city was filled with people of all the Oasis Kingdoms and beyond. For a whole week, we seemed to live in a dream world. People were talking to strangers in the streets as if they were brothers, inviting them to their tables or to share in the smoking of the exotic weeds that they had brought with them. And so many discussion were about art and spirituality and the deeper meanings of life.

From the Expedition of 1836

8th Thermidor, 1836: Hieronymus writes to me of the results of his excavations near Chayi. He has uncovered a system of dams and sluice gates that he suggests dates to the early periods of its habitation.

Ceramics of Kucha

Catalog Item #241: Zulaij tile. Its craftsmanship indicates its origin in Kucha, characteristic of the ceramics of that place.

Catalog Item #262: Tableware, Kucha manufacture. The unique ceramic style is instantly identifiable.

Rumors of Assassians

An excerpt from a merchant’s travelling account, excavated from a tomb:

…when we arrived, the city seemed to be astir with the recent passage of a fearsome warrior, who, we gathered, was in pursuit of a thief of rare books, such as are written by heresiarchs. A reward was offered for information about heirlooms and books that this thief had stolen, but few would discuss this matter with the assassin, and she departed in wrath.

We agreed among ourselves that we would not want to encounter such a pursuer, and we wondered what would happen to the pursued thieves. What could possibly influence this relentless pursuit?

The Library of Niya

An extract from a traveller’s account of the great library at Niya:

The structure is one of huge halls and hallways of white marble, their walls shaped like honeycombs filled with books and scrolls. On the outside, the extensive building is surrounded by a portico whose columns are shaped as statues of the prophets of Kusinne, holding the roof’s weight as they carried the weight of knowledge.

Nomad Raids Near Anxi

From the Annals of the Oasis Kingdoms:

That season, the nomads travelled from Yiwu to the region near Anxi, establishing their encampment in the ruins of an ancient and long-abandoned town north of that city.

The armies of the Middle Kingdom made many attempts to dislodge them, sending horse riders and regiments of soldiers. But they were defeated by the nomads’ greater knowledge of the desert and its ways. The horse nomads ambushed their patrols and left the survivors for the vultures.

Middle Kingdom Caravans in Niya

From the Annals of the Oasis Kingdoms:

Despite the many threats issued from both sides, the caravans of the Middle Kingdom passed peacefully through Niya that season, escorted by a regiment of soldiers from Dukhan. Though insults and challenges at times threatened to break out into violent conflict, the discipline of the Green Banner Army stood firm.

In the Name of The Emperor of Ten Thousand Years

A Reward is hereby Issued for information regarding the Whereabouts of an Engineer of the name Liu Shui, he being of the 9th rank, who is Wanted for Questioning regarding the Incident at the Grand Imperial Menagerie.

Signed and Sealed in the name of The Emperor of Ten Thousand Years, Lord of the Middle Kingdom, and Ruler of All Civilization Under Heaven.

From the Expedition of 1836

28th Prairial, 1836: Arriving at the site, we took stock of the preparations of the previous season. The precautions taken to preserve the scriptorium and library in the offseason were successful. We have already discovered several additional copies of The Little Book of Kusinne.

Hieronymus’s offseason dig at the battlefield near Aksu proved just as fruitful. He posits, based on the sparrow-markings on the iron weapons, that it dates to the conquest of Aksu by Kuchina in the first century, before their unification into one realm.

As you know, my contention has been that the legendary Queen Fadya, who supposedly undertook this unification, was clearly mythological; perhaps stories of a local guardian spirit were used to create a propaganda for national unification. After all, the stories of the different religious factions mourning at her funeral side-by-side is clearly intended as a metaphor for the triumph of political power over the local religious cults.