Further Notes On Discovery And Translation
In the previous appendix, some aspects of the findings were skipped over for ease of readability. The following will be a more detailed account.
There were, as mentioned earlier, hundreds of stone monoliths inscribed with the Almendra myth. However, they were not all the same. The version of the story you're reading now is only one of many that were included, in part or in full. It was, though, the one given the most central importance. This version of the myth was inscribed in three sets of pillars. Each of these three sets had thirty-three seven-sided pillars in total, with each pillar containing one chapter. Because of the differences in length between chapters, the pillars varied in height, with some reaching the ceiling of the chamber. They were arranged in a crescent pattern, with the first and last pillars on each end. These three sets were in the center of the chamber, and the rest of the monoliths and tablets were arranged around it in a circular pattern, giving them open space.
These other writings mostly consisted of alternate versions of the Almendra myth. Some of these renditions are actually partially included in the central one we've been reading, such as Maia's epic poem rendition from the 4400s AD. Let's compare the opening lines. In the central rendition:
I woke up slightly before midday in a makeshift bed at the back of an alley, surrounded by junk and trash. The sky was cloudy, its gray light complimenting the dulled, dusty tones of the town. I had moved here a number of years ago after a long series of incidents which I don't like to speak of, and was never quite able to find my footing in the tight-knit, downtrodden area.
In Maia's rendition:
Maine awoke in makeshift bedding slightly before the day's peak hour.
He sat alone in the back of an alley, and was surrounded by the town's wastes.
He had migrated to this town after a calamity he kept secret from all,
And had never found his way in the wastes.
The sky was a dull gray, and Sol's light peeked through it cautiously.
It was filled with clouds and smog, emitting from the town's core.
The town matched this dull gray, the buildings covered in dust.[...]
Maia's rendition keeps the same information, but is much more poetic and omits some details, as well as the general atmosphere of Maine's narration. Another rendition, this one from sometime in the 56th century, leans even further into poetic abstraction:
We awake at the world's beginning, a wasteland of debris; through this tunnel we are born, and for the first time see the light. As our eyes open we see smoggy skies and dilapidated buildings, and we mourn the loss of innocence. The nature of the world we are born into is outside of our control, and will determine our lives. It is here that Maine awakens alongside us, and the world travels through her eyes and ears as it does ours, and she becomes aware of the trash and open air surrounding us. This is the world she sought to be born into, and she cannot yet tell us why this is. The clouds come down and into us, and our eyes are taken and become one with hers. Our perception merges.
This rendition was by a pseudonymous author who took the name Almendra. It may not have been as popular, or at the very least was poorly preserved, as only ten of its pillars appeared in the chamber, as opposed to the central telling's thirty-three and Maia's rendition's twenty-seven. (Note that some of all of these pillars are unreadable from weathering - we only have the full version of the central telling thanks to the redundant copies.) Also notable is a full retelling from the prophet AZP:
In the depths of January, 4016, the chain of events involving the Church of Holy Light will begin. The day will begin with Maine waking up in an alley. She's homeless, and will be surrounded by garbage and sleeping in a pile of blankets. She moved here a long time ago, for reasons you and I will find out in time, and typically prefers to sleep in the alleys. The town around her is in the process of decay, with a permanently clouded and smoggy sky. The buildings will be dull and gray, and only a couple years away from collapse. This was the start of my vision.
This retelling raises some interesting questions about AZP, which we'll explore in the next Appendix.
These are the three most notable alternate renditions of the Almendra myth. Their pillars, though only partially preserved, were arranged in the same crescent pattern as the central rendition, and placed at equal distances throughout the chamber to form a triangle around it. Other pillars were more crowded, containing partial renditions of certain scenes, scenes not in the other renditions, or even alternative translations of the four full renditions. Also scattered throughout were stone tablets. Some of these contained more partial renditions or re-translations, and some were pure copies, perhaps made as a more easily readable alternative to the monoliths. Most interestingly, others were analyses of the myth. Some of these were popular analyses, while others were scholarly. Here's a sample of a popular analysis tablet, again focusing on this initial scene:
It's interesting to me that Maine sleeps alone in this opening scene, rather than staying with Matt or Sefgh. It speaks to her isolation at this stage and the distance she keeps between her and her friends. Some renditions downplay this aspect, which irritates me, since I think it's a very important part of the myth. Others play it up a bit too much, though. Some versions of Aladeania Church-Air-Memory's rendition go as far as to have her not refer to her friends by name for some early chapters, which I think is too much. Changing her journals that much is egregious.
This focus on analysis from several angles, as well as the variety of translations and renditions, suggests a great degree of discussion around this one myth. People were free to interpret it in several different ways, though the central events and ideas remained unchanged. This implies a society open to ideas and expression, even if, as mentioned in Appendix A, most people likely could not read or write on their own. (This further implies a highly cooperative and trustful society, where illiterate people were read the myth aloud and could then dictate their analyses aloud.)
Also as mentioned in Appendix A, a side chamber was discovered which included, among other things, a "Rosetta Stone" for the many languages used in these monoliths and tablets. It also included educational language-learning lessons, as well as art of characters and scenes from the myth in stone carvings, paintings, and even some statues. These were done in a somewhat primitive style, reminiscent of Neolithic art.
One last interesting note is that, though the three full alternate renditions are partially included in the main rendition, some small changes have been made. See this line in Maia's original rendition:
"With the superior light of the forest, the cultists could now get a clear impression of the grim Zsuius."
Compare this to Church-Air-Memory's version of the line:
"With the superior light of the forest, our heroes, the cultists, could get a better impression of Zsuius."
Translation of the alternate renditions are, like the central rendition, incomplete but ongoing.