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 Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients

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Paul Luz
Senior Scholar
Senior Scholar
Paul Luz


Posts : 140
Join date : 2013-01-28

Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients Empty
PostSubject: Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients   Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients I_icon_minitimeSun Mar 10, 2013 5:34 pm

[this is the first part of my reflections. I am still editing my personal journal, and will post the last half soon!]

Fountain of the Ancients

I first met Tolando Krieg, of galactic racing fame, during my work with the Duros High House. When it came to my attention that he was a member of The Knights of the Fountain, I jumped at the opportunity to visit him out at Klatooine, home of the Fountain of the Ancients. It took quite a while to arrange my visit, but I was able to locate a small group of Klatooinian pilgrims planning to visit the Fountain who graciously allowed me to come with them. We left from a starport on Tatooine, where they were preparing for their harsh pilgrimage in the deserts there. It turns out their families were from different parts of the Galaxy, but they were mostly from more urban areas and thought it important to spend time learning to live in the desert before they seek out their most sacred site and spend time in the ancient, untouched desert around it meditating on it.

They lead me to an AA-9 transport that appeared to have seen some constant hard traveling in addition to some time in the Clone Wars. It was the best they could afford, not trusting the public transport services offered by the local New Republic government. A certain Bi’athorpe Tyndale was their de facto leader, and as we were getting under way, he told me about the Fountain, a little about its significance.

“ You see, Paul, the Fountain is something that I don’t think I can really explain, at least that is how I’ve always heard it explained to me. It’s giant, ancient, beautiful, just breathtaking! There’s this mineral leak in this natural crater, and as the liquid cools, it looks like the most beautiful crystal diamond you’ve ever seen. This has been going on for millennia! It’s huge, you can see it for miles! They say it was a gift from the Ancients back when they lived and looked after Klatooine. The Ancients are revered and worshiped by my people, but it became muddled when the Hutts arrived. Many of my people believed the Hutts to be the Ancients, and became subject to them, but many now are doubting the connections. But while this may be confusing, the Fountain is not. It’s simple and majestic! The crystal just grows and grows, harder and harder, persistent and strong, inspiring us all to press on and stay strong.”

The group excitedly began exchanging the stories they were raised on, tales of the fountain, of the Ancients, of their people and homeworld. All I could gather was that the Sith once tried to bomb the fountain, but it resisted their attacks, and that the planet is was controlled by some power, and the Knights of the Fountain had liberated it. The details of their stories all varied to some extent, as can be expected from those who have grown up systems apart with traditions and stories that get passed down with their genes. I would have recorded them for posterity, but that would require another volume. They began to talk excitedly about what they think it would be like, what they think their home world would be like… the enthusiasm was palatable! Other passengers did not take too kindly to their constant chatter, which generally grew in volume as a story wound on, but this did not appear to faze them.

One of them produced an old book from a satchel. The edges were clearly worn from heavy use, and only flakes remained of ornate scrollwork on the cover and spine form very long ago. Its two latches had since been broken, and it appeared to be held together almost entirely by a leather strap around its center. “This,” I was told, “is an heirloom. It documents meditations on the Fountain, and rites of pilgrimage from ages past. Its proper name has long been forgotten in my family, and really I have enough trouble trying to read the thing, with the discolored pages, hand-copied pages, crammed margin notes, and out-dated style. Mostly I know what it says only through paraphrases I was taught by my grandparents.”

It was beautiful on the inside, brilliant penmanship. I couldn’t read it for anything, but it was evident that someone long dead by now had thought whatever was in this book to be of the upmost importance. This brought up the topic of the pilgrimage, and I asked what exactly this entailed. About this they were very clear, which surprised me as I expected traditions and varying as their histories. Each one, however, told me that we would land a few miles away in the desert, where the fountain which could be seen for miles would be out of view. There, camp would be set up, and each would reflect on what they lack of the Fountain: weakness, naivety, insecurity, fear… Before dawn we would break camp, and begin marching toward the fountain with the hope that at sunrise we would just be in sight of the holy ground, and the first rays of the day would come to us reflected from the tip of the crystal structure. At this time we would begin to sing songs out of the book, but more than likely these were pulled from memory. A night would then be spent at the lip of the crater reflecting on the Fountain, their race’s history with and around it, the meaning of the Ancients, and whatever came to heart.

I could not wait. With the help of several, I began to translate a little from the book in hopes that I would be able to join in on every aspect of the pilgrimage. After several days we neared the system, and my group became silent. Although they had told me that their silence would not have to begin until they had reached the surface, they wanted to prepare themselves. It fell to me to ask the pilot to drop us off in the desert, which he would not do for fear of bandit gangs. Landing at the starport, I arranged a barge to take us out to the wilderness and my group began to set up camp. The camp was meant to resemble the Fountain site, with the tents set up around a fire, which was inside a dug-out bowl in the middle of camp. I noticed several of these bowls as we rode to our site, meaning we were not the first ones here, even recently. This sense of tradition set me at awe, as if the reverence to the Fountain was as marvelous as I had been told the Fountain itself was! The pilgrims sat in the doorways of their tents, eyes fixed on the fire, bodies still. I retired to mine to double-check my provisions and work on translating more of the poems and songs I copied from the old book.

I was awoken by one of them early the next morning, I doubt it was actually too much later than when I tried to go to sleep. The young Klatooinian seemed very excited, or nervous, rather, even though his face betrayed his exhaustion. I don’t think he slept at all the previous night. Camp was almost completely broken by the time I began to take my tent down. We put everything on our backs and started walking east to the Fountain. They began a song as they walked, but it was in a more ancient tongue, and I could not join in. They kept this up for a few hours, walking with their eyes set like flint, their voices booming. The blackness of the night sky was worn thin at the horizon as small hints of color became visible. Sunrise was near. This made them quicken their pace, and I remembered that they wanted to get into sight of the Fountain’s tip before the sun rose.
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Mao Aadir
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Mao Aadir


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Join date : 2013-01-24

Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients Empty
PostSubject: Re: Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients   Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients I_icon_minitimeMon Sep 02, 2013 8:17 am

This was a fascinating read! Please continue!
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Paul Luz
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Paul Luz


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Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients Empty
PostSubject: Re: Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients   Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients I_icon_minitimeTue Sep 03, 2013 4:59 am

I need to find my notes again, friend. They must have gotten misfiled. I will as soon as I can!
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Rennek Cor
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Rennek Cor


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Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients Empty
PostSubject: Re: Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients   Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients I_icon_minitimeThu Sep 19, 2013 2:42 pm

Is this a project you are looking to continue following the Pursuit Paul?
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Paul Luz
Senior Scholar
Senior Scholar
Paul Luz


Posts : 140
Join date : 2013-01-28

Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients Empty
PostSubject: Re: Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients   Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients I_icon_minitimeFri Sep 20, 2013 1:41 am

it is! it is! I am now compiling notes for the Jandur paper for the competition, and this has taken a backburner. If you would like to delete it for tidiness sake, I have my notes saved elsewhere
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Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients Empty
PostSubject: Re: Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients   Galactic Wonders pt 1: The Fountain of the Ancients I_icon_minitime

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