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Queahn: STONE is very important in the Empire, Miss Grauch. We believe that every building has a SOUL, a specific PURPOSE that it is dedicated to. And it has to stand for as long as that purpose exists. You won’t find a single constructed wall in the Empire that does not have some carvings on it which tell you about its function. That’s why they either left the remains of the Tyr’Enn ruins here INTACT or TORE THEM DOWN completely and built something new from the ground.
Katharina: You mean they'd never ... REPURPOSE old buildings?
Queahn: Never, no. That would be asking for MISFORTUNE. In the case of this central building they left the outer walls UNTOUCHED and just put their own smaller temple INSIDE. Effectively creating a NEW, DIFFERENT BUILDING.
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Katharina: So these burial markings ...
Queahn: They are extremely unusual in that they are carved OVER the older ones ... both on the Barian and Tyr'Enn stones. They FORCEFULLY REPLACED whatever was here before. That is something you just don't DO!
Brahms: Maybe this weren't your people after all ... ? Or they were OUTCASTS who didn't care about your traditions?
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<Queahn points to one of the carvings>
Queahn: No Cornelius. These are DEEPLY SACRED symbols. They are supposed to guide a highly valued offspring of Galca back into her womb. And there are SEVERAL of these - that's why I think someone important must be resting here.
Katharina: Hmh ... sacred signs for someone of high rank ... but done HASTILY and DEFYING TRADITIONS.
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Katharina: They might just not have had the TIME to build their own mausoleum from the ground. And the whole thing speaks for a very ... AMBIVALENT RELATIONSHIP to the empire. Maybe ... the stories about the BETRAYER GENERAL who killed the empress are TRUE. And maybe he didn't make it home either and is buried HERE!
Brahms: That's an interesting STORY Miss Grauch, but we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves ...
<Katharina reaches out to touch the carvings>
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Queahn: Actually, she might be RIGHT, Cornelius ...
Katharina: Thank you, Professor Queahn, I -
Queahn: Also please DON'T TOUCH THE CARVINGS!
Katharina: I ...
Queahn: PLEASE!
Katharina: <startled> ... s-sure.