Microstory 633: Steal the Bow and Crown of Bertok

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In the explanation for a later taikon, we’ll get into more detail about what kind of person Eido Bertok was, and how he impacted the cause. One thing to understand about the situation, however, is that there is a difference between Fosteans and Lightseers. Not everyone in this galaxy believes in The Light, even though we were all saved by it. We were all brought here out of our hellish prison in the Lactean galaxy, and we all benefit from what our new home has to offer. We don’t really understand why not everyone reveres our great founder as much as we do, but maybe that’s part of it. Maybe it’s our responsibility to remind these nonbelievers of that light of truth, and once we do, we’ll find some kind of paradise of freedom. Though no exact endgame to these taikon is given anywhere in the Book of Light, many suspect that paradise of freedom to be the goal. Even though not everyone is a Lightseer, there are those who appreciate our beginnings on a more historical and academic level. They admire Sotiren Zahir, even whilst ignoring his sanctity, and strive to learn from his teachings in other ways. It was one group of these people that managed to create a museum of ancient relics from those early times. Two of these artifacts once belonged to Eido Bertok. There are many representations of Bertok in Fostean art, but nearly all of them depict him with his signature bow and crown. Though he was not as involved in the military efforts as Eido Ivanka, he was a bit of a fashion guru. He wore an ornate crown, and carried an empty bow with him wherever he went, no matter the occasion. They were part of him; extensions of his self. Taking them away would be like removing someone’s soul. It simply cannot be done without inflicting permanent damage. Upon Bertok’s death, his descendants kept them on display in their Clan Hall for decades. Due to a terrible turn of events involving a disgraced and nearly exiled family member, and a clerical error, these items were eventually passed into the Museum of Galactic History on Merek. They have been sitting there, collecting proverbial dust, ever since. Until now. Under orders of Eido Ivanka, the museum was raided; the bow and crown retrieved, along with a few other important artifacts that belong in the hands of true Lightseers. Now they sit behind locked doors at a secret location, waited to be bequested to Bertok’s replacement.