The Reliquary of Worlds - Vol. 1 Ed. 32
Feb 24, 2021 3:01 am
World Builders' Guild Newsletter
A majestic structure rises above the city square.
Across the thoroughfare, denizens bustle between stalls and homes. You weave through the throbbing heart of the ancient city.
As you climb the polished marble steps, a salt breeze sweeps the portico.
Adjacent palms rustle a spirited response.
Inside, pale daylight streams through high-slung openings. The columns, elaborate and numerous, line the three-story main hall. Rows of scrolls and codices come into focus. The air ripples with the scent of papyrus cured in cedar oil.
A wizened scholar greets you.
Bows exchange.
She leads you deep into the soul of this timeless portal between worlds. Your journey, though weeks in the making, feels as though it as just begun.
Like this, but older and no bathrooms. (Photo by Will van Wingerden on Unsplash)
For thousands of years, humans have accumulated knowledge and reverently guarded it in houses of learning. Even in classical times, a curious scholar could board a ship or ride to a metropolis in search of the written word.
They searched for medical knowledge, history, recipes, treatises on civics and political strategy. Records of war. Heroic epics. Tales of comedy and folly.
Before the printing press. Before the radio. Before the Internet.
Worlds sprang forth from their forebears' minds onto the pages, tablets, and parchments, reshaping a naive reality into something more complete and divine.
This antique tweet illustrates the idea of words-as-portals better than I could hope to:
"Ever realised how fucking surreal reading a book actually is? You stare at marked slices of tree for hours on end, hallucinating vividly" - Katie Oldham
I'll bet you have your own personal collection of worlds nearby. Perhaps you've forgotten those magical portals are open at all times. Perhaps you should embark on the time-honored journey of wisdom and adventure.
Look to the ancients for the bedrock of worlds yet to come.
They knew how to keep the secrets.
You know how to find them.
To future worlds,
Matt Ventre
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