Volume 1

It is the third millennium since the flame was stolen. Since records began,
there has never been an age as enlightened and reasoned as this.

Even on moonless nights, the countless towering monoliths of the metropolis are
illuminated by innumerable lights. The metal pipes that connect the streets and
districts shine with a resplendent glow, the golden liquid flowing within
imbuing the city with a vital energy.

That aureate fluid is "lithin," the lifeblood of human civilization. Since The
Technocracy first discovered it 100 years ago, it has been the source of
countless innovations, leading humanity into a new era. Automated tilling
machines revolutionized farming, more than sextupling agricultural yields, while
airborne shuttles soared into the sky, connecting the once-isolated cities
dotting the continent.

The people of today can no longer imagine a world without lithin. This applies
doubly so for the rulers of the now interconnected cities.

Lithin was first discovered in the ruins of the ancient settlement known as
Natlantea, a city located deep within the earth, thus allowing for the mining of
the substance, whose roots lie deeper still.

As there was no way to drill so deep from the surface, lithin production was
concentrated in the hands of those who controlled the Natlantean ruins — the
Technocratic Assembly. As demand for lithin grew, conflicts arose between the
cities over its supply and distribution. As disputes became ever more common —
and increasingly bitter — the specter of war grew ever darker, enveloping the
land.

Though, at least for today, the residents of the metropolis have temporarily
forgotten the shadow that hangs over them, as they crowd the streets and plazas
for the "Continental Fair" being held in their city.

This grand event, organized by the Technocratic Assembly, is a celebration of
peace and progress, showcasing the latest inventions and fruits of technological
innovation. Even though these inventions will likely soon contribute to the
growing arms race between the disparate cities, they still serve as temporary
comfort to an anxious populace.

That is, except for you.

You feel no interest in the novel playthings on show, or the crowds who gather
to gawk at them. The hustle and bustle of the fair only heightens the unease you
feel at the decision to meet here.

A few weeks ago, a group of insurrectionists destroyed the lithin transfer hub
in Tsath, before broadcasting a pre-recorded projection, repeating the same old
cliches that "Lithin is a demonic gift" and that "The Technocracy are destroying
the world." Apart from titling themselves as "Heralds of the Unenlightened,"
there was nothing to differentiate them from any other such malcontents.

However, the ruler of Tsath declared that the insurrectionists had acted at the
instigation of top figures within the metropolis, in hopes of provoking war
between the two cities — even going so far as to provide evidence showing that
each one was a metropolitan citizen.

In order to clear their name and defuse the situation, the metropolitan
authorities requested the Technocratic Assembly's intervention, and it is to
this end that you are here pursuing an investigation.

"My apologies, Mr. Detective, to have kept you waiting. This exhibition really
is wonderful — it's been hard to tear myself away."

Just as you are pondering the connection between these events, a short, rotund
gentleman hails you from behind. It would appear that this is Akhra — the agent
the Technocratic Assembly has sent to aid you in your investigation.

"You can dispense with the formalities, Akhra. Let's start with what we each
know."

Volume 2

If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, you would never have believed that
this prosperous metropolis yet harbored the remnants of such a benighted age.

After days of investigation, you and Akhra finally locate the insurrectionists
known as "The Unenlightened," hiding out in a decrepit church in the shadow of a
hulking bridge.

Their location leaves you more convinced than ever that this is merely a band of
luddites left behind in the wake of progress, and not some insidious tool of a
more sinister political plot.

Regardless, you need evidence to present before the Technocratic Assembly, and
so you and Akhra decide to wait for the insurrectionists to leave their base —
on one of their seemingly endless missions to transport some unknown cargo —
before sneaking inside to gather the proof you need.

You stake out their hideout for a full three weeks before you finally seize your
chance. By now you are sure that there are twelve of them coming and going from
the church, and on this particular morning, they have all left together on their
transport. Based on your observations, they are unlikely to return before dusk.
Akhra stands sentry by the door, as you enter the church alone.

The long and winding corridor is filled with a sickly scent reminiscent of
formaldehyde. You grope about in the dark until you finally find the exit.
Perhaps because it is lit by archaic oil lamps, the inside of the church appears
much larger than expected. In the dim light, you can just about make out stacks
of strange metal vats along the walls. It must be these that the group has been
transporting away.

You approach the vats carefully, noticing that each one has a label stuck to it,
all of them displaying the single word: "Ignorance."

"Perhaps this has something to do with some ancient religion," you think to
yourself.

Just as you are preparing to pick up one of the vats and take it with you to
investigate, a pair of cold hands clamp down on your shoulders.

"Darn it!"

You and Akhra had diligently staked out the church for three weeks, and only
twelve people had entered or exited in all the time you were watching. Either
this one had never left... or there was another exit you didn't know about.

In your panic, you kick open one of the metal vats. The stench of formaldehyde,
the very same you detected while entering, is overpowering.

The pungent smell helps clear your head a little and you finally see clearly the
man who has accosted you from behind. His face could charitably be described as
human, but where his eyes should be, there are only two empty sockets set amidst
twisted features.

"Did you see it? Did you see it?!" He screams, thrusting out his thick arms and
grasping at the air around him.

He is clearly blind — perhaps this is the reason you haven't seen him venture
outside. Once you realize he can't see you, you quickly move back to the
entrance of the room, and stumble out through the dark corridor outside.

"Hey, detective, what's going on? Hey, careful! What are you running for?"

Through your fear and confusion, you hear your companion's voice, followed by a
flurry of hurried footsteps as he quickly rushes over to your side.

Your mission has not gone smoothly, yet you still have something to show for it.
At the very least, you managed to take one of those strange vats with you as you
fled.

With this realization in mind, you clamber to your feet. You look up to find a
monstrosity gazing back at you, an apparition somewhere between a skeleton and a
machine. Its face is sunken, a pair of lifeless, hollow eyes boring into you,
and then a cold voice...

"You saw it, didn't you, 'Unenlightened One'?"

Volume 3

A colossal head and slender limbs, connected by countless threads to a seemingly
reptilian body.

"What you are looking at is a 'Human.' It is the last specimen of its kind in
the world."

The monstrosity in front of you is gesturing to another creature, floating in a
nearby cultivation tank.

Even though you have become accustomed to your companion's visage, you do your
best to look away. The sight of its "eyes" still sends shivers down your spine.

"If this is a 'Human,' then what are we?"

You ask the creature that, until recently, you had known as "Akhra." Now that
you think about it, it seems obvious that this would merely be a codename used
in the Technocratic Assembly.

By means of some unfathomable technology, the church is connected to Natlantea.
Perhaps every city has just such a place, somewhere to connect them in the dark.

"You? If you mean those that dwell on the surface... Pugs, beagles, little gray
men... We have had many names for them through the ages..."

"But whatever you choose to call them, they are creatures we designed. Their
biological functions are in perfect contrast to our own — the environment in
which we thrive is deathly toxic to them, and vice versa. It is precisely
because of this that the degradation they cause is vital to recreating a world
suited to our existence."

If things are really as this creature claims, the entire history of our
civilization is the result of their planning, and the countless technological
marvels and inventions that we now enjoy were bestowed on us by them.

They have always been right here beside us, and yet we never saw them. In their
words, this is because of a gland in our brains that secretes a gaseous
substance called "the fog of reason," preventing us from perceiving the world as
it truly is.

The only reason I can perceive this creature's hideous form right now is that I
inhaled the gas known as "Ignorance" — a substance that I myself had created in
my previous incarnation.

"I still have one more question: Having given us lithin, how can you guarantee
that we'll destroy each other in a great war once it runs out?"

"Lithin," the miraculous energy source discovered amongst the Natlantean ruins,
is the energy-based form of these creatures. After their civilization had
descended into a large-scale war that covered the planet in a hazardous
substance, the surviving "Humans" decided to transfer their essence into pure
energy and store themselves in a bio-vault deep underground.

Following this, they designed a brand-new species, one that could survive on the
polluted planet they had created. They hoped that this new species would aid in
the biodegradation of the harmful substance until the surface was habitable
again and they could begin anew.

Yet that new world would have no place for their creations. Once the surface
dwellers discovered lithin and used it to advance their civilization, the
ancient beings from beneath the earth would start to re-emerge. And so they wait
for the day when surface civilization destroys itself a catastrophe that will
give them new life.

"Perhaps you've heard of psychohistory? Or... probably not. It hardly matters.
The point is, besides designing biological functions, the design of a species'
history is also a simple matter of technology."

"The incessantly questing heart, the barely controllable greed, the drive for
victory... It all leads them to the same inevitable conclusion. 'The
Unenlightened' deny it, but that is only because your senseless morals have yet
to be overcome by evolution."

At long last, you arrive at the final room in the deepest depths of the
bio-vault, where the last memories of countless generations of The Unenlightened
are stored.

When the survivors of this ancient civilization decided to transfer their life
force into lithin, there were those among them — though a minority — who
resisted. They refused to abandon their individuality and merge into boundless,
singular wisdom. Because of this, they were labeled "The Unenlightened."

The majority were unable to deny them their rights, simply preserving for them
this final room, allowing them to live out incarnation after incarnation among
the lifeforms on the surface. Those who considered themselves enlightened
believed that one day, their brethren would choose to join them and return to
the embrace of the whole.

Indeed, you are the leader of The Unenlightened. You have witnessed the
countless memories of sages who established the codes of law, of poets who
extolled the graces of virtue, and of warriors who fought against the oppression
of tyrants.

At the start of each memory, you see a huge figure cast its shadow over those
who were exiled from the ancient city. The figure seems to speak, but you can no
longer recall the words. All you remember is that you yearn for him.

Perhaps every generation of The Unenlightened eventually returns here to give
their answer.

In that case, what will your answer be?