Editing Continuity/Empyrean as a Term

'''Empyrean''' is the term for the people that once inhabited Auberean - the Yalaini, Haebrous, Dericost, and Falatacot. There are two contradictory explanations for how this term came to be.

== Alatar ==
The first explanation is that [[Alatar Locke]] coined the term.<ref name="TheExplorationsOfAlatarLocke">2001/11 [[Dark Majesty]] - [[AC:DM CD Lore/Early Dereth Texts/The Explorations of Alatar Locke|The Explorations of Alatar Locke]]</ref><ref name="AnExplorersNotes">2001/11 [[Dark Majesty]] - [[AC:DM CD Lore/Early Dereth Texts/The Explorations of Alatar Locke/An Explorer's Notes|An Explorer's Notes]]</ref> This was revealed through the [[AC:DM CD Lore]], which, in lore terms, is a collection of writings assembled by the [[Arcanum]] of Zaikhal.<ref name="ACDMCDLoreIntroduction">2001/11 [[Dark Majesty]] - [[AC:DM CD Lore/Introduction|AC:DM CD Lore: Introduction]]</ref> In the piece [[AC:DM CD Lore/Early Dereth Texts/The Explorations of Alatar Locke|The Explorations of Alatar Locke]], the arcanum wrote that Alatar coined the term Empyrean.<ref name="TheExplorationsOfAlatarLocke" /> In the piece [[AC:DM CD Lore/Early Dereth Texts/The Explorations of Alatar Locke/An Explorer's Notes|An Explorer's Notes]], Alatar himself wrote that he calls the vanished race "Empyrean" and is glad the term has been picked up by others.<ref name="AnExplorersNotes" />

== Elysa ==
The second explanation is that [[Elysa Strathelar]] deciphered the word from Yalaini text.<ref name="BDCQuidditySeedQuest">2008/01 [[Recollections]] - [[Black Death Catacombs Quiddity Seed Quest#Dialog|Black Death Catacombs Quiddity Seed Quest: Dialog]]</ref>
In the [[Black Death Catacombs Quiddity Seed Quest]], we get to see the following scene play out:

:<span class="emote">Elysa Strathelar says, "Thorsten, come here and look at this paper."</span>

:<span class="emote">Thorsten Cragstone says, "Well, lassie, truth be - I canna read."</span>

:<span class="emote">Elysa Strathelar says, "Oh...well, I'll teach you. But later.  This writing is like nothing that I've ever seen before.  It's not Roulean, not any of the scripts of far off lands - not even similar.  I've figured out a way to translate it, though."</span> 

:<span class="emote">Thorsten Cragstone says, "Oh?  What's it say?"</span>

:<span class="emote">Elysa Strathelar says, "This word seems like it would sound like...'Empyrean'...it's another culture, maybe a culture we can contact for help with the Olthoi!"</span>

The plot of this quest, as Asheron explained, is that Aerbax attempted to tamper with the collective memories of critical events of the past. Asheron guessed that Aerbax thought that it would prove easier to turn the Isparians if they were still slaves of the Olthoi.<ref name="BDCQuidditySeedQuest" /> It was revealed at the end of the quest, and confirmed by [[Hoshino Kei]] the following month, that the female voice leading you through the quest was that of the Olthoi Queen killed by Elysa.<ref name="BDCQuidditySeedQuest" /><ref name="BDCQuidditySeedPurificationQuest">2008/02 [[The Beast With Many Heads]] - [[Black Death Catacombs Quiddity Ingot Purification#Dialog|Black Death Catacombs Quiddity Ingot Purification: Dialog]]</ref>

== Analysis ==
We can evaluate the authenticity of of each statement on a few criteria:
# The in-universe sources of the statements.
# The number of sources for each statement.
# The date each statement was released.
# The in-universe date each statement was made.
# What is the most plausible, or makes the most sense.

;Alatar:
# Locke recounts first-hand in his writings that he came up with the term. Later writings by the Arcanum back this up.
# We have two sources, ''The Explorations of Alatar Locke'' and ''An Explorer's Notes'', although both are from the same collection of lore articles and were likely written at the same time.
# This information became available in November 2001.
# Alatar Locke's claims were made fairly early. While we don't have an exact date, we can estimate it at some time prior to Portal Year 1.<ref name="TheExplorationsOfAlatarLocke" /><ref name="ACDMCDLoreIntroduction" /><ref name="GeneralHistoryOfDerethVolXI">2000/12 [[The Child of Daralet]] - [[General History of Dereth Vol. XI]]</ref>
# Alatar did not know the true name of the Empyrean, so he came up with a term. Empyrean is a real word, meaning ''belonging to or deriving from heaven.'' This makes perfect sense given that Alatar was of exceptional education, and his study and exploration focused on the Empyrean.

;Elsya:
# This statement came from an apparition of Elysa, which Isparians were led to by an apparition of the Olthoi Queen, both of which were created by Aerbax in an attempt to harm Isparian collective memory.
# We have one source, the dialog from this quest.
# This information became available in January 2008.
# This statement was made by Elysa sometime while freed human slaves were still living in the underground city. Humans first began to live there in Portal Year -3.<ref name=HistoryOfAubereanVol5>2003/03 [[The History of Auberean/Volume V: New Arrivals (-540 to 13)|The History of Auberean: Volume V: New Arrivals (-540 to 13)]]</ref>
# It seems highly unlikely that someone would be able to deduce how the word of an alien language would ''sound'' based on script. It is also odd that the Empyrean would call their race by an Roulean (aka English) word that happens to describe them, if only somewhat.

;authenticity
# Alatar: We have a first hand account from the person who coined the term, and others backing up this claim.
# Alatar: We have two different sources.
# Elysa: This information was released more recently, and may have been an attempt at retcon.
# Elysa: Her discovery most likely occurred before Alatar coined the term.
# Alatar: The explanation that Alatar created a term to describe the vanished people is more plausible than Elysa determining the pronunciation of a word based on its spelling in an alien script, and that word happening to be an apt description of those people.

== Conclusion ==
Based on our analysis, Alatar's explanation seems to be the most likely one. While Alatar having two sources is debatable (since they were likely written at the same time by the same person, and ''could'' be considered one piece) Elysa's claim to being the earliest discovery in-universe is also open for debate, since we do not know when Alatar first arrived in Dereth or began using the term - only that his earliest exploration can be placed at or prior to Portal Year 1. Additionally, both the Black Death Catacombs and Knorr Quiddity Seed quests were less than faithful to the established story.

== References ==
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