The mythical lost realms upon the outer rim
*
this post is under development as new data becomes available
Following on from my analysis of the potential journey to the underworld, I collated an additional number systems which all fall relatively neatly together that may have relevance within the Codex.
First off let’s recap and extend upon my previous post
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven were I looked at spacial relationships in context to those systems discovered up-to
2296; and then the reference of Lovers Grief and Parents Woe, as a potential reference to the John Milton personification of
Sin and
Death, the gatekeepers of Milton’s Hells Gate.
Likewise we looked at the text ‘Cora comes home’ drunk and talking of pirates; as potentially being reference to the journey of
Persephone to the Underworld.
Said path of Demeter/Persephone in game does line up along the path of discovered systems up to 2296.
Demeter might also be the
Vagabond, another description for a wanderer; as she did dress in disguise as an old women, wandering the earth for her heart’s desire, and talked of pirates, this may also fit the ‘grief /woe’ segments, however equally that could be a reference to Paradise Lost’s Sin and Death who guarded Hells-gate.
After wandering around the area close Persephone, we begin to see a number of systems, not only attributed to an underworld, but also of
lost kingdoms, rivers and sunken lands. It is my assumption then, that due to a potential alignment identified above, the Codex reference concerning ‘
Atlantis, El Dorado and the kingdom of Prester John’, is an allegory identifying this area.
These oddities have been touched upon previously by other Cmdrs, but I feel no clear correlation has been identified. I do feel however these do have a spacial relationship.
Sunken lands, are also a common recurring theme within the writing of H P Lovecraft, a favourite of Brookes.
*not definitive - under construction.
The Greek Underworld
Achenar - end of the river Eridanus
Asphodel - a region of Hell, carpeted by flowers
Elysia - she from the blessed isles of Elysium
Nysa - home of Hyades Nymphs / where Persephone was abducted.
Pandemonium - John Miltons capitol of Hell
Tartarus - a region of Hell, the deepest void
Sunken Lands (eg Atlantis)
Atlantis - lost sunken continent
Gwaelod - the Welsh Atlantis
Lyonesse - the British Atlantis
Ys - sunken land destroyed by the devil
Cities of Gold (eg El Dorado)
Cibola - the legend of the ‘Seven Cities of Cibola’ aka cities of gold
Paititi - one of the seven cities of gold
Quivira - one of the seven cities of gold
Mythic Kingdoms (eg Prestor John)
Agartha - kingdom of the Hollow Earth
Avalon - Arthurian kingdom
Hyperborea - theocratic land beyond the north, home of the founders of shrines of Apollo at Delos and at Delphi
Lyonesse - Arthurian kingdom
Themiscrya - nation of the Amazons
Thule - kingdom beyond the map
Tir na nog - kingdom isle of eternal youth
Mythic Figures
Ahti - figure or realm of the Finnish water god, where the Sampo device was lost
El Tio - lord of underworld
Erlik - deity of death
Fintan - Irish survivor of biblical flood (?)
Giltane - deity of death
Nu - deity of destruction / water
Mythic Lands
Annwn - Welsh land of eternal youth
Axis Mundi - the centre
Cockaigne - fools' paradise
Mag mell - Irish plain of honey (underwater?) that leads to Tir na nog!
Summerland - Wican afterlife
The image below shows that these systems are
tightly placed, not dispersed throughout the bubble, and that a clear line of sight exists from Demeter to Persephone in relation to this
Underworld area.
Red denotes hell relations; Yellow lost lands; blue Axis Mundi, green is Persephone.
The image below is a close-up showing that certain systems named after
lost kingdoms are very close to Persephone (green).
The updated image below shows the boundaries of the Classical Greek Underworld (Red); The Cities of Gold (gold); Sunken Lands (Blue) and Lost Kingdoms (yellow).
The image below shows the path of Jacues which begins within the underworld and which intersects two systems linked to a bridge and death
upon the outer rim!
The image below shows the location of LTT606 in relation to the Sampo (trinket of fortune) in Ahti but also that of the Michael Brookes system Artemis (sister of Persephone).
Lost Realms of Holdstock
After reading Holdstocks ‘Lost Realms’ it’s evident a great deal of the systems named above all feature in this text.
Post in thread 'The Quest To Find Raxxla'
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/the-quest-to-find-raxxla.168253/post-10193472
Assessment:
It is
probable that systems named after regions of classical Greek Underworld, do depict a specific area in game which has a correlation with the seven cities of gold, a series of mythical sunken lands and mythic kingdoms.
Given the path of Persephone / Demeter intersects this area, which also sits neatly upon the
outer rim of the hypothetical Milton Sphere of Influence set by 2296, it is
probable the Codex is a map pointing us towards this area in game.
It’s is almost
certain that these lost realms are based upon the book by the same name of Robert Holdstock as an intentional Easter egg.
Assumptions / Intelligence gaps:
What it wants us to do there is still an unknown, is Raxxla hidden here?
Is there a particular faction/s we need to align with to ‘unlock something’ is there a narrative situated here which could point elsewhere?
The presence of the systems
Axis Mundi an anarchy system but with no bodies or population may have some significance with
Hyperborea and potentially the system
Delphi, as it falls within the same relative alignment as this underworld, being along the same X and Z coordinates, however it is separated by some significant distance and has no direct relationship other than in Greek mythological naming?
Hyperborea in mythology was the mythic theocratic land beyond the far north, home of the founders of shrines of Apollo at Delos and at Delphi. It was also the home of
Artemis. She has a close relationship with Demeter and Hecate and the story of Persephone.
Artemis is also the setting for an Brookes - ‘Elite Legscy’. I’m
Boreas is the only named body in that system, in Greek mythology Boreas was the personification of the north wind; this I feel is intentional and identifies this system as being hand placed.
Hyperborea 5 is a
gas giant with 8 moons (been there in Legacy, nothing found).
The start of
Jaques journey also begins in this vicinity, his home system body is named after a jewel and hosts a gas giant with 8 moons; and a few of the neighbouring systems have had prominence in Galnet?
Likewise the path of Jaques intersects a system called Bridge and the Gen ship Achlys (death mist/woe/grief) is this a metaphor for Paradise Lost and Hells Gate?
This area also hosts the system
Ahti - either named after a water god or a region linked to the resting place of the mythical ‘Sampo’ device (Finnish axis mundi) which is suspiciously very close to
LTT 606 (Marianne's Journey to Arcadia), is this a potential reference to Mary Sidney?
Close by to LTT606 is
Artemis the location of the M Brookes story Elite Legacy, which just so happens to contain a reference to a ‘children’s story’, Artemis is also the companion of Persephone!
LTT606 is relatively close to the path of Persephone and Demeter in game, it has the faction ‘Confederation of Muriges’ and a persistent NPC contact named ‘
Persephone’ (at least last time I checked)!
Is the system
Artemis a metaphor for the ‘children’s story’ because it’s the setting for Brookes book ‘Elite Legacy’ which does reference a child’s story?
Is LTT606 a metaphor for
Princesses Astrophel, so because Marianne's Journey to Arcadia might be ‘Lady Mary Sidney’ the same of Lady Pembrokeshire Arcadia? Ergo a royal female Astrophel?
A recent assessment of the locations of Thargoid Maelstroms (as spiralling stars), might indicate LTT606 has some prominence?
‘
Princess Astrophil surrounded by the Spiralling Stars'
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/the-quest-to-find-raxxla.168253/post-10138410
The book the Lost Realms of Robert Holdstock is I believe a temple for Raxxla and this area holds additional secrets to identify Raxxla’s location or true nature as another ‘lost realm’ of Holdstock.
Recommendations:
Become allied with factions of the prime candidate localities such as
Persephone and or
Hyperborea etc (been there in Legacy, nothing found!).
Scan every system in depth (!); look for additional historical references in neighbouring systems regarding naming and those systems with a gas giant with 8 moons.
Look for additional references within the Codex which might identify additional links, and look beyond the line of sight and what may reside beneath!
Keep digging!
