Side Story: The Relic Collection of the Thousand Tricks (cont.)
Relics. Gifts from the past made from mana material. In that era of rich magical energy, Relics were constantly being brought back from treasure vaults. Some hunters would enter vaults with the intention of training the minds and bodies, but it’s Relics that enabled the golden age of treasure hunting.
These vestiges of past civilizations had powers unobtainable through modern technology, making them valued by many. There were countries that had been able to expand thanks to the power of a single Relic. In fact, the Zebrudian Empire’s prosperity was in part thanks to the national treasure known as Tears of Truth.
Chance played a very large role in determining which Relic you might obtain. The possibility of obtaining a powerful item made treasure hunting a profession for dreamers.
But were all Relics useful? The answer would be no.
The vast majority of them had useless capabilities and were referred to as things like “trash” or “junk.” Some of these had powers without even the most situational utility, some were just simple tools without any powers at all, and then there were those with negative effects.
However, because Relics were generally quite sturdy, swords and shields without any other distinguishing traits still fetched high prices. Similarly, items with negative traits, “cursed items” as they were called, were sometimes bought for eye-bulging sums (don’t ask what for). That a Relic’s value wasn’t necessarily tied to its utility was just another point that made the trade an interesting one.
Now, previously, I showed some sword-type Relics; this time I’ll show something of a different nature. They were certain to puzzle whoever discovered them and caused hunters more trouble than any other type out there. I’ll be introducing entertainment-variety Relics.
***
Though there was no concrete definition for “entertainment-variety,” any Relic that was fun but had no practical purpose could probably fall under this category. A treasure hunter’s ideal Relic was something that aided their adventures, but nonhunters were different, all the more so when it came to rich merchants and nobles.
A good weapon-type Relic could make a trip across town much safer and something that enabled long-distance communication like a Sounding Stone was imperative for doing business or managing land. While it baffled many treasure hunters, entertainment-variety Relics could sometimes sell for a higher price than something with more utility. For those that have everything, the only thing they can want for is entertainment.
The wealthy were fascinated by any Relics that were rare, all the more so if they offered a glance into the life of a previous civilization. They were always on the hunt for an item that caught their fancy, and used their vast pockets to buy up what they wanted.
The first Relic I’d like to introduce is a picture-type that was known as Moving Image. I’m sure the name says it all. They appeared to be framed paintings, but its depictions moved about freely. That’s it and nothing more.
There were some picture-types that could do things like suck people inside them, but Moving Images didn’t do anything that special. A little animation might sound trivial, but they were actually valuable cultural artifacts, making them one of the most popular entertainment-types out there, loved by aficionados all over the world.
Prices could fluctuate wildly depending on the size and contents, making it hard for hunters to estimate how much their find might be worth. Amazingly, there were tales of Moving Images going for billions of gild. Perhaps it would be better if hunters had thought of them as works of art and not as Relics.
I should mention that the “Moving” part isn’t limited to the boundaries of the painting. Most elements were content to stay within their frames, but there were times when things accidentally slipped out. These lost “elements” couldn’t be touched and even researchers were split on how exactly to classify them.
You had to be careful, because if an element ran out of mana while beyond the confines of their painting, they’d never be able to return. There was a popular tale of one of the most famous Moving Images, “Dance at Daybreak.” It was a dreamlike depiction of a crowd of nobles dancing in faint darkness, and as the story went, every time its charge reached zero, the number of party goers decreased a bit. Eventually, it became a sad event with very few attendees remaining.
Should an element leave their frame, your best option was to make sure the Relic’s charge never fully depleted and wait patiently for the wanderer to return. Residents of the paintings didn’t go far and usually went home at some point or another.
If you wanted to avoid losing any of the people in your Moving Images, you would be best to refrain from charging them at all. Even if nobody left the frame, once you activated a Moving Image, the picture would never be the same again. I heard some fanatics would keep their Moving Images charged until they got a scene to their liking.
The world of Moving Images was one of many possibilities. For instance, if you activated multiple Images in close proximity, the residents would mix and mingle in very interesting manners. Similarly, there were the derivative Moving Puzzles.
Though they might not have had any meaning, there was no denying the fun to be had with them. They were definitely worth taking the opportunity to experiment with.
I, too, once owned a Moving Image. However, I tried turning it face down while active, and the contents all fell out, leaving me with a blank canvas.
Now then, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, the trade of entertainment-variety Relics was largely supported by powerful devotees. However, what I’ve got next was a rare example of something adored not just by connoisseurs, but by hunters and common people alike.
I’m talking about Animal Affinity. It was a headband-type Relic, one with animal ears attached to it. There were many varieties of this Relic, and wearing it gave you ears and a tail similar to the relevant animal. If it had cat ears, you would get cat ears and a cat tail; if it had dog ears, then you would get dog ears and a matching tail, and so on and so on.
Unfortunately, the added appendages were purely cosmetic. You couldn’t touch them, nor would you gain their abilities or be able to understand what a real animal was thinking. Hence the designation as an entertainment-type.
If I had to note one interesting thing about this Relic, that would be its charm. The tails and ears couldn’t be moved at will, but they would move on their own in accordance with their wearer’s feelings. This adorable feature earned Animal Affinity many fans, even among hunters, and made the number of them on the market comparatively small relative to the number found.
I once learned of a popular café in which all the staff wore an Animal Affinity. The Animal Affinity Café was a splendid example of this Relic’s potential, but I feel the need to add that it was opened by a hunter extremely fond of Animal Affinity, and the establishment was the fruit of their obsession.
The price of this Relic, by the way, could vary depending on the animal in question. The most popular forms were cats and dogs, but some varieties could be bought for very little. If you were just interested in it for the novelty, you were best off going with a cheaper variant.
Personally, I was the owner of a black cat Affinity. I tried to donate it to the aforementioned Animal Affinity Café, but they refused the offer. The world of entertainment-variety Relics really was a tricky one.
By the way, out of personal interest, I once tried putting one of these headbands on a matching animal and— Ah, I’m digressing.
Though there’s still a mountain’s worth of entertainment-variety Relics I could introduce, I’ll make this the final one so I don’t risk boring anyone. This last one was my favorite of all. It was a doll-type Relic called “Archaic Dancer.” It’s an item that was known to anyone with an interest in this field.
It’s hard to give a concise explanation of what it did, but if I had to try, I’d describe it as a clay doll that could sing and dance. That might make it sound like something trite, and sure enough, my little sister whacked me when she learned how much I had shelled out for mine. However, from its endearing form to its humorous dances, to its voice evocative of the chaos of the past, this doll was sure to offer a healing presence for anyone exhausted by our modern society.
Like the previous two Relics, Archaic Dancers came in myriad varieties. It was said that no two were completely alike. Some danced, some sang, some did both, and generally, the greater a doll’s repertoire, the higher it would sell for. However, since voices and routines varied, it was hard to appraise value on the breadth of abilities alone.
Archaic Dancers were generally found in treasure vaults Level 6 or higher, which means they were among powerful phantoms and appeared alongside much more practical Relics. Sadly, this meant these dolls were often left behind.
Now, I’ve mentioned that they could sing and dance, but there was actually another feature—a hidden one. If you put multiple dolls together, they would sing in a chorus. Just watching one was already enjoyable, but when you activated multiple, they would synchronize and put on a splendid, unified performance.
Once, in a sight too great for words, a collector of Archaic Dancers gathered about a few dozen together and made a little orchestra. That orchestra included Dancers from my very own collection.
The only downside of these Relics was their price. As they often got left in vaults and came in a large variety, a truly fine doll could cost enough to make your eyes leap from their sockets. If you wanted to collect a large number, you had to be prepared to spend your life working towards that goal.
***
Now that I’ve had the opportunity to introduce three of the best entertainment-variety Relics, what do you think? With “entertainment-variety” having no solid definition, items of all powers and forms fit under this tent.
Some Relics just needed a little work before you could find a use for them. As we’ve seen, items with abilities like those of Animal Affinity’s weren’t anything extraordinary, but people managed to sell them by marketing their fun value. At that point, it was hard to really write them off as useless.
Currently, Relics are mostly appraised on their practical value. Treasure hunters could only bring back so many items from a treasure vault, so anything that couldn’t be considered useful was left behind. Meanwhile, the vast majority of parties prioritized even unknown Relics over entertainment varieties.
However, I found this to be a bit of a shame. It’s true that these items weren’t of any use during a hunt, but I didn’t think that was necessarily such a bad thing. Because they required mana, were expensive, and had powers on the extravagant side, Relics were something far removed from the lives of ordinary people. One survey organization found that ninety percent of people not involved in hunting or related businesses had never used a Relic before.
Their lack of practical uses made entertainment-variety Relics a good choice as a present, an asset which could turn them into a bridge connecting hunters and civilians. Even the most daring hunters had to retire eventually. Weapons and armor were often passed down to children or apprentices, but I felt that an entertaining Relic was a perfect keepsake to remind one of their own career.
Relaxation is another important part of life. As a collector, it brought me great joy anytime I could inspire someone out there to take an interest in entertainment-variety Relics, or at least become a little less likely to cast them aside.
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