Description
Golden Artifacts or "Hallowed/Golden Tech" to many wanderers, a collection of technologically advanced, if anomalous, objects found within the Hallowed Gate, and as well as all of the Paragons they possess, these artifacts are incredible as some of them can greatly affect reality to some extent with specific functions. Each of these objects' designs contains artistry such as imagery, stories, and importantly, significant historical events.
Wanderers and even some entities consider these precious treasures as they benefit the users; however, many of these will be retrieved and safely stored in the Paragons' base.
Technology
These artifacts are divided into two categories: Old Age artifacts and New Age artifacts, as the Paragons refer to them.
Ancient artifacts that were made and left by the Predecessors since a long time passed. However, in Paragons' cases, this technology is said to be archaic and thus considered to be obsolete, nevertheless, they are still worth retrieving these objects they often kept those as antiques, or for sentimental value, but they commonly retrieve these specific artifacts knowns as the Codices (See Items for more details) for studying or for their research.
Despite being archaic, as they said, it is still significantly advanced or rather anomalous they may be referring to their functions being said only required to enable by specifically using their reality-warping properties in order to operate. Nonetheless, they are powerful in their own right, and as this was made by the Predecessors, they do not have weapons due to their pacifistic principles, with the exception of Void Cells and Constructs acting as part of security systems in the Hallowed Gate, where they are said to serve as deterrents to any unwanted intruders[1]. However, they are still potentially dangerous when misused or fall into the wrong hands if they ever possess these artifacts.
They are distinguished by the entire composition of gold with numerous engravings and jewelry and are mechanically operated when applied. However, most of these artifacts are incomprehensible and thus virtually impossible to use, and only Paragons with their knowledge and anomalous properties are capable of using them.
Collection of artifacts that were made by Paragons. They are modernized and significantly more advanced by today's standards as their features are more streamlined and easy to use, some of them introduced newer ones, and even some of the Old Age objects were modernized.
Since their ancestors' pacifist old values have been incorporated into militaristic doctrine, they are continuing to carry on their traditions by creating with artistic expression, though mostly as devices. Unlike their ancestors, they manufacture military assets that are tailor-made, which means they are made for specific purposes or for the Paragons' needs, and they do so with such care and precision, often producing superb artifacts with various functions.
Unlike previous iterations, they do not require users to interact without the need for anomalous properties, allowing anyone to use them. They are all digital (in some sense) and automated, allowing them to interact with those with greater efficiency.
They can be distinguishable by their simplistic and streamlined designs which emphasize more on black and white marble, and less significant on gold, jewelry, and accessories in their design, while still lavish in appearance but the functions of these are more convenient and more practical than their Old Age iterations.Differences
The artifacts commonly found in the Hallowed Gate were, in fact, a variety of artifacts unrelated to the Predecessors' creations and from other origins; either the Predecessors must have collected these for various reasons, most likely for research, or ancient entities that once lived there have stored them. However, Old Age artifacts are extremely rare and can only be found within the Hallowed Gate.
To separate the Old Age Golden Artifacts from the rest of the objects in that level, their consistent designs appeared as either futuristic or mechanical-like features, with the notable mechanism that collapsed in or out of existence with a soothing resonance when working, in the same way, that the Gates' entrances or any other form of entry did.
They are rarely found in hidden areas within a sub-level in such a way that they are stored and isolated among the others, they are sparse and often well-hidden meaning that each instance of these sub-levels has the probability of either having these or not, or they may be hidden in plain sight unless with other mechanisms that need to be revealed.
When it does find these areas, they are more spacious and grandiose, revealing ornate containers with interlocking designs as well as strange alien symbols affixed to them. When opened, a few contents worth of Old Age Artifacts are revealed, and to prove of a genuine object, it is identified with this distinctive glimmer of golden light and/or a faint yet spectacular spectacle of stars and space when lit up by any light source.[2]
Application
Each Golden Artifact is different and unique; these artifacts greatly benefit users with various effects with no repercussions; these artifacts will either be devices that fulfill the needs of users, anomalous items that dramatically improve the users' well-being, or weapons with unique functions. (For more information, see Item Lists.)
It is not recommended, however, to use Old Age Artifacts as they are very complex and will only function when a Paragon is nearby; otherwise, it is better to hand them over to Paragons.
However, for New Age objects, the Paragons exclusively give experienced and/or trusted wanderers their service, particularly retrieving samples or conducting research when they assign tasks to the wanderers, whether the Golden Artifacts or others. If they continue to work with them, they will be able to handle military-grade weapons.
Item Lists
Some of these samples have been retrieved from various sources, while others have been brought from the wanderers handpicked by the Paragons (who have been kind enough to provide us with their items). Currently, they are 6 Golden Artifacts and few of them are either Old Age and New Age or both, these are the following:
Vitae Elixirs
A sample of an object.
Small, thin, and long rectangular rods, the containers are made of marble (either black or white) with golden frames on each edge, and the middle of these rods has a metallic part on the side that opens up for injection. These rods have diamond-shaped ornate ampules on top of them; the glass contains either liquid that displays stars and space or golden dust that shimmers constantly.
These are the medicines that many Paragons use if they are injured; they have significant effects on the users' well-being, such as the rapid regeneration of cells or the rejuvenation of dead cells, as well as the elimination of diseases or the alleviation of ailments. It also stimulates the user as if they had just awoken from a sound sleep, providing them with increased awareness, stamina, and strength that will last for some time without causing any side effects.
These are also used as vaccines in the Backrooms against diseases such as SFVs, Hydrolitis Plague, the Hound Virus, and others, allowing them to become immune.[3]
There are some limitations, such as an anomalous disease that alters the victims' bodies, especially in later stages, and cannot bring them to normal, necessitating surgery to treat their physical deformities, and it is clear that it cannot replace any missing parts of bodies, such as limbs or organs.
The procedure for using one of these objects is similar to that of a syringe; simply squeeze the golden metallic pieces on the side of the object, and underneath it will open up and be ready for injection. It can inject automatically through the skin, but injecting intravenously is more effective and the medicinal effects are almost immediate. These objects also have an illuminator that can see the patients' veins
Codices
It is a collection of ornate objects containing knowledge and data. There are two types of these artifacts that differ from one another in terms of their functions and anomalous properties:
Old Age
An example of an Old Age codex containing alien text. It should be noted that the text and images are displayed via light with each page turn.
Old Age codex is a collection of recorded information in the form of writings and images. These varied from literature, murals, manuscripts, and more as each differed from the other. Regardless, each categorized data is provided by the codex.
These Old Age codices generally consist of gold and marble, but despite this, they are durable despite being delicate, particularly papers that have been well over for millions of years.
These are typically sealed by golden mechanical pieces with a smaller circular object affixed at the center of the objects that can be opened through a collapsible mechanism, or some of these objects are devoid of writings or images and appear to be nothing more than empty pieces of gold. However, in the presence of a Paragon, these objects will begin to function, whether they automatically open upon use or others will illuminate their hidden information.
New Age
Several New Age Codices samples, with one pertaining to the nature of the Backrooms.
It is a more advanced and compact iteration of Paragons' technology than their ancient counterparts.
Appeared as pieces of clear blue crystalline glass serving as a display, with a small gold metallic piece on the bottom part of the objects, and a glowing aperture in the middle of the metallic piece, which is thought to be the source of their function.
Its features are similar to those of tablet computers, albeit more powerful than supercomputers in the Frontrooms or more powerful than that we presume, with simplified yet simple user interfaces. It provides a large amount of data and information regardless of how small or simple it seems to be. Another feature is that when a person is perceived, it is automatically translated into different languages.
It can also "install" to different devices with its program, whether put on nearby devices or "insert" as if it sinks on the device without damaging its hardware, transfers data and programs from different devices, and is somehow compatible no matter what kind of operating system it runs within, especially BackOS.[4]
Another feature is displaying the map, the map will record the user's last travels and will display various details and information, the user can interact with it with basic controls such as panning, zooming, etc., but its distinguishing feature is that it simulates in a discovered parts of its map this along with detailed surroundings and its interactions once it zoomed in.
If any malware or suspicious programs are found on any affected device, they are removed right away.
Paragons value Old Age codices, and they are appreciated to retrieve them if any wanderers are willing to assist them.
Miniature Cells
An assortment of objects with an extensive variety of their counterparts.
A variety of small geometric-shaped objects no larger than 3mm in size, were later discovered to be Void Cells in their inert state, the same entities that are scattered throughout the Hallowed Gate when it detects a threat and a common issue for the Paragons' equipment. Likewise, they come in a variety of shapes and colors to represent their variants and sub-variants. They eventually evolve into Constructs over time, which are permanent in that state, but they can be deactivated at any time and will revert to their original form when reactivated.
They have been seen with a few wanderers, which they use to protect themselves against hostile entities. This has also become a trend for a few groups of wanderers, as they decorate their entities with various accessories that affect their overall appearance even when they are inactive, and some of them use them as keychains, which is a popular trend for those who have these objects.
Activating these is varied; users can place them on the surface, which will quickly submerge and then re-emerge back into the activated state. Unlike the Hallowed Gate, the Void Cells will follow and defend their owners, respond to their commands, and even understand advanced commands, depending on the variant's capabilities. They can be deactivated by issuing a command to render them inactive, and if they are lost while in this state, they will reappear in the owners' palms or pockets; however, the destruction of these entities is irreversible.
The Grand Armilla
An object found within the abandoned Gate.
An Old Age artifact. A large structure suspended in the air consists of a spherical framework of floating golden rings that are constantly intersecting and rotating motion, in a series of rings lies an anomalous orb-like object in the center of the structure displaying a spectacle of vibrant space and heavenly objects. It was discovered in a dilapidated Gate, showing visible signs of cracks and causing stuttering motion.
Its function is unknown, but some speculate that the object was used by their ancestors as a navigation or surveying instrument. It is possible that Paragons have these, albeit in a smaller size, as one of their "decorations" have a smaller model of that in the Gate for more portability.
Haven Tree
Old Age
An immense Haven Tree is estimated to be 33,000 feet tall.
Fauna-like objects that resemble a tree, the most noticeable characteristics of these objects are mainly gold and some marble among its parts, mechanical in appearance with seams across their anatomy, and they enormously measure no less than 10000 meters (32808.4 ft) and possibly even more, emitting a spectacle starry space located at the apex of the object. After collecting a sample from its leaves, it was determined that it does not need to contain any organic materials or plant cells, but theoretically, it behaves like a normal tree given its shape and the time it takes to grow. Overall, they're as tough as anything found within the Gate.
Despite its size, it was found rarely within Sub-level D (Dawn Greenery), and some can also be seen in the derelicts, though they reported that some of those objects are dead, as they described them as "shriveled and rusted" due to deterioration.
Most of its functions are unknown, but one discovered that beneath it shines a golden light that grew a healthy yet unknown flora as it leaks sap with restorative properties similar to Vitae Elixirs, albeit weaker.
New Age
A Haven Tree has been found somewhere in Level 11.
Another type of Haven Tree can be found throughout the Backrooms; these objects are smaller and identical in size to a normal tree. Their features differ from those of their larger counterparts in that they are made of pure ethereal light rather than gold, and they are constantly showered with white specks of light onto their surface, which glows upon contact. This also creates an isolated ambient temperature, which frequently maintains a temperature of around 18 ºC (64.4 ºF). Attempting to retrieve their samples is impossible because the object phased through upon contact but then solidified as if the object was aware of its surroundings.
Its purpose is somewhat clear as the affected area became more stabilized as if purging anything that appeared to be anomalous depending on level, hostile entities are being warded off as they are visibly seen in pain as they cover a faint white flame that ignites upon its effective range, these fields of the anomalous phenomenon are slowly increasing its size though it is unknown whether the area of effect will continue to increase as time passes.
The objects are typically found on levels ranging from 3 to 5 and are more common if they are on Deadzone Class Levels, with 2 or 3 objects scattered throughout the level but assumed to be more.
It is unknown whether these objects are a new strain of their old counterparts or in their juvenile stage, but assuming the former, a few wanderers have seen the Paragons plant these objects on the ground before leaving and they stated what we assume of its purpose - to make the level safer.
Wanderers are saved by these objects given that they reside within their area of effect, and strangely, these effects on the wanderers with its properties have lingering effects as the entities are averted by the objects' anomalous fire when close in proximity, though this only lasts for a short time as these properties gradually fade away.
Matrix
Matrix (plural. Matrices) are the standard issues of the Paragons; they appear as columns of golden spines ornate with various accessories and glowing parts on it located on their backs; it is unknown whether these are cybernetic implants or crucial components of their suits' functions. It is clear that these are used by Paragons to activate the sets of their properties, which the spines will glow when used, and it is believed that these greatly enhance the wearers' traits, allowing them to possess superhuman attributes in areas such as speed, durability, and strength, or they already have those and it is merely protecting the wearers with armor and energy shields.
These spines are said to have served as conduits for the Paragons' raw reality-warping properties, resulting in more powerful albeit specific sets of properties that can be used offensively or defensively, but they can still use their inherited properties on a regular basis.
Evidently, when making a Matrix is very particular and intricate to each Paragon, based on them, when they were born they possess such distinct affinities of their reality-warping properties which then they will tailor to be suitable for that Paragon to use, thus in a form of variants, allowing them to maximize their potential and develop their growth in their respective variants, and this implies that there are every one of these variants exists which ranging from frequent to rare among the Paragons' individuals. Psions, for example, are the rarest variants due to their having the most powerful psionic properties of any of their kind, but they are also potentially the most dangerous; they create these Matrices for the sole purpose of controlling their untapped psionic abilities.
It's worth noting that the Matrix is said to be based on the Marauders' prototype project, the armor on their arms, but it was incomplete and was created by their lost Progenitor to improve their combat capabilities during their war. Why they did not finish this project was due to they either found it useless or were too involved with fighting the Festering, but the Paragons took the time to develop their own which they use to help them and fight.
Addendum HT-002
It is rumored that the Court members may be in possession of rarer Golden Artifacts, which are possibly the "Treasures of the Void" spoken of in legends. The Paragons and the King appear to hold a deeper connection to the Hallowed Gate and the Golden Artifacts.
Footnotes
- ↑ It is possible that it was overridden by some ancient entity, other than the Predecessors' permission, that allows them to eliminate intruders.
- ↑ Once extracted, the said instance of sub-level of these objects found within will not reappear after the phenomenon occurs.
- ↑ A few researchers are attempting to replicate the properties of these artifacts by engineering their versatile immunity properties, which could potentially help fight off such anomalous diseases.
- ↑ Surprisingly, it can be used to entertain the user by running games or drawing programs. This includes any input or output devices simply by placing them within its proximity range.