Theory on the Crime of the Sky (Immense spoilers)

[PaleBlueDot]

What we already know about the crime of the sky:
1:It seems to be a euphemism for heterosexual sex between Long, although the taboo is implied in one of the phrygian books to apply to hours.
2:It seems to have some manner of natural consequence, going off of Theresa's comments in the lodge of the sage knight and certain blurbs from the various books referencing the Ordo Limiae.
3: The consequence is never explicitly elaborated, unless it is in one of the max-level lores. I suppose I should try and hunt down the book that gives the final grail-lore before making this thread, but nyaaaah.
4: The Sun-in-Splendor is referenced as having children somewhere (I may be misremembering this bit, but I'm pretty sure.)
5:The Sun-in-Splendor was divided and killed in the whatever it was called. I'm making this thread far too late at night. This is widely regarded as a bad move.
So, with all this in mind, my actual theory is this: The Sun-in-Splendor did the sexy, or whatever the equivalent of that is for the hours, and as a direct result of this, he is dead, Worms from Nowhere are trying to eat history and the Mansus, Winter is now a major principle of the Mansus, and in short, everything is terrible. Presumably, a Long who did this would suffer terribly and then die, or perhaps become a Soucouyant. Supposedly the ones on raven isle have committed the ultimate long-sin, and there is a reference to pictures of family in their nest. No wonder Theresa and Christopher decided not to risk it.

[Astraea]

On the discord, the consensus seems to be that the crime is eating your children.

[PaleBlueDot]

That seems a little out of left field, to tell the truth. What's the evidence for that one?

[Astraea]

That is not an easy thing to answer.

First of, it has to be said that it appears as if soucuyants, empousai and going alukite all refer to the same thing; namely commiting the crime of the sky. Soucuyants are only referred to on Raven Isle, but they too are said to mourn their children, so we can deduce that they both reproduced, and that those children are now gone.

Empousai are more often mentioned. Ascent of knives, Kerisham, and most notably, the Red Church. The church mentions that not all Empousai are women, and that man's desire also runs deep. Nonetheless, most Empousai are women because at birth, the mother is always at hand, whereas that's not necessarily true of the father.

Lastly is the mention of "Going alukite", which is another reference to the crime of the sky, found in "The Dream of the Conspiracy of the Lower Skies". It explicitly questions what the hours might devour to commit the crime. So we know that the devouring is an integral part.

[Ryusui]

I haven't played this in a while but do recall that Grail represents "both birth and the feast"...

[PaleBlueDot]

After mucking about on the discord a bit it seems that soucouyant=empousa=alukite is confirmed by word of god, rather than by lore within the actual game. I appreciate the elucidation!

[PartlyCircle]

Since this is a super spoilery thread I'm content to throw my 2 cents that are likely already known here: I think the final achievement is going to involve re-enacting the Intercalate: the event that turned the Sun-in-splendor into the Sun-in-rags. It's going to involve cards of varying power levels that you need to do actual research to understand why they're important, and it's going to somehow involve your cult sparking 4 great wars to happen.

[PaleBlueDot]

That would be a satisfying pinnacle of the game, rather like the salt's song end for sunless sea.

[eva02soul]

Or even possibly a reversal of the rite? Aren't most of the remaining hours these days Gods-from-Blood? (AKA greedy as hell humans) What would say that more than to remerge the gods created from the intercalate back into you?

A bit off-topic but I have enjoyed learning of the theme being that the traditions and mores of this multi-dimensional nexus of ancient gods and powerful concepts has been largely eroded by people on power trips, and it's largely a politics game now.

[PaleBlueDot]

Gods from blood are from sacrifice. Gods from flesh were mortal. There seems to be a difference.

[Astraea]

Originally posted by PartlyCircle:

turned the Sun-in-splendor into the Sun-in-rags

The SiS was actually divided into four hours; The SiR, Madrugad, Meniscate and the Wolf-Divided. All four will be needed to restore that SiS, which is what the pilgrimage is all about.

Originally posted by eva02soul:

Aren't most of the remaining hours these days Gods-from-Blood? (AKA greedy as hell humans)

They are Gods-From-Flesh. Gods-From-Blood were created by sacrifice, like the Wolf-Divided, the Moth and the Red Grail, none of which have human origins.

The funny thing is that some hours have multiple origins. For example, the Watchman is From-Flesh (As he was the unwise mortal), From-Light (As he descended from the Glory) and From-Stone (As he was *also* the Egg Unhatching).

[PartlyCircle]

Originally posted by LuminaryPhoenix:

The SiS was actually divided into four hours; The SiR, Madrugad, Meniscate and the Wolf-Divided. All four will be needed to restore that SiS, which is what the pilgrimage is all about.

I'm not convinced our job is to restore the SiS at all. We're a crazy cult leader, after all. Ambitious. Cruel. Crazy. Power Hungry. Ascension isn't good enough for us if we're doing this. Immortality isn't good enough for us. We have the knowledge and the resources and the power to perform the Incursus, and it's not good enough for us.

I don't think we're just randomly restoring the SiS, I think we're trying to shatter ourselves as the Sun before us did (was?) in order to become Hours and become something even more than immortal.

But, just a fun theory.

I do love the idea of going through all this trouble though. Often in games you're playing the part of the vagrant hero, or the part of a kingdom in peril in this situation- at war with the other kingdoms, or trying to stop war, and then you discover this insane religious sect has it's hands in everything as well. In this game, we could be that cult and be walked through exactly what it's like to be the cult leader as they arrange all these events from step 1 onwards.

[Astraea]

That's because in most paths, it isn't our job. Only an enlightenment player is trying to get into the pilgrimage after all.

I don't see the player trying to shatter themselves through the intercalate. It's widely considered to be a bad thing that messed things up immensely. Even the Forge of Days who cannot regret would regret that action if he could.

[dornbeast]

A Power ascension might lead to an attempt to reforge the Sun In Splendor, replacing the Sun In Rags with yourself.

[PaleBlueDot]

I suppose Theresa would likely become a dangerous foe after we did that. The hours fear the names, after all.