Somehow, the gardens around the Danctum of Genesis managed to be largely untrampled and unburned in the wake of the fighting that spilled out from the city center just a week or so past. That, or someone used magic to make it so that this space is as welcoming and full of late-summer beauty as possible. Positioned not far from the entrance of the Great Archive is a grand display of many, many large scrolls and a speakers' platform that has been temporarily erected. Upon it stands Medeia, shed of her armor and eschewing every sign of the combat roles she had to fulfil in recent months. She is smiling warmly - if wanly - to all who come to the event. There is a certain air of exhaustion that underpins her otherwise pleasant and welcoming expression. "Hello, everyone, hello. I'm so glad to see you, thank you for coming. We'll begin shortly."

2 Saik Guard, Micana, an efficient assistant arrive, following Lucita.

Finn the large Northern hunting dog with icy blue eyes, a nameless overwrought highstrung pygmy goat, Rocco, the rascally assistant, Strawberry Pupcake, the Graypeak Mountain Dog arrive, following Thea.

The trend is real, it seems - while /some/ Pravusi have been historically, it seems, of mind to appear fashionably late to some things, this is not the nature of the current archduke. Indeed, Patrizio is present when Medeia's speaking up, the gentle smile for her, and while he is still in his armour - as if he trusts not that the peace and quiet should hold - the cloak over it is far more formal and sombre, as if to reflect the mood. "Thank you for having us, and for giving a chance to remember those who have given so much of themselves that we all might be here to do so," voices he, with the press of his palm to his chest and the dip of his head to their hostess.

Thea steps into the shrine, her own feature worn and tired. She smiles a moment at Medeia however, greeting her and others. "Thank you for doing this,"she says.

There's a small glow to surround Renata as she steps within the space of the gardens to have been well tended to and ensured to have been saved from those trampling without thought to the space in the week prior. Settling with a warm smile towards Medeia as she speaks. A glance to Patrizio with pull of nudge to his cloak where armor might still be visible underneath. "Thank you Medeia."

Jan arrives and loiters on the periphery, scanning the crowd and offering a fingerwave to familiar faces.

Titania comes into the shrine dressed in her armor with a cloak wrapped about her, her hand holding onto her husbands elbow. Lord Adriano looks around as he moves in with her. He leans in to whisper something to her but she shakes her head, "No, its okay." she reply's softly. When she walks its still with a bad limp but it seems to be improving as her foot does not drag as much anymore.

Medeia curtsies respectfully to Patrizio in return of the dip of his head. When she speaks, it is to both him and Renata, "I'm pleased to see you both here, my friends." She nods to Thea, too, her smile dampening a touch. "It's important." Then she looks to Titania and her new husband, smile returning. "Lady Titania, hello, do we all get to meet your new husband, finally? How wonderful."

Balian, a Templar squire, Guy, a hunting kestrel, 1 Templar Knight guards, Direhorn Jeffers, a barded Templar wargoat arrive, following Preston.

Lucita approaches the Sanctum with a quiet tread along the street. A middle aged man accompanies her, one she introduces to others as Custos, from Cardia. She has been almost reclusive since the final battle, cheeks thinner, lips a little less prone to achieve a smile. "So many to be remembered. The bookshelf end boards are going to be overfilled with names and we'll have to start installing plaques on the walls."

"Nowhere else I'd be. This is important and I saw to clearing the time to be here," Patrizio says, with warmth, to Medeia. Luctia, Jan, and Titania get smiles when he's noticing them, but his cousin gets a grin, and a gentle cousinly hug at her minding his cloak. Though it is Lucita's words that draw his attnetion for those moments. "Then we should prepare for plaques. While I've other ideas on how best to remember those who stood for the world that we now inhabit, I leave the final decisions to those better blessed by Jayus than I to think of such things."

Once more people have settled, Medeia sets her shoulders to address the gathered crowd. "Again, welcome, and thank you all for being here. For those of you who are not familiar, the Saikland Remembers Archive was begun in 1008 to honor those lost in wars from 1006 onward. It has been Saik's solemn yet proud duty to commit their names to the historical record. While we faced the threat of Orichalcum, I began a new initiative that named people Heroes of the Realm through the archive project. These people could yet be living - my intent was to commend their bravery for deeds done in service to the world." Here, she looks at Thea, extending a hand to indicate the countess as one such living hero. "This turned out to be a prescient act on my part. Thanks, in no small part, to my husband, we were able to learn that Azazel despised heroes - so much so that he stole thousands of their stories from us. The Mirrorguard was able to restore at least some of what had been lost. It is only fitting that we see to it that we have history remember those who stood against him."

Thea doesn't really change her facial expression much, the Countess who was also a member of the Mirrorguard just stands tall. The emotion however is there, in her eyes.

Lucita says, "our shelves in the Archive of Remembrance had small spaces for people to leave a small token of remembrance as long as non-perishable or living. No flowers or foods but I've seen letters, tiny carvings, buttons, a ribbon tied around a quill, a dagger with a fancy hilt, a book. A card under each identifies it and its significance. That room is set aside from the main archive with scrolls and book references. But we change, and as Medeia has said, it is time to change focus not only on the past but the present."

Duarte raises a hand and asks blithely, "Does this mean we can go to the lower section of the archives now?"

Jan listens with interest, she flicks a glance towards Duarte and her eyebrows knit in puzzlement.

Patrizio's brows lift for the moment as he's listening, hands clasped briefly before him as he's stilling himself, listening. The jade eyes flitting between Medeia, Thea, Lucita, and then to Duarte.

Preston has joined the gathering a little late, and once again back into priestly robes rather than armour - though of course for a Godsworn that means aeterna with gold trim. The only real sign he is Faith Militant is the sword belt and its two blades at his side. "A beautiful way of remembering" he says in agreement as Lucita describes what has occured but before he adds anymore Preston hears Duarte and sighs "The lower levels of the Archives still house the Black Journals. Only Godsworn may enter. I mean, and Silent Reflections. Not all of whom are."

Renata listens and stands with her hands cupped before her. A small silent nod of her head as Medeia and Lucita offer of what their rembembrace shall be for all.

"Could I go with an escort then?" Duarte wonders in Preston's direction. "I promise I won't touch anything."

Medeia defers to Preston on the matter of the lower levels of the Grand Archive, but there's a look toward Duarte, her smile twitching, before she shakes her head gently. To Lucita, she nods. "Yes, and, we thankfully did manage to have the contents oaded into trunks and evacuated to our cellar, here, but it will be a long while before we can put any of it - or this," she motions to the dozens or large scrolls behind her, "Back in Saikland." She sighs sadly. Her gaze lowers toward the ground before she clears her throat and stands as tall as she can again (which isn't all that tall at all). "While this has not been an exhaustive effort - I think such would be nearly impossible, in truth, it has been thorough. These scrolls are being given to the Grand Archive to be held - and copied - in the care of the Scholars until such time as an installation in Saikland in possible again. There are separate scrolls which bear the names of defenders lost in defense of Sanctum, Artshall, Farhaven, Lenosia, Ostria, Setarco, and Bastion. And there are additional scrolls for those lost defending Arx."

Titania leans into Adriano as she stands there taking some weight off her leg while she listens to Medeia speak, she nods her head a small smile reaches her features but not like before. She looks to Adriano nodding head her as he kisses the top of it, she spots Jan then Patrizio nodding her head to them both, in retuned greeting she does not want to interrupt.

"Pravus," intones Patrizio from where he stands, "would be honoured to contribute to the efforts to re-establish the archive in Saikland, with an equal share to help restore the homes and livelihood of the people of House Saik. We would think it proper and fitting, to see as a monument to those who have fallen, that those who honour them have their needs seen to as well." Though he says nothing on the matter of the Grand Archive's lower levels... there is a twitch of a smile at the corners of his lips at Duarte's suggestion, one that bursts not perhaps into full smile at the reminder from Preston of how serious the security of such a place is.

Jan ambles over towards Duarte and furtively whispers while keeping her gaze on Medeia.

Lucita looks toward Preston and lowers her voice as she speaks. "You who led large armies, so many it is impossible to remember all their names. It is recognized how hard and yet necessary it is to order men to their deaths. Not all have that capacity and without those leaders, we would not have succeeded, would have been running around without direction. Those need acknowledgement, too. Most of the rest of us, followed their lead and tried our best, tried to be supportive." She nods as she hears Patrizio. "We used to have a premium whiskey widely sold with profits going to support families of fallen soldiers.. but the distillery was lost when Saikland evacuated. It is on our list to rebuild."

When Lucita mentions the lost distillery, Medeia winces. It's impressive that that is all the break in her composure. "Yes. Well. While our people are /here/? I have every intention of carving out an operation for them closer to where they /are/, so that they might begin producing wines and spirits sooner. Should they wish to, of course." Left unsaid, but expressed in her tone and body language, is a belief that Saikland is too far, too isolated, too indefensible as of yet against the remnants of the scattered shard armies. But to Patrizio? Her resolve cracks and tears spill over. It's not a messy, ugly sob, but they glisten on her cheeks and she quickly wipes them away with her fingers. Her mouth opens to express thanks, but no sound comes, and so she instead makes a motion toward the scrolls again and a few Scholars who were on hand bring one forward to carefully unroll and show to the crowd.

"Amd when it comes time, I am sure the Faith Militant will want to resume our partnership with Saik, Baroness. It was always a distinct pleasure." And Preston gives a warm and wide smile across towards Lucita "And your words are very kind, but. To do my duty has always been easy - even when that duty itself is hard. I was raised to ever go forward, and now as a Paladin of Gloria, that call of honour is part of my very being." Preston does bow his head a little to Medeia and Patrizio "And of course, those of your people who fell as disciples, they are always welcome to be laid to rest at the Grand Mausoleum of the Faith, if it is still intact once we reconnect with Sanctum."

Renata breaths slowly through discussion to make do, to make new, and to resolve for what they have. A small nod and close of her eyes as Medeia seeks to try and find her own composure. The princess' voice soft as she speaks. "As we were to come together as a whole in the end, we should seek to find what we can do to help each other for what is to come." Her own tears gentle as she finds a small laugh, "Even as the production of your whiskey is a credit to your people, we shouldn't forget of the spirits which can lift in making them. And of what you were able to make from their profits to help of yours as well." She looks to Patrizio as he offers how Pravus can help. A nod to her cousin where Medeia seeks her own words.

"Wyvernheart will help the best we can,"Thea tells Medeia then. "We have a lot of rebuilding to do ourselves, but---never too far off that we can't help." Her words are directed to Lucita as well.

Jan is overheard praising Medeia.

Lucita says, "It will take time, but we will manage. All of us!" She indicates Thea, Patrizio and the others with a gesture toward them. "We were lucky that we had been saving up some to work on improvements and there is a more left to restart Saikland than when we began in 1008. Not enough to be extravagant, but enough to start.""

After a moment, Medeia has found her voice. "The Scholars have agreed to read from the scrolls, here in front of the Archive, until they have all been read, each being stored properly when done." She looks appreciatively toward her fellow disciples. "This will take... At least a couple of days. I bid you all stay as long as you can, and come back if you are able until the reading is done." She drifts off the stage to find her way to Duarte's side, but she does pause to address Preston. "Should any be recovered who would be qualified for such an honor, Carnifex, we will ensure they are appropriately transferred into the Faith's care for their interment. Thank you." She gently interlaces her fingers with Duarte's while pressing up on her toes to whisper something to him.

Lucita's tears have been shed in private for the most part though after speaking, her lashes shimmer moistly with tears she has been blinking away.

"We've all a great deal of rebuilding to do. But it's easier, I think, when we all share the burden." Patrizio smiles warmly, the brief diversion of his eyes when Medeia's teared up at his offer of things, but there's that bow of his head to Lucita. And a breath that passes free, with a gesture to his secretariat to approach for a moment, the archduke speaking with gestures towards that folio that's being held, as if giving directions.

Renata seeks to move towards Medeia and Duarte. Waiting patiently for them to finish their discussion before seeking to offer a hug to both of them.