Statue of Freedom

In *The Monument Mythos* series, the **Statue of Freedom** took on a significant role as a key character. Crafted by the gifted Italian sculptor Thomas Crawford, Freedom came to life as an exquisite plaster statue. However, tragedy befell Thomas when he stumbled upon the Giza Glass, a substance rumored to bestow eternal life. Consumed by madness, he succumbed to the temptation, resorting to self-mutilation to merge with the statue. Astonishingly, his daughter Nina Crawford followed in his footsteps, plunging into the same fate.

## Personality

Despite its initial classification as a weapon, Freedom displayed tremendous concern for its deceased creator and his daughter, safeguarding them from any danger, even at the cost of sustaining damage itself.

## Story

### Background

In 1860, the United States commissioned Thomas Crawford to create a statue that would be placed on the Capitol building's dome. Initially hesitant, Thomas began his work, even going to Egypt to obtain giza glass for the statue's sword. As his work progressed, Thomas's sanity deteriorated, leading him to use the giza sword to self-harm. Remarkably, thanks to the supernatural properties of the glass, he survived and incorporated his own body into the sculpture known as Freedom.

The mental decline of Thomas greatly concerned his wife, Louisa Crawford, who visited his studio after his prolonged absence. Witnessing the finished statue, Louisa experienced a mental breakdown that lasted for hours. Their daughter Nina, frightened by her mother's state and missing her father, ran away and boarded the ship Monarca, which was transporting the Statue of Freedom to the United States. Concealing herself within the statue, Nina felt a connection to her father's spirit.

During a stop in Gibraltar, Freedom broke free from the ship and carried Nina with it. Running through a forest with incredible speed, the statue cut down trees and started fires with its Giza Glass blade. Eventually, inspectors located Freedom inside a cave, adorned with human skin and the remains of Nina. The child's spirit had merged with the statue, much like her father's had before.

After months of delays, the Statue of Freedom reached US shores. Its skin was removed, and it was finally installed atop the Capitol Dome in Washington as originally intended.

### *"Deanverse"*

#### The Freedom Faller Incident

On January 6, 1977, during the ADA riot near the Capitol, an intense display of gunfire and heavy artillery causes Freedom to be forcefully knocked down from the building. Following this fall, Freedom regains consciousness and tragically, multiple ADA rioters lose their lives. Disturbingly, video footage shows Freedom inside the Capitol, where it barbarically crushes and strips the skin off a woman before mercilessly stretching it onto its own face.

#### Time as a Giza Guardian

After the Freedom Faller incident, President James Dean reassigns the Statue of Freedom as the last Giza Guardian. Its new mission is to attract and persuade dissenters and ADA members to join the Canyon Crowns, utilizing decapitation as the means of conversion.

#### The Great Division

In 2022, the Department of Technology devise a meticulously crafted and comprehensive plan known as "Operation Thunderbird." The primary objective of this operation is to neutralize both Freedom and the Air Force One Angel simultaneously.

Central to the plan is the ingenious use of two androids as bait to lure Freedom into the desired position. Once Freedom takes the bait, the captive False Children activate, triggering a series of events that would solidify the Invisible Particle Cloud, also known as Giza Gas. This substance is cleverly employed to encase Freedom within a pyramid-shaped construction made entirely of giza glass, rendering it immobile and helpless.

To facilitate the safe transportation of the entrapped Freedom, the Department deploy a cutting-edge and specially designated military helicopter known as the "X-Wing Warrior." This highly advanced aircraft carefully transports the contained entity to a designated location within the Babylon Forest. In this secluded setting, Freedom is released from its glass prison to engage in a climactic battle against the fiercely powerful Angel.

Regrettably, despite the Department's optimistic expectations and the painstaking planning behind Operation Thunderbird, the power displayed by the Angel far exceeded predictions. The consequential catastrophic event, ominously dubbed the Great Division, irreversibly shatters the world into fragments, forever changing the course of human history.

### *"Montyverse"*

#### The Aversion

In the aftermath of the battle between Freedom and the Angel, the Angel drifts through space until they settle on a rock. There, Freedom's decapitated head comes into view. As time unfolds and the Angel's essence disperses before them, it is revealed that on February 22, 2022, in the Babylon Forest, a profound change took place within the Angel's neurons as they drew near to Freedom. Instead of engaging in a destructive conflict, the Angel humbly implores Freedom to end their existence. Without hesitation, Freedom swiftly carries out the request and beheads the Angel, a mix of shock and wonder registering on Freedom's face at the magnitude of their actions.

#### A More Perfect Union

As Freedom makes another daring attempt to attack the transformed Angel, now resembling a canyon crown, their efforts were swiftly thwarted by the newly freed Everett Arnoldson. The confrontation reaches its climax as the Angel employs a powerful beam of light, obliterating Freedom's Giza glass sword with ease. In a surprising turn of events, it was then that Freedom reveals its true form, exposing the souls of Nina and Thomas Crawford and desperately pleading for safety. Eventually, a truce is reached with Everett, leading to a merging of Freedom and the Angel, resulting in a harmonious and unified existence known as "A More Perfect Union." Together, they embark on a remarkable flight towards the terrifying Martian Serpent, effortlessly overpowering and vanquishing it upon contact. After defeating their formidable foe, Freedom and the Angel separate and gracefully assumed the appearance of an enchanting constellation, aptly named "Manticore." Curiosity peaked, Lauren Arnoldson engages with the celestial display, seeking to understand its composition. It was then revealed that the core of this celestial entity was composed of Freedom, Nina, and Thomas, symbolizing not only its physical structure but also its very essence.

## Allusions

* Freedom is a concept alluding to Dracula, the iconic character from Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel, known as Dracula.

## Trivia

* Freedom transcends the physical realm, therefore it remains unbound by the laws of physics.
* Freedom was one of the few beings, along with the Angel, that resisted assimilation by Alcatraz.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 FREEDOMFALLER
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 GIZAGUARDIAN
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 FREEDOMFOREVER
4. ↑ ALCATRAZAPOCALYPSE
5. ↑ ANGELASHES
6. ↑ AFTERANGEL
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A0c2872ea-ea6c-3f4f-b878-104f337f95be#pageNum=3