Holy Grail

**Holy Grail** is a item in *Azrael's Tear*.

## Description

The Holy Grail is a goblet made out of a solid piece of grailstone, created around 2000 BCE by druids leading the Indo-Aryan migration at the time. It was skillfully crafted out of a one kilogram piece of grailstone recovered at the site of present-day Istanbul, where the meteor carrying the stone hit over 150 million years earlier. The druids created it after discovering the unique effects of grailstone (healing, cessation of aging, curing of illnesses), in an effort to reproduce its effects on a larger scale. The effort succeeded - any liquid placed in the cup was imbued with a diluted form of the grailstone effect, passing them on to the drinker. With time, it became an integral part of their religious ceremonies, as the *Leithum al Gwanned* - the *Cup of Life*. Memory of the Grail faded from memory as oral traditions were warped and distorted with each telling, creating the legend of an Elixir Vitalis (the Elixir of Eternal Youth), crediting the liquid, not the cup with longevity.

Over 2000 years later, this same goblet would wind up in the hands of Jesus of Nazareth, likely as a gift. Most likely used during the so-called miracles of healing and at the Last Supper, it again disappears from history, although it is believed to have traveled with the disciples for many years, and was reputedly brought to England by Joseph of Arimathea in 45 CE (according to its presence in Arthurian myths). At some time around 80-90 CE it was brought back to Jerusalem for permanent concealment. It would not be discovered again until 1146 CE, when it was recovered by the Templar Order. Two years later, it arrives safely in Paris under escort. Researching its history and connection to the Indo-Aryan peoples, the Templars plan to create a new world order: By leveraging the Grail's mythical status and a new caste of immortal priests, kept alive by grailstone, they would become the controllers of Europe, replacing the corrupt Pope and feudal kings. The ruined state of Europe in the 12th century certainly seemed to call for such drastic measures.

However, these plans are derailed by the destruction of the Templar Order in 1307. In their last message, the Templar High Command orders the Aeternis garrison to protect the Grail for as long as necessary - including forever. Following a foiled attempt to secure the Grail by the Priory of Sion, Aeternis is sealed by Tobias de Treece. The Grail remains hidden for the next seven centuries. It once more becomes relevant as Colin Scott discovers Aeternis, against a background of global unrest and environmental upheaval. The Holy Thief enters the complex as one of many Raptors, ready to face the gauntlet of challenges set up by Tobias de Treece and Geffrye de Bayeaux to find the one worthy of taking the Grail back to the surface. Unbeknownst to them, the Priory continues with its plan of establishing a New World Order, manipulating events so that the Holy Thief would emerge from Aeternis with the cup in hand, realizing their plans.

## Properties

The Holy Grail is a luminescent cup made out of a single piece of grailstone. The concentration of grailstone affects any sort of liquid placed within it, imbuing it with a diluted form of grailstone benefits. However, even in its diluted form, the Grail can heal even the most grevious of wounds, remove any kind of disease, and effectively halt aging. Anyone seeking this benefit needs to drink from the cup regularly - from several weeks to every day. The Priory at New Jerusalem seems to vary the frequency of drinking depending on the social standing of the drinker.

## References

1. ↑ Design document: "*Aryan Celts from north-eastern and central Europe sweep southward and westward throughout India and Europe - a vast unstoppable migration. Led by their chiefs and their Druid priests, this swarm of humanity, made up of dozens of individual tribes takes everything in its path. So it is that one of these tribes, the Helventii, pass through the area of present-day Istanbul. The Druid priests, using divining methods lost to us now, detect and unearth a one kilogram nugget of this meteoric rock. They are intrigued by its luminous quality and astounded when they discover its effects on humans (i.e. stops ageing, promotes health and healing). They continue their westward migration. The rock is skillfully fashioned into the shape of a goblet which, with time, becomes integrated into their religious ceremonies (the cup is filled with mead and passed among the tribe, thus passing on the qualities of the stone, though in a much diluted form. Interestingly, it will fulfil a similar function much later in Christian times. The secret of its existence is passed among the Druidic priests, who call it* Leithum al Gwanned *- the* Cup of Life*. Two thousand years later this same cup will become known as the Holy Grail. (Note: The Legend of the 'Elixir Vitalis' or the elixir of eternal youth, sought for so long by later alchemists comes directly from these events, though in a distorted form. The legend was wrongly interpreted to make the liquid responsible for eternal youth, rather than the cup containing it).*"
2. ↑ Design document: "*This same cup, by unknown means (though probably as a gift) comes into the hands of Jesus of Nazareth. It is probably used during the so-called miracles of healing and at the Last Supper. Its history after this time is not known, although it is believed to have traveled with the disciples for many years, and was reputedly brought to England by Joseph of Arimathea in 45AD. (The belief of its continued presence in the British Isles was obviously central to the Arthurian Legends of later times.) At some time around 80-90 CE it was brought back to Jerusalem for permanent concealment.*"
3. ↑ Design document: "*The Templars uncover the hiding place of the Holy Grail in Jerusalem and secretly smuggle it back to Paris. It arrives safely with its 12 knight escort in the spring of 1148. Plans are made by the Templars which, if successful, will see them become the new rulers of the Western world. Extensive research is carried out by Templar scholars into the history of the Grail and the Celts. The Dunstanburgh connection is uncovered and the team sent to investigate excitedly confirm the reports.*"
4. ↑ Design document: "*Twelve Templar Knights are sent to Dunstanburgh in north-east England with the Holy Grail to supervise the construction of a huge, subterranean Temple complex. Slaves and supplies are brought in night after night from French coastal ports. The Temple was named Aeternis and took 47 years to complete. Twenty metres underground at the centre of this complex construction lay the Holy Grail, a point of worship and the source of well-being and longevity for all those within. Around this Inner Sanctum lay a maze of corridors, dormitories, chapels, a library, kitchen, and teaching chambers.*

*Under this complex, accessed by barred stairwells is Underworld. Here lies the ancient, deeper caves, complete with their menagerie of exotic and dangerous wildlife - and their original quota of scattered Grailstone. The environment within these caves is too dangerous for any man to survive, so access tunnels were constructed around their perimeters.*

*Why did the Templars go into this expense and trouble? Because Europe was in a mess: The papacy had become nothing more than a corrupt and powerful terrorist organisation, and barbaric, illiterate feudal kings squandered their peoples' wealth in cycles of perpetual conflict. These wasteful struggles for control had been going on for hundreds of years with no end in sight.*

*The time had come for a new world order, one that would responsibly control both the spiritual and financial aspects of European society. One that would forever break the stranglehold of the Popes and bring the feudal kings to heel. The Templar plan was bold and simple, and the site of Dunstanburgh was central to its success. Aeternis was designed to fulfill three main functions:*

*1. To house and train a new breed of immortal priests who, with the help of Grailstone, would establish a new world order under the control of the Templars,*

*2. To provide a platform from which to explore the cave system under Aeternis, with a view to extracting all the remaining Grailstone within them,*

*3. To house the most sacred of religious relics, the Holy Grail, which they would also use as a symbol of divine approval for their new religious dynasty.*

*Although many hundreds of Templars were involved in its implementation, the plan in its entirety was known only to the Grand Master himself, Jacques de Molay.*"
**Note**: The dates in the article have been adjusted to match the in-game dates.
5. ↑ Entry 783
6. ↑ The last communique
7. ↑ Entry 785
8. ↑ MS-2: "*MISSION - Aeternis penetrated - 12/2/2012 - all systems functional - OBJECTIVE - holy grail*"
9. ↑ Outro
10. ↑ Outro