Treasure of Gladio-Mankano

Overview

The "Treasure of Gladio-Mankano" , a title given to it by its initial discoverer, Mystara, is a handwritten paper note authored by the enigmatic Gladio-Mankano prior to his death around 54,000 TI (Time Immemorial). Having become a fixture of Remnant, the note has appeared and disappeared across Ambrosia several times in history, even returning from being previously destroyed, or even to eras of history prior to the note's creation. Regardless of when and where the note manifests, the commonality in all instances is that it will appear to extremely prominent figures in Ambrosian history, particularly to those who hold great importance in its Line to the End.

Its seemingly anomalous trait is due in thanks to the contents of the note. The exact wording of the note will vary depending on manifestation, with most fundamental context becoming jumbled or broken to the point of being nonsensical to most, within the cryptic note is the fundamental truth of reality; that all existence is made of a sole and grand design. While the concept of predestination is a prominent fixture in many sapient models of ontology or faith, the note authored by Gladio-Mankano remains the sole object in Creation to have its true designer, "Imagindarium," named with deliberate intention.

Despite this seeming extreme universal importance, the "Treasure of Gladio-Mankano" is not a well-known object within Ambrosia. As it only appears to select individuals over swaths of time measuring in centuries to millennia. Additionally; it seemingly has no meaning to it in respect to most of those given the opportunity to view it, the note has largely fallen by the wayside in galactic history.

Notable Occurrences

As nearly every major figure in Ambrosian history has had the note manifest to them, a full accounting of each and their individual reactions would be ultimately pointless, as most. near ubiquitously. immediately disregarded it as the manic ramblings of some mad man.

However, perhaps the most notable act in history the note has contributed to would be the revelation of the Line to the End to the universe's living-maxim of Darkness; Mystara. While she was born with the mythical End in Sight, it would be the note that would serve as the chronological point in which she would learn the fundamental truth of reality. Mystara would discover this truth swiftly after her murder of Gladio-Mankano, taking the moment to read the note he had authored mere moments before his demise.

Alongside Mystara, the Treasure of Gladio-Mankano would be the object that would reveal the Line to the End to Poison Novum. Though unlike Mystara, Poison would ultimately choose to willfully omit this knowledge from her mind once it was reveled to her, and she'd remain in willful ignorance, until the truth of Imagindarium forced its way back to her mind later on.

The sole inhabitant of the Mavimyst to be made aware of the note was the Amaranth Heir; Oblivion Mystara. However, it had only done so when he had briefly entered Ambrosia's Realm of Resonance. When he had, the note appeared in his left hand, and whilst he read it, it ultimately meant nothing to him as he was unable to follow it, and he quickly crumpled it.

Contents and Appearance

The Treasure of Gladio-Mankano is a simple note made of a single piece of 8.5 by 11 inches sized basic carbon paper. Small wrinkles and tears have appeared on the note, as the original paper the note had been authored on possessed these qualities. This exact physical state will appear on the note each time it manifests itself, even if it was subsequently ruined and or destroyed after it manifests at that given time.

A small detail of the paper is that it has a scent described to be similar to that of a conifer pine-tree found across many worlds. Notably in respect to the note itself, it was authored by Gladio-Mankano on his home world of Tarovania, a world rather famed for its vast swaths of conifer forests prior to its destruction. Likely, as the note became Remnant, the exact physical makeup of the paper, down to its very scent was made a permanent fixture in the universe, sort of acting as a morbid reminder of its authoring.

While the individual reaction of most who have read the note is one of either confusion, or bewilderment, a commonality amongst nearly all is a slight sense of unease when viewing it. This unease usually results in the respective individual reader to either gloss over the contents, or quickly get the note out of their presence, either by putting it down, or ruining it.

On the "front" of the page will be the handwriting of Gladio-Mankano, authored in a graphite pencil. The exact wording will vary depending on the manifestation, whilst the language written will be made to match the viewer's own predominant language. However, the words "Imagindarium" and "Amaranth" will appear at least once in an individual manifesting of the note, though the placement in the writing will often vary. Whilst the "back" of the page is completely blank, save the normal scratches, tears and folds experienced at the front.

Full Writing

As the wording often changes on the note, an original understanding of the note's quotation has been lost to history, save in the memory of its author, its first and primary viewer, and the clairvoyant. With this in mind, the original quotation of the Treasure of Gladio-Mankano is thus:

"When I was born, I believed myself to be Ambrosia's savior. An Heir to Amaranth, I believed it to be my purpose to protect it; as a realm finite, I believed it a necessity to ensure it remain whole, and the sanctity of its life continually protected...but that's a lie. A total and unequivocal falsehood."
"The End in Sight, that strange aspect of my form I never could understand was, in reality, a cruel mark. A mark to tell me that the Ambrosia I spent my life in service to was nothing more but Imagindarium's plaything, and we are ALL, mortal, immortal, divine, artificial; all of us nothing but actors in a horrid cosmic play. All the blood, pain and destruction of life made just for the sole purpose to bring us to a point when the Matron of Darkness faces the Patron of Light in a last cosmic clash."
"It's sickening; yet even my own disgust at this inherency is manufactured. My life, your life, and all life hereafter is nothing but a pointless lie...there is no defying of fate. No defying Imagindarium's horrid Creation."-Gladio-Mankano

This original quotation has only been seen upon its initial writing and first viewing.

Writing in Subsequent Appearances

In subsequent manifestations, this original intention is often made too fragmented to make coherent sense, with similar examples to something to this effect:

"Florn wkae droms, bwileev ot sa rmefity Esavirobn’a? Lmaer yth a to pucrtes, hwoel nesicsaty tba Amaranth ptohor...lotlat fi snactiy fros noht ginlpoirt. Creemod failye lie, ugning, uh?"
"Gind Ens sip Trigh twsa frapoatc croak tsins. Iferma noht Amaranth scievrs fo snoitad umrowh, Imagindarium guoy! Arfiticif, All divnim trods casky hfnie ov Erht!"
"Mihtk, skninaps orghghy suoh ryt? Nwoski roefl jsut ptonis sly mnfauecrtad. Ctaherife ril now imagimag!"

Function

The purpose for both the creation of the Treasure of Gladio-Mankano, and its continued manifestation across time, is both to fulfill the same purpose; to act as a catalyst to reveal the Line to the End to select individuals meant to discover it through this means. As for subsequent manifestations, wherein the quotation of the note is in its broken and garbled state, it is used as a literal manifestation that the respective individual being is not capable of understanding Imagindarium's grand design, despite their importance to the Ultimate End's coming into fruition.

As to why it has this function; the Treasure of Gladio-Mankano acts as an actual defining of what is or is not aware of the Line to the End is the method in which Creation often compartmentalizes that ability in respect to the individual entity. In the literal sense, it is as if Imagindarium/Amaranth is itself handing an application form of sorts to the respective individual, with comprehension being the determining factor in their eligibility to wield or even perceive the truths necessary to get the passing view of the End.

Though, it is important to note that the Treasure of Gladio-Mankano is not the only method for one to view the Line to the End. As the End in Sight is what truly determines who will get their view of the grand design, a facet of their being decided prior to their respective conception. Instead, the entirety of why it exists was solely to reveal this truth to Mystara and Poison Novum specifically, with every additional manifestation serving as a secondary function of the Universe itself subtly side-lining these respective figures.

Ability

Its ability to manifest itself at varying points in chronology, both forward and backwards in time, is born from it being an entity of "Remnant," the Source in which Amaranth determines the most prominent and prevalent concepts and entities within Imagindarium's Creation. Specifically; the Treasure of Gladio-Mankano achieved Remnant-status due to the Omnicept of the "Law of First Principle."

As it is the first instance of a deliberate recording of Imagindarium's true title, this fundamental law of Creation made it an inherency in existence solely due to its aforementioned status of being the very first at its function, eternally anchoring it as a cornerstone of cosmic truth that cannot be erased or undone, regardless of the attempts of time, space, or will to obscure it.