The Origin of the Skychildren
I am back! I have realized that a lot of my theories about sky lore are based on the assumption that Skykids are a different species from the spirits. And I was looking around and saw that, apparently, most of us have a different understanding of where Skykids come from, what they’re made from, etc. So I thought I’d outline my headcanon about the origin of the Skychildren for reference, and to make sure all of my theories are a bit more streamlined in the future.
I have also included the obligatory "keep reading" thingy because this post gets really, really long.
Okay. So. From what I can tell, the first appearance of the Skychildren occurred before Eden fell, in the Isle of the Dawn. In the memories of the Ushering Stargazer, we see a Skykid fall from the sky meteor-style. In some histories, this Skychild has been identified as the first (and last) king of Eden.
Now, the timeline I am about to outline differs from person to person. Sky lore is mostly fandom-made, so of course, each fan will disagree on key elements. So I will not go into any specifics that do not relate to the topic of this post. Quick disclaimer: I also might accidentally disagree with what small amount of in-game evidence we are given. I tend to focus on the events of the Fall and its effects, rather than the history of the civilization that thrived before the Darkness. So please, please correct me if I get something wrong.
The Prophets of the Isle had several duties, among them the recording of prophecies granted to them by the higher powers. How the Prophecy that is painted on the walls of the Cave of Prophecies originally came to be is unknown. Was it given to any specific prophet in a dream? Or was it given to not just one prophet, but several? Were the prophets so moved by these images they painted them on the walls of the cave? It is possible that it simply appeared one day, immortalized on the cold stone as if had always been there. It is also possible that the cave did not exist until the appearance of the Prophecy, bringing along with it the four elemental trials.
We might never know. What we do know is this: The Prophecy came, and it detailed the arrival of a king.
The king could have been anyone, from any realm, any age, any profession. No qualifications were necessary, other than one simple little thing. The king, whoever they may be, had to survive all four elemental trials.
The trials were deadly. One mistake meant death. Still, many threw themselves at the gauntlet, and not one survived. We do not know how long this process went on, or how many thousands tried and failed. The prophets took on disciples and trained them for the trials in a futile attempt to ensure a monarch.
Then, a child fell from the sky.
They were a strange being. They had no face behind the mask they wore, but somehow the eye-holes glowed. (I am aware some spirits share the same characteristic, but it is my belief that those spirits were not strong enough to form features as well as memories upon their death). They also had no hair, but that did not seem so strange until the ancestors learned that the child could mimic any hairstyle they wanted, regardless of this handicap. Did the ancestors worship this child? Fear them? Revere them? We do not know. But one of them must have told the child of a prophecy in the cave of the isle, because we do know the child underwent the trials.
And the child lived.
This is the first difference between the Skychildren and the ancestors. The ancestors are mortal. The Skychildren are not.
To the ancestors, life is linear. One is born, one lives, and one dies. If they are lucky they preserve a shadow of themselves as a spirit to instruct the new generations. There is no going back, only forward.
To the Skychildren, life is cyclical. Death is only a mere handicap, and life is as long as one wishes it to be, if by life you mean “corporeal.” Skychildren are capable of shedding their bodies for a time and ascending to Orbit. Most of the time, this shedding is a choice, although that discussion deserves a post of its own rather than a tangent in this one.
Anyway, the first Skychild lived. We do not know how many times he might have died while participating in the trials, only that he emerged unscathed and victorious. He was summarily crowned king, although whether or not this was a mistake is a matter of furious debate.
There are other differences between the ancestors and the Skychildren, and for these, we do not have to recount so much history to understand. There are the remnants of a field in the golden wasteland, a ways behind the Forgotten Ark. It was made by the survivors of the shipwreck there. We know it is an attempt at a farm through the memories of the Scarecrow Farmer, who shows us his attempts at keeping the field clear of pests.
What does this field tell us? Well, it tells us that the ancestors needed to eat to survive. If game mechanics are to be believed, the Skychildren do not. Rather, we subsist on what seems to be the glowing remnants of other fellow Skychildren.
Is this cannibalism? I’ve no idea. I also do not wish to derail this post with yet another discussion on the unexpected cannibalism of sky COTL, which I seem to be fond of doing. Moving on.
So, if the ancestors and the Skychildren are fundamentally different species, what are they? The answer depends on who you ask. If you’ve made it this far (Hi!!!), I shall assume you have asked me. Therefore, here are my answers.
It is my belief that the ancestors were human. The few details we know about them seem to fit into the description of a human, or at least a human-adjacent.
As for the Skychildren, I think they are fallen stars.
The first Skychild fell from the sky, much like we imagine a star would. And this quirk does not just belong to them alone. Our species is depicted as falling from the sky in the intro to the game. We are creatures of light, so much so that we seem to be made from light itself. Darkness, to us, is poison.
If we are stars, we certainly aren’t very strong ones. That title belongs to the elders, the stars that seemed to rule the humans before the Darkness came. If we were gods, the Elders’ power would be on a similar level to Zeus and Hades, Hera and Athena. The Skychildren would be known as minor deities, perhaps Hecate or Psyche.
Although we are not strong, our task is a great one. We are to do what the Elders cannot, and that is to save the world they have ruined. It is the Skychildren who were tasked with clearing out the shards in the Season of Shattering, after all. It is the Skychildren who halt the poisonous rain in the Hidden Forest, the Skychildren who heal the Forgotten Ark, the Skychildren who gift the Elders the light they lost.
We are not strong, but we are many. Perhaps that is enough.
36 notes
·
View notes