Archive Report 7
Terra Nova Research Base, Antarctica.
RAIN-5879: “Shakespeare’s First Folio”
Published in 2007 [no further updates]
What most artefact contained here at the Base have in common, besides a distinctive magical radiation, is their ability to change something within the perceived reality. The level of reality manipulation these have can be related to either two things: the creative fuel invested in the creation of the object, or the imbedded power of their creator. This is the reason why the artefacts created out of creative outlets, from writers, painters, composers, etc., are among the most dangerous ones. But even when this umbrella of activity can be extended to most of the artefacts, there are still categorisations related to the amount of security their safekeeping is going to need, and the real danger they can provoke.
Reality-altering artefacts from creative outlets, which is in what we’re going to focus here, can be classified in four categories due to the reach they have. Personal, local, regional, and global. Each of these levels have their own share of problems and perks associated to them. Due to the mandatory extension of this reports, we are going to talk about the major players in changing the world, the altering at a global scale.
In the grand scheme of things, global-changing artefacts are a rare breed. From the top of my head, I can guarantee that are less than thirty objects that can change reality at a planetary level or even bigger. These are extremely specific artefacts. They are created by magical beings who share three characteristics; are unfathomably creative, which means they can create entire worlds on their heads, are artfully skilled in some kind of craft, mainly the aforementioned ones (writing, painting, music), and they have unbridled power either through lineage or own abilities.
Before we dive in today’s artefact, a bit of History.
If we are to believe the current state of events in our reality as the Truth, William Shakespeare was born in England, at the small town of Stratford-upon Avon, during the early days of the Elizabethan Era. This was a period known by the rising of the arts, in contrast to the country left by Bloody Mary, and the growth of the scenic arts was evident. The author began his career as one of many playwriters who plagued London, but managed to tower among others as the preferred creator of Queen Elizabeth.
The “First Folio” is the compilation of the unedited 36 plays created by him and published in 1623. Though many copies of this, known originally as “Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies”, exist today, the original manuscript containing the notes of the author, is considered “lost to the times”. Since his death was on the same year of its publication, we can assume he was working on a second version of it, due to the annotations on the margins. The Folio, as we are going to call it from hereinafter, was imbedded with the purest form of his genius and creativity.
The Folio changes reality in one specific way. It brings the things associated with it to life. Which follows is a list of the reported moments in History when the artefact was activated, and how it ended in the vault inside Archive City.
In 1666, during the revival of Elizabethan theatre, a representation of the play “As you like it” caused the Globe Theatre to appear back where once stood. In any other circumstances, this would’ve caused a rift between the English Board of Educators (the group created after the disbanding of the London Coven) and the English Crown. These, however, were the times when Daedalus Athenida was the link between them, which eased the tensions, and, with the evidence erased after the Great Fire of London, rewriting the records was an easy task to do.
During the preservations of the pages dedicated to the Scottish Play in the British Archives, 1709, Lord and Lady Macbeth were involved in a plot to assassinate HRM Queen Anne. The plot was thwarted by a contingent of witches working inside palace, and rightfully before the Act of Seclusion came to existence the following year, With the Act, no magical people were allowed to work inside government or Crown buildings unless they were also working for the Council.
1877. Caliban and Prince Prospero from “The Tempest” disappeared from the pages and, by extension, of every single copy of it. In the year that followed they were rewritten inside the story, but no one has the faintest idea of the whereabouts of the originals.
The last known episode to date, and the one which had evident repercussions in modern history was when a portrayal of “The Taming of the Shrew” ended with Katherina Minola escaping. Her ideas about freedom and independence were shared by Emmeline Pankhurst and began the Suffragist Movement in England. The demand for allowing vote to women in the United Kingdom marked the peak of the beginning of the 20th century.
Even with these four evident incidents, all related obviously with the First Folio, the artefact didn’t reach our hands until 2004, and this was due to the help of [REDACTED].
Ariel Bonheur, Chief Archivist.
Note from the Overseer
Ariel,
I remind you to subject the reports to the updated version of the manual. Avoid referring to [REDACTED] in other reports. Thank you.
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