Zeroth Directive

Archive II

Operator Philae hails from the deserts of Sargon, where she once worked day and night guarding a temple dedicated to the 'River of Life'. At first, we assumed the River of Life was merely a symbol, representing the longing for a source of vitality in a parched land. However, through Philae's patient retellings, we came to understand that the broad, elegant river winding through the yellow sands is no mere legend—it truly exists. Flowing ceaselessly from the mountains of Sargon, the river never falters, nourishing a long stretch of oasis across the flat wilderness. The people hope the river will flow eternally, and the temple priests give life to those hopes, receiving the river's blessings and praying for abundance and prosperity. The priests also perform funerary rites, ferrying the departed souls to their eternal rest. When we inquired further about the temple's daily operations, Philae surprised us by saying she didn't know much about them. Soon after, we learned a shocking truth: she has never set foot inside the temple. As it turns out, Philae was separated from her people as a child. She wandered alone through the endless sands, and just as her senses were blurring from thirst, the head priest of the temple found her. '...When the head priest brought me back to the settlement, I was dazed and utterly exhausted,' Philae recalled. 'They gave me water to drink—water from the River of Life. I drank deeply, feeling my heart beat with a strength I'd never known before... That's when I realized I had been saved.' Yet, perhaps it was this near-death struggle that awakened her fearsome magical talent—cubs she held in her arms would grow unnaturally weak, struggling to stand for days. The fruit she picked with her own hands would rot faster than usual. Most unsettling of all, even bowls of water she accidentally touched would rapidly evaporate. The priests believed that welcoming a Sarkaz, let alone one who brought with her decay and drought, went against their faith in the sanctity of life. But the head priest stood firm against their opposition and took her in, giving her the name 'Philae'—a term from ancient scriptures meaning 'an oasis that never withers.' From then on, she kept her Sarkaz name to herself. Under the head priest's tutelage, she learned everything there was to know about the 'faith of life', spending her days reading, writing, and training in martial arts. Philae told us candidly that the priests strictly forbade her from entering the temple, and that she never once stepped inside, not even after she left the settlement to begin her journey. When we asked why, despite this, she was still willing to protect them, her answer was simple yet unwavering: 'Because the temple houses the river, and the river nourishes the oasis—it brings all life.'

Archive III

The operators at the Sargon branch once recounted their first encounter with Philae. At the time, a team of field operators on a mission in the grasslands was caught in an unusually heavy downpour. They awoke from a damp, restless sleep to find that their riverside camp had turned into an isolated island amidst the surging waters. As the river threatened to flood their tents, the operators had no choice but to abandon all their essential supplies and embark on a risky swim back to the riverbank. Suddenly, a faint light cut through the storm and darkness. '...At first, we saw a weak light in the distance, so we ventured to called out for help. To our surprise, the light moved toward us.' 'The river was raging, but it was as if the waves themselves were afraid of the small boat, parting to either side as it approached. When it stopped, I saw a woman cloaked in white, impossibly light and graceful, standing beside a coffin lid emitting an eerie glow.' 'At that moment, I thought, 'It's over. The messenger of death has come to take us away.'' But they didn't die. Instead, the operators and their supplies were safely brought to the riverbank. As they watched the woman silently sail away, they had a profound realization. If this truly was a miraculous encounter, that woman, the one who saved them, couldn't have been a messenger of death—she was in fact a kind, magnanimous, and compassionate river goddess. [Weapon Evaluation] Yes, everyone's first reaction upon seeing Philae's shield—crafted from a coffin lid—is always the same: 'Does that thing actually work?' We conducted strength tests on it, and without a doubt, it meets most of the basic combat requirements for a shield. In fact, its durability exceeds that of some common metal shields. Philae explained that in her former home, people used only the most robust stone materials and the most intricate techniques to craft coffins. This was to ensure they could protect the deceased from the bone-chilling river waters during their eternal rest on the riverbed. Or, on the day the river dried up, shield them from the blazing sun and harsh winds. The massive yellow-green gemstone embedded at the top of the shield functions like a standard casting unit, though we're still unsure how it enhances Philae's Arts so significantly. What's clear, however, is that its presence makes her self-restraint all the more challenging. [Voice Log] 'Wait—if Philae left right after rescuing you, how did she end up joining Rhodes Island?' 'That's a long story...' 'To keep it brief, we ran into her a few more times—no one could forget that coffin-lid shield of hers. When we finally spoke, we realized she wasn't some kind of deity, just a devout practitioner on a spiritual journey.' 'Later, during disaster relief efforts, we worked together to resettle those survivors. The collaboration went smoothly, and things progressed naturally from there...' 'It seemed like fate to cross paths with her so many times. Rhodes Island and Philae really are connected.' 'Yeah, we thought the same thing, though she seemed to have foreseen that our paths would cross again—' ''Since we all work hard for the denizens of this land, we are destined to converge.' That's how she put it at the time.'

Archive IV

May you break free from all thorns and bindings, even those that are innate. May you rise to the surface when shrouded in darkness, and see the light once more. May you chase away weariness, may you banish fatigue, and may you, from beginning to end, hold firmly onto your right to live. —Excerpt from the ancient Sargon scripture 'The Bitter Journey of the Spirit River' Who would have thought something like this could happen in the desert? The river floods every few years, enriching the soil, and people regard it as a blessing from the river god. But a flood of this magnitude... well, there hasn't been any record of such an event in nearly two centuries. Naturally, the settlements in the middle and lower reaches of the oasis bore the brunt of it. That river is central to the faith of the locals. You've heard of the temple, right? Yes, the one with the particularly fervent worshipers—it was destroyed by the flood. How ironic! Look, I'm not being heartless or callous. It's definitely tragic. Thankfully, there weren't many casualties. They say the temple's guard noticed something off about the water flow and led the priests and villagers to higher ground in time. Oh, and that guard? A Sarkaz they kindly took in years ago… I suppose their years of piety and devotion finally paid off. —Street chatter in a Sargonian city We are very grateful that Philae was willing to share her experiences with us. Hopefully the temple will be restored soon. I believe many of you are already familiar with Philae—her humility, her curiosity, and her enthusiasm for embracing new experiences. I'm sure plenty of you still remember the time she asked Myrtle for tips on war games. She's also an excellent partner. If you ever need a sparring buddy, she'll gladly join you at the training ground for a match. Even if you're as strong as Gavial, her shield is more than enough to make it a challenge. I've even heard some operators go to her to drive away 'bad luck'… I don't know if she can truly change your luck, but I can say she knows how to face adversity with determination. She is undoubtedly an inspiring role model. —Remarks from an organizer at a small sharing session on Rhodes Island

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