The Lost Friends
Overview
Section titled “Overview”Before the Necrosynth Wars, an alien species was actively integrated into human civilization. They were partners, advisors, friends — woven into the fabric of society.
Then they disappeared.
Humanity has mourned them for a thousand years.
They’re not dead. They’re waiting.
Who They Were
Section titled “Who They Were”The Original Name
Section titled “The Original Name”Their original name is TBD — they now call themselves The Watchers, but that came after their withdrawal.
Their Role in Civilization
Section titled “Their Role in Civilization”| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Partners | Worked alongside humans in all endeavors |
| Advisors | Helped shape galactic society |
| Co-builders | Their technology merged with human development |
| Friends | Not distant allies — family |
Their Presence
Section titled “Their Presence”They were everywhere:
- On human worlds, in human institutions
- Part of daily life for billions
- Children grew up knowing them
- Workers collaborated with them
- Philosophers debated with them
Their Connection to Source
Section titled “Their Connection to Source”| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Deeper tie | More connected to Source than humans |
| Not preachy | Never superior; simply different |
| Perspective | Understood death/transition more completely |
| Presence | Their nearness felt calming, grounding |
What Happened
Section titled “What Happened”The Official Story
Section titled “The Official Story”“They were wiped out by the Necrosynths during the first war. We couldn’t save them. Their extinction is our great shame. Only their artifacts remain.”
What Actually Happened
Section titled “What Actually Happened”| Official | Truth |
|---|---|
| ”Wiped out by Necrosynths” | They retreated to deep space |
| ”We couldn’t save them” | They chose to withdraw |
| ”Their extinction is our shame” | They are waiting |
| ”Only artifacts remain” | They are watching |
Why They Left
Section titled “Why They Left”The Necrosynth Wars revealed something about humanity:
- The capacity for the Architect’s heresy
- The willingness to trap souls
- The seductive pull of immortality
- The shadow inside even the faithful
They did not abandon humanity out of disgust. They withdrew because:
- Their presence made them targets (Necrosynths wanted their Source connection)
- They needed to protect the weapon
- Humanity needed to face its shadow without a crutch
- The pact required distance — they could not help until called properly
They have been watching ever since.
The Great Wounding
Section titled “The Great Wounding”Their disappearance left a hole in civilization that never healed:
| Expression | Description |
|---|---|
| Treasured artifacts | Studied, mourned over, preserved |
| Taught to children | Their history as tragedy |
| Names spoken with grief | Memorials on every major world |
| ”May they find Source” | Said with particular weight for them |
| Philosophical movements | Emerged from processing the loss |
A thousand years of mourning for friends who aren’t dead.
The Songs
Section titled “The Songs”We still sing their songs.
| Context | Their Music |
|---|---|
| Funerals | ”May the fallen find Source” sung in their melodies |
| Weddings | Love songs they composed still performed |
| Ship blessings | Crews sing their hymns before departing |
| Children’s lullabies | Parents sing melodies a thousand years old |
| Order ceremonies | Certain rituals incorporate their chants |
| Memorials | Their songs sung on remembrance days |
Most humans don’t know the original words anymore. Lyrics translated, adapted, evolved. But the melodies remain — hauntingly beautiful, carrying grief in every note.
See: The Songs
When the Armada Arrives
Section titled “When the Armada Arrives”Imagine the Watchers hearing their own songs rising from human throats across a thousand worlds.
Songs they thought humanity might have forgotten.
Melodies they composed for friends they haven’t seen in a millennium.
They withdrew. They watched. They waited.
And humanity never stopped singing.
The Artifacts
Section titled “The Artifacts”What remains of them in human space:
| Type | Status | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Preserved as monuments | Beautiful, impossible structures |
| Technology | Studied, partially understood | More advanced in specific ways |
| Art | Museums, temples, collections | Hauntingly beautiful; evokes grief |
| Texts | Archives, partially translated | Hints at deeper truths |
| Objects | Personal effects, tools | Treated as relics |
Dormant Artifacts
Section titled “Dormant Artifacts”Some artifacts respond to conditions that haven’t been met yet.
- Devices that haven’t activated in a thousand years
- Texts that remain untranslatable
- Locked containers that no one can open
They were designed for the return.
What They’ve Been Doing
Section titled “What They’ve Been Doing”For a thousand years, the Watchers have:
| Activity | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Observing | Monitoring humanity’s development |
| Preparing | Maintaining the weapon; ready for the call |
| Waiting | For the pact conditions to be fulfilled |
| Protecting | Ensuring Necrosynths don’t find them |
| Grieving | They miss humanity too |
They Have Not Forgotten
Section titled “They Have Not Forgotten”They remember:
- The friendships
- The collaborations
- The shared meals and debates and celebrations
They have been waiting a thousand years to come home.
But they cannot come home until humanity calls them properly.
Deep Space Presence
Section titled “Deep Space Presence”| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Hidden worlds | Designed to be unfindable |
| Masking technology | Their presence invisible |
| Patience | Quiet. Watching. |
They Know
Section titled “They Know”They know about the Architect’s return:
- They have seen the Fringe genocides
- They have observed the Deep Space host
- They know the three-front war is underway
And they are waiting for the signal.
See: The Ancient Pact
Story Integration
Section titled “Story Integration”Book 1: The Deadman’s Call
Section titled “Book 1: The Deadman’s Call”- The [Original Name] mentioned as beloved dead
- Their artifacts appear (mourned over, studied)
- Their songs sung (at funerals, weddings, lullabies)
- The great wound referenced
- No hint yet that they survive
Book 2: The Herald’s Cry
Section titled “Book 2: The Herald’s Cry”- The Beacon Scene reveals they exist
- The Emissary makes contact
- Luden learns the truth
- The pact is understood
- The sequence discovered
Book 3: The Watcher’s Song
Section titled “Book 3: The Watcher’s Song”- The sequence fulfilled
- The signal sent
- The Armada arrives
- The reunion — humanity and Watchers, together again
Questions to Resolve
Section titled “Questions to Resolve”- What were they called before becoming Watchers?
- What do they look like?
- What was their specific role in pre-war civilization?
- What artifacts remain and what do they do?
- Which of their songs survived?