Foreword:
The following is an excerpt from my journal, one a great deal more interesting
than my daily writings. It is an account of an intriguing discovery I made in
regards to a particular Lucidian art, which uses the medium of mosaic as its
basis. I claim no theory, but simply put forth my detailed observations in the
hopes that some light may be shed upon the nature of such a brilliant and, as I
now realize more than ever, many-faceted race.

...................

10th of Dvarsh, 178:

In order to escape this reprehensible summer heat, I've taken to searching for
indoor subjects for my sketches. I have spent a great amount of time in the
Arthar'rt Observatory, as the Lucidians intrigue me, and I have long hoped to
learn to capture their crystal forms in paint with some mastery. Indeed, the
light their forms reflect is almost incomprehensible at times, but I have
completed many studies of them at different times of the day and night, and
have decided that my painting must take place between the hours of eleven at
night and one in the morning. Their glassy forms are most favourable when
reflected with the moon and stars, if only my palette can hold as many colours
as I see in them during the night. Many of the astrologers remain still for
hours at a time, examining the constellations through the Observatory's glass
domes. The perfect opportunity to capture them.

...................

16th of Dvarsh, 178:

I began my painting days ago, but have been miserably distracted since. My
brush has been dry for nearly four days.

On my way up to the top of the Observatory, which is where the astrologers tend
to study deep in the night, I took note of a frame hung upon the wall. It was in
a broad-windowed hall, and as the moon was still rather low, its light glinted
beautifully from the shards of glass set within the frame. I drew closer to
examine it, and realized it was a sort of mosaic design, made of glass shards
and other pieces of stone that I could not identify. It stunned me to see
something so close to a work of art in the realm of the scientific Lucidians,
and I spent a great time that evening contemplating it.

Since this incident, I have been completely unable to concentrate on my
painting, and have therefore decided to devote myself to trying to find if any
other of these mosaic pieces exist in the Observatory.

...................

20th of Dvarsh, 178:

There are more. They are stunning, and absolutely exquisite. The mosaics are
studies of the constellations made with shards of glass, crystal, and other
stones and gems, some very rare within the Basin. The surfaces of the mosaics
appear smooth, but touching them reveals that they are jagged and irregular.
But there is no mistake there; there is no irregularity in them, for the shards
are fashioned in the perfect manner as to reflect light at the most precise
angles.

We do know that Lucidians are logical beings not prone to any sentimental or
emotional whims, so why would they create art? Certainly, most of the
Observatory is cold and purposeful in design, lacking in any sort of
decoration. This, however, is not about expression or abstraction. After all,
we have heard the tales of Hallifax and all its brilliant designs, of the grand
architecture that bridged on phenomenon. The Lucidians are not artists, but
engineers, and it is the same in the case of these mosaics.

The designs obviously have some sort of exact pattern to them, and it is my
belief that they are meant as a unique and quite accurate way to record
celestial bodies and subjects of interest recorded in the heavens they so aptly
study. There is much in them to contemplate, still... more later. I am drawn
away.

...................

21st of Dvarsh, 178:

Pieces of the mosaics that I have been able to identify:

Crystal - Used very sparingly. It is too brilliant and would detract from the
entirety of the piece if too much of it were used.

Glass - The main component. The shards of glass are always used to represent
the stars, as glass reflects light the best, and the stars are the main subject
of these pieces.

Obsidian, onyx, moonstone - These make up the largest areas of the mosaics, as
they are used to represent the night sky that is the background to the glass
constellations. They vary greatly in size and hue, depending upon the effect
that is meant to take place.

I need to get closer, somehow, to examine the rest of the shards to be sure.
There are many I cannot identify while they are next to the others. The mosaics
are so effective as a whole that their light reflection distracts my eye from
the close sort of observation I prefer.

...................

23rd of Dvarsh, 178:

I have spoken to Rak'ia Arthar'rt in the hopes that she will tell me more of
the mosaics and their purpose, but she so despises Viscanti that she refuses to
speak with me. I asked her if I could at least observe a mosaic being assembled,
but alas, she is really a dreadful woman. But I will not be dissuaded; my
curiosities cannot be quenched with continuing to examine these masterpieces
from afar. Thus, I have resolved to steal one, in order to study it on my own
in any way I please.

...................

4th of Tzarin, 178:

And so I finally have it before me: the mosaic of my choosing. My manse library
has proven to be quite the ideal place for the work I will pursue, once I
cleared my tools and scrolls from the cartography table. It is the perfect
size, indeed. As I write at the desk, it beckons to me; the late evening
shadows darken the wells made by the shards, and the images of the summer stars
from my northern windows dapple and mirror the glass stars of the mosaic.

Able to study it more closely now, without the distraction of the astrologers'
presences in the halls about me, I am more excited than content. The geometric
patterns are precise, formed with the various shards of glass, crystal, and
other precious stones and gems found across the Basin in order to create the
desired effect and colour. Though certainly a form of expression, it is not
abstract, but mathematical and exact.

I admit there is an element of fear in what I am about to do. I plan to take
apart the mosaic, for it is the only way I can come to completely understand
it. If Rak'ia will not explain the meaning of the mosaics or let me observe how
they are created, then the only way I can find out is to take one apart and to,
perhaps, attempt its recreation.

...................

6th of Tzarin, 178:

After disassembling part of the mosaic in my study, I have found that each gem,
stone, and shard has been sharpened to a triangular point on its back side in
order to be pressed into a sort of clay canvas. The frame is, by extension, a
tray-like apparatus which holds a thick layer of firmly-packed dark clay into
which the shards had been pressed. In examining the dimples left in the clay
after the shards had been removed, I observed the phenomenal precision of the
pattern in which the shards had been pressed. Further measurement of various
relationships amongst the impressions was remarkable even to a mind as
unconcerned with mathetmatics as my own. Paired with the observations I made of
the mosaic when pieced together, it is clearly an expression of logic and order
like none other. The reality of a Lucidian constructing such a work of art
becomes clear.

Furthermore, I have been able now to identify more stones. Amethyst, ruby, and
garnets are used, mostly in deep hues. These, like the crystal, are also used
very sparingly, only to bring a hint of colour here and there in order to bring
focus to the piece as a whole. Alone, these gems are very dull, but their
presence in the mosaic is necessary and quite mystifying in its stunning
effect.

There are also strange pieces of glass that are pigmented rather than
completely clear. They are translucent, but carry a black hue, and are used in
combination with the other precious gems in order to create the background of
the night sky. Indeed, the prospect of such a large amount of obsidian and onyx
seemed incredibly daunting... this glass, however it is made, must be a great
deal more inexpensive.

And yet some of the glass is simply iridescent, and varies in colour at
different angles, depending from where one views it. I've noted that this glass
is not entirely transparent, either; rather, it seems to be painted with a layer
of silver or gold that gives it this iridescent effect. The layer is thin, like
gossamer, and cannot be seen without a keen eye, but the effect is undeniable.

...................

8th of Tzarin, 178:

I have been working on assembling the mosaic back together. It is meticulous
work, as I expected, but enlightening nonetheless. Even though it is tiring and
hard on the eyes, I am completely caught up. No doubt it will take me many more
days.

...................

14th of Tzarin, 178:

I returned the mosaic to its place in the Observatory, assembled with precise
detail, exactly the way it was before I'd taken it, all but for one piece. This
piece, a tiny glass shard of the black hue I'd written about, I took to Etil'ck
in the Observatory laboratory.

I schemed a little lie about how I had found it loose in one of the mosaics and
was curious about its strange tint. He believed me, the fool! But anyway, all
went according to my wishes. He told me that when the mosaics are being
prepared, the chemists colour a great deal of glass shards by introducing
certain minerals and purified metal salts to create various pigments, black
being the most common. Apparently, other colours are possible, but the result
is not foolproof. They are experimenting with adding different metallic
compounds in order to perfect other colours.

This all leaves my curiosity quite satiated, at least for now. Perhaps now I
will be successful with a little application of my paintbrush... after all, I
have been neglecting it so terribly.