I am the Crystalline Eminence. I am master of the Crystal, in this Castle!
Crystalline Eminence
The Crystalline Eminence was a male Gelfling who led rituals worshiping the Crystal during the Age of Power. He was the spiritual leader of the Gelfling Nation and one of the Stewards of the Crystal alongside the Lord Commander.
History[]
Early career[]
Born with withered legs, the Crystalline Eminence kept his handicap a secret and publicly presented himself sat atop the shoulders of a Podling servant concealed beneath his robes.[1] Shortly after Jen and Kira entrusted the Crystal to him and went into a deep sleep, the Eminence sought to enrich himself by decreeing that the only way to prevent the Skeksis from returning was to give offerings to the Crystal. This caused the impoverishment of many villages, and the accumulated riches blocked the Crystal from shining its light on Thra, causing an outbreak of the Blight. The acolyte Kensho was forced to enter the Eminence's service, as his family had no offerings to give in exchange for the Crystal's healing powers.[2]
Downfall[]
When the Fireling Thurma arrived, he denounced her as as a heretic when she asked for a shard of the Crystal to heal her homeland's dying Mother Sun. He was further incensed when Thurma dreamfasted with Kensho, declaring the dreamfast to be a sacred bond between Gelfling alone. Jen and Kira, now awake, demanded to know what was happening in their kingdom, prompting the Eminence to show them an illusory vision of a bright and bounteous countryside. When his version of events was contradicted by Kensho, the Eminence vowed to have him disciplined.[2]
The Crystalline Eminence after being drained by skekUng
The Eminence and the Lord Commander later found Thurma and Kensho in skekTek's former laboratory examining Skeksis relics. In the ensuing argument, the Eminence accused Kensho of heresy for questioning the necessity to give offerings to the Crystal. Angered by this, Thurma made her way to the Crystal Chamber and shattered the Crystal, causing a second Great Division and the reappearance of the urRu and the Skeksis.[2]
The Eminence was immediately deprived of his scepter by skekZok,[3] and later, after the Skeksis were incarcerated, urged Jen to keep the Scepter of Office in order to maintain his control of the Garthim.[4] Following Jen's departure from the Castle to search for the shard stolen by Thurma and Kensho, the Eminence observed the Skeksis in their cell, declaring himself the master of the Crystal. SkekUng challenged him to look upon the Crystal when the suns were high, stating that it was necessary if he wanted real strength and to understand the true power of the world. Tiring of his master's increasing instability, the Eminence's Podling servant abandoned him, leaving him to gaze into the Crystal and become entranced.[1] Driven insane by the light, the Eminence proceeded to free the Skeksis.[5]
As the Skeksis attempted to break through the barricade that was preventing them from entering the upper levels of the Castle, skekUng demanded to know if there were any secret tunnels, but the Eminence merely babbled about the Crystal's light, causing skekUng to have him imprisoned.[6] The Garthim-Master later drained and drank the Eminence's essence in order to gain the strength necessary to breach the fortifications.[7]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Spurrier, S. & Kennedy Johnson, P., The Power of the Dark Crystal #6, Archaia, USA, August 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Spurrier, S., The Power of the Dark Crystal #2, Archaia, USA, February 2017
- ↑ Spurrier, S., The Power of the Dark Crystal #3, Archaia, USA, May 2017
- ↑ Spurrier, S., The Power of the Dark Crystal #4, Archaia, USA, June 2017
- ↑ Spurrier, S. & Kennedy Johnson, P., The Power of the Dark Crystal #7, Archaia, USA, September 2017
- ↑ Spurrier, S. & Kennedy Johnson, P., The Power of the Dark Crystal #10, Archaia, USA, January 2018
- ↑ Spurrier, S. & Kennedy Johnson, P., The Power of the Dark Crystal #11, Archaia, USA, February 2018