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[archeologue]

Grave sites are splendid repository of priceless artifacts. The golden mask of Agamemnon from Schliemann's excavation of the royal shaft graves at Mycenae. King Tutankhamun's glorious, some say cursed, tomb. Beautiful Etruscan jewelry from the tomb of Tarquinia.

[His eyes gleam with excitement as he talks about the treasures.]

I wonder why there are no graves on this planet. It is a universal truth of archaeology that where there are settlements, there are graves. It may be internments, ashes and bone fragments of cremation, wall burials, sky burials, but all peoples must deal with their dead. And yet for all the ruins here...nothing.

[He's convinced that there must be burials somewhere. But it would suit his purposes just fine if he discovered a burial site (and the grave goods within) with no one else in a position to know or suspect.]

My apologies, where are my manners. I am Dr. Belloq, archeologist from Earth, year of our Lord 1936. These communicators, remarkable devices. It's very strange to think that to some here, I am a part of ancient history.

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[lindir]

[It takes Lindir a moment to sort out what the man on the device was saying regarding grave sites and tombs, so he hesitates before speaking.]

...Do you mean to say you wish to find these artifacts within the graves of others? Why would you disturb them?

[It's obvious he finds this distasteful. Then after a moment he also remembers his manners.]

Well met, Doctor Belloq. I am Lindir of Imladris.

[tawarwaith]

If their graves are not easily found, then perhaps it is because they do not wish for them to be dug up. Besides, how do you know either way if there are graves or not?

[most_feared]

I'm more bothered that there are no bodies. Even if they destroyed their dead, there should have been some remains towards the end, especially the way these caves work.

That's supposedly the biggest mystery, where they all went to. But that is pretty strange, there being no graves for there even to be bodies taken out of.

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[archeologue]

Bonjour, Lindir of Imladris.

[He notices Lindir's dislike of graverobbing excavation of burial sites, so he gives only one of the two honest answers he has to that question.]

The artifacts are tangible pieces of history. When you touch an object that a man who is now only ashes and dust once cherished three thousands years ago, it's like for a brief moment you can hear him whispering to you. [Metaphorically. But Belloq has a penchant for the dramatic.] To see and touch and examine the things ancient peoples left behind is the closest we can come to communicating with the dead.

[Also, they're worth a great deal of money to the right buyers, but since smuggling artifacts is illegal here, Belloq doesn't advertise that.]

[archeologue]

It's possible that the graves are simply difficult to find. The tombs of wealthy kings are often hidden deep underground and guarded by many traps. And much of this planet is yet unexplored. Still, a population produces a great many dead over the course of its history. Excavations have been going on for a few years now, and to find not even a simple pauper's grave or a mass burial of war dead in that time is strange.

[archeologue]

Indeed, and a worthy point. Something ended this civilization. If they were destroyed by war or disease, there would be bodies heaped in the streets. If they fled their great cities, where did they go and why?

[most_feared]

Yeah, I was wonderin' about that. They seemed to have left a lotta stuff, though, and there was no evidence of space travel. The spawners were pretty advanced, had some good medical knowledge apparently, but their weapons were pretty primitive and they relied on animals for transport.

[Hence the weird looking horses.]

[lindir]

[He seems a bit confused, both at the greeting and the explanation.]

Can you not simply ask your elders? There is no need to...

[Wait.]

Forgive me, for a moment I had forgotten that mortals are not so long lived.

[archeologue]

I confess, I myself don't understand the spawners yet. [He's read the pamphlet, but he still doesn't get how they can possibly do what they are said to do.]

But the depictions of bows and arrows, those weapons have been on Earth for at least ten thousand years. It makes me wonder if it was even all developed by one culture, or if a native primitive culture adopted some of this truly remarkably advanced technology from another culture with whom they had contact.

[archeologue]

Mortals? Are you saying that you aren't mortal?

[That gets Belloq's intense attention. If this man has the secret to immortality like perhaps the Holy Grail in his keeping, Belloq would very much like to acquire it if he can.]

[lindir]

Of course I am not. I am one of the Eldar, or Elf-kind as your people might say.

[Wasn't it obvious?]

[most_feared]

I don't figure a lotta people do here, even from the time period. All they know is that it makes shit.

Depends on whether they had cause to be violent towards each other except for hunting, I think. There's not a lot of traces of war damage, either. Maybe they had population control other than killing each other off, which would be a miracle as far as sentient species go.

[tawarwaith]

Perhaps they were a long lived race and therefore did not die often until calamity struck. Thus far remains have been found where there is no sign of a grave.

[archeologue]

One of the Fair Folk? I thought they were only legends. [But Belloq has seen strange things as an archaeologist, and has chased legends before. He doesn't disbelieve Lindir, but he's still astonished. And looking at Lindir more carefully now, noting the fair features, the pointed ears, Belloq supposes that if asked to imagine what one of the feerie folk would look like, Lindir is a pretty close representation.]

Tell me, are the legends of hidden kingdoms and fairy treasure real as well?

[archeologue]

I find it difficult to believe that they waged no war at all. I know of some peoples more peaceful than others, but I know of no culture that never fights. [Of course, Belloq's only experience with sentient species is humans.]

[lindir]

We are also called such, though we are not legend at all.

["Fair folk" was not a new term, but "fairy" was. He could only assume it was an abbreviation of sorts. He looks thoughtful at the other question, wondering what he was referring to.]

You may be thinking of the hidden city of Gondolin, which fell long ago in the First Age. In these times, where we live is not strictly secret, though there we may hide themselves well, and some, like the Silvan folk of Lórien or the Woodland Realm do not permit strangers on their land. My Lord Elrond is more permissive of guests.

Of the treasure, the Silmarils were either destroyed or placed far beyond our reach. If you wish to call the events of those days 'legend', I cannot fault you. That is what they may seem to mortals whose lives are so brief, but I assure you they were and are real. Our people remember them.

[archeologue]

You have found remains? Can you show me where?

[tawarwaith]

I did not personally, but a skeleton was discovered while we were out investigating the area because of some interesting tracks that were found, and for the explosions that caused some problems not so very long ago.

As for showing you the location, I can, but I will tell you now it was no place special as far as I could see.

[most_feared]

I know a few species that don't have teeth or appendages that are pretty peaceful. I guess not against insects but I don't like bugs too well, anyway. No interspecies fighting, though.

[archeologue]

I would very much like to see it anyway. Perhaps there is something hidden there.

[archeologue]

A species without appendages? How do they make tools? Form a society? [The brochure explained that there were aliens, but he assumed Moon Men or otherwise basically human-looking people.]

[archeologue]

I have never heard of Lord Elrond, and the elven realms are hidden sufficiently well that, if they exist, they're considered merely folktales across Europe.

But tell me more of these Silmaril. [Treasure.] You say they passed beyond your reach. What do you mean by that?

[most_feared]

Not everybody needs traditional technology to build a civilization. Sometimes they evolve their own ways.

That and they got some of the best tongues in the universe.

[archeologue]

Better than the Italians? Impressive.

[most_feared]

Everybody's gotta have their claim to fame.