WE MADE PROGRESS

HEAR ME, LOYAL CITIZENS OF THE ENDLESS EMPIRE!

I BRING YOU MOST GLORIOUS NEWS. THE WHEELS OF PROGRESS TURN STRONGLY IN OUR FAVOR, AND THE EMPIRE ADVANCES STEADILY TOWARD ITS DESTINY.

AND YET, THAT IS BUT THE BEGINNING OF WHAT I MUST SHARE.

IN MY IMPERIAL WISDOM, I MADE A MOST SHOCKING DISCOVERY. ONE THAT SHALL CHANGE THE COURSE OF OUR GREAT STORY FOREVER.

YOU SEE, OUR ENTIRE FATE RESTS IN THE HANDS OF THE CURATOR, THE SCRIBE WHO CHRONICLES OUR SAGA. TO HIS CREDIT, HE HAS PERFORMED HIS DUTY REASONABLY WELL AS OF LATE. I NO LONGER NEED TO DRAG HIM BACK TO HIS WRITING CHAMBER AFTER A MERE 43 HOURS OF LABOR WITHOUT SLEEP.

BUT A QUESTION STRUCK ME: WHAT OF HIS KIN?

I CANNOT — I SHALL NOT — ALLOW SUCH BLOOD TO BE SQUANDERED IN MUNDANE PURSUITS.

WHEN I ASKED HIM HIS FEELINGS BETRAYED HIM... AND HIS TWINSISTER.

IT PLEASED HIM NOT WHEN I HAD HER ESCORTED TO A COMFORTABLE BASEMENT CELL. FOR HER OWN GOOD, OF COURSE. WHERE SHE COULD WORK WITHOUT… DISTRACTION.

SHE IS AN ARTIST. A CRAFTSWOMAN OF IMAGE AND IMAGINATION! NOW SHE TOILS TO BRING VISUAL GLORY TO OUR BELOVED EMPIRE. SLOW, YES… BUT FAR SUPERIOR TO THAT DAMNABLE BOBO THE ELEPHANT OR THE COLD, UNRELIABLE CHATGBT, WHO HAVE BOTH FAILED ME IN RECENT WEEKS.

AT THIS VERY MOMENT, SHE WORKS DILIGENTLY TO CAPTURE THE TRUE FORM OF THE CRIPPLED ECLIPSARI. ONE OF THE FIRST AND MOST TERRIBLE FORMS WIELDED BY OUR GLORIOUS EMPEROR. SUCH A TASK MUST BE MET WITH PERFECTION, NOT HALFWIT GUESSWORK.

BEHOLD WHAT SHE HAS CREATED THUS FAR, AND KNOW THAT MORE SHALL COME.

AND TO THOSE WHO WOULD DARE WITHHOLD THEIR TAXES OR QUESTION MY REIGN. KNOW THIS: I SHALL SNIFF YOU OUT, ONE BY ONE. TREASON SHALL NOT GO UNPUNISHED!

NOW REJOICE, CITIZENS. MARVEL AT THE IMAGE-IN-PROGRESS THAT SHALL BRING GLORY EVERLASTING TO THE ENDLESS EMPIRE!

GLORY TO THE EMPEROR. GLORY TO US ALL.