Permanent Exhibit

In the latter half of the 19th century a distinct increase of individuals afflicted by ancient curses was documented, likely due in part to significantly more interest in the burgeoning field of magical Archaeology. For those unlucky enough to have been affected by the more draconian of curses, especially those who have essentially lost all agency as a result, a special commission with the intent of deciding how to handle them was formed around the turn of the century.

It was ultimately decided that these individuals should be acquired, cataloged, assessed, and displayed in a central museum in the Capitol, to ensure that the curses upon these individuals could not be spread, and to ensure their proper caretaking given their new legal status much closer to that of an object than a person.

This specimen—given the title “Messier” as the closest connection that could be verified was the private collection of a prominent Astronomer—was once a griffon that was affected by a curse of immortality; The exact circumstances and provenance are unknown, perhaps a careless wish was made or the specimen entered a forbidden location, but the caveat is clear— They are immortal, but, perpetually trapped within unbreakable seamless gold perfectly fitted atop inert resin soaked bandages that have petrified almost into a sort of amber.

No attempt to free this specimen has ever been successful, and the most recent attempt by State Sorcerors resulted in no fewer than three being afflicted by similarly onerous curses. As such, the specimen was brought to the Museum’s collection and formally catalogued in 1993 for inclusion in our permanent collection, for the safety of the specimen and for the public.

Let this exhibit serve as a warning to all that wish to meddle in the darker arts or unsupervised magical Archaeology;

This COULD happen to YOU.

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Backlog art for Messier, who wanted to be included in a museum of sorts with unbreakable bondage~ <3