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Heya, Ignatz. How goes the research?
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I've actually learned a fair number of things about your painting.
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Based on the canvas and pigments, I've managed to narrow down the era when it was made.
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I believe it to be from roughly 200 years ago, around the time the Officers Academy was founded at the monastery.
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Wow, I'm impressed you can nail it down that specifically. I knew you'd come through for me!
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Well, the vivid blue pigment of her clothes is very distinctive.
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It's a rare kind of Almyran paint made from crushed gemstones.
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And it only came to Fódlan two centuries ago, after Almyra invaded.
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Which means the painting can't be any older than that, yeah?
link Ignatz volume_up
Exactly! Oh, and the material used for the canvas is... Well, if I went into every detail we'd be here all day.
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What about you, Sylvain? Did you learn anything? I heard you were trying to track down some books in the capital.
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Yeah, I read up on the saints. Turns out birds are definitely one of Saint Macuil's things.
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But I also found a weird story about an archbishop from two centuries ago.
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I'm guessing her reign got cut short due to illness, because I didn't recognize the name at all.
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Anyway, on the day she died, white birds apparently flocked to the monastery and starting mourning.
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If that took place two centuries ago, she might be the person in this painting!
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Yeah, it all seems too connected to be a coincidence.
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Still, her clothes seem rather plain for an archbishop of the time.
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Yeah, I wonder why. They were usually into fancy robes and big hats and all that.
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Maybe it's more of a symbolic representation than an actual portrait.
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It could be designed to show how she was humble and supportive of the poor and downtrodden.
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Or perhaps she just wanted to be represented without all the trappings of her office.
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Of course, I'm just guessing here. I have no actual proof of anything.
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Hey, I'm spitballing too. I mean, I don't even know for sure that she was an archbishop.
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Still, is it just me, or does she look a lot like Lady Rhea?
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Well, yes, I suppose she does. But that has to be a coincidence, right?
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The position of archbishop isn't hereditary, and I doubt they could be related in any way.
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Yeah, you're right. Probably just the overall ambiance that makes them seem similar.
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Anyway, who knew I'd find something like this hiding in my house? Pretty crazy, huh?
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I'm really glad I showed you—not knowing would've probably bugged me for the rest of my life otherwise.
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No, thank you! I'm truly glad to have come across this piece.
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Both because I got to know a stunning work of art, and because I learned more about you in the process.
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You're much easier to talk to than I imagined, and quite a bit more interesting as well.
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Glad we could clear up that little misunderstanding, because I'm all about making new friends!
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I feel just the same.