FRAGMENT 20
July 1st, 07:15 a.m.
Discovery of a monumental statue of the goddess Doto:
The name DOTO first appeared to us during expedition Sc-8120 “Tour du monde / Soleil noir”, finely carved onto a small seashell collected by our conchologist on the heathlands of Zhoy. We encountered this word a second time among the inscriptions of the fresco in the Rade des Birettes, the famous “Murale du tire-bras”, which still holds many secrets and will be the subject of a more in-depth study during a future journey to this region.
Only recently, during investigations in a coastal village at the [ʒjɛm] of the island of Izy, did we learn that this name was connected to that of a goddess whose cult is said to have originated in the southern moors of This Other World. An opaque silence surrounded this divinity, and we had assumed her cult to have long since died out.
Setting out on yet another expedition to Borgne Island — after a difficult fundraising effort in light of the repeated failures of previous attempts to land on this mysterious land* — each of us secretly harbored the hope of obtaining further information about this Doto.
It was decided to go against the current, all the way to Pointe de l’If, the cape at the [ɛm] of the island, a bold and unprecedented route devised by Sir Willem Voc, our renowned cartographer. After several days of a perilous journey, we caught sight, like a lighthouse amid the storm, of a spectacular statue of iridescent blue limestone, whose height would easily rival that of the Colossus of Rhodes : a representation of the goddess Doto.
Our temporary research station was swiftly established under the protective gaze of this hypnotic, gigantic statue. After several weeks of arduous excavations in this inhospitable region battered by bad weather and relentless winds, exploring every cove and cave within a ten-league radius, studying symbols, inscriptions, and bas-reliefs discreetly scattered throughout the area, some of them very recent, and questioning every person we encountered (despite the notably taciturn nature of the locals), we were finally able to establish a portrait of this divinity.
First of all, it must be stated that the monumental statue on the horizon of Borgne Island is the most significant personification of the goddess Doto. This water divinity, omniscient and omnipresent in all fluids, from the ocean to the tear, from the drop of sweat to that of sap, is most often evoked through symbols. The rarity of this incarnation makes it a sacred site, the best-known center of Doto’s cult, regularly welcoming processions. The coastal nomads particularly fear, consult, and revere this empress of underwater organisms, who, according to their folklore, was born from the union of the first raindrop and the primordial breath.
Unlike most coastal statues, the colossal sculpture of Doto faces entirely toward the mainland, her upward gaze fixed on the summit of the breathtaking cliffs of Borgne Island, her back turned to the ocean. Collecting at its base the foam of one of the most turbulent seas of CAM, this symbolic stance reflects her mission to preserve the subaquatic environment, down to its most impenetrable depths, against the threat from the land. Her gaze watches and keeps vigil, and her entire body forms an obstacle, like a shield, or a weapon ready to fire.
On the drapery of her long mineral cloak, delicate engravings of stylized aquatic creatures represent the richness of the oceans.
Beneath the apparent gentleness of a compassionate face, like the caress of waves, one can read the severity of a fierce warrior, whose wrath equals the power of the region’s dreadful storms.
Her arms crossed over her chest, in an ambivalent gesture of defense and defiance, remind us that love goes hand in hand with protection.
Moreover, according to legend, those who approach the statue might hear Doto’s voice in the roar of the waves. However, the currents surrounding this rock are such that we were unable to scientifically corroborate this belief.
This construction is undeniably one of the most extraordinary we have been given the opportunity to study in This Other World. Its monolithic construction is still under examination by our engineers, who are attempting to uncover the secrets of a structure that combines monumental dimensions with extreme finesse of execution, achieved, no one knows how, in the midst of a perpetually raging climate.
* It is true that we were previously able to observe volcanic activity at the [wa] of the island during expedition Sc-8120 “TOur du Monde / Soleil noir”, but that portion of the journey was carried out using our powerful dirigible balloon and thus without ever setting foot on this southern land.