The Disappearance of Virginia Bleek

When I looked through them, I saw a world completely different from our own, though it was out of focus, too unclear to describe.

— Virginia Bleek

In 1907, Virginia Bleek discovered a pair of child's binoculars on her estate in the Overhanging Hills. Though seemingly ordinary at first, the binoculars were discovered to have several unusual qualities. The discovery of the binoculars brought about disagreement within Blake's religious community, which eventually led to the death of her co-worker, Pira Cokh. Shortly afterward, Blake and the binoculars disappeared, leaving behind a signed confession. As such, many stories have developed speculating on where Blake disappeared and how she got there.

The Mystery of the Binoculars

Being unable to identify the metal from which they were made, she brought them to a co-worker, Pira Cokh. When Cokh was also unable to identify the metal, Bleek then brought the binoculars to Kulprim Portelli , who was renowned for his gift with metal, but a controversial figure for his belief in astromythology. Portelli claimed he believed the metal was not of Nideon and suggested this was evidence that the people of Nideon once hailed from a different planet. This brought the binoculars to national attention and Blake scorn from the general public, as well as her religious community. Several magical experts examined the binoculars. None of them were able to identify the metal, and all confirmed that the binoculars did not magnify things, but showed an image of a different world. They warned against using the binoculars, however, as it was unclear exactly how they worked or even what they did.

CW: murder

Related Ethnicities

• Astromythologists

Related Locations

• Overhanging Hills
• Virginia Bleek Observatory

Related Organizations

• Healers of Awe
• Nefrale

by Jesse Roberts

The binoculars were found on Virginia Bleek's Estate in the Overhanging Hills.

The Murder of Pira Cokh

One of the people particularly concerned by the mysterious binoculars was Pira Cokh, who declared they were dangerous, and should be destroyed. Bleek, however, seemed to have developed an attachment to the binoculars and claimed that Cokh was trying to destroy her reputation. Cokh believed that Bleek had been corrupted by the binoculars' power and attempted a religious ritual to purify her. Bleek saw this not as a purification, but as an attack. She said that Cokh was trying to siphon the magic from the binoculars and had to be stopped. Along with two others, she went to Cokh's house to confront her. A fight broke out, during which Bleek strangled Cokh. Horrified, Blake and her associates tried to get rid of the evidence by lighting the body on fire and fleeing the scene. The body did not effectively burn, however, and the next morning, it was discovered by the postman.

Virginia Bleek's Confession

The day after the discovery of Cokh's body, police sought out Virginia Bleek at her estate. After knocking on the door and getting no response, they entered her home, which was empty. A note had clearly been placed on the table, written in Bleek's own hand, confessing to the murder and leaving all her possessions to Kulprim Portelli's astromythology organization.

I, Virginia Bleek, of sound mind and body, confess to the murder of Pira Cokh. Though I understand she will be missed, I do not regret my actions, as in the end, her death was what killed the magic that blocked my understanding of the binoculars. But do not fear, you shall never see me again. Of my estate, and everything within it, I freely give it Kulprim Portelli for his continued work in astromythology. Thank you for your work and your wisdom. It appears you were right after all, and I hope to one day see you on the home world.

Though police continued to search for Bleek, she was never found. After a thorough searching of her estate, it was given, in accordance to her wishes, to Kulprim Portelli, who turned it into an astromythological observatory. There was no evidence that Virginia took anything with her, except the binoculars, which, like Virginia, remain to be found.

Legends of the Binoculars

In the decades since Bleek's disappearance, numerous stories have arisen surrounding the mystery of the binoculars, most of them centered on the mysterious magical ability which they seemed to have. Kulprim Portelli openly claimed that Bleek's confession was further evidence of a home planet from which the people of Nideon originated, saying that not only was the strange metal from this planet, but it was also the world which people could see when looking through them. He also stated it was clear to him that Bleek used to binoculars to return to this home planet. Another common story says that the strange metal of the binoculars was from the realm of the Calistian gods, and this is where Bleek traveled to after discovering how they worked. Still others claim that the whole thing was a hoax cooked up by Kulprim Portelli, who forced Bleek to write the confession before locking her in a secret chamber within the house. There is, however, little evidence of this.