We who spend our lives navigating the scavengeance can never understand the Stargazers. For us, up and down is everything. For them, there is only up. - Silikane, Deep Sage
Some say the Stargazers come from below the seafloor. They are born in the depths of rock and iron and over the ages have slowly burrowed to the surface. And with time, they will leave the surface, swim through the water and head to the stars. Others say that this tale has it the wrong way around. The Stargazers fell from the heavens, sunk through the oceans and are now embedded deep in the softrock. Their eyes, cast ever upward towards the starlight, showcasing their yearning for return.
Nobody has ever seen a Stargazer move. It is possible that they physically cannot. But are inanimate - they will speak to anyone who comes. And they do not stop speaking. When there are no mortals, they speak to each other through invisible networks. Some say they are living salvage but they deny this when asked. They say they are living and each Stargazer undoubtedly has a distinct personality. The changes are sometimes subtle but they are there. When asked about their origins, they always evade the question with a gleeful note in their voice. It is clear that while they have seemingly infinite number of things to say, this is one secret that they wish to keep.
The Stargazers are immortal; records of them go back to the dawn of Obari civilization. And being immortal, their only guarantees are debt and taxes. If asked, they begin racing through names and figures, listing out long dead individuals or possibly other Stargazers and how much they owe. Of course, whom they owe is another mystery. The Stargazers constantly request those who speak to them to take up the cause of recovering these debts. They speak of it as an honour and a duty. They often do not stop asking. No reason, no excuse, will satisfy. In return, the Stargazers offer in return to settle debts that their deputies might possess.
But how to find the people who correspond to the endless flood of names is a mystery and even if one did, the dependability of the Stargazer’s offer has never been tested, so it could easily be a fool's errand.
When asked why they look up to the sky, the Stargazers always reply, "We look to the horizon for the return of our keepers." Further clarifications have never been helpful.
Some sages insist that the Stargazers are waiting for someone and when that person arrives, they will give up all their secrets. They are like keys that must be turned. But this theory remains untestable. Those who study them now are shunned, seen as obsessive and reckless with their time. The only appropriate time to honour the Stargazers is on the Day of Memory when the Obari come and leave offerings at the foot of the pillar-like bodies. The Stargazers begin to speak very differently on this day, often haranguing the people who come in and demanding nonsensical offerings, and so the Obari have begun to politely plug their ears. It's for the best, they say.
(Inspired by the fish called the Stargazer, which burrows into the seabed and jumps out at fish. The top down photos are arresting!)