Ten Stonehearts

Description

"Mortal flesh is fragile, yet my heart is unyielding like the monolith. For without this resolve, the Way of Preservation would fade into oblivion."

— Diamond, Rank P47, Director of the Strategic Investment Department, Interastral Peace Corporation

Among the myriad IPC departments, the Strategic Investment Department is responsible for being visionaries. Their investments are never obsessed with short-term returns — They often operate investment rounds stretching across dozens or even hundreds of Amber Eras per round, and their goal is nothing less than total control of an entire star system. Though many investments made by the department were turned into bad debts due to the continuous setbacks caused by Nanook and Stellarons, the Strategic Investment Department have attained multiple stunning achievements ever since the current director "Diamond" took over —

Eradicating the Swarm infestation in the Gallante sector and completing the commercialization of the new ecosphere.
Conducting capital injection to the Golcondar Mining World Consortium following the Stellaron incident, securing fresh sources of minerals for IPC's construction materials logistics trade.
Reclaiming the lost world Jarilo-VI and investing in its revitalization project.
Cooperating with the Garden of Recollection to salvage the memoria in deadworlds.
...

Behind all these events, the team named "The Ten Stonehearts" played a prominent role. Officially known as Non-Performing Asset Liquidation Specialists in the IPC, they are an elite team under Diamond's direct management. Its ever-changing list of members comes from a diverse range of backgrounds and holds a wide variety of responsibilities. The only thing they have in common is how they were all personally promoted to the role by Diamond and were granted a credential of their identity, known as the Cornerstone.

Some credible sources suggest that the Ten Stonehearts have demonstrated unbelievable might be related to Preservation on certain occasions. Whether this power originates from the members themselves or the Cornerstones they possess remains uncertain. However, since Diamond is one of the few confirmed Emanators of Preservation within the IPC, this power is likely related to that fact.

The troubled past between the Strategic Investment Department and the Marketing Development Department has long ceased to be a secret within the IPC. Some claim that the Ten Stonehearts are actually Diamond's private soldiers, while others believe they are purely followers of Preservation, even going so far as to say "they have carved out their own hearts and replaced it with Qlipoth's stone." The true allegiance of the Ten Stonehearts remains a mystery for now.

---

Data Bank, Factions

Overview

Officially known as the Non-Performing Asset Liquidation Specialists, the Ten Stonehearts are led by the Emanator of Preservation, Diamond. Its members' origins are varied, and their responsibilities and personalities differ. While they could be seen similarly to the Astral Express or Stellaron Hunters, both Jade and Opal have stated that the group is only united by a need to obtain what they want, with a void that desires to be filled by said need. Diamond picked each member to join him on their journey and made a promise to share his power equally to them, which would help satisfy some of their needs and ultimately help Qlipoth when the war among the Aeons inevitably arrives.^[1] The group has a somewhat notorious reputation among the corporation, though many agree that Topaz is considered the least controversial of them^[2][3], likely due to her disdain of business etiquette and a genuine desire to help others.^[4][5]

While under Diamond's leadership, he allows the Ten Stonehearts to be independent on matters of the team's survival.^[6]

Cornerstones

Each member is given a name corresponding to their Cornerstone, and they are generally called by this name rather than their actual name.^[7] The Cornerstones are sacred stones that seal the authority of a Emanator of Preservation within them. The Ten Stonehearts can use their stone to obtain this share of authority and be granted great power.^[8] It is said that the Ten Stonehearts must cut their Cornerstone with their own will in order to allow its brilliance to radiate. Even a shattered Cornerstone can still confer a great amount of power.^[9]

The Ten Stonehearts generally value their Cornerstones more than their own lives and each Cornerstone gives different abilities to each Stoneheart, such as the ability to read minds. The Aventurine Stone transforms Aventurine, allows him to levitate, and summons giant poker chips from the sky.^[10] The Jade Stone allowed Jade to see all desires that flowed through dreams when it was sent into Penacony.^[11] Compared to Aventurine, the Topaz Stone's ability is not as "visual"^[12], though Topaz tells the Trailblazer she would have used her Cornerstone in Belobog had Bronya not come in time.^[13] When using their Cornerstones, each of the Ten Stonehearts appears to recite a unique activation phrase that ends with the line "All for the Amber Lord." It is currently unknown whether reciting the phrase is required to activate the Cornerstones.

History

Jarilo-VI

After the IPC discovers that a civilization still existed on Jarilo-VI following the sealing of its Stellaron, Topaz was sent to collect the debt The Architects had loaned from them 700 years ago.^[14] It is said that the debt was extremely high to the point that Bronya herself didn't know how to read it.^[15] Bronya was given two choices by Topaz: To pay the debt in full, or to sign the civilians of Belobog to the IPC's workforce, which will null the debt and also help rebuild the planet's ecosystem.^[4] Bronya was initially unsure of what to do, but after learning from Himeko that the IPC's planet restoration projects were not always successful, she eventually chose to reject the offer. This resulted in a brief skirmish with Topaz's subordinates, but Bronya reveals the Engine of Creation to her, revealing that the people of Jarilo-VI wanted to restore their planet with their own hands. She convinced Topaz to help waiver the acquisition of the planet while promising to repay the debts over time.^[4]

Topaz was convinced and managed to cancel the acquisition of Jarilo-VI, resulting in the mission being a failure; as punishment, several of her bonuses were revoked and she was dropped from P45 to P44. During this time, Diamond managed to secure the support of Taravan Keane, the head of the Building Material Logistics Department and an Emanator of Preservation.^[4]

Penacony

In an attempt to win over more support from the IPC's board, Diamond assigned Opal to use the Charmony Festival as a way to win back Penacony. Seeing Opal's tactics were too extreme, he instead elected Aventurine to lead the project.^[16] Aventurine in turn enlisted the help of Jade and Topaz, and took each of their Cornerstones to use as a diversion to sneak his shattered Cornerstone onto Penacony.^[17] During the Charmony Festival, Aventurine forced a fight with the Astral Express Crew and Acheron, an Emanator of Nihility; the latter struck him through the Order's protection on Penacony,^[18] sending him to the primordial dreamscape. While in the primordial dreamscape, his Cornerstone would be damaged further and he had to be saved by Argenti, a Knight of Beauty.^[19] Using the leverage gained by Aventurine's "death" and the Order's plot, Jade and Topaz would push negotiations with The Family.^[11]

After the Order's plot was foiled, Jade and Topaz met with Oti Alfalfa, who was now the figurehead of the family following Sunday's arrest for his role in the plot. Oti reveals his plan to keep the IPC from acquiring Penacony, but Jade informs him that the IPC could crush his plan in an instant now that "death" was a reality in the Dreamscape. Jade gave him a counteroffer in that the IPC would not interfere with the Family's interests in return for some shares to rebuild the planet. Oti ultimately agreed to her offer, and Jade gave some of the shares to the Astral Express for their role in stopping the plot.^[20]

Following the destruction of his Cornerstone, Aventurine was contacted by Diamond, who issued him a penalty of "a life for a stone" and tasked him with rooting out the traitor among the Ten Stonehearts. Diamond also stated that the Strategic Investment Department would have no knowledge of the matter. In response, Aventurine asked Diamond to hold a penalty resolution involving all of the Stonehearts. Although the acquisition of Penacony was successful and swayed the vote of another board member, Aventurine was still held accountable for the destruction of his Cornerstone. Diamond subsequently called the Ten Stonehearts to vote on Aventurine's fate, with Pearl assigned as the chair of the meeting.^[21] In the vote, Sugilite, Obsidian, Agate (represented by Obsidian), and Sapphire (represented by Pearl) voted to punish Aventurine, while Topaz, Jade, Pearl, Amber (also represented by Pearl), and Opal voted to restore his position. With the majority of votes in favor of restoration, Aventurine's position was restored and his Cornerstone repaired.^[6]

Planarcadia

Pearl used her Cornerstone to reconstruct the torn spaces that appeared throughout Planarcadia after the husk of Oroboros, contained within the torn scroll, temporarily awakened. She used her Cornerstone to restore the damaged space across Planarcadia and rescue Ashveil, Kuchiba, the Trailblazer, Cinderborne, Himeko, and March 7th from the torn scroll.^[22]

Soon after Arita cast his vote to break the deadlock between encanvasing Planarcadia and weaponizing the husk of Oroboros, choosing the former, Pearl used her Cornerstone with the assistance of Graphia and Silver Wolf to reseal Planarcadia into a canvas and temporarily reseal Oroboros's husk, saving the world.^[23]

While fulfilling Diamond's task, Aventurine discovered that the Lord Ravager Archforger had infiltrated the group as one of the members.^[24]

Known Members

Icon	Name	Real Name	Rank	Cornerstone	Activation Phrase
	Aventurine	Kakavasha	P46 (formerly P45)[25]	Aventurine of Stratagems	"I come to bet. I come to game. I come to win. I entrust fortune to fate... Risk it all in a single gamble... Walk depth of death to reach light of life. All for the Amber Lord."[26]
	Jade	Eve (implied)[Note 1]	P46[27]	Jade of Credit	"I come to greet. I come to wine. I come to claim. I grant poison for nectar. Sow in spring to reap in fall. Await wizened fruit to fill livened boughs. All... for the Amber Lord!"[28]
	Obsidian	Unknown	P46[27]	Obsidian of Unknown	Unknown
	Opal	Unknown	P46[27]	Opal of Unknown	Unknown
	Pearl	Unknown	P45[29]	Pearl of Appraisal[30]	"I come to appraise. I come to analyze. I come to render. I weave the cosmos into brocade. Breathe soul into painted stones. Let the jewels of heaven rise as they will. All for the Amber Lord."[22]
	Topaz	Jelena	P44 (formerly P45)[4]	Topaz of Debt Retrieval	Unknown
	Agate	Unknown	Unknown	Agate of Unknown	Unknown
	Amber	Unknown	Unknown	Amber of Unknown	Unknown
	Sapphire	Unknown	Unknown	Sapphire of Unknown	Unknown
	Sugilite	Unknown	Unknown[Note 2]	Sugilite of Levies[26]	"I come to pardon. I come to levy. I come to reckon. I bid the crowds to grovel... Take at will and wrest at whim... Render blood and sweat into a crown of gold. All for the Amber Lord."[26]

Trivia

• The phrase "All for the Amber Lord" is also seen at the end of Myriad Celestia Trailer — "Interastral Peace Tour: Selection, Planning, and Opportunity" and Myriad Celestia Trailer — Stoneheart's Oath Ring — Both Ends of the Scale.
• Pearl and Amber are the only organic gemstones among the gemstones of the Ten Stonehearts.
• Several members of the Ten Stonehearts have the same repeating triangle pattern on their outfits:
  • Topaz's is on her cape.
  • Aventurine's is on his socks.
  • Jade's is on the left side of her dress.
  • Pearl's is on the bow on her back.

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