root, does the entire mural also predate the world going to shit? I assume that some parts were made before the apocalypse, some parts after.
Before we try and guess at what the sixth scene could be, let's try and determine what the first five are and why. Here's my attempt for the first five scenes:
1: Okay, in the first scene the towers are cracked and broken. Historically, this area suffered lots of raids and attacks:
The twin towers of the Dawnhold and Duskhold were once one of the wonders of the world, the twin sentinels of the Mirthwater that fended off the raids of the Yatl in a bygone era, protected the river and the estuary from pirates and brigands, where men of all walks of life proudly came to serve as soldiers, guardians to the Great River and the Holy Mountain.
When the Lord first came to be in charge of Eaglerock, his predecessor was a libertine, not a pious man. This is a metaphor for weak faith, a warning of the dangers of LIBRULISM:
A libertine, he converted the fortified citadel into a place for rest and resupply for pilgrims, travelers, for all and sundry who had any interest to see the Mountain up close without being in any actual danger. Brothels, taverns, thieves’ den and mercenary guilds all prospered under his rule and the rule of his sons after him.
2: People surrounding a fire, throwing something at it. I don't know what exactly they're throwing, but the whole scene to me implies a group of people living in debauchery and sin. I think that this refers to the time of the Old Church that Issus alluded to before we went to the shrine and ended up in this lovely place:
‘The shrine holds power, it’s true, but not the sort I’d go after, pilgrim. It’s a relic of the old church, from the time where power mattered more than understanding. No good will come of it.”
“The old church?”
“Aye. That shrine was raised before the schism and the conclave, when the priesthood was rooted in old beliefs. That God was not a state of grace, but merely the highest in the hierarchy of spirits. It was a shamanic thing, and profoundly ignorant at that. God was seen as the power most great, you see, in the place where all gods dwelt.”
Issus touches his prayer beads and looks down, as if embarrassed. The candlelight plays shapes upon his face, his features turning into a waxen mask.
“The Dhulma.”
“Yes. We once believed the dark could give shape to things, both good and evil. Nonsense. The dark is a non-place and what emanates from it are non-things, ignorance and chaos, absolute incomprehension. God is the light and the path; the way and the life. The dark is just the cold of the void, there’s nothing within it that could be said to exist. It’s merely an expression of nihilism, of the unbeliever’s desire for death. That, and nothing more.”
“So, this shrine…”
“It’s a shrine dedicated to the fire, yes, but it’s a savage thing, a shrine dedicated to strength, not faith. Some say it asks for sacrifices from the most devout, as if God would lower himself to such a thing. Some say it asks for an eye, as a testament that mortal vision is always imperfect. They say the statue gives power, it kindles the flame of faith, and they say the sacrifices are a proof of zeal. The church knows better. God speaks to us in the natural forms of the world, in the divine geometry and harmony of all creation, in the words of the wise and truth of scripture. It needs not manifest itself in such barbaric ways.”
The people are surrounding the fire; nobody's controlling it. They throw things at it to make the fire soar ever higher, but they don't know the dangers of playing with fire, because unlike the subsequent scenes, nobody is holding a torch. They want power, they want a roaring blaze, but they don't want to understand fire. They're living in a state of ignorance. Or at least, that's what Issus would say.
3: The historical reference here is pretty clear - the text tells us that Dawnhold had been attacked, and based on our observation, it's also been rebuilt:
The structure looks like it’s been broken into pieces and then put back together using some sort of cement.
The Lord, being a pious man, set things straight, and he did it before everything collapsed. This is a metaphor for order, good times, and faith being restored.
4: Issus referred to the Lord as a "prophet" who was able to anticipate the darkness to come. Here we have a man bringing truth, but others are shying away from it. The light he bears is "bright as the sun". This is the arrival of the New Church.
5: This time it's the man holding the torch who is throwing it away. In Kurze's case, I think it was him being angry at God, perhaps with his son's deformities. It's about how even the most devout of us fall.
6:
My idea here for the picture would be the silhouette of a lone man, covered in shadow. The dark has come:
As he talks his features seem to blur into the shadows, his body almost disappearing, as if the man was a voice and nothing more.
...
“You brought me here. Gave me this blight. Let them take me.”
“I did?”
“The statue. It spoke with your voice.”
“A likeness of a thing is not the thing itself. That…statue, as you call it, speaks with many voices. One for every devotee. “
The Church has been abandoned... for something else.