Motifs
Triangles and diamonds.
They are everywhere across the Empire. On windows, on archways, on murals, on statues, on clothing. They are the strongest of shapes, and if was possible, every building would be designed with them. It is with great reluctance that the architects acknowledge that this simply is not feasible, however. So while rectangles, squares, prisms and domes are utilised in construction when necessary, the greatest and most important of Temples are always pyramids.
Everywhere, triangles and diamonds.
These symbols remind all Gems of the three most simple, fundamental truths.
The Diamonds Are Strong. The Diamonds Are Powerful. The Diamonds Are Everywhere.
But in recent centuries, a new symbol has begun appearing.
Never big, never grand. Never overtly obvious. Nobody dares wear it in the centre of their chest, or hang it from banners. But it is there, nonetheless, if you know where to look. Tucked into the corner of a fresco. Integrated into a display on a holo-screen. Scratched into the wall of an old access corridor.
Sometimes, when a Gem is idly waiting for a new assignment, you might see them shuffling their feet impatiently— only, upon closer inspection, to see their foot is actually moving in a very deliberate pattern. You may see them trace the shape surreptitiously on their arm when they meet another Gem's eye. When two Gems meet, you may see their fingers flash, quick as anything— hand cupped, wrist and fingers touching.
Among the triangles and the diamonds, now there are circles.