The Three Anchors: Their Hidden Connection
El Money, GG, and The Keeper share something none of them fully understands—they all orbited The Architect before his transcendence, and all three were left behind when he vanished.
"We all lost him. Different ways, same person. And he left us all behind." — El Money
El Money and GG
How They Know Each Other
GG frequents the Bash Terminal. Has for years. She's not a regular—too angry to settle—but when she needs a place where nobody asks questions, she ends up at Ezra's bar.
"Grace comes in sometimes. Different name every time, but I know it's her. She's carrying something she can't put down. I don't ask. I just pour."
"The old man at the Terminal. He's... okay. Doesn't try to fix me. Doesn't ask questions. Just lets me be angry in peace. That's more than most."
What They Don't Know
Neither realizes they shared the same person—the man who became The Architect:
- Ezra knew him as a friend, saw him transform, mourns his absence
- Grace loved him, had that love erased, feels an inexplicable void
They've never compared notes. But sometimes GG asks about "anyone who used to come here who doesn't anymore." Ezra mentions "a friend who got lost in something bigger than himself." They're talking about the same person without knowing it.
If the Player Brings Them Together
El Money and The Keeper
How They Know Each Other
The Keeper has visited Sector 7G in his search for his brother. The Bash Terminal is a natural stop—a place where information flows, where old-timers remember things the corps want forgotten.
"The seeker guy comes through sometimes. Looking for someone. Won't say who. I respect that. Some searches are private."
"The bartender at the Terminal—Ezra—he has a quality I recognize. Someone who lost someone they loved, and found peace with the loss without finding closure. I've never told him who I'm seeking. I think he already knows."
What They Don't Know
Neither has confirmed the connection:
- Ezra knew The Architect before he transcended. The Keeper is looking for him.
- Ezra hasn't connected "his friend who became something else" with "The Architect"
- The Keeper hasn't realized Ezra was his brother's closest mortal friend
They circle the truth without reaching it.
If the Player Facilitates
GG and The Keeper
How They Know Each Other
GG and The Keeper have crossed paths in the Dregs—both drawn to places that resonate with pre-Cascade memories.
"The weird mystic guy. He talks in riddles, but at least he's not trying to sell me anything. And he looks at me like... like he knows something about me that I don't."
"Grace Guerrero. She doesn't know why she's angry. But I've seen the shape of that wound—it's love-shaped, with a hole the size of what my brother used to be. He did something to her. I can see the scar even if she can't."
What They Don't Know
- GG doesn't know The Keeper is The Architect's brother
- The Keeper hasn't told GG what he suspects about her relationship with his brother
Why The Keeper Stays Silent
- He's not certain
- Telling her might cause more harm than the silence
- He's looking for his brother first; explanations can come after
If the Truth Emerges
All Three Together
Before the Player
The three anchors have never been in the same room. Their orbits don't align—El Money stays in Sector 7G, GG roams unpredictably, The Keeper wanders in search.
But they're connected by absence:
- They all lost The Architect—or the man he used to be
- They all carry that loss differently
- They all, in their way, are waiting for something
Through the Player
The player becomes the connection point. By meeting all three, by earning their trust, by learning their stories, the player weaves together what The Architect's departure scattered.
The Potential Gathering
A scene at the Bash Terminal. El Money behind the bar. GG at a corner table. The Keeper by the door. And the player in the middle.
The Three-Way Dynamic
The Player's Role
The player doesn't fix the anchors. The player connects them:
- Bringing together what The Architect's departure scattered
- Creating possibility for healing without forcing it
- Being the bridge that The Architect couldn't be
"A scene with all three anchors should feel: Earned (player has built trust with each). Revelatory (truths come out that change everything). Hopeful (despite the pain, connection is possible). Not resolved (the anchors don't become friends; they become aware)."
Connected Lore
The Three Anchors
- El Money — The patient bartender
- GG — The wounded warrior
- The Keeper — The searching brother
The Absent Center
- The Architect — The name no one can speak
- El Money & The Architect — Their friendship
- The Brotherhood — The Architect and The Keeper
Related Narratives
- Anchor Evolution — How anchors change across Ages
- GG's Buried Grief — The wound she can't name
- Keeper's Silence — What he knows