[ ...So essentially worthless if he can't prove their veracity. At least, that somewhat spares him from bothering to even try, no matter how much he may wish to see and speak to his brother again at the moment. ]

If their magic can transport us across realms and resurrect us, then it would surely be able to manufacture a false reality or a sense of familiarity from either item. Has anyone tried to revive the essence within the offered shards?

[ He's not sure how one would do that, but someone had to have been responsible for Joshua awakening here, along with every other shard-bearer. Perhaps, they would need to rely on the tree that birthed them, but Joshua doesn't think he's the first to have considered that possibility. ]