Topic: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics (Read 33466 times)

Yellow Pixel · « **Reply #495 on:** November 01, 2021, 12:18:47 pm »

3
... Books! Books! Books! Books! ...

brewer bob · « **Reply #496 on:** November 01, 2021, 03:19:04 pm »

3

Yes, books! Books! Books! Books!

Enemy post · « **Reply #497 on:** November 01, 2021, 06:45:36 pm »

We're the Globglogabgalab, and we love books!

Quote

Through the doorway is a huge library, easily the equal of the one you found back in the sunken magic academy. The room smells extremely musty, and while there are a few tomes that look relatively new, most look as though they might crumble at the touch. The orderly rows are labeled in the tongue of the ancients; you can make out sections marked Theology, Heresy, History, and Miracles, and there are probably more you don't immediately see.

Down the central aisle of this library is another door with a stone frieze above it. This one's stone artwork depicts a closed treasure chest.

The light in the room is a pleasant, steady glow. You look up and see that the room is lit by the same kind of magical orbs within suspended bowls that lit the sunken academy. But these are well tended to, with no trace of dead insects or even dust. This room is still in use, you are certain.

Sam drops to his knees and begins to pray—which you suppose shouldn't surprise you at this point. "Dear Abraxas, show me nothing I am not ready to see. Let it be so."

As Sam rises, he catches your quizzical look. "It's just what one says on entering this room," he says. "It's not a bad prayer. Almost tautological, really."

You catch a brief vision of the hierophant in her office. The old woman in white must have cast a divination on you. Before the brief vision ends, you see her rise from her chair.

What will you do in this room full of books?

1.Proceed through the door with the treasure-chest frieze.
2.Look for the books on magic.
3.Peruse the books on the early history of the Church.
4.Look for books on the design of this Cathedral.
5.Maybe it's time to get out of here. Begin my escape.

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Glass · « **Reply #498 on:** November 01, 2021, 07:18:28 pm »

4 will aid us in navigation if we want to go further and in escape if we need to bolt.
If we hadn't been divined, I'd love to do 3 as well, but I unfortunately think we need to avoid wasting too much time.

brewer bob · « **Reply #499 on:** November 01, 2021, 07:45:51 pm »

Yeah, agreed on that.

4

BlackPaladin99 · « **Reply #500 on:** November 01, 2021, 07:57:51 pm »

King Zultan · « **Reply #501 on:** November 02, 2021, 12:43:54 am »

Yellow Pixel · « **Reply #502 on:** November 02, 2021, 08:28:19 am »

Enemy post · « **Reply #503 on:** November 02, 2021, 11:49:32 am »

We look up books on the cathedral's design.

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You look for books on the design of the Cathedral itself, and find one old text that looks quite extensive.

Before the Great War, the Cathedral was originally the central magic research institute for the kingdom, funded by the crown. When zealots rebelled and slaughtered the mages there, they decided to make the site the new home of their great Cathedral, symbolizing the triumph of faith over the dark arts. However, they did not root out the building at its foundation, which would have delayed construction too long for a symbolic victory to be quickly achieved. They knocked down what was above ground but kept the basement, using it during construction as a temporary prison for young and weak mages that it would have been too impolitic to slaughter. The basement you're exploring dates from the earlier magical academy, its rooms merely repurposed, with traps and secret doors added where there were none before.

You find this ancient history lesson interesting, a glimpse into the mindset of the founders of the Church. (Gained Ancient History.)

More intriguing than this ancient history is the map of the Cathedral basement that you find in a different book. It seems to indicate that there's a secret door within the room, to the right of where you came in. On the terse map that you have found, the room is labeled "Abraxas."

You wander over to that wall and begin prodding at it. Finding nothing, you cast a quick automation spell, and as electricity crackles through the wall, a door slides up, revealing a dark room with a statue of an old man.

"I think we should leave," Sam says nervously. "This is all not meant for us."

Intrigued, you approach the dark room with the statue. And as you set foot inside, the statue begins to speak.

"Welcome, deacons, to the Inner Sanctuary of Abraxas," says the statue, making a welcoming gesture with both arms. "I am certain you have many questions. Please, come inside."

The statue is made of varnished wood, but its white robe and stole are real cloth. Glimpses of metal are visible at the statue's joints as it moves. Its sandaled feet never move from their planted position on the statue's pedestal, but maybe they could if the statue wanted.

Once Sam has followed you into the room, the door softly slides shut behind you.

"Do not worry," the statue assures you. "You are free to leave anytime you wish, but I cannot be as frank as I would like with the door open."

You think about the word the statue used, deacon. There is no such position in the Church now.

"I am a creation of the great Abraxas, fashioned in his image," the statue says. "I am designed to answer your questions about the intent of the Church. Where the hierophant should be a person of absolute faith, you must be the practical ones. And that means knowing the truth.

"We can start with this: I, Abraxas, am only a man, and fallible. But I am a clever man, and should there be any fence I have put up, you should know why I erected it before you tear it down."

"Oh, good heavens," Sam says, a hand on his mouth.

You consider the questions you might ask. You probably don't have time to ask all of them; if your skulking about hasn't been discovered, it will be soon.

1."Why kill all the mages, if you used automation magic yourself?"
2."Did you intend to be worshipped as a god?"
3."Do you believe in a higher power yourself?"
4."What really happened when you left the world?"
5."Do you know how to fight the rot that kills users of glamor magic?"
6."What do you think of inquisitors also hunting shapeshifters?"
7."Do you think the Church should deceive and kill to achieve its aims?"
8."Did you collaborate at all with the Magisterian Empire?"
9.Urge Sam to ask a question.
10.I have no more questions. I return to the adjacent library.
11.I have no more questions. I blow up the statue.

Never seen this before.

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Glass · « **Reply #504 on:** November 02, 2021, 12:17:55 pm »

In order: 9, 1, 4, 10

brewer bob · « **Reply #505 on:** November 02, 2021, 12:43:12 pm »

1, 2, 4, 9, 10

Yellow Pixel · « **Reply #506 on:** November 02, 2021, 01:22:44 pm »

7, 9, 2, 10

Enemy post · « **Reply #507 on:** November 02, 2021, 11:28:29 pm »

Seems we're agreed on 9 and 10, and we've got two votes each for 4, 2, and 1. Given that the spirit of Glass and Yellow Pixel's votes seems to be asking two questions and giving Sam one before running, I think I'm going to wait and see if there are some more votes before proceeding.

King Zultan · « **Reply #508 on:** November 03, 2021, 01:32:34 am »

1, 2, 4, 9, 10

Enemy post · « **Reply #509 on:** November 03, 2021, 10:51:22 am »

1, 2, 4, 9, 10.

Quote

"Why kill all the mages, if you used automation magic yourself?"

"I didn't kill all the mages," the statue says with an open palm. "I offered mages a choice: be reborn as saints, or die." The statue opens its other palm and pretends to weigh the options like a set of scales. "And to be reborn as a saint was not so bad. You only had to promise to use magic for good, treat your magic as if it were a divine miracle, and relocate to a new place unfamiliar with your old self. So that you could really start fresh. Of course, many in the mob killed in my name, but that couldn't be helped."

"Fine, but why was this the solution to the world's problems?" you press. "Why not focus on people who committed crimes? Why press every mage into your service? And why refuse to admit it was magic?"

"The world was spinning out of control," the statue says firmly. "The strongest mages were destroying it for their own benefit and amusement. And the weaker mages were just well-off enough that it seemed nothing could shake them from their apathy. Nothing short of the threat of death could get them to help their fellow men. Instead, every one of them sapped the life of the world in tiny ways that added up."

"But the Book of Abraxas tells us that 'we are not to be the judges of men, but Abraxas shall be the final arbiter,'" Sam says. "What gives us the right to demand perfect morality from the mages?"

"You just said I'm the final arbiter," the statue says. "That's me. Abraxas."

Sam makes a little exasperated noise.

You find the statue's exposition interesting, though it makes you think you would not have liked the real Abraxas. (Gained Ancient History.)

With your new knowledge of ancient history, you find you can now decode the following passage from True Life of Abraxas: Another goal that Abraxas never succeeded in achieving was joining all minds into one. This far-fetched dream would have only been possible if he had captured the Great Oracle from the Magisterians. But this divination conduit stood firmly in the middle of the Magisterian palace. It is thought that desire for the oracle is one reason Abraxas did not end the war sooner. (Gained Divination.)

"Did you intend to be worshipped as a god?"

"It was unavoidable," the statue says with a shrug. "Common people don't deal well with abstractions. I tried telling people about a higher power, and they all said, 'Who? What? Huh? Invisible? What are you talking about?' I had to become the symbol of divinity. A real person, walking among them and performing great works and miracles.

"'Abraxas' was a name to rally behind. It gave a name to the nameless. Metonymy for the godhead. I was a tool for visualization, a personification, an illustration, a symbol."

Sam continues to look agitated. "But the Book of Abraxas specifically says: 'Am I this one or that one, male or female, old or young, here on earth or up above? Think not on these distinctions, for Abraxas is all of these.'"

"Abraxas is an idea that has become greater than me," the statue says. "I may be old and male myself, but faith in me is open to all."

You find the statue's comments to be an interesting window into the mindset of Abraxas. (Gained Ancient History.)

With your new knowledge of ancient history, you find you can now decode the following passage from True Life of Abraxas: One of the goals that Abraxas never succeeded in accomplishing was that of cleansing the sky of its cloud cover. Though modern life would grind to a halt if all automation came to an end, this is what Abraxas wanted, perhaps partly because he knew it would cause chaos in the Magisterian Empire. He got as far as some preliminary designs for a cannon to fire at the sky, which went as follows… (Gained Automation.)

"What really happened when you left the world?"

"I needed to leave the world's stage so that I could better work on the foundations of the Church," says the statue. "The trouble with being a mortal man who is expected to be a god is that one man cannot be everywhere at once. I was spending all my time on miracles, when I needed to be a leader, a planner, a visionary."

"So what did you do?" you ask.

"I became immortal."

"How?"

The statue shakes its head. "I prefer not to get into the details."

You find the statue's comments useful for understanding the mind of Abraxas. (Gained Ancient History.)

With your new knowledge of ancient history, you find you can now decode the following passage from True Life of Abraxas: There is only one known way to become immortal: through the methods of Metaphysician Zern of Akriton Academy, it is possible to become a being of pure negative energy. And Abraxas did not want competitors. He accused Zern of treason and had him sealed within his laboratory in Akriton Academy, presumably after having learned the secret himself.

What do we know of this method of achieving immortality? We know it requires a great deal of negative energy… (Learned of specter project.)

You're about to ask another question when you realize that you're not alone.

The hierophant is a hunched old woman wearing a white robe, a tall white miter embroidered with the Eye of Abraxas, and a white stole embroidered on one side with a flame and the other with a sun. She regards you dispassionately and warily.

To the hierophant's right is Saint Ann, the saint who used to serve Akriton, whom you encountered when returning from the ancient magic academy. She looks somewhat more sickly than she did when you saw her last, and even her general aura of holiness now can't hide her face's resemblance to a skull.

You recognize the portly bearded man to the hierophant's left as Saint Twimsby, the saint who was glamored when you encountered him on the stairs.

You are moved to want to help these three holy people, and you wonder why you have strayed from the Church.

All three individuals are clearly giving their all for the betterment for humanity. They all seem slightly drained, as you would expect of people with exhausting professions.

They are glamored, you realize foggily. You struggle to maintain a clear head.

"I imagine you have learned some surprising things about our early history from that automaton," the hierophant says, eyeing the statue with displeasure. "In truth, nobody listens to it anymore but us hierophants, and we take it with a good grain of salt. The Church is bigger than any one man's vision, no matter how important that man was. We don't usually recommend even Saints come in here, lest they get a vision of the Church that is two thousand years out of date.

"Still, you are now in a unique position," the hierophant continues. "You have great power and an understanding of the Church that is as unusually privileged as it is flawed. If you are so interested in asking a two-thousand-year-old statue about us, then perhaps you could consider asking me some questions directly. If we can come to a mutual understanding, perhaps we could work together, and your life could begin anew as one of our saints."

The hierophant nods to the black-bearded man. "Saint Twimsby here has done the conversion recently, and he can reassure you that your new life will be satisfying. You will do meaningful work and have colleagues who share your mission."

"It's pretty great," Saint Twimsby avers. And then, while he has the floor, he offers a little wave to your baby dragon Verdigris. "Hi, cutie."

The hierophant continues: "And Saint Ann here is one of our most experienced saints, and can speak to the satisfactions of a life in the service of the Church."

Saint Ann smiles tightly. "I did what I could, for as long as I could." She looks distant. "It was a good life, yes…."

The hierophant seems slightly displeased with where Saint Ann's answer is going, and cuts it short. "Tell me, Foo, have you ever had Abraxas speak to you directly? Or have you heard from an entity that might be Abraxas? That would surely expedite the process of making you a saint." She studies you carefully as she awaits your answer.

You find you are unwilling to lie to the hierophant. "No."

The hierophant looks disappointed. "Ah. Well, perhaps Abraxas is waiting for the right moment. I hope you'll let me know if he does speak to you."

It is an odd thing to say, since few people in the world claim to have ever spoken to Abraxas. You vaguely remember that the hierophant is one of them.

You find yourself saying, "All right." This is a strong glamor, you think. But you suppose she has good reasons for using it.

"Many saints have never heard the personal word of Abraxas, so it doesn't rule you out at all," the hierophant says gently.

"Do I want to be a saint?" you ask. It feels hard to think. There's something very strange about what the hierophant was asking, but you can't remember what.

"I hope so," the hierophant says. "But I'm sure you have many questions. Ask away."

1."If Sam knows magic, can he become a saint, too?"
2."What exactly is involved in becoming a saint?"
3."What would you have me do as a saint?"
4."Why persecute mages when the saints use magic as well?"
5."Is it true that you spoke to Abraxas himself?"
6."Who will the next hierophant be, after you?"
7.Tell the truth: "No more questions—I'm ready to become a saint."
8.Dispel the glamors on the hierophant and the saints.
9.No more questions—make a break for it.

As per usual, we can ask all these questions before taking one of the last three decisions, if you want.

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Author Topic: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics (Read 33466 times)

Yellow Pixel

Re: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics

brewer bob

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Enemy post

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Glass

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brewer bob

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BlackPaladin99

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King Zultan

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Yellow Pixel

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Enemy post

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Glass

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brewer bob

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Yellow Pixel

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Enemy post

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King Zultan

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Enemy post

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