Previously on Third Lords of Creation...
The Truelore Library, Atrium
Turpis stepped through the wide arch leading into the vaulted atrium of the Library. Needlessly expansive, the room was filled with books and bookcases, desks and writing equipment, ornate carvings depicting truths and history and countless other artefacts of knowledge and learning.
The only thing it lacks, thought the godling to himself, is anyone to actually read it.
He thumbed through the string of beads at his fingers until he found an appropriate one, thumbing it gently. Silvery smoke billowed out of the object until it took the form of a translucent, faintly humanoid figure.
"Calaenin," ordered Turpis of the eldritch archon's soul, "seek out your creator in this place. Present my greetings, my honoured appreciation of His store of knowledge and my gift. That is, you. Inform him that I should like to speak with Him regarding a deal."
As Turpis ordered the soul to send its message, a simple wooden door opened nearby. "Ah, a guest! What a pleasant surprise."
An old bearded man stepped out, dressed in long, plain robes and carrying a book in one hand. "You!" exclaimed Alether when he saw who it was, "This is truly a surprise. Turpis, was it? I've heard you've been causing trouble and mischief throughout the material plane. Yes... I've been watching, ever since you took the Codex which you now hold. It has been quite entertaining, really."
Alether waved to a nearby chair, which promptly flew to him. He sat on it casually, facing Turpis, presenting him with a second chair. "Now, why do I have the honor of your visit? Do you come to be the first being to actually read all these books I have slaved Aeons to write? Or is it... something else?"
Turpis took a seat graciously, exchanging the string of beads for a small scrap of paper and thumbing it gently. A polished oak table with stone goblets and fermented berry juice shimmered into being by them and the human-like creature poured them both a glass.
"A little of one, a little of the other, Lord Alether," Turpis remarked, then regarded the scrap in his hand as he took a goblet with the other.
"It only ever produces illusions, you know," he murmured. "That's the limit of its power. I suppose the whole Codex would have been capable of much more, but it is a foolish man who takes more power than he needs."
"Still," he smiled, clapping his hands together. "Things are in motion and should they go to plan, I shall require borrowed power of that sort no further." He took a sip of the wine.
"I have to say that it's proven very enlightening, especially since it freed me up to travel more. There are places I have been unable to travel, yes, but I have seen a fair share nonetheless. One of them would be of particular interest to you; its patron deity has found a way to steal magic from your domain. Quite skillfully, at that!" He chuckled in appreciation of the work of a fellow thief.
"I was wondering if you would care for my help in forging a seal for this plane, capable of preventing magic being used save by your leave. In return, I would ask permission for an Order of my own to be instructed in its use, and they in turn would gladly enough act as custodians for your library."
Alether laughed as he took the second goblet. "My my, you do speak quite vaguely when proposing deals. The promises you give, even if they can be trusted to be fulfilled, are so twisted and vague that you can fulfill them as it seems fit for your own plans. I've seen how easily you befuddled the mortals, how easily you turned their words and wishes against them. As such, I can't accept a deal so simply. First of all, I'd like to know: Why should I even enlist your aid in sealing this plane, when I could quite easily do it myself, with no fear of being back stabbed or ripped-off?"
Turpis smiled and raised his goblet with a nod.
"A fair question. My reason is that you cannot do so yourself - not at present. I took the liberty of working out one way of making your domain more secure, perhaps the easiest way, but your resources are insufficient to complete the initial construction. If you had your leisure to contribute work towards this whenever you wished you could easily accomplish it, or if you were willing to wait the lengths required to develop enough power to accomplish this on your own. Yet I fear even your patience would be stretched by that, and the work is time-sensitive. If the pieces are not in place within a the short span allotted, the whole construction would fall apart."
Turpis produced a small feather and passed it to Alether. Upon touching it, the feather imparted by telepathy partial designs and calibrations for a powerful artefact to be woven into the very fabric of the Truelore Library.
"A trick the Codex taught me," Turpis explained. "I've kept hold of certain elements of the design, of course. Still, the finished piece will bind concepts that you have created directly to the Library. Once so bound, another deity will not be able to obtain knowledge that you have concealed from others, unless they are able to take the Library itself from you."
"As for my penchant for deception, you will be free to peruse the completed design should you accept. I have built no back-doors through this Seal and I have little doubt that you would be able to stop my followers should they give you trouble in your own domain."
"I offer you the remainder of the design and my part in constructing it. In return, I request tutoring to my followers in magic to the equal value of what is supplied in this Seal's construction. Optionally, using my followers as librarians would be a benefit to them in terms of the knowledge present here and to you in the sense that it would actually be read and organised, rather than gathering dust on the shelves. It is a fair deal in terms of power alone and is advantageous because of the time it would save. What say you?"
Alether frowned while staring into his goblet. "I agree that this plan is quite interesting to me. Yet there are still many, many points that you have left unspecified. For example, you say that there are no backdoors in this seal, yet what if you decide to simply take it for yourself once it is completed, or afterwards? Or what if your 'order' decides to relay information regarding any plans I make here in the Library to you? And you have left the 'teach your followers magic of equal value' point extremely vague, what do you consider as 'of equal value'? You haven't even specified WHO these followers of yours are, whether mortals or divine! Don't take offense, but I definitely can not trust you much, if at all. Even if you DO promise to not do any of these things, how do I know you do not lie and break your promises? Do you have a way to prove your promises can be counted on?"
"Well," said Turpis, gesturing with his goblet, "allow me to assuage your fears one by one."
"I am still mortal, mostly, at least until the rites within the Codex are completed and I ascend. Even then, I would be a deity of the lowest and weakest order, whereas you are an entity of significant power. In order for me to betray you and take this artefact for myself, I would need to ally with forces vastly greater than myself to make war upon you. Wayock, for instance. Having done that, I would have no power of my own to protect my interests and they would almost certainly betray me and take the artefact for themselves, reneging on whatever their part of the deal was. It is thus in no way my interest to betray you in this matter."
"Next, regarding the nature of the order I seek to institute. The order's stated aim is the collection of historical information, particularly stories. They are also likely to serve as spies, yes, I will state that freely. Though to the mortal races and realms, and their forces will be mortals. If you cannot conceal your own plans from mere mortals my estimation of you will be greatly lowered."
"Thirdly, if you want a more concrete setting of the deal, I will offer to put my whole effort for the period in which the artefact is being constructed into working on it, and request tuition of my followers in the basic principles of magic and one blank scroll from your personal desk after the artefact is completed, to enhance my personal power. Or I can put half my effort into this in return solely for the scroll after the completion of the artefact."
"As for trusting me, you have my word as a trickster deity. Which, frankly, counts for a lot. I do not have the brute strength of Wayock and I do not have the allies of Usaria. My word, such as it is, is my greatest asset. You can count that I will follow to the letter every contract I make, because to do otherwise would cause too much damage to my reputation."
"If I prove wrong, of course, you could always smite me easily enough. Though that would risk retribution on the part of the other deities if they took issue with the matter."
"Very well," replied the old man. "I will take the second deal proposal. Give me half your effort for this artifact, and I'll grant you one scroll after its completion. But as the deal says, I will not have to teach your followers any magical skills whatsoever. Do we have a deal?"
-------
Invited into the Library's atrium, Turpis strode through the doors, a cord of beads in his hand. He spared a glance at the shimmering sigils coursing through the air, woven almost completely into the very fabric of the Arcane Realm.
"And what do you bring to the party?" asked the god of Knowledge.
"Souls," replied the demigod, slinging the cord at the sigils. The cord split apart, slinging a score of shimmering beads through the air. Each one began to scream with human, merman, crabtaur, nezumi, ger, elven, sonen and archon voices as it was pulled into the workings of the great seal.
"Twenty souls of great beings, knowledge-seekers, knowledge-hoarders, those who spent their lives in service to deceit and obfuscation, to learning truths and hiding them for their benefit. Twenty souls who spent their lives in service to me and sold their deaths for precious grains of truth to add to their heaps."
Turpis grinned with a little malice as their screams melded into the seals, turning into soft wails and then mournful melodies.
"I call them the Rappacinists."
All throughout the realm the score of tortured souls moved through the endless shelves of the Library, wielding the sigils of the Seal as they had their fingers in mortal lives. They shifted truth behind lie, draped deception in the garb of honesty and soon enough brought a veil o'er all the plane.
Complete Artefact: 1/3AP
1AP remaining
Artefact: The Arcane Seal
A series of wards and obfuscations threaded throughout the Truelore Library and several of the concepts contained within.
The owner may Cloister knowledge that he has already Concealed at the cost of 1AP. Cloistered knowledge may be taught freely by the owner of the Seal but no other. The Conceal Knowledge action initially used to prevent the spread of the Concept cannot be revoked by normal divine methods except by the owner of the Seal (who may revoke the Cloister freely, but will have to pay the cost again to re-Cloister it). Destroying the artefact breaks both the Cloister and the Concealment on all bound Concepts.
Cost: 6AP initial, plus 1AP for each bound Concept. During construction, at least 1AP must come from a deity whose portfolio relates to knowledge or magic, and at least 1AP must come from a deity whose portfolio relates to secrecy, obfuscation, protection or defence.
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Topic: Third Lords of Creation (Read 28398 times)