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[ydeve]

Maybe Marko isn't a real god? He certainly isn't the historical Golgothan god, Golgoth. Maybe he's something Fale made up. Maybe Fale really worships another god? or Fale is the god? All stuff out of thin air that doesn't mean much. I don't think we have enough information to know what "M is false" means yet.

[Angle]

...now somebody needs to go back and mine all the posts for more secrets. Someone else, that is.

[RAM]

I tend to agree with ydeve...
Do we even know what the context of that is? Did we hear it? Suspect it? Sense it with weird necrosense? Maybe it is just a hidden clue for the players with no real presence^{_{What ever happened to good old microtext? Transparent is just cheating...}}
Perhaps it should be inspiration for a question to Fale...


P.S.
 Try searching for "=transparent". I only found one other instance and it wasn't story-related...

[Angle]

Ah, clever.

[Parisbre56]

So did anyone else see the invisible "M is false" text in the latest post?

Yep. I did notice that. I even commented on it, along with the fact that Marko is not the name he used for the god last time we met, but nobody seemed very interested.

Did anybody else catch that hidden message? Coupled with the name distortion, I wonder what that means...

"My name is Fale Packunion, and Morka is my god."

Could just comment that mixing up his god's name doesn't sound very pious of him.

[trillioneyes]

"Mokra" has also been used, I think.

"You know, I thought it was odd when Mokra told me another Necromancer would arise- it wasn't in the plan, y'know? And then you took so long to-"

[ydeve]

Monk, it would be good to know if this is a typo or intended.

[RAM]

I think that "M is a lie" in transparent text is confirmation that it is not a typo.

[nomoetoe]

I enjoy this. It'll be a Pain To Wait for updates since I'm so impatient, but it will be worth it. c:

[ydeve]

So, lets ask Fale about the history of Marko/Morka. Where did he come from, what does he want? Second priority after Omo.

I find the thing about the sanctuary really weird. Does anyone have any ideas on how we could just pass through the temple sanctuary when Eko says it shouldn't be possible?

"The wards will only disrupt Necromancy which attempts to cross the boundary. My temple is protected by a Sanctuary; I had to dispel it to get the zombie into the basement, but I was able to reform it around the creature with no ill effect, as you saw yourself."
"You cannot see it, but I can, and it looks as strong as a wall to me. The Sanctuary will physically repel any Necromantic creature which tries to pass through it, and it will unravel any Necromantic spells cast at us through it."

If a Necromancer came here, they couldn't pass through the Sanctuary without taking significant damage unless they were strong enough to overwhelm the ward."

"This Sanctuary could hold back Curo Nightroar himself if need be."

This explains that Death spells, Necromantic constructs, and Necromancers themselves all shouldn't be able to travel through a Sanctuary. Yet we did.

"The world is made of layers of magic, from all the Faiths. All magic can be accessed from anywhere if you know how, and at a very fundamental level we are all made out of a blending of the different Magical Elements."

"Normally, all the different Elements within us balance out, so you wouldn't notice anything. However, for some people this isn't true; they have more of a particular Element within them. These people usually develop magical talent of some kind; those strong with Order have the potential to become Wizards, for example, or those formed of Chaos can become Shaman."
   "And the people born with lots of Death magic in them become Necromancers, then?"
"Yes, basically. Those people with a strong affinity for an Element will be affected by wards; the stronger they are, the more intense the effects. This Sanctuary is a strong ward indeed; it reorders Elemental magics passing through it in such a way as to negate the energies of Death magic with precisely arranged patterns of Life and to actively disrupt and harm it with certain combinations of other Elements. If a Necromancer came here, they couldn't pass through the Sanctuary without taking significant damage unless they were strong enough to overwhelm the ward."

"This Sanctuary could hold back Curo Nightroar himself if need be."

"Many natural creatures can be strongly aligned with an element; you Elves are almost all aligned with Life more strongly than any human, while Goblins are Chaos incarnate. Most creatures associated with Death aren't properly alive, like wraiths and wights and the like, but many carrion eaters have some affinity for Death."
   "So is that what your wards are all about then? Altering magical energies?"
"That is the heart of it, yes. Everything in the world is balanced, but as long as you maintain the equilibrium it can be reordered to achieve favorable effects. That is what most Order magic boils down to."

So the way I see it, either we were undetected by the ward (why?) or we overwhelmed the ward. (That would make us a very strong death mage indeed.)  If the ward was overwhelmed, would it necessarily be destroyed? Eko doesn't seem to say. I need to go back and reread what happened when we entered the temple sanctuary.


Edit: Also, yes -Veto discussing your meeting with the Elders in Yicelafo. Don't want to tell him what the elves' plans are yet.

[RAM]

That sounds fair. Also ,I would like to discuss the necromancer entering a warded area thing with Eko at length. Revealing our necromancy as a part of a very important discussion about the complete failure of the standard defensive technique seems like a good justification. It presents us as more of a scholar than a, well, one of those power-mad types, which are common amongst common tales of both villains and heroes, and it is offering genuinly valuable data on combating necromancy which would hopefully buy us some consideration...

[monk12]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I enjoy this. It'll be a Pain To Wait for updates since I'm so impatient, but it will be worth it. c:

I'm terribly, terribly sorry.

Trade questions - s/he(?) gets a question, you get a question.

Be careful.  Fale certainly has ulterior motives to these questions.  Even the most simple seeming thing, "I'll settle for learning more about the elves than I know now" may be a prelude to invasion.

That map seems interesting, and is in plain sight.  Take a closer look.

So much we need to learn, but this is a dangerous tutor.  Best if we keep any questions vague, and offer little as to our intentions.  We could ask about souls in a roundabout way.  Perhaps we could point out the flaws of shambling corpses and mindless golems, and ask about disembodied souls - spirits, spectres, and ghosts.  Then ask about the bond between soul and body and how the two may be separated or relinked.  We could even ask about possession.

Getting Fale to brag seems like it would be pretty easy as well.  Maybe we could get some information about the current state of affairs in the world, especially in regard to Curo Nightroar and the Pirate King.  We could also ask about the history of Balkoth's time, maybe even with direct questions about the conquering of the Sacred Grove, or the curse on the Forest of Aloclesno.

Fale seems to be offering overtures.  I think we could ask for a gesture of good faith.  Fale must have access to an extensive library.  I say we ask for a necromantic spellbook so that we may further our learning.

In the end, both he and us want the same thing: the world safe for Necromancers. He thinks the only way is world domination. We're looking for a different way, which he said he's ok with. The way I see this campaign, the objective isn't really "defeat the evil necromancers," but rather "find a way to bring peace to the world." (Which cannot happen as long as everyone kills any necromancer on sight)

tldr: He's not saying we join forces. He's offering us help as a third party. Take the help but make it clear we aren't going to conquer the world for him. Our goal: finding an alternative to conquering everyone that lets necromancers live safely.

   Fale stretches one hand towards you, almost pleadingly. "Come on, you've got to have some questions about your powers by now!"

   You turn away from Fale, examining the map on the central table while you mull over your response. It is a beautifully made thing, even finer than the map Pevo Zehpyrtempest owned back in Yicelafo. It is made from the hide of a small cow or similar animal, tanned and painted in vivid hues of green and gold and blue. You can trace the route you traveled from Larathor to Bedscaled, though the towns and roads are marked in a language you do not understand. The Sacred Grove is painted with an ashen, defeated shade of grey while the Young Vale is a verdant green hue, and the Black Swamps of the Golgothans are a purple so dark it borders on black.
_{Yo░ cannot ░eep h░r ░ro░ m░ f░░░ve░}

   "Marvelous, isn't it?" Fale says dreamily. "No Necromancer since the Golgothan War has had a host such as this to command. It's a shame Nightroar chooses to squander it." You blink at him in confusion before realizing that he refers to the colored blocks of wood littering the map. They are smooth and highly polished, and many of them hold a tiny paper flag with other symbols drawn on them, no two alike; perhaps coats of arms or some similar form of identification. You see a few small green blocks on the eastern borders of the Walled Jungles near Larathor; no doubt parties of Rangers securing the border. Interestingly, one block of green wood is situated just east of Larathor, near the numerous and larger white blocks spread north and south along the Great River. More white blocks are mustered near Atkilpeme further to the east.
   
   While the white blocks in Thrimsedur bear flags adorned with a wide variety of symbols, the purple blocks scattered haphazardly across the plains are largely unadorned, with three notable exceptions: a modest concentration in the northern hills of Bothoninen, a huge mass strung along the road to Atkilpeme in the east, and most alarmingly a moderate force along the northern border of the forest of Aloclesno. These groups are all marked with a small flag bearing a ram's horns. There are other blocks all over the map- unmarked grey blocks in Bothoninen and the mountains north of that, a couple blocks painted a lighter shade of purple (almost lavender) mixed with a dozen different shades of blue along the Jeweled Coast, a few rich brown blocks in dwarven lands- but Fale's impatient stare makes you turn away.

   "I can't support your war, Fale." You say firmly. "All of this killing, this suffering... it can't be necessary. There must be another way."
   "Yeesh. I'd heard that elves were peaceful and naive, but this is ridiculous." Fale quips, giving lie to the pointed ears he has now. "They've been killing Necromancers wherever they can find them for the last thousand years, Nym. Face it- its them or us."
   "No. I will find another way, whatever it takes." You look Fale dead in the eye. "If you're sincere about us being colleagues, then why don't we keep things... academic? I'll let the politics drop if you will."
   Fale rubs his chin. "A question for a question, then?"
   You shake your head. "You know more than I do about everything, it seems; I have no way to know what questions I can answer that won't lead to more war. How about I volunteer information, and you decide if it's worth a question?"
   Fale scowls, then barks an abrupt laugh. "Fine! You drive a hard bargain, Nym, but the dialogue has to start somewhere. However, in the interests of good faith, how about you show me the quality of your volunteering first? I feel I've more than met you halfway."
   "Fair enough." You take a deep breath, thinking of a safe topic. "Alright, how about this: I only manifested as a Necromancer a little more than three weeks ago. I had been having odd dreams, headaches with no cause that went as quickly as they came, losing Mana for no real reason... looking back on it, I think I was casting Necromancy spells without knowing it. One day I was out at my fishing hole, and accidentally brought one of my trout back as a zombie. I was so shocked, I passed out." You shrug sheepishly. "There was no doubt I was the one who did it, though. That's when I knew I was a Necromancer."
   Fale swirls a wineglass he wasn't holding a moment ago. "Interesting. Where was this fishing hole? Somewhere secluded?"
   "It was a tributary of the Great River; I'm the only one who fished there."
   Fale nods to himself. "And I'm sure you were smart enough to keep that experience to yourself. What did you do with your first zombie?"
   You shrug. "The same thing I did to all the other fish I caught; I ate it."
   Fale raises an eyebrow. "You ate a zombie?" he asks incredulously.
   You grin at the handsome elven man. "Well, yes, but that's another story; my first zombie wasn't a zombie by the time I ate it. But before I tell you that story, I believe you owe me a question."
   Fale takes a sip of wine, regaining his composure. "Yes, I suppose so. Ask away."
   You lean forward on the table. "Tell me what you know about souls."
   Fale arches one eyebrow. "Souls? An advanced topic for such a young Necromancer." He smiles and sets his wineglass down on the table. "It's funny, really; Nightroar's first questions were along those lines as well. Tell me, have you made a study of a living creature's Vitality network? Do you know how?"
   "I do and I have." You reply coolly.
   "Excellent news!" Fale exclaims happily. His fingers begin to glow with a phosphorous purple fire as they trace through the air, leaving floating sparks as they outline a humanoid form. "The soul is closely tied to the brain and the thoughts of a creature; I'm sure you've noticed that your own zombies do not have very much initiative or autonomy. That mindlessness comes from the zombie's lack of an animating spirit."
   "I suspected as much myself." You say impatiently. "What I need to know is whether a Necromancer can manipulate them, or move them."
   "You certainly can; it's the best way to improve your zombies. Now, the tricky part is that a soul has no Vitality. You cannot manipulate it directly. It is influenced by the Vitality network of the host, but it doesn't have any itself." Fale taps the chest of the diagram he created, causing purple embers to flare and drift away. "Your heart, for example, holds some Vitality; it needs a constant source of it to function, it grows stronger with more Vitality and weaker with less, and when Vitality leaves it it will quickly die. A soul, on the other hand, doesn't vary based on how much Vitality flows through you; it is just as strong when you are at 1 HP as it would be if you had 100 HP. What is important for the soul is that the Vitality flows in a particular way."
   "I don't understand." You furrow your brow in concentration. "What way does Vitality need to flow? Isn't the soul the bundle of Vitality in your head?"
   "Nnnno, not exactly." Fale drums his fingers on the table as he tries to explain. "Think of your body parts like a well; when your heart needs to function, it dips into its reservoir and draws some Vitality for use. A soul is more like a waterwheel; it doesn't have Vitality itself, but the movement of Vitality through it is what makes it function. Although, I suppose it's actually more like a water fountain; if the water flows through correctly then you have an impressive work of art, but if that same amount of water is guided incorrectly then you have an embarrassing dribble, or perhaps a big mess depending on how you screwed it up. It is the same with souls and Vitality; the soul needs Vitality to be meaningful or useful, but it is not itself a construct of Vitality."
   "Okay." You sigh, trying to work through Fale's metaphor. "So the bundle is... the well?"
   Fale taps the head of his magic floating diagram. "The 'bundle' is called the Unolnimar; it is an ancient term which means 'Soul Path,' or idiomatically 'the path to the soul.' The Unolnimar is how the soul connects to the body, and it is unique to every individual living thing, the same way that souls are unique." Fale grins, laying a finger alongside his nose conspiratorially- not a common Elven mannerism, though you've seen human merchant guards with the Caravan do it enough to understand its meaning. "There is a lot to be said about souls, but those are the basics as they apply to Necromancy. I can tell you more, but I think you owe me another story first."
   "Alright." You take a moment to think through your zombie-eating story for anything potentially harmful to your homeland, but come up empty. "Alright, then. I was on my way to the Caravan Fair, and I was doing some small Necromantic experiments to prevent mana buildup-"
   "Hang on a moment." Fale interrupts, sitting on the edge of the table. "It's not much of a story if you don't give me the details. What's the Caravan Fair? Were you traveling alone?"
   "The Caravan Fair is the festival for when the human Caravan makes its way from Thrimesdur through Yicelafo to the Jeweled Coast in the spring; The Caravans are where we buy most of our imports, and it's how we get most of our news as well. This one brought news of the Necromancers."
   "And how was that received?" Fale asks keenly.
   "That's not part of this story." You reply pointedly. "I was on my way to the Fair, traveling by myself; my friend had gone on ahead. I was doing some small experiments with some basic spells on two dead minnows."
   "Minnows, eh? Small subjects to learn from." Fale muses. "How 'basic' are we talking with your spells?"
   You shrug. "Raising zombies, commanding them, stealing their Vitality. Things like that. Anyway, I was getting close to my destination so I decided to end the experiments... by eating one of the zombies I was commanding."
   "You were commanding the zombie you ate?" Fale asks with an audible mixture of disgust and morbid curiosity. "I... what was that like?"
   "Ah, pretty gross." You say nonchalantly. "Almost couldn't get the minnow down, and after that it's about what you'd expect. Darkness, wetness, acid. I lost visual pretty quickly, but it took a while for the zombie to die again."
   "Well... I guess I never need to do that myself, now." Fale shakes his head before standing back up. "Right then, what's your next question?"
   You lick your lips nervously. "How would I move a soul from one place to another?"
   Fale gives a low whistle. "What are you up to?"
   "Answer the question, Fale." You reply, failing to keep a distinct edge from your voice.
   "Well it does impact my answer, Nym." Fale says impatiently. "The general answer would be that you need to exactly recreate the Unolnimar with Arosh in your selected host."
   "Arosh?" You ask, bewildered.
   "It's, you know, the stuff you use to do... things." Fale casts around for a suitable definition. "It's the force you create out of mana when you cast your Necromancy spells; it holds together your zombies, guides the flow of Vitality, all that good stuff."
   "Oh, you mean Necromantic Energy."
   "No, you mean Arosh." Fale spits back at you. "Moark above, 'Necromantic Energy.' What a mouthful. The Golgothans called it Arosh in their language, and it's got about a quarter of the syllables."
   "Yeah, fine, Arosh, whatever." You reply impatiently. "So you just have to duplicate the Unolwhatever with Arosh and you're good to go, then?"
   "Oh my no." Fale shakes his head. "That's half the work. Once you've contained the Unolnimar, you need to mind where it connects to the rest of the host's Vitality or else it won't be able to interface with your host, and if you really screw up it could be rejected. And that's just to get it into your chosen host; it would take years of practice to master all the little things you need to do to keep control of the soul, or to do anything useful with it." Fale smiles, snapping his figures. "Luckily for you, though, you're talking to Moark's representative on Urak! I can help you join with Moark, and then he will be able to act through you to do... whatever thing it is you want to accomplish. He can make sure everything turns out exactly the way you want it, and he'll keep you from making a hash of the job."
   You mull it over for a moment. "And what if I don't want Moark to do it for me? Can't you just show me how?"
   "I've told you everything I know." Fale shakes his head. "It really is a case by case thing; I usually let Moark do it for me. He's the embodiment of Necromancy, there's no one better qualified. I know he would very much like to make your acquaintance; all you have to do is accept his offer of help. What do you say?"
_{░░! R░s░░t ░░e i░░░ue░ce ░░ M, L░f░░iv░r!}

   You step back to consider this newest appeal. If Fale is right, aligning with Moark would be the surest way to save Omo. But is aligning with Fale's Death God something you want to do? Perhaps you have learned enough to handle this situation yourself; for some reason, you are uneasy with this situation. Still, is Omo's life worth any risk?

[nomoetoe]

An update? Oh glorious day!

I suggest we do the having Moark help thing, its risky but if it saves Omo then we've got to do this.

[Descan]

[...]defeated shade of grey while the Young Vale is a verdant green hue, and the Black Swamps of the Golgothans are a purple so dark it borders on black.
Yo░ cannot ░eep h░r ░ro░ m░ f░░░ve░

You cannot keep her from me forever.

[...]your acquaintance; all you have to do is accept his offer of help. What do you say?"
░░! R░s░░t ░░e i░░░ue░ce ░░ M, L░f░░iv░r!

No! Resist the influence of M, [Proper name]!

Hmmm. Whoever this voice is, they're expecting Fale to hear them, since the first line was talking to him directly. I assume the proper name is us but... I don't actually know our name.

[XXXXYYYY]

[...]defeated shade of grey while the Young Vale is a verdant green hue, and the Black Swamps of the Golgothans are a purple so dark it borders on black.
Yo░ cannot ░eep h░r ░ro░ m░ f░░░ve░

You cannot keep her from my... me... something.

[...]your acquaintance; all you have to do is accept his offer of help. What do you say?"[/glow]
░░! R░s░░t ░░e i░░░ue░ce ░░ M, L░f░░iv░r!

No! Resist the influence of M, [Proper name]!

I think it's "You cannot keep her from me forever." and "No! resist the influence of M, Lifegiver." Lifegiver is obviously us, what with the whole elves thing and direct address, and "her" could very well be us as well by association.
Don't take Moark's help. It doesn't feel right, and I think M's not what Fale thinks he is. I don't know what he is, exactly, but it's not going to be good either way.