Surveyance
Given a prevailing absence of any interest in secrecy, the story of their defeat of an eldritch monstrosity and claiming of its might spread around like wildfire.
On a daily basis from then on, Solomon was assailed with a number of troublesome requests, most of which Penelope rebuffed on her benefactor's behalf without him lifting a finger, like a celebrity's bodyguard. He found himself appreciative of her understanding that he simply didn't wish to spare willpower on humoring such pointless clamoring.
An entire week was spent coasting along on something of a comfortable haze, on a curling cirrus of his making. He invented a superior form of water bedding with a hyper-adaptive alchemical fluid, its surface treated with a softening agent. Once more, contented with modest achievement, Solomon became a creature of sedentary passions, prolonged inactivity, and mounting desultory reticence. Although Penelope dealt with most of Damien's issues in a satisfactory fashion, the inundation of new work meant she could neither investigate the Apostles of the Bible Theme nor properly deliver a fittingly threatening subpoena to the Engine.
On Monday, the tenth of November, Solomon was lying down and staring at the ceiling, hands crossed over his heart like the golden statue on some ancient pharaoh's tomb, as Harrison made the same offer he made almost every other week:
"Hey, Solomon, you should come with the Surveyors, we're doing an exploration of what could be an ancient wizard's tower." His attempt at intrigue elicited an arching of a brow, as Solomon contemplated the uncharacteristic ennui of the elapsed seven days. For some inconceivable reason, he still held onto a lot of motivation to do stuff.
"Sure," he shot back.
"I know you're-" Harrison did a brief double take. "For real?"
"Sure," he repeated. "Count me in. When?"
"Uh." Harrison needed a second to reset. "On Friday afternoon."
"Okay, I'll be there. Let Penny know."
"Sure..."
After that amusing episode, Solomon decided he should attend the Educator's remedial lesson of the day. Of all the Educator's seminars on offer, that one was most worthwhile and had nothing to do with treading over the steps of Enrollment he'd already attained and mastered. He raised a hand and a wizard's robe tumbled out of the wardrobe, sleeve flying onto his arm, with the other automatically doing the same. Once that was done, gloves as white as chalk came stepping comically through the air, index and middle fingers employed as legs, and snuck onto his unresisting hands.
He checked himself out in a reflective polished silver mirror. His robe was stylish, an even cloth of midnight blue that went down to almost the level of his knees, with an opening in the middle held with ropes of gold, a dark tunic and pants, almost more like a cloak. Its surface was dappled in gleaming silver stars and moons. An ordered compromise of faithful homage to his chosen Role and overall comfort, ensuring optimal benefits in each area.
It also had a lot of convenient practical elements. A hand rummaged around the robe's bag of holding, then came out holding an energy elixir. He downed the contents of the small flask and felt an immediate, sharp clarity, like a waterfall that washed away even signs of tarnish on the mind; immediately revivifying and awakening him from the restless stupor. Its alleviation compared in a fashion even to his favorite dessert, although it was a different genre of hedonic experience. More clarifying than gratifying.
The Educator welcomed him with a smile. "Solomon."
"Eddie."
"You've made good progress over the last couple of weeks," the Educator said, hands steepling as he leaned back into his chair. "I am contented to see you aren't merely resting on your laurels, now. Let's continue from where we left off?"
"Let's," agreed Solomon.
That lesson carried with it an understanding of how proverbs and aphorisms were self-contained dollops of more essential truth; an endonymic coordinate that could be sought with the correct meditations. He explained how it correlated to every other element of Architecture they'd already studied. As with almost every lesson on Architecture, it was mostly theory: a rung in the ladder he'd one day use to climb atop the world, to better view its skein from above, and shift the threads.
"Teach, I gotta ask you something," Solomon started, once the lesson started winding down.
"Yes, Solomon?"
"About the Metaphysicist, I mean," he said, uneasy about bringing this up. "I was approached by some students who said the only student to ever have these remedial lessons, aside from me, was him. Is that true?"
The Educator seemed uncharacteristically flatfooted - and then, slowly processing the question, exhaled. Although even by default, his cheerful affect wasn't on display during the remedial lessons, the Educator now seemed almost somber, if focused.
"Yes. I also taught David."
He asked, "Do you think I'll ever be able to catch up to him?"
He seemed amused now, as if curiosity intermingled with faint incredulity, and stared into Solomon's very being as if he were a riveting novel that suddenly developed a new, unexpected dimension. Like someone engrossed in a story observing as it developed a minor plot twist. "Curious. From where, I wonder, does that question originate?"
"I'm curious, is all," said Solomon nonchalantly, sniffling unashamedly, "Case you haven't noticed, sir, I'm sort of a freak of nature. Like, an incandescent genius. I'm built different. Probably among your best students of all time."
"Sadly," the Educator said, not sounding saddened at all, "proper Enrolled development requires effort. Now, you've applied yourself admirably, Solomon, but I know how thin you've had to wear yourself down. Unlike the Metaphysicist, you don't have much of a will to act at all. You're reliant on sweets to even get you out of bed. It's an impressive feat of self-directed Pavlovian conditioning, I'll admit: turning your organism's hunt for sucrose rewards into a mechanism of constant exaltation. Entirely degenerate as well, in an impressive fashion, were I a man inclined to personal opinions, which I'm not."
"Degenerate?"
The Educator nodded. "If you wish to ever match the level of the Metaphysicist, you'll need to do more. The drive to exist in a world of acknowledgment already pushes you, and yet I can feel its ambitious potential is unmet with the fervor it deserves. You'll need to learn to act without reliance on your crutches."
"Crutches?"
"The pudding - or coffee jello, as it is called - which you carry around," said the Educator saliently. There was a second of silence, as Solomon needed a moment to cogitate and parse the statement and its absurdity. Finally, he formed an objection.
"I'm motivating myself. There's nothing wrong with that."
"And if an enemy were to sabotage your supply?" asked the Educator drolly. "Threaten to remove it? It's something that can be levied against you. Shortcuts are convenient, but they are ultimately that. Shortcuts. Whether to power or a concrete spatial destination, they will not fill your body or mind with justly earned might. You must learn to motivate yourself without the supply of sweets you've accumulated. Reliance on them weakens you and prevents you from finding actual purpose."
"That's ridiculous. If I didn't have something to look forward to at the end of a long day, a reward of some kind, I wouldn't have become as strong as I am," argued Solomon. "If anything, shouldn't you be offering me even more of it?"
"Children find dentists unpleasant," said the Educator. "Hence why at the end of the visit, they receive a lollipop. A reward for bravery to motivate future attendance. It's the closest you can do to programming a human being's primitive mind with equally primitive inputs, like giving meat to a lion. Good enough for training a remora, or some other form of animal. Insufficient for an archetypical human being, let alone an Enrolled luminary. Bribing children with sweets is an elementary school educational tactic. If that."
He stared in disbelief. "You haven't said any of this before."
"I did not believe you so ambitious before, Solomon," the Educator. "If you are truly interested in becoming a peer of the Metaphysicist, you'll require excellence in every category, at minimum. There are other, more stable, and efficient methods of fanning one's eagerness than undirected gluttony. You've brushed against some, and discovered a couple of others. Employed none so far. This is a very abstract exercise, as you'll come to understand. I'll force nothing on you. Still, I recommend you limit your intake of coffee jello. Better yet, discard your supply entirely. Remove the temptation and you'll have to fear nothing. In any case, I think this lesson's over for now."
Solomon departed the Educator's office feeling bedraggled and drained, more than when he'd entered.
---
Will: 80
Credit: 1.6
XP: 0
How do you feel about your teacher's explanation?
[ ] He's Right, Abandon Gluttony [-100 Will] - A crutch must be discarded to rise above. Forsake the delicacies you once savored and discard them into a fiery bin, all the better to heat up your resolve...
*Counterfactually, damages your resolve as a side effect of surrendering a core hedonic aspect of your life.
*Renders the upcoming exploration of Fortuna significantly more difficult. If you're to have any hope of productive action, you'll need to devote at least some of your time to slacking off in order to cope with the emotional shock of the Educator's advice.
*Reduces the effectiveness of other psychological 'crutches.' Devoted Cup's effectiveness is unchanged, but Comfort's Embrace suffers modest diminishment.
*May have other benefits, eventually?
[ ] Abandon Ambition [+50 Will] - Eh, who cares about the Metaphysicist? If he's really that awesome a dude, he and his buddies can deal with all of the world's upcoming issues on their own. You'll be hanging out and enjoying yourself.
*Dramatically improves the effectiveness of coffee jello.
*Tentatively reduces Solomon's interest in attaining godlike power in the future; he'll be content to merely rest on his laurels.
[ ] A Deeper Lesson - As you've already learned, there's always a third and equally valid path. Call it a gut feeling, but something is telling you the Educator means for you to derive some other, deeper lesson from this. Otherwise, he wouldn't have pivoted onto such a tangent at the end of remedial classes.
*Don't commit to either path.
*Reduces the effectiveness of coffee jello, but doesn't seal away its use.
Decide what you'll do with the Surveyors (select two, all three if you want to spread yourself thin):
[ ] Introduction At Court - As it happens, a royal ball and matinee are coming up. Make an introduction of yourself to every aristocrat of worth at the Court of Rider in the Unified Sovereignty, Fortuna's equivalent of the United Kingdom. Gain contacts, allies, and potential resources.
*Penelope recommends doing this.
*Lots of people want friends in high places. Enrolled are viewed with a nigh-messianic air on Fortuna, so you'll be sure to find lots of supporters.
*Gain at least 800 XP and some contacts within the local courts, potentially even better benefits if you spend Will or Credit.
[ ] Ancient Ruins - Go exploring with the main team. Shine a light on their way. Discover ancient secrets!
*Harrison recommends doing this.
*Benefits uncertain. At least 1,000 XP and probably some minor artifacts, more if you expend Will or Credit.
*Moderate danger expected.
[ ] Visit Market - The Sovereigncy's artifact market is among the liveliest on Fortuna. If you ask, the Club may provide you a minor stipend of money to spend on whatever you want to acquire. There are magic eyes, exotic creatures, blessed relics unclaimed by the Church, and more.
*Diverse assortment of magic items.
*No danger, little XP.
*May be able to make contacts?
[ ] Write-in